Sacramento daily record-union., 1890-09-19
THE COMING LAUREATE.
who Is to Step Into Lord Tennyson's
Shoes?

Shoes?
There has been considerable discussion
of late, especially since the death of Mr..
Browning and the recent illness of Lord
Tennyson, concerning the probability of
the succession in the Office of poet laureate
in the event of the death OF the latter,
says the Boston Advertiser. Several names
have been proposed, but it would seem
that very few of them have been presented
sincerely, although that of Swinburne,
perhaps, is the most frequently mentioned.
Edwin Arnold is another much favored by
many The Office Of poet laureate is very
ancient. 1t was established several hun
dred years ago by one of the earliest Kings
of Great Britain, who appointed rhyme
ster to write verses in his honor. 1t is
quite likely, indeed more than probable,
that these verses were but little better
than doggerel 1t was an age when the
Kings jester was an important parsonage
in the royal household, and it is not i'm
probable that the two officials frequently
worked in conjunction, the laureate fur
nishing the droll verses which the jester
would recite to the amusement of the King
and his courtiers.
household, and was as he is nominally
still, under the superintendent of the
Lord Chamberlain. In the reign of Henry
Ill, this officer, who was then called the
Kings versi6er, received the very moder-
ate annual stipend of 100 shillings, in ad-
dition probably to his board. Little by
little his salary was increased, until in the
reign of Charles l., it was fixed at e100,
with the addition of a tierce of Canary
wine annually from the royal cellars. The
salary of the poet laureate is nominally
the same to-day. His duties, of course,
have become modified with the times.
Since the advent of modern days, the post
of poet laureate has been simply honorary,
and has been given to him who seemed
the most worthy to occupy it.
Since 1851 Mr.. Tennyson has filed this
position, having succeeded Wordsworth,
who died that year. His appointment
came as matter OF course upon the death
of Wordsworth, the publication before that
event of Mort d'Arthur," "Locksley
Hail." the May Queen" the 1.-TWO
Voices and ''In Memoriam," having es-
tablished his reputation as poet of the
first rank. The question of to-day is who,
if any one, will succeed him. The Eng
lish Government and people cling closely
to precedents. In the matter of grants
from the public funds TO the members of
the royal family, it is true the people are
growing restive But this is matter
which touches English pride in their
literature and in their men of letters, and
not the pocketbooks.
The monuments in Westminster Abbey
are mute witnesses of the homage which
England has for centuries paid to letters
The maintenance of the Office of the poet
laureate has been in itself an official recog-
milton of this homage, and has added the
dignity of the royal and governmental
patronage to the popular appreciation of
the poet of the time. 1t is probable, then,
that the Office will continue to be main
tanned, and no doubt a popular protest
would be made against any proposition for
its abolition. Who, then, is worthy to be
the successor of Wordsworth and of Ten
nyson? Were Mr. Browning among the
living the question would scarcely be
raised The name of Swinburne is most
frequently heard in the way of suggestion,
yet for Swinburne there is no popular
enthusiasm.
As already said Mr.. Tennyson was in
the popular heart long before the death of
his predecessor in Office Yet this cannot
be said of Swinburne, neither can ii be
said of any of the English writers of verse
of the present school. Few of these have
achieved fame which has reached these
shores. Indeed, the only English living
poet whose writings are read by Ameri-
cans to-day is Tennyson Still the age is
prolific in letters as was none which has
gone before it. Never before in the his
tory of civilization was the pen welded
with more potency, and never before were
books so universally read and discussed.
Poets, it is true, are born, not made, yet
an age prolific in learning must necessa-
rily be prolific in men of letters.
1t may be that the poet who is to be the
worthy successor of the present laureate
has not yet fairly tried his pinions, but is
awaiting an opportunity, an encourage
ment, it may be, to soar into space. Our
country, our own city, indeed, possesses a
sore of young poets, not rhymesters SIM
ply but true poets, who some day will be
h., in the world of song. England,
t. no doubt, has her coming man. who,
>v4ea he day shall arrive, will show him
Sc Il worthy of the honor of his coun-
tryn =.