Richard Bentley (writer) facts for kids
Richard Bentley (c. 1708 – c. 1782) was an English writer and artist. He was known for his friendships with famous people like Thomas Gray and Horace Walpole. Bentley created drawings and also wrote plays and other works.
Richard Bentley's Life
Richard Bentley was the son of a very important person, Richard Bentley, who was the head of Trinity College, Cambridge. Young Richard started at Trinity College when he was only 10 years old. Later, in 1720, he joined the Middle Temple, which is a place where people study to become lawyers.
Thanks to his father's help, Richard became a fellow at Trinity in 1728. However, he never really settled into a steady job. He often had money problems and spent time living in France and on the island of Jersey.
During the 1750s, Bentley became good friends with Horace Walpole and Thomas Gray. In 1754, while in Jersey, he also met Johann Heinrich Müntz. Sadly, his friendship with Walpole ended in 1761.
Bentley's Creative Works
Richard Bentley was a talented artist. He drew pictures for his friend Thomas Gray's poems. Some of these drawings were published in 1753 in a book called Designs by Mr. Bentley, for Six Poems by Mr. T. Gray. His art style was influenced by French designs, known as rococo. It also showed hints of Gothic styles and even some chinoiserie, which is a European style that looks like Chinese art.
Bentley was part of a group of friends who advised Horace Walpole on the design of his famous home, Strawberry Hill. This group included John Chute and Thomas Pitt. After Bentley and Walpole had a disagreement, Thomas Pitt took over Bentley's role in helping with the house's design.
Plays and Other Writings
Around 1761, Bentley started writing plays. His comedy called The Wishes, or Harlequin's Mouth opened was performed in London. It was shown for three nights at the Drury Lane theatre in July 1761 and then again at Covent Garden in October 1761. Bentley wrote this play to make fun of the old rules of Ancient Greek drama. He especially joked about the "three unities" (rules about time, place, and action) and how the chorus in Greek plays would often give moral lessons.
For example, in The Wishes, the chorus hears that a madman is about to set a building on fire. Instead of acting, they start singing about how sad their own situation is! They then complain about the madman and their unlucky fate.
Bentley also wrote a serious play called Philodamus, which was printed in 1767. People who watched it sometimes found it so funny that they laughed out loud, even though it was meant to be a tragedy. Another comedy he wrote, The Prophet, was performed a few times in 1788 after he had passed away.
Besides plays, Bentley wrote other things. These included Patriotism, a Mock Heroic in five cantos, published in 1763, and A Letter to the Right Hon. C. F. Fox in 1793. He also translated travel stories by Paul Hentzner and wrote verses for a tomb inscription by Elizabeth Russell, Lady Russell.
