VINCENT

See also:

• BOURNE (southern form of burn, Teutonic born, bran, burna)
• VINCENT BOURNE (1695-1747)
• BOURNE, or BOURN

BOURNE (1695-1747)  , English classical scholar, familiarly known as " Vinny " Bourne, was born at Westminster in 1695 . In 1710 he became a scholar at Westminster school, and in 1714 entered Trinity College, Cambridge . He graduated in 1717, and obtained a fellowship three years later . Of his after-life exceedingly little is known . It is certain that he passed the greater portion of it as usher in Westminster school . He died on, the 2nd of December 1747 . During his lifetime he published three editions of his Latin poems, and in 1772 there appeared a very handsome quarto volume containing all Bourne's pieces, but also some that did not belong to him . The Latin poems are remarkable not only for perfect mastery of all linguistic niceties, but for graceful expression and genuine poetic feeling . A number of them are translations of English poems, and it is not too much to say that the Latin versions almost invariably surpass the originals . Cowper, an old pupil of Bourne's, Beattie and Lamb have combined in praise of his wonderful power of Latin versification . See an edition (184o) of his Poemata, with a memoir by John Mitford .