Gloucester, 
Glover. _ 
Trade. 
Govern. 
ment. 
Population. 
GLO 
The principal, trade of Gloucester arises from the pin 
manufacture, and. from the navigation of the Severn, 
This river is navigable tothe wharf near the bridge for 
barges, vessels of Jarger size, being obstructed by the 
rocks and sand. banks in the narrow channel near the 
city.. ‘To remedy this. inconvenience, the Gloucester 
and Berkley canal was begun, which was intended for 
the passage of ships of 400 tons burden, There. has al- 
so been. a bell foundery here since the year 1500. For 
the last 150, years, this ‘business has centered in one fa- 
mily, who, in that. period, have) cast: upwards of 3000 
bells, This city is the see of a bishop. . It returns two 
members to parliament, the number of electors being 
about 2000, . It was, anciently, regarded as a. distinct 
hundred, ands still privileged as a county within it- 
self. . The corporate officers consist of a mayor, 12 al- 
dermen, a high steward, a recorder, a town clerk, 2 she- 
riffs, 26 common councilmen,.and 4, sergeants at mace. 
The population returns of 1811, give the following re- 
sults respecting this city : 
Houses inhabited .......46- 1509 
Families occupying them... .. 1706 
Houses building... 2... sheleter ES 
Houses uninhabited dieters 20 
Malogs sats teralfi vite « itd 3726 
Hemoaless 4-6 d's eiercdi. ‘ 4554 
Total population ......... 8280 
(4. s.) 
GLOVER, Ricuarp, an eminent English poet and 
political character, was born in St Martin’s Lane, Can- 
non Street, London, in the year 1712. His father was 
a.respectable Hamburgh merchant in the city. 
Glover, was educated. entirely at Cheam school, under 
the Rev. Daniel Sanxay, having never studied at either 
of the universities. At the seminary above mentioned, 
he distinguished himself by the rapidity of his progress, 
aad. exhibited early specimens, of his: poetical powers. 
At, the age of sixteen, he wrote a poem to the memory 
of Sir Isaac Newton, which was prefixed to the View of: 
Sir Isaac Newton's Philosophy, published. in 1728, by 
his friend Dr Pemberton. The seductive charms of lis 
terature, however, did not allure him from the pursuits 
of commerce, to which he was destined; for, in: due 
time, he embraced his father’s profession, and became a 
Hamburgh merchant; to which he alludes'at the com=' 
mencement, of his poem called: London. 
The talents of Gloyer soon brought him into distin- 
guished notice. In all matters regarding the interests; 
of commerce, he took a lively and active concern. Nor 
did the cares and. duties of a life of business estrange 
him from the study of poetry, for which he had shewn 
an early partiality. Hecultivated the society of those 
men who elie oe gen ae politics, science, and litera- 
ture, especially such as belonged to the in opposi- 
tion to the administration. of Sic Robert Walpole and 
he enjoyed the esteem and, confidence of several per- 
sons distinguished for theit rank and:talenits. 
On the 21st of May 1737, he married) Miss Nunn, 
who brought him a, fortune of £12,000; and: in the 
same month he published his Leonidas, an. epic poem, 
if, nine. books, ‘which. established his reputation as a 
poet. This, poem was. extremely popular on its’ first 
appearance, but was, no doubt, in a great. measure, in- 
debted for its favourable reception to the zealous and: 
plause of the party then in opposition to: 
the court, Their extravagant zeal, however, seems to- 
enthusiastie¢ aj 
have ultimately proved disadvantageous to the legiti- 
mate pretensions of the author, by encouraging exorbi- 
tant expectations, which the poem was not. calculated) 
326 
GLO 
entirely to gratify ; for although possessing great and 
obvious beauties, it has since sunk into an unmerited 
neglect. BATTS - gene 
In 1739, he published his London, or the Progress of 
Commerce ; upon which there followed soon after, his 
ballad, intituled, Hosier’s Ghost. Both these pieces 
appear to have been written with a view to stimulate the 
nation to resent the depredations of the Spaniards ; and 
the latter produced a considerable sensation. == 
During. the last mentioned and subsequent’ years, — 
Glover took a very active part in the polities of the ci- 
ty ; and his talents, his political knowledge, and his ex- 
tensive information in matters regarding trade and com- 
merce, placed him so high in the estimation of his fel- 
low-citizens, that he was appointed to conduct the ap- 
plication of the merchants of London to parliament, in 
1741 and 1742, on the subject of the neglect. of their 
trade. He accepted the office, and his exertions were 
crowned with success. In summing up the evidence, 
upon that occasion, he exhibited striking proofs of his ° 
oratorical powers. On the death of Sarah, Duchess of 
Marlborough, in, 1744, she left, by her will; £500'each’. 
to Glover and Mallet, to write the history of the Duke’ 
of Marlborough’s life. Glover, it is believed, very : 
renounced his share of the bequest; and Mallet, th » 
he constantly promised, never made the least. progress 
in the performance of the task. 
About this period, Glover's affairs became somewhat’ 
embarrassed, in uence of unavoidable losses in: 
trade, and, perhaps, of too zealous an attention to the: 
public interests, to the neglect of: his own private eco- 
nomy. For this reason he determined to withdraw’ 
himself, for a time, from public notice, until he should 
be able to put his affairs into amore prosperous state. 
In the beginning of the month of May. 1751, he was: 
drawn from his. retreat by the importunity of his friends, 
and condescended to’stand candidate for the office of 
chamberlain to the city of. London, in. opposition. to: 
Thomas Harrison, Esq. Unfortunately, however, most! 
of the Livery had engaged their votes before he: decla- 
red himself; and after a few days, finding that his an- - 
tagonist. gained ground upon the poll, he gave up the 
contest. Upon this occasion, he addressed the Livery: 
in a speech full of eloquence and manly. resignation. In’ 
his retirement, he finished the’ tragedy. of Boadicea, 
which he had begun many years before; and in 1753, 
it was brought upon the stage at Drury-Lane, andjact~ 
ed nine wate with great success. In 1761, he pub- 
lished his Medea, a tragedy, taken from the dramas of 
Euripides and Seneca, and professedly constructed upon 
the ancient plan, each act terminating with a chorus. 
It was not,acted till 1767; and: has since been often’ 
performed with success. = ; 
Having at length surmounted the difficulties of his 
situation, Glover again relinquished the pleasures of re= 
tirement ; and/in the parliament which met at the ac-' 
cession of his present Majesty, in 1761, he was elected’ 
member for Weymouth, and sat till) March 1768. Inv 
1770, he published anew edition of Leonidas, corrected: 
throughout, and extended from nine books to twelve. 
In 1772 and the following years, he took a very active 
interest in winding up the complicated concerns of 
Douglas, Heron and Company at Ayr. He also under- 
took to manage the interests of the merchants andtraders: 
in London, concerned in the trade to Germany and. 
Holland, and of the dealers in foreign linens, in their 
application to parliament, in the month of May 1774. 
In 1775, he assisted the West India merchants in their 
application to parliament; and examined the witnesses, 
and summed up the evidence, in the same masterly . 
