CREECH, Thomas, well known for his translations of ancient authors, both in prose and verse, was son of Thomas Creech, and born near Sherborne, in Dorsetshire, in 1659. He was educated in grammatical learning under Mr Curganven of Sherborne, to whom he afterwards dedicated a translation of one of Theocritus’ Idylls, and entered as a commoner of Wadħam College in Oxford, in 1675. Wood tells us that his father was a gentleman; but Giles Jacob, in his Lives and Characters of English Poets, states, that the circumstances of his parents not being sufficient to afford him a liberal education, his disposition and capacity for learning raised him up a patron in Colonel Strangeways, whose generosity supplied that deficiency. But be this as it may, Creech distinguished himself much, and was accounted a good philosopher and poet, and a diligent student. On the 13th June 1683, he took the degree of master of arts, and not long afterwards was elected probationer fellow of All Souls College; to which, Jacob observes, the great reputation acquired by his translation of Lucretius recommended him. Wood informs us, that upon this occasion he gave singular proofs of his classical learning and philosophical attainments. He also took the degree of B. D. on the 18th of March 1696. He now began to be well known by the works he had published; but Father Niceron observes, that they were of no great advantage to his fortune, since his circumstances were always indifferent. In 1699, having taken holy orders, he was presented by his college to the living of Welwynn, in Hertfordshire; but he had not long enjoyed his preferment when he put an end to his own life. The motives of this fatal catastrophe have been variously represented. The author of the nouvelles de la République des Lettres informs us, that in the year 1700 Mr Creech fell in love with a woman who treated him with great neglect, although she was complaisant enough to several others; that this affront he could not bear, and resolved not to survive it; and that having shut himself up in his study, he there hanged himself, about the end of June 1700, and was found suspended three days afterwards. The Poetical Register, however, says nothing of the particular manner of his death, but only mentions that he unfortunately made away with himself in the year 1701; and ascribes this fatal catastrophe of Mr Creech’s life to the moroseness of his temper,.which made him less esteemed than his great merit deserved, and engaged him in frequent quarrifs^and disputes. But from an original letter of Arthur CÎiarlett, preserved in the Bodleian Library, it has since been discovered that this unhappy event was owing to a very different cause. There was a fellow collegian, of whom Creech frequently borrowed money; but repeating his applications too often, he met one day with such a cold reception, that he retired in a fit of gloomy disgust, and in three days was found hanging in his study. Creech’s principal performances are, 1. A translation of Lucretius; 2. A translation of Horace, in which, however, he has omitted some few odes; 3. The Idylls of Theocritus, with Rapin’s Discourse of Pastorals; 4. A translation of Manilius’s Astronomico ; besides translations of several parts of Virgtl, Ovid, and Plutarch, printed in different collections.