SIGOURNEY, MRS. LYDIA (HUNTLEY) (1791-1865).—American verse writer, was an extraordinarily copious writer of smooth, sentimental verse, which had great popularity in its day. Her most ambitious effort was a blank verse poem,Traits of the Aborigines of America(1822). Other books wereConnecticut Forty Years Since,Pocahontas, etc.
SIMMS, WILLIAM GILMORE (1806-1870).—Novelist, etc.,b.at Charleston, South Carolina, began his literary life with journalism. He then for some time tried poetry, but without any distinct success except occasionally inSouthern Passages and Pictures(1839). But in fiction, which he began in 1833 withMartin Faber, he was more successful, though rather an imitator of Cooper.The Yemassee(1835) is generally considered his best novel. He was less happy in his attempts at historical romance, such asCount JulianandThe Damsel of Darien. During the war, in which he was naturally a strong partisan of the South, he was ruined, and his library was burned; and from these disasters he never recovered. He hada high repute as a journalist, orator, and lecturer. He was the first Southerner to achieve any name in literature.
SKELTON, JOHN (1460?-1529).—Poet,b.in Norfolk, anded.at Oxf. and Camb., of both of which he wascr.Poet Laureate, and perhaps held the same office under the King. He was appointed tutor to Henry VIII., and notwithstanding his sharp tongue, enjoyed some favour at Court. In 1498 he entered the Church, and became Rector of Diss in his native county. Hitherto he seems to have produced some translations only, but about this time he appears to have struck upon the vein which he was to work with such vigour and popularity. He turned his attention to abuses in Church and State, which he lashed with caustic satire, conveyed in short doggerel rhyming lines peculiar to himself, in which jokes, slang, invectives, and Latin quotations rush out pell-mell. His best works in this line areWhy come ye not to Court?andColin Clout, both directed against the clergy, and the former against Wolsey in particular. Piqued at his inconstancy (for S. had previously courted him) the Cardinal would have imprisoned him, had he not taken sanctuary in Westminster, where he remained until his death. Other works of his areThe Tunning(brewing)of Elynor Rummynge, a coarsely humorous picture of low life, and the tender and fancifulDeath of Philip Sparrow, the lament of a young lady over her pet bird killed by a cat.
SKELTON, SIR JOHN (1831-1897).—Miscellaneous writer.B.in Edinburgh,ed.at the Univ. there, and called to the Scottish Bar 1854, he was Sec. and ultimately Chairman of the Local Government Board for Scotland. He wroteMaitland of Lethington and the Scotland of Mary Stuart(1887),The Crookit Meg(1880), andThe Table Talk of Shirley. He contributed toFraser'sandBlackwood's Magazines. He received the degree of LL.D. from Edin. 1878, and was made K.C.B. 1897.
SKENE, WILLIAM FORBES (1807-1892).—Historian, 2nds.of James S. of Rubislaw, friend of Sir Walter Scott, was a Writer to the Signet in Edinburgh, and Clerk of the Bills in the Court of Session. He wrote and ed. historical works of considerable authority,The Highlanders of Scotland(1837), and his most important work,Celtic Scotland(1876-80), and ed. ofThe Four Ancient Books of Wales(1868), and other Celtic writings.
SKINNER, JOHN (1721-1807).—Historian and song-writer,s.of a schoolmaster at Birse, Aberdeenshire, wased.at Marischal Coll. Brought up as a Presbyterian, he became an Episcopalian and ministered to a congregation at Longside, near Peterhead, for 65 years. He wroteThe Ecclesiastical History of Scotlandfrom the Episcopalian point of view, and several songs of whichThe Reel of TullochgorumandThe Ewie wi' the Crookit Hornare the best known, and he also rendered some of the Psalms into Latin. He kept up a rhyming correspondence with Burns.
SKIPSEY, JOSEPH (1832-1903).—Poet,b.near North Shields, and from childhood worked in the mines. Hepub.a few pieces of poetry in 1859, and soon after left working undergroundand became caretaker of Shakespeare's house at Stratford-on-Avon. During the last 30 years of his life hepub.several vols. of poetry, includingThe Collier LadandCarols from the Coal Fields; and he ed. some vols. for the "Canterbury Poets."Memoirby R.S. Watson (1908).
