The First Poet-Laureate

If poet-laureate means "the poet of the laurel wreath," we must go very far back in the history of Literature for an account of the first poet-laureate. It was the custom in the early ages of Greece, to crown with a laurel wreath the successful poet in a contest; this custom was adopted by the Romans during the Empire. But the title of "poet-laureate" originated in Germany, during the 12th century, when the ancient ceremony of crowning the poet par excellence was revived. Henry V. crowned his historian as poet-laureate, and Frederick I., the monk Gunther, who had celebrated his deeds in verse; but no great importance was attached to the title until the crowning of Petrarch with great state in Rome (1341). Later, the privilege of conferring this honor was given to the Universities, and the degree of poeta laureatus was conferred by Continental and also by English Universities. The early history of the laureateship in England is traditional. The story goes that Edward III., following the example of the coronation of Petrarch at Rome, conferred a similar honor upon Geoffrey Chaucer, with the yearly pension of 100 marks and other perquisites. Ben Jonson mentions Henry Scogan as the poet-laureate of Henry VI., John Kay was court poet under Edward IV., and Andrew Bernard under Henry VII. and VIII. John Skelton received from Oxford and Cambridge the title of poet-laureate. Spencer was called the poet-laureate of Elizabeth, because of his receiving from her a pension of pound 10 a year after presenting to her the first book of the "Faerie Queene."

But the laureateship up to this time had not been an established office. In 1619, James I. secured the services of Ben Jonson, by granting him, by patent, an annuity of 600 marks for life. With Ben Jonson, therefore, the succession may be said to begin. In 1630 the laureateship was made a patent office in the gift of the Lord Chamberlain, and the salary was increased to pound 100; it was afterwards reduced to pound 27. Political considerations often controlled the appointment of the poet-laureate, and a strong feeling arose in favor of its abolition. A concession was made when Southey was appointed, by which he and his successors should write only when and what they chose. Walter Scott was offered the office on the death of Pye, but declined it. In early times it was the duty of the poet-laureate to write an ode upon the king's birthday, and upon every national festival. The title conferred upon the bard great honor, and raised him high above his fellows,--according to modern ideas, the poet confers as much honor upon the office as the office upon him. This may be truly said of the present poet-laureate of England, whose "Idyls of the King" and other noble poems give a lustre to the title which it may be hard for his successor to maintain. The office is now the honorary gift of the sovereign, with emoluments amounting to pound 127 annually.

The following is a list of Laureates: Ben Jonson, 1630-1637; William Davenant, 1637-1688; John Dryden, 1670-1688; Thomas Shadwell, 1689-1692; Nahum Bate, 1693-1714; Nicholas Rowe, 1714-1718; Lawrence Eusden, 1716-1730; Colley Cibber, 1730-1757; William Whitehead, 1758-1783; Thomas Wharton, 1785-1790; Henry James Pye, 1790-1813; Robert Southey, 1813-1843; William Wadsworth, 1843-1850; Alfred Tennyson, 1850.

Some rival poet wrote:--