Henry Luttrell (c. 1765 – 19 December 1851) was an English politician, wit and writer of society verse. He was the illegitimate son of Henry Lawes Luttrell, 2nd Earl of Carhampton, Tory MP and career soldier.
Henry Luttrell secured a seat in the Irish House of Commons for Clonmines in 1798 and a post in the Irish government, which he commuted for a pension. Introduced into London society by the duchess of Devonshire, his wit made him popular. Soon he began to write verse, in which the foibles of fashionable people were outlined.
In London and in Paris he was a frequent dinner-table companion of Thomas Moore,[1] Ireland's national bard, an hagiographer of United Irishmen whose insurrection in 1798 Luttrell's father, as Commander-in-Chief, Ireland, had vigorously suppressed.[2] Through Moore, he was also introduced to the Whig grandess Lord Lansdowne and Lord John Russell.[1]
In 1820, he published his Advice to Julia, of which a second edition, altered and amplified, appeared in 1823 as Letters to Julia in Rhyme. This poem, suggested by the ode to Lydia in the first book of Horace's Odes, was his most important work. His more serious literary contemporaries nicknamed it "Letters of a Dandy to a Dolly."
In 1827 in Crockford House, he wrote a satire on the high play then in vogue. Byron characterized him as "the best sayer of good things, and the most epigrammatic conversationist I ever met "; Sir Walter Scott wrote of him as "the great London wit," and Lady Blessington described him as the one talker "who always makes me think." Luttrell died in London on 19 December 1851.
Luttrell was himself the subject of one of his friend Sydney Smith's best known lines, to the effect that his idea of heaven was "eating paté de foie gras to the sound of trumpets".[3]
References
This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Luttrell, Henry". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 143.
^ abMoore, Thomas (1925). Tom Moore's Diary: a Selection edited, with an Introduction, by J. B. Preistley. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. pp. 11, n.1.
^A. F. Blackstock, ‘Luttrell, Henry Lawes, second earl of Carhampton (1737–1821)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, Sept 2004; online edn, Jan 2008
^Hesketh Pearson, The Smith of Smiths (Hamish Hamilton, 1934), chapter 10.
henry, luttrell, henry, luttrell, 1765, december, 1851, english, politician, writer, society, verse, illegitimate, henry, lawes, luttrell, earl, carhampton, tory, career, soldier, henry, luttrell, secured, seat, irish, house, commons, clonmines, 1798, post, ir. Henry Luttrell c 1765 19 December 1851 was an English politician wit and writer of society verse He was the illegitimate son of Henry Lawes Luttrell 2nd Earl of Carhampton Tory MP and career soldier Henry Luttrell secured a seat in the Irish House of Commons for Clonmines in 1798 and a post in the Irish government which he commuted for a pension Introduced into London society by the duchess of Devonshire his wit made him popular Soon he began to write verse in which the foibles of fashionable people were outlined In London and in Paris he was a frequent dinner table companion of Thomas Moore 1 Ireland s national bard an hagiographer of United Irishmen whose insurrection in 1798 Luttrell s father as Commander in Chief Ireland had vigorously suppressed 2 Through Moore he was also introduced to the Whig grandess Lord Lansdowne and Lord John Russell 1 In 1820 he published his Advice to Julia of which a second edition altered and amplified appeared in 1823 as Letters to Julia in Rhyme This poem suggested by the ode to Lydia in the first book of Horace s Odes was his most important work His more serious literary contemporaries nicknamed it Letters of a Dandy to a Dolly In 1827 in Crockford House he wrote a satire on the high play then in vogue Byron characterized him as the best sayer of good things and the most epigrammatic conversationist I ever met Sir Walter Scott wrote of him as the great London wit and Lady Blessington described him as the one talker who always makes me think Luttrell died in London on 19 December 1851 Luttrell was himself the subject of one of his friend Sydney Smith s best known lines to the effect that his idea of heaven was eating pate de foie gras to the sound of trumpets 3 References Edit This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain Chisholm Hugh ed 1911 Luttrell Henry Encyclopaedia Britannica Vol 17 11th ed Cambridge University Press p 143 a b Moore Thomas 1925 Tom Moore s Diary a Selection edited with an Introduction by J B Preistley Cambridge Cambridge University Press pp 11 n 1 A F Blackstock Luttrell Henry Lawes second earl of Carhampton 1737 1821 Oxford Dictionary of National Biography Oxford University Press Sept 2004 online edn Jan 2008 Hesketh Pearson The Smith of Smiths Hamish Hamilton 1934 chapter 10 External links EditThomas Seccombe 1893 Luttrell Henry 1765 1851 In Lee Sidney ed Dictionary of National Biography Vol 34 London Smith Elder amp Co https archive org details letterstojuliai01luttgoog page n30 Letters to JuliaParliament of IrelandPreceded byPonsonby Tottenham Luke Fox Member of Parliament for Clonmines1799 1800 Served alongside Ponsonby Tottenham Succeeded byPonsonby Tottenham Henry Eustace Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Henry Luttrell wit amp oldid 1083742570, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
