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Nathaniel Hooke (c. 1687 – 19 July 1763) was an English historian.


Life

He was the eldest son of John Hooke, serjeant-at-law, and nephew of
Nathaniel Hooke Nathaniel Hooke (c. 1687 – 19 July 1763) was an English historian. Life He was the eldest son of John Hooke, serjeant-at-law, and nephew of Nathaniel Hooke the Jacobite soldier. He is thought by John Kirk to have studied with Alexander Pop ...
the Jacobite soldier. He is thought by John Kirk to have studied with
Alexander Pope Alexander Pope (21 May 1688 Old Style and New Style dates, O.S. – 30 May 1744) was an English poet, translator, and satirist of the Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment era who is considered one of the most prominent English poets of the early ...
at
Twyford School Twyford School is a co-educational, private, preparatory boarding and day school, located in the village of Twyford, Hampshire, England. History Twyford states itself to be the oldest preparatory school in the United Kingdom. It moved to its ...
, and to have formed a lifelong friendship there. He was admitted to
Lincoln's Inn The Honourable Society of Lincoln's Inn, commonly known as Lincoln's Inn, is one of the four Inns of Court (professional associations for Barrister, barristers and judges) in London. To be called to the bar in order to practise as a barrister ...
6 February 1702. Caught up in the
South Sea Bubble South is one of the cardinal directions or compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both west and east. Etymology The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Proto-Germanic ''*sunþa ...
, he sought patronage. He dedicated to the
Earl of Oxford Earl of Oxford is a dormant title in the Peerage of England, first created for Aubrey de Vere, 1st Earl of Oxford, Aubrey de Vere by the Empress Matilda in 1141. De Vere family, His family was to hold the title for more than five and a half cen ...
a translation from the French of
Andrew Michael Ramsay Sir Andrew Michael Ramsay (9 July 16866 May 1743), commonly called the Chevalier Ramsay, was a Scotland, Scottish-born writer who lived most of his adult life in France. He was a baronet in the Jacobite peerage. After visiting the Catholic a ...
's 'Life of Fénelon' (published in 1723), London. Other patrons were Hugh Hume-Campbell, 3rd Earl of Marchmont,
Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow Richard Onslow, 1st Baron Onslow PC (23 June 1654 – 5 December 1717), known as Sir Richard Onslow, 2nd Baronet from 1688 until 1716, was a British Whig politician who sat in the English and British House of Commons from 1679 to 1715. He wa ...
,
François Fénelon François de Salignac de la Mothe-Fénelon, PSS (), more commonly known as François Fénelon (6 August 1651 – 7 January 1715), was a French Catholic archbishop, theologian, poet and writer. Today, he is remembered mostly as the author of ' ...
, Pope, George Cheyne, and
William King William King may refer to: Arts * Willie King (1943–2009), American blues guitarist and singer * William King (author) (born 1959), British science fiction author and game designer, also known as Bill King * William King (artist) (1925–2015), ...
, principal of St. Mary Hall, Oxford. When
Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough Sarah Churchill, Duchess of Marlborough, Princess of Mindelheim, Countess of Nellenburg (née Jenyns, spelt Jennings in most modern references; 5 June 1660 (Old Style) – 18 October 1744), was an English courtier who rose to be one of th ...
required help with her memoirs, Hooke was recommended to her. He accordingly waited upon the aged duchess while she was still in bed; on his arrival she caused herself to be lifted up, and continued speaking for six hours without notes. Hooke resided in the house until the completion of the work, which appeared in 1742 under the title of ''An Account of the Conduct of the Dowager Duchess of Marlborough from her first coming to Court to the year 1710.'' Hooke received from the duchess £5,000. During his time with her she commissioned him to negotiate with Pope for the suppression, for payment of £3,000, of the character of 'Atossa' in his 'Epistles'.
Owen Ruffhead Owen Ruffhead (1723 – 25 October 1769) was a miscellaneous writer, and the descendant of a Welsh family who were bakers to King George I of Great Britain. Legal consultant and writer The junior Owen Ruffhead was born in Piccadilly. When still a ...
stated (''Life of Pope'') that the duchess took a sudden dislike to Hooke because he attempted to convert her to Catholicism. John Whiston, however, asserted that at her death she left £500 a year to Hooke and David Mallet to write the history of the late Duke. It was Hooke who brought a Roman Catholic priest to take Pope's confession on his deathbed. Hooke was also friendly with Martha Blount, who left a legacy to Miss Elizabeth Hooke. Hooke died at
Cookham Cookham is a historic River Thames, Thames-side village and civil parishes in England, civil parish on the north-eastern edge of Berkshire, England, north-north-east of Maidenhead and opposite the village of Bourne End, Buckinghamshire, Bourne ...
, Berkshire, on 19 July 1763, and was buried in Hedsor churchyard, where a tablet with a Latin inscription to his memory was put up at the expense of his friend Frederick Irby, 2nd Baron Boston, in 1801.


