The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-09-28

getting 1t are much poorer than are those
of much inferior poets. 1t is the custom
of certain knowing English writers to
sheer at Americans and allege that they
can scarcely get dinner ready without
including politics in the bill of fare. How
ever this may be, there is a good deal OF
politics about the appointment of a poet
laureate of England. 1t is not the great
est poet who makes the most acceptable
poet laureate. Indeed, if in the long list
of poets laureate such names as Spenser,
Dryden, Southey, Wordsworth and Ten
nyson occur, it is Just as true that some Of
the poets laureate have been pretty mean
specimens both as men and poets.
The queen and the prime minister, as
has been said, have the naming of the
laureate poet. so it will be seen that it de-
ponds a good deal on which party is in
power. Ii Tennyson should outlive the
present government, as he may, the re-
suits might be important to some English
poets, for if Lord Salisbury should go to
the country and return well spanked by
the people, some of the candidates who are
now very much in it would be very much
out of it, for the Grand Old Man would
have none of them even at the queens be-
hest.
AS it stands now, the queen has candi-
date and so has Lord Salisbury, and these
are important quantities. The queen has
written book or so and has pretty ex-
allied idea of her ability in the way of
writing pieces. Lord Salisbury, when he
was Robert Cecil, was a pretty bright
newspaper man-not too awfully bright,
though. Between them they ought to pick
out pretty fair poet to lift up his soul in
song whenever royal baby comes along
for the benefit of the British taxpayer, or
whenever Prince Battenberg happens to
fall over his feet.
But who is the queens candidate7 you
may ask. Well, he is dear, sweet, HARM
less, respectable creature who rejoices in
the name of Lewis Morris. He is no rela-
ton of William Morris, by the way, of
whom you all have heard. William Nor
ris is genius and a poet. As much can
scarcely be honestly said of Lewis Morris.
The latter person is a respectable gentle
man, well along in the afternoon of life,
who was lawyer until he got tired of that
unpoetical profession, when he retired to
Wales, took up the pursuits of a country
gentleman, obtained seat in the council
of education for Wales and incidentally
became poet. From 1871 to 1875 he pub
Hshed the Songs of Two Worlds and in
1876 the Epic of Hades." The queen
thinks great deal of these works; so
much so, indeed, that she would like to
see their author made poet laureate. That
any one else feels the same way Is very
improbable, certainly Lord Salisbury does
not. and he is a very important parsonage
In the matter just now.
LORD Salisbury has candidate himself
lPnmVSnn'S : Z s.
mayed because they are many sizes too
large Tor him. The prime minister's can
dldate Is Alfred Austin, who Is not so COL
orless man as is the queens favorite. In
tact, without being great poet, he writes
some verses very cleverly. But he Is too
much inclined To be political hack 10 sat
isty the British public and he is not at all
iavorlte. He is now something like 56
years old and is Roman Catholic. This
fact might keep him from Lord Sai1sbury's
favor were he not such Thoroughbred
political tlme-Scrver to the conservative
party. Yet in the Dictionary of National
Biography" in which you will find the
record of every Britain worthy of any con-
sequence, the name of Alfred Austin does
not appear His works are better known,
indeed, IN America than here. In 1861 he
issued a work called 1.-THE Seasons" in
which he pitched into the world in great
shape. But the world did not seem 10
kiaA4ld IL at Gll. mere ID VjiC II llldL
has been more or less quoted. 1t was that
in which he describes q ballroom, saying
1t is place
Where the half-drunk lean over the half
dressed.
Then he wrote "Tory Horrors" which
was remarkable chiefly for a considerable
amount of indecent abuse of Gladstone,
that probably pleased Lord Salisbury.
Then he has written some acceptable al
Inn - @aH Ea
in the Franco Prussian war, and latterly
has published some "Lyneal poems" He
is a disciple of Wordsworth, and these
latter poems are the best things that he
has done.
OF course neither of these men ap-
proaches Swinburne in the matter of gem
Jus. What Swinburne is you know. Itis
unnecessary here to speak at length of
him. Had he been less Of a radical he
might have better chance of becoming
poet laureate. Il may be that be realized