Samuel Rogers

Rogers had delicate health, and so often was indoors. During the long holidays he studied English literature, particularly in Johnson, Gray and Goldsmith.

During his early 20’s Rogers made various contributions to The Gentleman's Magazine, but his first singular published work was a volume containing some imitations of Goldsmith and Ode to Superstition, an imitation of Gray in 1786. In 1791 he was in Paris, and toured the art collection of Philippe Egalite at the Palais Royal. Inspired by the art, and trying to emulate the works of Gray, Rogers worked tediously and created an elaborate poem titled The Pleasures of Memory in 1792.



Thomas Rogers passed away in 1793, leaving his son a principal share in the banking house in Cornhill as well as a large sum of money. Rogers left Newington Green that year and established himself in chambers in the Temple. By 1803 Rogers moved to 22 St James’s Place, where he lied for the next 50 years, entertaining the rich and famous members of London society. Rogers rebuilt the house and filled it with art of all types, numbering to almost 50,000 pieces. At this point Rogers went behind the scenes of the literary world, preferring to help other authors and poet. He procured a pension for H. F. Cary, the translator of Dante, and obtained for Wordsworth his sinecure as distributor of stamps.



Alexander Dyce, a good friend of Rogers as well as a careful note taker, was in the habit of writing down the anecdotes Rogers frequently related. Dyce used this information to create a selection, published in 1856 as Recollections of the Table- Talk of Samuel Rogers. Rogers also took notes on his friends, including Charles James Fox, Edmund Burke, John Home Tooke, and Sir Walter Scott. They were published by his nephew, William Sharpe, in 1859 as Recollections by Samuel Rogers. Reminiscences and Table-Talk of Samuel Rogers, Banker, Poet, and Patron of the Arts, 5763 1855 compiled by G. H. Powell in 1903 combines the two.  



Rogers went on to hold several honorary callings, he was one of the trustees of the National Gallery; and he served on a commission to inquire into the management of the British Museum, as well as a committee for the rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament.

However his constant parties and community servicing took their toll on literary tendencies. Rogers wrote little, including his own idea of happiness, called An Epistle to a Friend which was published in 1798. Later, in 1814 he published The Voyage of Columbus (1810), and Jacqueline four years later. During the time he also worked on and off for twelve years on Human Life, which was published in 1819.

In 1854 Rogers toured Europe with his sister Sarah. He spent much time in Italy, from which spring his longest work, Italy. This would be his last work, published in two pieces. The first part was published anonymously in 1822; the second, with name attached, in 1828. The pieces were not popular, and had to be enlarged, revised, and illustrated for the next two years, creating an extremely successful version in 1830. Eight years later Rogers followed it up with an equally popular collection of poetry, simply called /Poems/.  IN 1850 he was asked to be Poet Laureate, but declined. Later that year he fell and injured himself in the street. Due to his old age he was too badly injured to move, so spent the last five years of his life in a chair, until his death on the 18th of December in London.  



thanks to pobio for bio info