PARNELL, THOMAS (1679-1718). An Anglo Irish poet, born in Dublin. He graduated at Trinity College, Dublin. and was ordained dea con, though under the canonical age. In 1706 lw was appointed Archdeacon of Clogher; in 1713, prebendary to Saint Patrick's Cathedral; Dublin; and in 1716. Vicar of Finglas. He contributed to the Npretator and Guardian, and was the assoeiate of Swift, Pipe, Arbuthnot, and Gay, in the 'Seriblerus Club.' On the fall of the Whig Government, near the close of Anne's reign, he Over to the Tories. and stood in high favor with the Oxford Administration. But his pros pects of advancement from that quarter were destroyed by the overthrow of the Tories on the death of the Queen. His disappointment at not. obtaining better promotion, and the death of his wife (1711), threw hint into deep melan choly, and he is said to have hastened his death by intemperance. Ile died at Chester in October,
171s. Besides the occasional papers written for Addison and his. share in Neribleras, Parnell helped Pope in the translation of the Iliad, and contributed to the first volume an Essay on the Life, Writings, and Learning of Homer (1715). Ilis poems were collected by Pope in 1721. The volume contains twenty poems, aniong which are The Hermit, A Night Piece on Death, and .1 Hymn to Contentment. On these !aims Par nell's reputation Chiefly rests as a fluent and graceful verse-maker in the manner of Pope. 'Hwy also point forward to the next generation to Collins and Goldsmith. In 1758 appeared the Posthumous ll'orks of Parnell. The volume adds nothing to his fame. Consult the Life of Parnell by Goldsmith, and the edition of Parnell's poems by Aitken in the Aldine series (London, 1894).