William Combe

For other people named William Combe, see William Combe (disambiguation).

Portrait of William Combe drawn by George Dance (1793)
Dr Syntax, losing his way. Combe wrote verses to accompany Thomas Rowlandson's comic caricatures.
Dr Syntax in Danger, print after a drawing by Thomas Rowlandson.

William Combe (25 March 1742 – 19 June 1823) was a British miscellaneous writer. His early life was that of an adventurer, his later was passed chiefly within the "rules" of the King's Bench Prison. He is chiefly remembered as the author of The Three Tours of Doctor Syntax, a comic poem, illustrated by artist Thomas Rowlandson's colour plates, that satirised William Gilpin. Combe also wrote a series of imaginary letters, supposed to have been written by the second, or "wicked" Lord Lyttelton. Of a similar kind were his letters between Swift and "Stella". He also wrote the letterpress for various illustrated books, and was a general hack.