Husbands, John

The DNB has interesting comments on Husbands's Miscellany, which seems to be his primary work before his young death: "Strangely, Richard Savage subscribed for twenty copies. The only poem in the volume now remembered is a college exercise by Samuel Johnson: a Latin version of Pope's ‘Messiah’ and Johnson's first appearance in print. Boswell was told it was printed for Johnson's father, who was acquainted with some of the fellows of Pembroke, and Johnson, who had gone down in December 1729, ‘was very angry when he heard of it’ (Boswell, Life, 1.61, 59)." Husbands wrote a 120 page preface detailing his critical opinions on poetry. Upon Husbands's death, his widow was left with limited means.