SMART, CHRISTOPHER (1722-1771).—Poet,s.of the steward to Lord Vane, wasb.at Shipbourne, Kent, and by the bounty of the Duchess of Cleveland sent to Camb. Here his ill-balanced mind showed itself in wild folly. Leaving the Univ. he came to London and maintained himself by conducting and writing for periodicals. HisPoems on Several Occasions, which contained "The Hop Garden," was issued in 1752, andThe Hilliadin 1753 against "Sir" John Hill, a notoriety of the day who had attacked him. His mind ultimately gave way, and it was in confinement that he produced by far his most remarkable work, theSong to David, a most original and powerful poem. Unfortunate to the last, hed.in the King's Bench prison, to which he had been committed for debt. He also translated Horace.
SMEDLEY, FRANK (1818-1864).—Novelist, was the author of several novels which had considerable popularity, includingFrank Fairleigh(1850),Lewis Arundel(1852), andHarry Coverdale's Courtship(1855). S. was a life-long cripple.
SMILES, SAMUEL (1812-1904).—Biographer and miscellaneous writer,b.at Haddington,ed.at the Grammar School there, studied medicine at Edin., and settled in practice in his native town. Subsequently he betook himself to journalism, and ed. a paper in Leeds. Afterwards he was sec. to various railways. His leisure was devoted to reading and writing, and his first publication wasThe Life of George Stephenson(1857).Self-Help, his most popular work, followed in 1859; it had an immense circulation, and was translated into 17 languages. It was followed up byCharacter(1871),Thrift(1875), andDuty(1880).The Lives of the EngineersandIndustrial Biographyappeared in 1863,The Huguenots, their Settlements, Churches, and Industries in England and Ireland(1867), andThe Huguenots in Francea little later. He also wrote biographies of Telford and James Watt, and of the Scottish naturalists, Edwards the shoemaker and Dick the baker. He received the degree of LL.D. from Edin. in 1878.
SMITH, ADAM (1723-1790).—Philosopher and economist,b.at Kirkcaldy, Fife, thes.of the Controller of Customs there. Hisf.d.shortly before his birth. The first and only adventure in his tranquil life was his being kidnapped by gipsies. After being at the Grammar School of Kirkcaldy, he went to the Univ. of Glasgow, whence he proceeded to Oxf. On the conclusion of his Univ. course he returned to Kirkcaldy, going subsequently to Edinburgh, where he was soon recognised as a man of unusual intellect. In 1751 he was appointed to the Chair of Logic at Glasgow, which he next year exchanged for that of Moral Philosophy, and in 1759 hepub.hisTheory of the Moral Sentiments. He received in 1762 the degree of LL.D. from his Univ., and two years later resigned his chair andbecame travelling tutor to the young Duke of Buccleuch, accompanying him to the Continent. He remained for nearly a year in Paris, and made the acquaintance of the brilliant circle ofsavansin that city. Returning to Kirkcaldy in 1766 he lived there with his mother for nearly ten years in retirement and close study, the results of which were given to the world in 1776 in the publication of his epoch-making work,Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations(1776). This book may be said to have founded the science of political economy, and to have created a new department of literature; and very few works have, to the same extent, influenced the practical history of the world. In 1778 S. was made a Commissioner of Customs, and settled in Edinburgh; and in 1787 he was elected Lord Rector of the Univ. of Glasgow. In addition to the works above mentioned, he wrote various essays on philosophical subjects, and an account of the last days of David Hume. The style of his works was plain and lucid, and he had a remarkable faculty of apt illustration.
SMITH, ALBERT (1816-1860).—Humorous writer, studied medicine, and for a short time assisted hisf.in practice. He was one of the original contributors toPunch, and among his books areThe Adventures of Mr. LedburyandThe Scattergood Family. He also lectured and gave entertainments, includingThe Ascent of Mont Blanc, which were highly popular.
