The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-10-16
rExxrsox.s SUCCESSOR.
Various Candidates for the Poet Laurie
ateship.

Already discussion is rife as to the
successor of Tennyson.
The idea that Algernon Swinburne
would accept the Office should It De
offered him is ridiculed by those belong
ing TO his intimate circle. Though nis
democratic charts closed years ago, ne
has neither written nor said anything 70
Justify the report that he has repented Oh
his republican lyrics. lie may regret 'he
unmcasured ardor of the utterapces %
his earlier poems, but there is absolutel!
nothing to Justify the belief that he re-
grets the democratic sentiments con-
tanned in them. -
William Morris, who ranks next 10
Swinburnc as the greatest living Eng
Iish poet, Is as equally Impossible 1or .lle
office as it Swinburne. he is a reh-no'
Socialist and q friend of SwinDurhe'
Both hold in scorn the notion OF cohpos,
ing TO order laureate lines for royai
events. r..
So dismissing these two from the list
of possibilities. it will be seen that the
real aspirapts for the honor OF lau-
reateship are Lewis Morris Sir Edwin
Arnold. Alfred Austin and Robert hu,
chanan All these are ready to SPIN
royal rhymes.
If the opinions of good literary cliques
are followed the Government will not re-
commend any one for the position, put
will leave the post vacant. III declslOh
in the matter depended upon court In,
clination, the choice would be balanced
between Robert Buchanan and Lewis
Morris.
Sir Edwin Arnold has faint of heresy.
Alfred Austin is appreciated at his proper
value rs a pOetaster.
Robert Buchanan is q favorite Mt court
through his 'Idyls and Legends of In,
yerburn." and his prose poem The Land
of Lorne." hut his occasional erratic
views will tell greatly against him.
Lewis Morris, MS candidate for I'M,
laureateship, is blamcless. His poetical
works bear general air of respecta,,
biity. He il was who wrote Songs o.
Great Britain" now in its third edition,
embodying the odes on the Queens Jubl-
lee and on the Imperial Institute. the
latter of which he wrote by request;
owing to the illness ut the time of LORD
Tennyson. For this work he received
the Jubilee Medal from the Queen. AS
man and verse-writer he has much 10
commend him to the court. Good Eng
lish critics place him on a par with Iup-
per as n poet.
Robert Buchanan, the poet ana Ora
matist. has written a sixteen-yerse 0Dit-
nary poem on the death OF IennysOn'
1t concludes as follows:
Peace to the knight who kept his VOW
While others slept like sand;
But who shall sing TO mortais now
OF that lost fairy land?
II is not improbable that public esteem
and regret for TennysOn may take the
form of purchasing his birthplace ana
preserving it through all time as per
sonal memento. The proposal was moot
ed some months ago, when the estate
came into the market, but nothing came
of il. and Somersby is still to be had for
ready money. 1t stands in the most pie
turesque part of the Lincolnshire WoldS,
twelve miles from Louith, WHITTIER more
than sixty years ago Alfred Tennyson
trudged. carrying with him the manu-,
script of some verses written by himself
and brother. An enterprising bookseller
adventured upon this work n sum va
riously fixed at f10 or EGO. The estate
extends to 200 acres, and is estimated
to produce a rental of fl 900: but II Is
only Somersby house, where Alfred Ten
nyson was born, that comes within the
limits of the proposal. 1t is comforta
bic. pleasant, homeiy residence, shell
tered by immemorial trees, among which
probably the Talking Oak may be found
by diligent inquiries. 1t contains q
Gothic dining-hall, with groined ceiling
and stained-glass windows, the carving
of the overmantel being similar to g
miniature rood screen. Close by Is the
manor house. a battlemented structure
locally supposed to be the Moatet
Grange. where Mariana lived "Aweary
ouyQarV