The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-12


referred TO the famous browning OF Pc
:srsrch at Rene as poet laureate. as trzdi-
Lea afiEned that Virgil and Horace had
her Gro Tned there before him roya9
sahor, James J. OF Scotland, In the early
prt OF the fifteenth century, period when
:. gysI authors were not quite so common
a they are nowadays-uses the same
:,hrase In reference TO cbaucsr himself and
10 Cover. In his poem OF the Kings
eansrs Chat Is. THE Kings Lattls Book''1
s speaks OF these two as his MASTERS
GAR
Speculative as poetes laureate
In rhetoriqus and eloquence ornate.
The royal criticism Is somewhat inais-
Eliminate. Cover. that worthy but ex-
sese5sngly long vinded old verse producer.
= % DOUBT valuable to the philologer and
70 the antiquarian, bur as poet he is
laaght Yet be has in some measure con-
Ebuied 70 the gayety OF English readers.
fsr did he not induce Russell Lowell 10
srie Of hinii
As you slip 10 and fro on the frozen lev
sls OF his verse, which give no foothoid TO
he mind: as your nervous ear awaits the
ksyslable recurrence OF his rhyme, regu-
lafiy sertinacious az the tick OF an eight
Day clock and reminding you OF Words
avorths
Once more the ass ala iengthen out
Tie hard. dry seesaw Of his horrible bray.
yaa barn 10 dread. almost 30 respect. the
soxsrs o: this indefatigable man.
Yea cannot escape him. Dip In at she mid
&c e. az the end, dodge back TO the Begin
): nc the patient old man is there TO take
s5@ By the button and 90 on with his Inn
ytgtzfba Bile narrative Cover had
no aston Of the uses OF rhyme except as a
kns Of crease at the ersd OF every eighth
sFlEase, where the verse was TO be folded
sgif again into another layer. He says.
fs' examals:
This maiden Canacee was hight
Both in the day and eks by night
ST. people commonly changed their
iames at darkl''
Thus this ssuperiative laureate has not
sa0y lived In vain.
4 q It would be pleasant TO think OF Spenser
as poet laureate 10 Queen Elizabeth. end
Aere are those who do SO. but strict criti-
esm cannot allow the claim. 1t Is true
nat spenser became a courtier and fat
q tSed the queen IN the extraordinary ex-
aggerated style of the time. and that when
be dedicated the first three books OF the
"Faery QHeen'' TO Elizabeth she gave him
pension Of $50 a year. II is true. also.
that Spenser speaks OF himself a. ths
Searer OF the laurel leaf. In one OF tho
nanets TO the lady who was TO become his
xtse. he says:
Tie laurel Leaf, which you this day 60
wear
Give. me great hope of your relenting
Per since il is the badge which do bear.
You, bearing IL. do seem 10 me inefin'd.
Bat this IS nothing more than the usual
formal reference 10 the laurel as the poets
special tree. No such office al that Of poet
laureate as Il Is now understood, existed
Il ElEabeth's time. and few poets who have
Battered q sovereign have had such bitter
experience OF the ickleness and cruelty Of
court as Spenser. Like some OF hts more
'ormEy appointed successors. he was m
seed buried Ia Westminster Abbey. as.
~ be had died OF starvation.
The first great poet laureate-and Il We
emit the "shadowy' Spenser and Jonson,
say three great English poets have been
Aareates from the time when the oriics
tas founded. IN 16e0. TIN the death OF Ten
aytou. In ls92--was Dryden. Dryden's place
English poetry Is a high one, but what
there specially 20 be SAID OF him as the
sareate poet7 Il can only be replied that
sae2t as his name Is in other departments,
a .sare1te Il IS little more than psiaole
oae. To begin with. 4 IS rather curious 10
fensa30er that the laureate or Charles IL
aae gained his first poetical success by lis
asiEssal praise OF oliver Cromwell AT the
'saaged his tame, and had new song to
sns. Il IS not necessary TO believe that
asse was any real inslncerity IN this. But
tie TACT remains that. on the Restoration.
AEgien welcomed Charles in a strain or
| 10 most exaggerated hattery, going 50 far
aosurdity "a 70 say that the Wilderness
q ne cliffs OF Dover (where Charles land
tp was sign OF EnglanGs repentance ana
ssroy. Dryden burnt his literary incense
fr.f ia arf,a
bsly wasteful manner.
MS was laying a foundation for court
aver ard as the king liked the poets
aAysan Dryden had powerful friends, his
secession 20 the post of poet laureate was
sA'aret enough. pRvsnant held the Office
q ue first eight years o. the reign; two
1 iesrs were allowed 70 PASS before the office
-as hllef up. and then Dryden stepped IN
seAgs began pleasantly FOR him. fer in
'eltoa 10 his sunml ESQ. ne was PAID
~ tor the arrears OF ire two years during
saiea the office hat been vacant. and these
ms 81 money were. n course far more
9aiaahle then than they sre now. But this
s$TtM state q matters ga not last The
ala. et some unknown date. grant
/ seen another 500 3 year. but the treas
~ vas TO often 90 a crazy condition, ard
4 rs payments FED into arrears For so
- Period as tour years he Gid not re-
per0v. His complaints were very
4 sat ans bitter They may have bean
i - enoueA, but there seems a want OF
-laess about them
ne preface "a one ~ bis plays. Dryden
yaAt he suasls.s wholly hy the king.
,F' rather humlIaunS, anA. ~ course,
q s..Alksersied statement He continued 70
81 r. Caarfes n his plays, ard WHEN the
81 49, shce1 his ''uueonSciouable'' delay n
Il - me laureate duly came forward with
Il s~-s-al laueDJauou. Dryden. ~ 40 had
- biietrly reproaching the govern
-. 1os It's failure q pay him his pen
4 49, aoN. % course. discovers that
4 So vas TIE great encouTager Of
- iet even in thls utterly exfravagsnt
81 60 e Tire v}~tt;es ant merits o.
Il IL-for D~s Sen 3 IS net hesitate
u &C., Charles % t1e King % Kings
4 So cutie keep ta1se unfortunate pen
s@i e bis verse.
Il s-xss eN York Sua saws. Lord Sails
II ~ - = lie author q Tory Hor-
~. Won by "a Head as poet lau-
II - re Bri,.sa empire VIII not serve
II hs So s-e state os tension now exist
tss 80 tae two Eas,ish-speaklag ma
II sssssssS '4s event IS depressing IL not OF
n s-se - Nevertheless. the Monroe doc-
= 60 Is keep our hands or. This gov
81 ASs Interfere LIT Alfred TIE