BRITISH POETS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXIX, Issue 81, 7 April 1910, Page 7

BRITISH POETS.

+ . — BRINGING TOGETHER THEIR DESCENDANTS. 4l BANQUET. By Telegraph. -Press Asaociation.— Copyright. LONDON, 6th April. Lord Coleridge (a descendant of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, the poet) presided yesterday at a banquet prompted by the Poetry Recital Society to bring together the descendants — or, failing that, the nearest family representatives — of the great poets of the past. The banquet was fixed for sth April, as that was Swinburne' 6 birthday, and there were 300 guest? — poets and poets' descendants. These included the Duke of Norfolk, the Right Hon. Alfred Lyttelton, representatives of Sir Philip Sidney (1554-1586), author of "Arcadia" and a number of poems ; Sir John Suckling (1609-1642), author of lyric poems and ballads; John Wilmot, Earl of Rochester (1647-1680), poet and courtier in bhe time of Charles II. ; Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832); John Milton (1608--•1674); Edmund Spenser (1552-1599), author of "The Faerie Queene" and other works; Jotin Dryden (1631-1700), poet and playwright; Alexander Pope (1688-1744), author of "The Rape of the Lock," and other poems. Seven members of tho Shakespeare family were present. The toast "To the Immortal Memory of British Poets" was drunk in silence. Rangiuia, the Maori singer, appeared in native costume, sang Maori songs, end gave a war-dance after the banquet. 1 The St. James's Budget, on 25th February, stated :—"lt: — "It is estimated that •from 200 to 250 descendants of British poets will attend the remarkable dinner which is being arranged by the Poetry Recital Society. These may include : — "Miss Georgina Byron, of Bath, who claims to be a descendant of Lord Byron. "A number of descendants of Mrs. Hemans, including Lieut. -Colonel A. Q. Hemans, of Southsea. "Mrs. E. A. Bay, who claims to be a descendant of Samuel Rogers. "Miss Anne Herrick, of Bath, who claims to be a descendant of H-erriek. "There are now no fewer than five -persons claiming descent from Shakespeare. One of these, Mr. W. Shake-spesw-e, a 'watchmaker, of East Ham, craves the honour of being admitted to | the festival, as he 'thinks' — to quote bis j own word — he can claim to be one of the. baid's descendants."