New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-12-10
STEPHEN PHILLIPS
DRAMATTST, DEAD
Won London Academy"
Prize with Poems and
Wrote Many Plays.

London, Dec. 9.-Stephen Phillips,
poet and dramatist, died to-day at
Deal, England, where he had been in
failing health for several months. He
was born in 1868
Too much a poet to be a successful
business man, and too much q business
man 10 be a great poet, is an estimate
which has frequently been made OF
Stephen Phillips, and it finds much
verifcation in the story Of his career
and in inspection of his personality.
While he earned much money with his
pen, his total disregard Of the most
elementary principles of personal econ
omy led him through inpecunioslty to
the bankruptcy court, after he had be
come, with his borrowing habits. such
a bore that some of his neigt bors
notably Kipling, in self-defence prac-
tically forbade him their homes. On
the other hand, he had the appearance,
the air, the manner of trim, we'll
groomed, practical man of affairs. i'm
measurably removed from the tradi-
tional poetic frenzy"
precentor Of Peterborough Cathedral,
his mother being a cousin Of William
Wordsworth. He was born at Somer-
town, near Oxford, on July %. 1858.
His education was acquired in the
Stratford and Peterborough grammar
schools and for a year at Queens Col
lege, Cambridge, which he left to be-
come a civil service coach. A year in
al ,sr~T n ugQ
him, however, and he then Joined the
Shakespearian company of his cousin,
Frank Benson, and made the round Of
the British provinces, playing minor
parts in a somewhat minor way, though
he did get once a curtain call as the
Ghost in Hamlet" During this perioa
he acquired much practical knowledge
of stagecraft, which served him veil
when he became a playwright.
He left the stage TO become an
army tutor in a proprietary school, and
spent six years in that occupation
meanwhile writing several small vol
umes. A volume of Poems" in 1897
brought him into much public notice
through its receiving the first prize of
$500 given by The Academy Of Lon
don, for the best book OF the year.
Then he became lecturer on the art
of poetry, and was hailed by over-zeal-
Gus admirers as the coming Laureate
who was 20 recreate the English poetic
drama. George Alexander, the actor
and manager, commissioned him 10
write a play, and the result was "Paola
and Francesca" which was produced
with considerable success az the St.
James's Theatre in London, in 1901, and
which in book form ran through ey-
eral editions.
Phillips's theories and methods C.
corded more with those OF the classic
Greek drama than with those Of the
Elizabethan or later English writer's,
and his topics were chiefly Of kind
to which such treatment would be up.
propriate: "Herod" in 1900, Ulysses
in 1902. "The Sin of David" in 1901,
nero" in 1906, 1.-THE Last Heir IN
1908 "Pietro Of Siena' in 1910, Tho
King" in 1912 and "lole" in 1918
"Herod" was written for Beerbonm
Tree. and was produced by him a He'
Maiesty's Theatre in London IN lsOO.
and nine years later was brought be-
fore the New York public by william
Faversham. 49,,
His first publication was "MarPessa,
in 1900. an idyl which was repuollshed
in the volume which won "The Acad-
erv'sp nrice in 1897. "Eremus" ap
neared in 1894, and in 1896 mis- Chris
In Hades" won a generous eulogy, from:
william Watson, though it did lot
greatly impress the reading public in
general.
% Miss Nav Ldyard, who had acted
with him in Benson's company, and
made his home in Finsbury, near the
heart of London.