SMITH, ALEXANDER (1830-1867).—Poet and essayist,s.of a Paisley pattern-designer, at first followed the same occupation in Glasgow, but having become known as a poet of promise was, in 1854, appointed Sec. of Edin. Univ. After contributing to theGlasgow Citizenhepub.A Life Drama(1853), which received much admiration. Thereafter appearedWar Sonnets(in conjunction, withS. Dobell,q.v.),City Poems(1857), andEdwin of Deira(1861). In prose he wroteDreamthorpe(essays),A Summer in Skye, and two novels,Alfred Hagart's HouseholdandMiss Dona M'Quarrie. His poems were in a rich and glowing style, but by some good judges were held to show fancy rather than imagination. He belonged to what was called the "spasmodic" school of poetry.
SMITH, MRS. CHARLOTTE (TURNER) (1749-1806).—Wasm.at 15 to a West Indian merchant, who by a series of misfortunes and imprudences was reduced from affluence to poverty. She had in her youth shown considerable promise as a poetess, and in her misfortunes she was able to maintain herself and her family by her pen. In addition to a poem,Beachy Head, and sonnets, she wrote several novels of more than usual merit, includingEmmeline(1788), and, her best work,The Old English Manor House.
SMITH, HORACE (1779-1849), SMITH, JAMES (1775-1839).—Humorists,s.of a London lawyer who was solicitor to the Board of Ordnance. James succeeded hisf.; Horace became a successful stockbroker. Both brothers were distinguished for brilliant wit and humour. Their first great hit wasRejected Addresses(1812), extremely clever parodies on leading contemporary poets. To thisjeu d'espritJames contributed among others imitations of Wordsworth, Coleridge, and Crabbe, while Horace's share included Scottand Moore. Jamespub.little more, but anonymously gave Charles Matthews assistance in his entertainments. Horacepub.several novels which, with perhaps the exception ofBrambletye House, are now forgotten. He also wroteThe Address to a Mummy, a remarkable poem in which wit and true sentiment are admirably combined. Both brothers were highly esteemed not only for their social qualities, but for their benevolence and goodness of heart.
SMITH, SYDNEY (1771-1845).—Miscellaneous writer,b.at Woodford, Essex, thes.of a gentleman of independent means, anded.at Winchester and Oxf., took orders 1794, becoming curate of Amesbury. He came to Edinburgh as tutor to a gentleman'ss., was introduced to the circle of brilliant young Whigs there, and assisted in founding theEdinburgh Review. He then went to London, where he was for a time preacher at the Foundling Hospital, and lectured on moral philosophy at the Royal Institution. His brilliant wit and general ability made him a favourite in society, while by his power of clear and cogent argument he exercised a strong influence on the course of politics. HisPlymley Lettersdid much to advance the cause of Catholic emancipation. He received various preferments, and became a canon of St. Paul's. In politics he was a Whig, in his Church views an Erastian; and in the defence of his principles he was honest and courageous. Though not remarkable for religious devotion he was a hard-working and, according to his lights, useful country parson. By the death of a younger brother he in his later years came into a considerable fortune.
SMITH, WALTER CHALMERS (1824-1908).—B.in Aberdeen anded.there and at Edin., was a minister of the Free Church of Scotland at Orwell, Glasgow, and Edinburgh successively, a distinguished preacher and a man of kindly nature and catholic sympathies. He attained considerable reputation as a poet. Among his works areThe Bishop's Walk(1861),Olrig Grange(1872),Hilda among the Broken Gods(1878),Raban(1880),Kildrostan(1884), andA Heretic(1890). Some of these were written under the names of "Orwell" and Hermann Kunst. He received the degrees of D.D. and LL.D.
SMITH, SIR WILLIAM (1813-1893).—Lexicographer,ed.at Univ. Coll., London, was a contributor to thePenny Magazineand compiled or ed. many useful works of reference, includingDictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities(1842), and dictionaries of the Bible, of Christian Antiquities, and Christian Biography, etc., also various school series and educational handbooks, includingThe Classical Dictionary. He held various academical degrees, including Ph.D. of Leipsic, and was knighted in 1892.
