“SHOULD BE ABOLISHED”

Hawera Star, Volume L, 26 July 1930, Page 11

“SHOULD BE ABOLISHED”

TXT’IIBN Sir .Waltor Stedtt wan offered ' ' the poet, laureates'hip by the Prime XRecenit. in d'SIS he found himself in a quandary, writes Helen Maegregor in the “Weekly' Scotsman.’’ Hoi had a rooted aversion to the idea of producing two compulsory odes a. year, yet, on the Other hand, the £3OO or £4OO a year, which lie thought twas the emolument 'attached to the laureates'hip, would have meant extra comforts for his family. He also was afraid that 'the Prince would be insulted if the •offer was refused l , so he decided to write and ask the Duke of Buccleuch’s views on the matter. Buecieueh saidi ho would' be miortifled to see Sleott accept a situation “which by general .eoncurreulce of the would is stamped' ridiculous.” He ‘assured Seo'l t that if his muse was trammelled he would never be able to write poetry of thy quality of (Marmion, and, •he added as a dreadful warning, “Only think of being chaunted and recitatived by a parcel of hoarse and squeaking choristers. ’ ’

iScott on receiving the letter <of the diuke, which really echoed his c|\v:n opinions, wrote a courteous refusal, saying that he felt he could not really do justice l to the Prince’s* choice, and 'he suggested that Southey should 1 .be elected instead: - Pro mi other letters S'eOtt wrote to his friends at the time, however, it is c.a'sy to see what his real opinions ab'out the laureateship were. He said that the necessity of writing under order twice a year was .a difficulty which nObody with any poetical character to lose should face, and

Scott on Laureateship

he m’ainfained that he would find it unbearable to

“'Some half moaning half disguise, And utter neither truth nor lies.’’ He said that lie would do justice nx*ither to the Prince’s choice nor himself if ho wrote to order, and if he accepted! the laureateship without hope of doing something better than iwriting milk and water verses' about “natal day” and “new bom day.”

It was Scott’s contention that the laureateship should be abolished, because, he said, it was an “absurd and ridiculous usage of compelling a poor devil to write bad! versos twice a year by way of honouring royal family and ni'inistrv for time being.” He said that, so long as the compulsory odes system was Continued it would be difficult to get a* man of real talenlt to undertake the office unless for mere love of salary.

He said that the laureateship should be for those who derived money from no other source than literature, and he. felt that if he accepted it he would be accused of being greedy. As it so happened, the salary was only about a quarter of what .Seot't thought it was. On Scott’s recommendation Southey was swarded the Taureateship, and he was the first to hold that office who was not compelled to write an annual birthday ode, thereby paving the way for the late Sir Hebert Bridges, who wrote only when ho felt the urge, and not on those occasion's when the public thought he should justify the position cif “State poet” which he held.