The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1913-02-21
"THE LIVES OF THE POETS"

mlSerleS anu WHOSE emu was lla5AS'
our American poets seem less unfor-
tunate than their British cousins.
However rich his intellectual en-
dowments, however meritorious his
literary compositions, the men engag-
ed in literary pursuits in England in
former times, generally had to be
contented with a crust and a garnet,
and were kept constantly lodging tail
ors and bailiffs, for in those days debt
ors were thrown into prison, and
pilgrims Progress" was not the only
peerless production that was cOmpos-
ed behind prison bars.
Godfrey Chaucer. sometimes term
ed the father of English literature.
author OF the Canterbury Tales"
though for a while baslling in royal
favor like so many more who came
after him, had his vicissitudes, and
was finally compelled to seek hiding
in exile
Edmund Spencer, author of the
"Fairie Queen" after receiving royal
favors, had to fee an estate given him
as a royal patrimony. had his castle
burned. his infant child persisted in
the flames, and the feted poet died for
the want of bread.
Abraham Cowley the most popular
English poet before Milton and Dry
den. whom it was said "lisped in num-
bers." was exiled on account of his
being a royalist, and after the restora-
tion was overlooked at the pie c0un-
ter" and ended his days in obscurity
Robert Burton, author of the "Anat-
omy Of Melancholy died of the dis
ease which he so accurately and cor
Irectly analyzed He brought his life
TO a close by his own hand
Sir John Sucking died in exile, and
Richard Lovelace died in a garnet.
Shakespeare, the king of Iitera-
ture." in his youth had the reputation
of much given to all unIuckinesse in
stealing venison and rabbits" and Sir
Thomas Lucy had him arrested for
poaching, which called forth a lam
poon from the poet which caused him
to flee from Sir Thomas wrath, but
fired the spark of his poetic genius,
and from holding horses before thea
ter doors in London we soon find him
writing dramas and tragedies which
have enriched the language as no 9th
err writings have ever done before or
since, but unfortunately about the
time he was guilty of poaching he
contracted an ill-starred marriage
which Swallowed his future life, and
he died of a fever contracted at the
festal board in trying to drive dull
care into forgetfulness.
Millions blindness was not his only
misfortune. Worse than it was his
hapless marriage. Expecting an Gin
innate and speaking help" he was re-
warded with " a mute and spiritless
mate" Though an orthodox in relig-
ion he boldly advocated the doctrine
that moral incompatibility as well
as conjugal infidelity, justifies di-
vorce." Notwithstanding the ship
was married the third time, the last
supposed to be one of convenience,
arranged by a friend, but the three
little girls left him by his first wife
treated him with great unkindness
and lived in constant quarrels with
their stepmother Unsubdued by pain,
obloquy and blindness, and the defeat
of his cherished political principles, |
he meditated and dictated the poems
of Paradise Lost" and Paradise Re-
gained" Macaulay says that no poet
had to struggle against more unfa- !
vorable circumstances than Milton |
Milton himself doubted whether he
had not been born an age too early. |
His death was release from suffer
ing.
writer and covered vast realm of
subjects; his "Pasquin" had a great |
er run in the London theaters than
any drama since the "Beggar's Op-
era" yet he was sometimes glad to
obtain, by pawning his best coat, the
means for dining on tripe at a cook
shop underground, where he could
wipe his hands after his greasy meal
on the back of a Newfoundland dog
Sam Johnson, VINO ny common con-
sent has been given the award of the
Monarch of Letters" when he first
applied to a publisher for employ
ment, after measuring his athletic
though uncouth frame with a scorn-
full eye, the latter exclaimed: You
had better get a porter's license and
carry trunks Though eminpOtIv