SMITH, WILLIAM ROBERTSON (1846-1894).—Theologian and Semitic scholar,s.of the Free Church minister of Keig, Aberdeenshire, studied for the ministry of that Church. In 1870 he was appointed Prof. of Hebrew, etc., in its coll. at Aberdeen, a position which he had to resign on account of his advanced critical views. He became joint ed. ofThe Encyclopædia Britannica, and in 1883 Prof. of Arabic at Camb. S. was a man of brilliant and versatile talents, a mathematician as well as a scholar, somewhat uncompromising and aggressive in the exposition and defence of his views.His works includeThe Old Testament in the Jewish Church(1881), andThe Religion of the Semites(1889).
SMOLLETT, TOBIAS GEORGE (1721-1771).—Novelist, 2nds.of Archibald S., of Dalquhurn, Dumbartonshire, anded.at Glasgow, proceeded to London in 1739 with the view of having a tragedy,The Regicide, put on the stage, in which, however, he failed. In this disappointment he took service as surgeon's mate on one of the vessels of the Carthagena expedition, 1741, an experience which he turned to account in his novels. On his return he settled in London, and endeavoured to acquire practice as a physician, but was not very successful, and having discovered where his talent lay, he thenceforth devoted himself to literature.Roderick Randomappeared in 1748,The History of an Atom(1749),Peregrine Picklein 1751,Ferdinand, Count Fathomin 1753,Sir Lancelot Greavesin 1766, andHumphrey Clinker, generally considered his best novel, in 1770. Besides these works, however, he translated Voltaire, wrote aHistory of Englandin continuation of Hume's, anOde to Independence, travels and satires, and contributed to various periodicals. He was repeatedly involved in acrimonious controversy, and on one occasion fined and imprisoned for a libel, which, with various private misfortunes, embittered his life, and hed.disappointed and worn out near Leghorn. Had he lived four years longer he would have succeeded to his grandfather's estate of Bonhill. The novels of S. display great narrative power, and he has a remarkable comic vein of a broad type, which enables him to present ludicrous scenes and circumstances with great effect. There is, however, a strong infusion of coarseness in his treatment of his subjects.
SOMERVILLE, MRS. MARY (FAIRFAX) (1780-1872).—Mathematician and writer on science,dau.of Admiral Sir William G. Fairfax,b.at Jedburgh, was twicem., first to Mr. Greig, an officer in the Russian Navy, and second to her cousin Dr. William S. Although she had early manifested a taste for study, and specially for science, she had, until after the death of her first husband, little opportunity of following out her favourite subjects. With Dr. S., who was in full sympathy with her scientific tastes, she went to reside in London, and there her talents made her known in scientific circles. In 1823 she was requested by Lord Brougham to popularise theMechanique Celesteof La Place. This she did with great success, publishing her work asThe Celestial Mechanism of the Heavens(1830). She alsopub.The Connection of the Physical Sciences(1834), and other works. She received a pension from Government, andd.aged 92 at Naples, where she had resided for the last ten or twelve years of her life.
SOMERVILLE, WILLIAM (1675-1742).—Poet, a Warwickshire squire of literary tastes, wrote among others a poem,The Chase, in 4 books, which has some passages of considerable descriptive power.
SOTHEBY, WILLIAM (1757-1833).—Poet and translator, belonged to a good family, and wased.at Harrow. In early life he was in the army. Hepub.a few dramas and books of poems, which had no great popularity, and are now forgotten; his reputationrests upon his admirable translations of theOberonof Wieland, theGeorgicsof Virgil, and theIliadandOdyssey. The last two were begun when he was upwards of 70, but he lived to complete them. HisGeorgicsis considered one of the best translations from the classics in the language.
SOUTH, ROBERT (1634-1716).—Divine,s.of a London merchant, wasb.at Hackney, anded.at Westminster School and Oxf., where in 1660 he was appointed Univ. Orator. He became domestic chaplain to the Lord Chancellor Clarendon, and in 1663 the degree of D.D. was conferred upon him. After accompanying an embassy to Poland he became Rector of Islip, and a chaplain to Charles II. Thereafter he steadily declined higher preferment, including the bishopric of Rochester. He was opposed to the Romanising measures of James II., but owing to his views as to the duty of passive obedience he declined to associate himself in any way with the Revolution, to which nevertheless he submitted. He was an expert controversialist, but it is chiefly by his sermons, which are among the classics of English divinity, that he is remembered. He has the reputation of being the wittiest of English preachers, and this characteristic is sometimes present to a degree not quite suitable to the subjects treated.
