LITERARY CONTROVERSY.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 217, 13 August 1937, Page 7

LITERARY CONTROVERSY.

MOVE TO OPEN SPENSER’S TOMB

LONDON, Aug. 12,

Believing that the tomb of Edmund Spenser in Westminster Abbey holds the solution of the Shakespearc-Baeon controversy, the Bacon Society is seeking permission to open it. The society claims that when Spenser was buried his fellow poets placed signed elegies in the grave and it hopes to find one signed by Shakespeare in Bacon’s handwriting. The Dean of Westminster (Very Rev. W- F. Norris) is willing, provided sufficient litterateurs recommend the opening on the ground of historical interest.

Edmund Spenser, born in approximately the year 1552, is generally regarded as being one of the chief Elizabethan poets. Ilis birth-place is known to have boon near the Tower, and although his circumstances were poor he was well connected. • From the beginning Spen.-cr did not enjoy worldly prosperity and died in fairly poor circumstances. Ilis education commenced at the Merchant Taylors’ School and he later graduated to Cambridge, where he was a scholar at Pembroke Ilall. Ilis publication of “'i’be Shcpheard’s Calendar” was considered to mark an epoch in English literature. In 1587 he was secretary to the Bishop of Rochester but lie left this post ill 1579 to enter the services of the Earl of Leicester. L was due to the influence of the Earl that he was appointed private secretary to Arthur Lord Grey de Wilton, who had then just been. appointed Lord Deputy of Ireland. It was after many troublous adventures in Ibis land that lie returned to London in 1598 Homeless, destitute and generally wearied of life. On January 13. 1599, he died at a tavern in King’s Street, Westminster. B.v many it is thought that the. poet actually starved to death but on this point none can bo certain. Among his greatest works were: “The Tears of the Muses,” “Shepherd’s Calendar.” “View of the Present State of Ireland.” “Faerie Qucone,” “Colin Clout's Come Home Again,” “Sunday Poems” and “l’ia Desidcria,”