ORDER OF MERIT FOR THE POET LAUREATE.

Shannon News, 21 June 1929, Page 3

ORDER OF MERIT FOR THE POET LAUREATE.

WILL NOT WRITE TO ORDERThe award of tho coveted Order of Merit to Dr. Robert Bridges, the most scholarly poet of our day, brings the modest " Poet Laureate jinto public notice again. Of all the Poet Laureates he has been the most silent. He refuses to leel off odes on the occasion of royal weddings and christenings, believing (and rightly) that the award of the Laureatcship is a recognition of merit anil not a commission to write verse to order. The best story told about him is that of the American interviewer who, unsuccessful in persuading Dr, Bridges to answer a formidable questionaire, headed an article in the next day’s issue of his paper: “King’s Canary Refuses to Chirp!” The office of Poet Laureate is an ancient one. Previous to the reign of Edward IV., there was a Versificator Regis, but the House of York produced the first Laureate, one John Kaye, whose work, “The Siege of Rhodes,” was printed by Caxton. James L issued lcttcrs-pntent' appointing Ben Jonson Poet Laureate, and gave a pension of £65 to the recipient. Charles 1., increased the allowance and added the annual gift of a tierce of canary wine. In Southey’s time the sum of £27 was substituted for wine, and another picturesque custom disappeared. Wordsworth and Tennyson were holders of the Laiireateship. The Order of Merit to which Dr. Bridges has been admitted, was founded by King Edward VII. Rumour has it that someone was recalling of a peer who had onco said: ‘ • The beauty of the Garter is that there’s no dejnnod merit about it.” “Let’s have an Order of Merit,” said the King and the most valued decoration at Royalty’s disposal came into being.