William Julius Mickle
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William Julius Mickle (1735 - 1788) was a Scottish poet.
Son of the minister of Langholm, Dumfriesshire, he was for some time a brewer in Edinburgh, but failed. He went to Oxford, where he worked as a corrector for the Clarendon Press. After various literary failures and minor successes he produced his translation of the Lusiad, from the Portuguese of Luís de Camões, which brought him both fame and money.
In 1777 he went to Portugal, where he was received with distinction. In 1784 he published the ballad of Cumnor Hall, which suggested to Scott the writing of Kenilworth. He is perhaps best remembered, however, by the beautiful lyric, There's nae luck aboot the Hoose, which, although claimed by others, is almost certainly his.
This article incorporates public domain text from: Cousin, John William (1910). A Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature. London, J.M. Dent & sons; New York, E.P. Dutton.
