CHURCHILL, Charles (1731-1764), a celebrated satirist, was born at Westminster, where his father was curate and lecturer of St John's. He was educated at Westminster school; but made so little progress in his studies that when he went to Oxford he was rejected on account of his deficiency in the classics,—a circumstance which probably explains the frequent invectives which we find in his works against that university. On his return he again applied to his studies in Westminster school; and after studying theology for some time in retirement at Sunderland, he was ordained priest by Sherlock, bishop of London, and obtained a curacy at Cadbury in Somersetshire. It is said that, while in this situation, he endeavoured to augment his income by keeping a cider-cellar, and thus laid the foundation of his dissoluteness in after life; but this story seems to be without foundation, and is denied by the editor of his works. From Cadbury he removed to Wales; and thence, on the death of his father, to Westminster, where he was not unfavourably known for his talents and deportment. In spite, however, of his efforts to improve his income by teaching in a boarding-school, his debts soon outstripped his means, and he was only saved from incarceration by the interposition of Dr Lloyd, a master in Westminster school. His intimacy at this time with Robert Lloyd, a dissolute poetaster, the son of his benefactor, exerted an unhappy influence on his character. The
first of Churchill's poems for which he could find a publisher was the Rosciad, a rude satire on the theatrical notabilities of the time; but it was not till a second edition was called for that he ventured to affix his name to the work. His next performance was his Apology to the Critical Reviewers, which contains a vigorous reply to the attacks made on his former production. While his writings were thus furnishing general amusement, his private life was viewed with unmitigated disgust. He abandoned his wife, resigned his clerical dignities, and openly devoted himself to a life of pleasure. To palliate his convivial excesses, he wrote a poem called Night, in which he justified his conduct by pleading that he never disguised it. His next poem, entitled the Ghost, is aimed at Dr Johnson, who had expressed an unfavourable opinion of Churchill's previous works, and is satirized under the name of Pomposo. A political squib, entitled Prophecy of Famine, was more successful than either of these works. It was written in the spirit of the North Briton, and principally to gratify Mr Wilkes, who augured well of its success on the ground that it was at once personal, poetical, and political. His succeeding pieces were carelessly written, and far less successful. Gotham, Independence, The Times, &c., were written rather from a desire to profit by his fame than to advance it. Churchill died of a military fever at Boulogne, whither he had gone on a visit to his friend Wilkes. (See Genuine Memoirs of Mr Churchill, 12mo, 1765.) His collected poems were published in 2 vols. 8vo, 1779.