ated at Columbia in 1827, and shortly afterward published his first book, " Sixty Years of the Life of Jeremy Levis " (2 vols., New York, 1831), which has been styled " a rambling, Shandean autobiogra- phy ; grotesque, humorous, sentimental, and satiri- cal, though too crude and unfinished to hold a high rank for any of those qualities." This was followed by " The Dream of Alla-ad-Deen," in which he attempted to reconcile humanity to death and evil on the ground that mankind are of but little importance in the scale of creation. " The Confessions of a Poet " (Philadelphia. 1835), his next work, was severely criticised by part of the New York press, especially by " The Commercial Advertiser," edited by Col. William L. Stone, on the score of morality. To these Osborn replied by publishing " The Vision of Rubeta, an Epic Story of the Island of Manhattan, with Illustrations Done on Stone " (Boston, 1838). It also contained a fierce onslaught on the poet Wordsworth. In 1841 appeared his best and most elaborate work, " Arthur Carryl, Cantos First and Second ; Odes : Epistles to Milton, Pope, Juvenal, and the Devil ; Epigrams ; Parodies of Horace ; England as She Is, and Other Minor Poems " (New York), All the foregoing were published anonymously hj Osborn, who was an eccentric literary recluse. His scholar- ship was varied. He was familiar with the clas- sics, wrote poetry in French and Italian with fa- cility, was a painter of some merit, a skilled musi- cian, and a gifted conversationalist. Of his later works, several were issued over his own name. They include '• Handbook of Oil-Painting, by an American Artist " (New York, 1856) ; " Calvary — Virginia: Tragedies," "Alice, or the Painter's Story," and "The Silver Head and The Double Deceit : Comedies " (1867) ; " Bianca Capello, a Tragedy," " The Montanini — The School for Critics : Comedies," and " Travels by Sea and Land of Alethitheras " (1868) ; " Ugo-da-Este— Uberto— The Cid of Seville : Tragedies," and " The Mag- netizer — The Prodigal : Comedies in Prose " (1869) ; " The Last ]Mandeville — The Heart's Sacrifice — The Monk — Matilda of Denmark: Tragedies" (1870); " Meleagros— The New Calvary: Trage- dies " (1871) ; and " Mariamne, A Tragedy of Jewish History " (1873). See " Brvant and His Friends " (New York, 1886).
OSBORN, Samuel, clergyman, b. in Ireland about 1690; d. in Boston, Mass., about 1785. He came to this country, studied for the ministry, and was ordained pastor of the church at Eastham,
Mass., in 1718. There he remained until 1737, when he was dismissed for his Armenian opinions. Subsequently he taught in a private school in Boston for more than ten years. He was interested
in agriculture, and introduced the use of peat on Cape Cod. He published " Case and Complaint " (1743). — His son, John, poet, b. in Sandwich, Barnstable co., Mass., in 1713 ; d. in Middletown, Conn., 31 May, 1753, was graduated at Harvard in 1735, and studied theology. At the expiration of two years he read a sermon before the assembled clergy of the neighborhood with a view of soliciting ordination : but the decision of his auditors being adverse to the doctrines that he set forth, although they admitted the literary merits of the discourse, he was refused their recommendation. He then studied medicine, and was admitted to practice.
He declined a tutorship at Harvard, as celibacy was one of the conditions, and after his marriage he removed to Middletown, where
he spent the rest of his life. He is best known by two brief poems, " The Whaling Song," which was for many years very popular (1755), and " An Elegiac Epistle on the Death of a Sister." —
Samuel's grandson. John, physician, b. in Middletown, Conn., 17 March. 1741 ; d. there in June,
, studied medicine, and practised more than
sixty years in his native place. At the age of
seventeen he served in the army at Ticonderoga.
He afterward attained note as a chemist, and is
said to have had the most valuable medical library
in the state. Before the Revolution he published
a translation of Condamine's " Treatise on Inoculation," with an original appendix. — The second
John's son. John Churchill, physician, b. in Mid-
dletown, Conn., in September, 1766; d. in the
island of St. Croix, 5 March, 1819, studied medicine
with his father, and practised at New Berne, N. C,
from 1787 till 1807. In 1808 he was appointed
professor of the institutes of medicine in Columbia,
which office he resigned in 1813 to accept the chair
of obstetrics in the New York college of physicians
and surgeons. He died in the West Indies, where
he sought relief from a pulmonary disease. Dr.
Osborn was a connoisseur in poetry, belles-lettres,
and painting. Joel Barlow submitted the poem of
" The Vision of Columbus " to him for revision.
OSBORN, Selleck, journalist, b. in Trumbull,
Conn., in 1783 ; d. in Philadelphia, Pa., 1 Oct.,
. After receiving an English education he
entered a printing-office in Danbury, Conn., at
twelve years of age. In August, 1805. with Timo-
thy Ashley, he established the Litchfield " Wit-
ness" by invitation of Democrats in that town,
which was then a stronghold of Federalism. Mr.
Osborn, who was sole editor of the paper, wielded a
caustic and somewhat unscrupulous pen and gave
much offence by his personalities. He was finally
found guilty of a libel and sentenced to the pay-
ment of a heavy fine, in default of which he was
committed to jail, where he remained a year, pre-
ferring, as he said, to have his body imprisoned
rather than his mind. Much political capital was
made from this incident, and Osborn was regarded
as a martyr by his party throughout the country.
Indignation meetings were held in distant states,
while a committee visited his jail and issued week-
ly bulletins describing indignities to which he was
subjected. These accusations were denied by the
sheriff, but the excitement finally became such
that a demonstration was made on 6 Aug., 1806,
which was attended by Democrats from far and
near. It included a salute of seventeen guns at
sunrise, a military and civic procession which
passed under Osborn's window with uncovered
heads, giving him a brigadier's salute, a public
meeting with religious services, and a banquet.
The prisoner was finally released and resumed
control of the " Witness," which was discontinued
in the summer of 1807. Osborn was commissioned
1st lieutenant of light dragoons in the U. S. army
on 8 July, 1808, and promoted captain in Febru-
ary, 1811. He served in the war of 1813 on the
Canadian frontier, but left the service in May,
1814, and returned to journalism, editing a paper
in Bennington. Vt., then the "American Watch-
man " at Wilmington. Del., and for a short time
in 1825 a journal in New York city, advocating
the election of John C. Calhoun to the presidency.
Afterward he removed to Philadelphia. Osborn
began to write verses at an early age and attained
reputation as a poet. His most popular piece was
" The Ruins." He published " Poems, Moral, Sen-
timental, and Satirical " (Boston, 1823).
OSBORN, Sherard, English naval officer, b. in Madras, 25 April, 1822 ; d. in London, 6 May, 1875. He was the son of a lieutenant-colonel in the army, and, entering the navy as a first-class volunteer in
