New-York tribune., 1899-10-07
PETER PINDAR.
A Famous Writer Neglecte5-The Man and
His Work

dar9 PM then who reads Spensor? Probably not ten
men living have read through the Faerie Queen
Who reads the Anatomy of Melancholy ? And yet
but for those two great books. how many books are
alive to-day which would never have existed? Peter
too has helped to make other books which the world
keeps alive but he himself is the top shelf Of neg
lect
It was a silent era. and a period Of change Satire
was on every hand. Verso hardly rose above that
level and on that level nothing permanent rests save
such as are narrowed to scholastic 'scs Satire was
Peters part and Of those who played on e. same
stage all are now equally unhonorod Peter must be
said was coarse The time was coarse and # tine men
and the time are to be reflected, This element mGst
n,cossarily be included. Thus from artistic point
of view Peter cannot be blamed that te put oahs in
the mouth Of Sir Joseph Banks, knowing Sir Joseph
to be accomplished swearer. and It surely would be
absurd to endow Mime. schwelon5crg with the lam
gua,e of hgh-mnded cultured woman
Fcter had many sharp whips applied to Linn abund-
antly enough in his day and Mr. Saintsbury in
charges him with an extreme something worse
than coarseness which he represents as so peras'e
to be of two difficulties which lie before the
seector from Peter" We hesitate at this. We recog-
nze Mr. Sainsbury's authority. but must after fair
lookout last say. that the extreme seems to lie
in the professors remark than in Peters work.
Something must be admitted to exist which regret
selections and we can wander far with Peter without
oncountering it. Therefore, do not find the phrase
strictly applicable and think the cphet employed due
perhaps to hastness which. have heard it whia-
pered, sometimes characterzes the professors utter
But must also state that Mr. Saih,sbury
fully admits Peters ability; speaking Of one thing
"a triumph of clevemess," OF another as " a master
piece in its way, and Of another as having hardly
superior"
Making all allowances for this something, and for
coarseness too there is still volume Of work Pc
ters credit worthy of being marked for permanent
place in English literature. reason for his having
dropped far out Of sight found in the subjects Of
his satires. They of universal interest; and
what his shafts their force has passed away His
genius spent itself largely upon the fobles Of indyid
ual men, and most Of all upon those of tla yey excel
lent subject King George III.
It back in the last century that John
Wocot was born. He was educated and studied ned
icine in Cornwall The fine arts and scrbbng verses
shared the time with his studies But he kept his head
and in due time walked the London hospitals. Thence
he went to the Wost Indies as physician to a newly
appointed Governor He was Ly him. induced to take
holy orders it is called for the sake of omoumcnt
but by the death Of HE Governor hc disappointed
of prcfcrment and returned to England The idea Of
Peter in a cassock is little hard TO get along with
but when think Of Donne and Swift and sterne
the difficulty disappears. as well it may for as Peer
himself says Of Pope and Swift:
They wounded modcstv with verso inohaste:
with twig Of Ind1s scarcely struck her;
They stripped her naked ! ust caspcd her waist
And delcately only touched her tucker.
But he did not remain long i'm the clerical character
and returned to Cornwall to practice medicine. Thence
from some satire TIE place becoming hot for him.
he retrcaed TO London and there Do wrote for we'll
nigh half century unlor The name Of Peter Pndar
,rt