The New York herald., 1879-02-10
THE POETS LAUREATE OF ENGLAND.
Who would not be
The Laureate bold,
With his butt of sherry
To keep him merry,
And nothiug to do but 4

And nothing to do but to pocket his gold
Bon Coulter.
England has had twenty-four poets laureate, o
history Of whom with account of their Office. has
been written by Mr.. Walter Hamilton and published
by Eliot Stock of London. Some Of these men are
almost unknown to posterity. and even the little
that is known of them does not rebound to their
credit Five hundred years have elapsed since Geof
frey Chaucer. the first laureate, assumed the respon
sibties of that office All the laureates have been
Englishmen with the one exception of Nahum Tate.
who an Irishman. The earlier holders Of the
Office derived their chief fame from their dramatic
works, Ben Jonson, Davenant and Cibber being
directly interested in theatrical enterprises. The
odes 1t was once the custom to compose for the
Kings birthday. and New Years day. were sung
to music composed by the court musicians.
In the great council chamber Of st. James
Palace before the King. Queen and court.
These are no longer cxacted. but they were
regularly supplied by laureates from the time Of
Thomas Shadwen down to the year 1918. when. on
the death of Henry James Pye. it was resolved to
leave the odes at the poets option. As matter of
history is to be regretted that collection OF the
laureate odcs and poems has been published.
From literary point Of view there is little to be re-
gretted. With few exceptions the laureatcs have
been surpassed poets by their contemporaries.
The official duties of laureate light and the pay
a butt of canary wine. Among the most singular ap-
pointments to this Office that of Colley Cibber.
His claims to the name OF poet were of the slightest.
He wrote clever plays. however, and vigorous prose.
His apology for his life is one Of the best known
books Of its day. 1t that his daughter wrote
. biography without attempting an apology.
which would not have been unbecoming
in her. She was singular creature.
She appears to have received liberal education but
having tastes for feminine duties pastmes.
hibited unmaidcnly eccentricities at an carly age
Frequentng stables. curry-combing horses and
shooting were her favorite amusements Once when
nero child she defended the house from an attack
of thieves by firing pistols aud blunderbusses out of
the windows When very young she was married to
celebrated violinist but the match miserable
one. Ind she went upon the stage. making her debut
In the small part of Mademosele In ''rhe Provoked
Wife, In l7S0. being then twenty years OF age.
She soon to such characters Alicia in "Jane
Shore" and became very creditable actress in re
ceipt of good salary But by and by she quarrelled
with the manager. abruptly Quilted the stage and
opened grocery and oil shop in Long Aero. In
three months. finding that she knew nothing Of the
trade, she relnquished the business and sat up
puppet show in st. James street. Haymarket. Here
she lost everything. and had to sell for f20 what she
says. cost her 500 guincas. She offended her
father thae ne utterly dfscarded her, then
she wrote piece called "The Battle
Of the Pocts.' in which she scurri-
lously lampooncd him. She was arrested for
small debt and only released by a subscription OF
the most disreputablc characters Of Covent Garden
She thcn assumed male costume and wandered
about tho country with strolling players untn
young lady fell in loye with her and proposed mar
riage. Next she engaged herself valet to noble
man; not remaining long in this situation she took
TO making and selling sausagcs; teen became head
waiter in tavern; after this she went back to stroll
ing for time until by the assistance Of uncle she
was enabled to open tavern In Drury lane. This.
hkcali her other undertakings, proved unsuccessful
For short time she Joined her brother at the Hay
Market but soon afterward tho theatre was shut by
order Of the LordsChamberlAin. Back to stroling
and puppct shows. She published an autobiography
and upon the proceeds OF It's sale opened another
public house and made another failure. Finally she
died in great dcsttution in misery, only two years
after the death Of her brother.
Mr.. Hamilton gives a biographical sketch of each
of the poets laureate that of Tennyson being the
least interesting. He has gathered fresh material
for sketch OF that poet. confines himself prnci-
paily TO criticism Of his work. Mr.. Tennyson has
not written much poetry to order. The odss on the
royal marriages have moro than ophemeral in