JAMES

See also:

• HARRIS, GEORGE, 1ST BARON (1746–1829)
• JAMES HARRIS (1709-1780)
• HARRIS, JOEL CHANDLER (1848-1908)
• HARRIS, JOHN (c. 1666-1719)
• HARRIS, SIR WILLIAM SNOW
• HARRIS, THOMAS LAKE (1823-1906)
• HARRIS, WILLIAM TORREY (1835-1909)

HARRIS (1709-1780)  , English grammarian, was born at Salisbury on the loth of July 1709 . He was educated at the grammar school in the Close at Salisbury, and at Wadham College, Oxford . On leaving the university he was entered at Lincoln's Inn as a student of law, though not intended for the bar . The death of his father in 1733 placed him in possession of an independent fortune and of the house in Salisbury Close . He became a county magistrate, and represented Christchurch in parliament from 1761 till his death, and was comptroller to the queen from 1774 to 1780 . He held office under Lord Grenville, retiring with him in 1765 . The decided bent of his mind had always been towards the Greek and Latin classics; and to the study of these, especially of Aristotle, he applied himself with unremitting assiduity during a period of fourteen or fifteen years . He published in 1744 three treatises—on art; on music, painting and poetry; and on happiness . In 1751 appeared the work by which he became best known, Hermes, a philosophical inquiry concerning universal grammar . He also published Philosophical Arrangements and Philosophical Inquiries . Harris was a great lover of music, and adapted the words for a selection from Italian and German composers, published by the cathedral organist, James Corfe . He died on the 22nd of December 1780 .

His

works were collected and published in 18o1, by his son, the first earl of Malmesbury, who prefixed a brief biography .