Works

William Warburton William Warburton (24 December 16987 June 1779) was an English writer, literary critic and churchman, Bishop of Gloucester from 1759 until his death. He edited editions of the works of his friend Alexander Pope, and of William Shakespeare. Lif ...
described Hooke as "a mystic and quietist, and a warm disciple of Fénelon". Pope suggested that Hooke and
Conyers Middleton Conyers Middleton (27 December 1683 – 28 July 1750) was an English clergyman. Though mired in controversy and disputes, he was also considered one of the best stylists in English of his time. Early life Middleton was born at Richmond, North Y ...
were the only two contemporary prose-writers whose works were worth consulting by an English lexicographer. Hooke's ''Roman History, from the Building of Rome to the Ruin of the Commonwealth'' (four volumes, London, 1738–1771,
4to Quarto (abbreviated Qto, 4to or 4º) is the format of a book or pamphlet produced from full sheets printed with eight pages of text, four to a side, then folded twice to produce four leaves. The leaves are then trimmed along the folds to produc ...
), suggested itself to him while he was preparing an index to the English translation of François Catrou and Pierre Julien Rouille's ''Roman History''. The first volume was dedicated to Pope, and introduced by "Remarks on the History of the Seven Roman Kings, occasioned by Sir Isaac Newton's Objections to the supposed 244 years of the Royal State of Rome". The second volume is dedicated to the Earl of Marchmont, and to it are annexed the
Fasti Capitolini The ''Fasti Capitolini'', or Capitoline Fasti, are a list of the chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, extending from the early fifth century BC down to the reign of Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Together with similar lists found at Rom ...
, or the consular lists, discovered at Rome during the pontificate of
Pope Paul III Pope Paul III (; ; born Alessandro Farnese; 29 February 1468 – 10 November 1549) was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 13 October 1534 to his death, in November 1549. He came to the papal throne in an era follo ...
in 1545. The third volume was printed under Hooke's inspection, but was not published until 1764, after his death. The fourth volume was published in 1771, edited by
Gilbert Stuart Gilbert Stuart ( Stewart; December 3, 1755 – July 9, 1828) was an American painter born in the Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Rhode Island Colony who is widely considered one of America's foremost portraitists. His best-k ...
. The whole work was frequently reprinted; the latest edition, in six volumes, appeared in 1830. Other works are: * ‘Travels of Cyrus, with a Discourse on Mythology,’ London, 1739, translated by Hooke from the French of
Andrew Michael Ramsay Sir Andrew Michael Ramsay (9 July 16866 May 1743), commonly called the Chevalier Ramsay, was a Scotland, Scottish-born writer who lived most of his adult life in France. He was a baronet in the Jacobite peerage. After visiting the Catholic a ...
. * 'Observations on—I. The Answer of M. l'Abbé de Vertot to the late Earl Stanhope's Inquiry concerning the Senate of Ancient Rome, dated December 1719. II. A Dissertation upon the Constitution of the Roman Senate, by a Gentleman; published in 1743. III. A Treatise on the Roman Senate, by Dr. C. Middleton; published in 1747. IV. An Essay on the Roman Senate, by Dr. T. Chapman; published in 1750,' London, 1758; dedicated to Speaker Richard Onslow. This work was answered by Edward Spelman in an anonymous pamphlet entitled 'A Short Review on Mr. Hooke's Observations,' 1758. William Bowyer published 'An Apology for some of Mr. Hooke's Observations concerning the Roman Senate,' London, 1758. * 'Six Letters to a Lady of Quality … upon the subject of Religious Peace and the Foundations of it,' first printed in 'The Contrast; or an Antidote against the pernicious Principles disseminated in the Letters of the late Earl of Chesterfield,' 2 vols., London, 1791, and issued separately in 1816. The manuscript was given by Hooke to the widow of
George Berkeley George Berkeley ( ; 12 March 168514 January 1753), known as Bishop Berkeley (Bishop of Cloyne of the Anglican Church of Ireland), was an Anglo-Irish philosopher, writer, and clergyman who is regarded as the founder of "immaterialism", a philos ...
, who presented it to the Rev. Sir Adam Gordon, bart., (1745–1817), the editor of 'The Contrast.' Hooke revised Thomas Townsend's translation of Antonio de Solís's ''History of the Conquest of Mexico by the Spaniards'' (1753).


Family

He left two sons, Thomas Hooke, rector of Birkby and vicar of Leek, Yorkshire (died 1791); and Luke Joseph Hooke. His daughter, Jane Mary Hooke, died on 28 April 1793, and was buried in Hedsor churchyard.


References

;Attribution {{DEFAULTSORT:Hooke, Nathaniel Year of birth missing 1763 deaths 18th-century English historians English Roman Catholics