New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-10-23
] was promised on time
To have reason for nv rhyme.
But from that Time until this scaSo~
] hnve had nor rhyme nor rensOn

After that the pension was promptly paid.
The first officially appointed Laureate was Bon
Tonson. who received letters patent from James
bostowinq that honor upon him together with
A yearly pension Of about cG7 Charles | issued
a commission. increasing the pension 10 600,
and adding a fierce Of Canary wine. 1t is inter
csting 10 obscryc that in thes" second letters
patent IN" poets name was spelled Johnson
Know yc nowc that wee for divers good CON
alterations M this present especially movngc.
and in consideration Of the good and acceptable
service. done unto and said father by the
said Rcniamin johnson. and especially T. encourage
him TO procccde in those services Of his witt ard
penn which wee have cnjoin"d unto him. and
which wec expect from him. are graciouslv pleased
20 augment and increase the said annuiti" or pom
sion IF one hundred marks into nm annuir of one
hundred pounds Of lawful money of Encland !or
his life TO be paid ont Of the FNchequor NJ the
Feat Of the Annunciation of the Blessed wren
Mary, the Nativity Of st. John the Baptist. ST.
Michael the Archangcl. and the birth of oar Lord
God quarterly. Aud further know yae that wee
Of cur most especial grace. ccrtcn llnowlcdg" and
mecr motion, have given and granted. and by
these presents for vs., hcires and successors,
do qivc and grauntc vnto the said Benjamin John
son. and his assigns one tersc Of canary Spanish
wine yearly: 70 have, hold. perceive, receive, ard
take the said Of canary Spanish wine vnto tho
said benjamin johnson and his assigns during the
term Of his natural lifc ont of store Of wines
yearly and from time 10 time remaynngc at or in
our collars within or belonging 10 our Palace of
Whitehall
,Jonson had the same trouble that Spenscr had,
in collecting his pension. especially thc wine. On
one occasion he wrote that ""Twere better
spare a butt than spoil his Muse He was sue
cccdcd by Dayenant, the dramatst, and he by
Dryden The latter enjoyed the unique distinc-
ton OF being deposcd from the l.aurcatcShip after
he had occupied it eighteen years 10 make room
for that true blue Protestant" but otherwise
not over-illustrious bard, Thomas Shndwcll. As
may he seen in Jonsons letters patent, certain
services had been required Of the Laurcatcs before
this time But il Shadw"ll who commenced
the comp siton Of regular anniversary odcs I'm tho
reign OF William Ill and from that period II was
long the duty Of the Laureate to write an ode on
the sovcrrigns birthday" his quit-rcnt ode, his
peppcrcorn Of praise" as Ccwpcr called it, Three
years later Shadwcll was succeeded by tho only
Irshman who ever held the Office This
Nahum Tate senior member of the famous hymn
writing firm of Tate & Brady. His appointment
was certified by the Lord Chamberlain in these
terms:
llcSc are 10 certify tndt | nave SN m anu al
united Nahum Tate unto yc place anG quality of
Poet Laureate 10 Her Majesty in Ordinary. TO
have hold ard exercise and enjoy the said place,
together with all rights, profits privileges and
advantages thcrcunto belonging, in rs full and
ample manner as any Poet Laureate hath formerly
held. and of right ought to have held and en-
loved the same Given under my hand this cath
day OF December, in the first year of Her Maestys
reign. JhESEi'
Tate held the office from 1892 to 1918. and
Nicholas Rowe the next 10 fill IT, After
three years he was succeeded by Laurence
Eusien who was perhaps appointed in order that
future ages might know that there really had
been such man. II WAS he who, in one Of his
official odes.' thus apostrophiscd George III.
Hail. mighty Monarch, whose deserts alone.
Would without brthright raise thee to n throne!
Naturally the office enjoyed at this time the
unbounded contempt of all men OF real worth. and
was made the theme Of numberless satires One
writer represented great competition Of the