CUMBERLAND, RICHARD, a dramatic writer and miscellaneous anther of the last century, great-grandson of Richard Cumberland, bishop of Peterborough, and grandson by the mother's side of Dr. Richard Bentley, ones born February 19, 1732, in the lodge of Trinity College, Cambridge. He was placed successively at the public schools of Bury St. Edmunds and Westminster, and at the early age of fourteen commenced his residence at Trinity College, Cambridge. Though during his two first years he had entirely neglected his mathematical studies, he distinguished himself highly by readiness and skill as a disputer in the schools, and obtained the degree of tenth wrangler. Two years after he was elected Fellow of Trinity. It was his intention to enter the church, and devote himself to literature and Who duties of his profession. From these views he was withdrawn by being appointed in the same year private secretary to the Earl of Halifax, then that lord of trade, whom he accompanied, on his appointment to be lord-lieutenant, to Ireland in 1760. Through this connection his father became bishop first of Clonfert, afterwards of Kilmore. After passing through one or two subordinate offices, Cumberland was appointed secretary to the Board of Trade, soon after Lord George Germaine became first lord in 1775, and held that office until the suppression of the board in 1782. In 1780 he was sent oh a confi dential and secret mission to the court of Madrid. This appointment proved the source of no small loss and vexation, in consequence of his expenditure to the extent of 45001. beyond the money which he received at etarting, of which no portion ever was repaid. On this subject we have only his own ex parte, but oncontradicted, statement : there is every appearance that be was exceedingly ill-used.
After tho reduction of the Board of Trade, Cumberland received a compensation-allowance, and retired to husband his diminished means of Tunbridge Wells. He now devoted himself altogether to literature, which had hitherto been only his amusement; and tried his powers in the multifarious departments of opera, farce, comedy, tragedy; occasional, lyric, nod sacred poetry ; pamphlets, novels, essays, and oven divinity; but he will hardly be remembered except as an essayist, and as the author of several successful comedies, of which ouly tho West Indian,' the Wheel of Fortune,' and the ' Jew,' need be mentioned. The West Indian' obtained great popularity on its first
appearance, and is still a stock piece. The 'Jew' was an honourable attempt to combat popular prejudice against the Jewish nation. The ' Wheel of Fortune' is identified with John Eatuble, who made Punruddock one of his very effective characters. Many other of his drametio pieces, of which there are at least thirty-two, were popular at the time of their production; and even those which had little sterling merit added for a time to his reputation, by keeping his name contiuually before the public.
As au essayist, Cumberland rode to fame on the shoulders of Bentley, from whose manuscripts he derived the lentning of those aeries of papers in the 'Observer ' on Greek poetry, which contain rich collection of translated fragments of the comic poets. The merits of the translations however belong to Cumberland. There are also a number of valuable critical essays, chiefly on the drama. The entire work proceeded from Cumberland's pen, and affords honourable evidence of the author's fertility of imagination, knowledge, humour, and varied power of composition. His translation of the 'Clouds of Aristophance is elegant, but ha has altogether missed the spirit of the original.
One of Cumberland's pamphlets that appeared without his name, entitled Curtioe rescued from the Gulph, or the Reply Courteous to the Rev. Dr. Parr, in answer to his learned pamphlet, entitled " A Sequel," ' &c., is no unfavonrable specimen of the author. powers of humour and sarcasm, and his readiness at paying off a mass of learned quotations in coin of the same but a more current kind.
Ilia memoirs, published in 1806, is a very amusing book, full of interesting anecdotes of the men of his time, which will give the reader a thorough insight into the vain and irritable character of the author. His reputation wan unblemished in the discharge both of his public and private duties, and his society was much courted for his brilliant conversation. Mr. Cumberland died, after a few days' illness, May 7, 1811.