The Portland daily press., 1893-05-19

'The Seven Lamps Of Architecture, and
in 1873 ''The Stones Of Venice" both
written for the purpose of promoting a
better style of architecture. Thereafter
his well known works on art and archi-
lecture and revised editions of his earlier
works appeared in rapid succession, but
10 or 10 years ago the world began to
suspect that there was something the
matter with him. His vehement Ian
guage about the philistines, as he called
those who do not appreciate art, his anti
economics, as the Manchester school
called his theories, and especially his
plea that machinery injured the country
caused people to regard him as being of
the sort which Americans call sscranks."
1t was while in this state of mind no
doubt that he wrote that very vigorous
criticism on Artist Whistlers "a Noe
turne In Black and Gold" 1t ran thus:
''For Mr.. Whistler's own sake no less
than for tho protection of the purchaser
Sir Coutts Lindsay ought not to have
admitted into the gallery picture in
which the i'll educated conceit of the
artist so nearly approached the aspect of
willful imposture. I have seen and
heard much of cockney impudence, but
never expected to hear coxcomb ask
200 guineas for fiinging a pot Of paint in
the public's face"
Mr.. Whistler sued for 81 900 damages
and got q farthing.
All this time, however, Mr.. Ruskin
was making money at rate which
amazed more popular authors. He al
ways published his own works and this
in such an expensive style that few Eng
lishmen could afford to buy them, but
his income is never less than SIS, 900
year. He inherited 100000 from his
father, a London wine merchant, and
gave most of it away. Even now he
maintains a small army Of pensioners.
When it is added that he was born in
London in February, 1919, and was
graduated from Christ church, Oxford,
in 1s4s, the biography Of the man is
complete.
Of the laureateship, however, much
might be written, and some of it very
amusing. It is the custom to date it
from John Dryden because he first made
it Of great Importance, and since his
time the succession has been regular, but
the first poet laureate mentioned in Eng
fish history was John Kay, who received
the honor from Edward w. In 1880 the
first patent for the Office was granted.
and the salary was fixed at e100 per an
mum and tierce of Canary wine, but
for the latter communication of G27 was
afterward paid. Beginning with 1910,
when the place first became highly
honorable one, the poets laureate. have
been John Dryden, Thomas Shadwell,
Nahum Tate, Nicholas Rowe, Lawrence
Eusden, Celley Cibber, William White
head, Thomas Warrior, Henry James
Pye, Robert Southey. William Words
worth and Alfred Tennyson.
Every reader knows Dryden, Southey,
Wordsworth and Tennyson, and few
know Gbber and Pye, but the others are
happily obscure. Nahum Tate stands in
British political history as a name for
reproach and ridicule. He lived in high
ly exciting times, the reigns of Charles
III, James II, William and Anne, and
took care that parties should not lose or
gain control SO rapidly as to catch him
in losing situation. Thomas Shadwell
is chiefly remembered as the hero of
Dryden's satire of Mac Flecknoe," but
he was not SO dull as Dryden pictured
him. He was made poet laureate when
Dryden was removed, but died four
years later and was succeeded by Tate
AS to Nicholas Rowe, thousands have
read and smiled or sighed over the cpl
taph in Westminster abbey, wherein his
widow extols his virtues and her ''incon-
solable grief in quaint and forid lines
A point for satire was added by the fact
that she married again about the time
the epitaph was carved, and one story is
that she married the man who composed
1t. s. P. RossRLLE.