SOUTHERNE, THOMAS (1660-1746).—Dramatist,b.in Dublin, anded.at Trinity Coll. there, came to London and studied law at the Middle Temple. Afterwards he entered the army and saw service. He wrote ten plays, of which two were long acted and are still remembered,The Fatal Marriage(1694) andOroonoko(1696), in the latter of which he appeals passionately against the slave-trade. Unlike most preceding dramatists he was a practical man, succeeded in his theatrical management, and retired on a fortune. Other plays areThe Loyal Brother(1682),The Disappointment(1684),The Wives' Excuse(1692),The Spartan Dame(1719), etc.
SOUTHEY, MRS. CAROLINE ANNE (BOWLES) (1786-1854).—Poetess,dau.of a captain in the navy, submitted a poem,Ellen FitzarthurtoSouthey(q.v.), which led to a friendship, and to a proposed joint poem on Robin Hood, not, however, carried out, and eventually to her becoming the poet's second wife. She wrote various other works, includingChapters on ChurchyardsandTales of the Factories.
SOUTHEY, ROBERT (1774-1843).—Poet, biographer, etc.,s.of an unsuccessful linen-draper in Bristol, where he wasb., was sent to Westminster School, and in 1792 went to Oxf. His friendship with Coleridge began in 1794, and with him he joined in the scheme of a "pantisocracy" (seeColeridge). In 1795 hem.his first wife, Edith Fricker, and thus became the brother-in-law of Coleridge. Shortly afterwards he visited Spain, and in 1800 Portugal, and laid the foundations of his thorough knowledge of the history and literature of the Peninsula. Between these two periods of foreign travel he had attempted the study of law, which proved entirely uncongenial; and in 1803 he settled at Greta Hall, Keswick, to which neighbourhood the Coleridges had also come. Here he set himself to a course of indefatigable literary toil which only endedwith his life.Thalabahad appeared in 1801, and there followedMadoc(1805),The Curse of Kehama(1810),Roderic, the Last of the Goths(1814), andA Vision of Judgment(1821); and in prose aHistory of Brazil, Lives of Nelson (1813), Wesley (1820), and Bunyan (1830),The Book of the Church(1824),History of the Peninsular War(1823-32),Naval History, andThe Doctor(1834-37). In addition to this vast amount of work he had been from 1808 a constant contributor to theQuarterly Review. In 1839 when he was failing both in body and mind hem., as his second wife, Miss Caroline Ann Bowles, who had for 20 years been his intimate friend, and by whom his few remaining years were soothed. Though the name of S. still bulks somewhat largely in the history of our literature, his works, with a few exceptions, are now little read, and those of them (his longer poems,ThalabaandKehama) on which he himself based his hopes of lasting fame, least of all. To this result their length, remoteness from living interests, and the impression that their often splendid diction is rather eloquence than true poetry, have contributed. Some of his shorter poems,e.g., "The Holly Tree," and "The Battle of Blenheim" still live, but his fame now rests on his vigorous prose and especially on his classicLife of Nelson. Like Wordsworth and Coleridge, S. began life as a democratic visionary, and was strongly influenced by the French Revolution, but gradually cooled down into a pronounced Tory. He was himself greater and better than any of his works, his life being a noble record of devotion to duty and unselfish benevolence. He held the office of Poet Laureate from 1813, and had a pension from Government. He declined a baronetcy.
Life and Correspondence(6 vols., 1849-50) by his younger son, Rev. C. Southey.Lifeby Dowden in Men of Letters (1880).
SOUTHWELL, ROBERT (1561?-1595).—Poet,b.at Horsham St. Faith's, Norfolk, of good Roman Catholic family, anded.at Douay, Paris, and Rome, he became a Jesuit, and showed such learning and ability as to be appointed Prefect of the English Coll. In 1586 he came to England with Garnett, the superior of the English province, and became chaplain to the Countess of Arundel. His being in England for more than 40 days then rendered him liable to the punishment of death and disembowelment, and in 1592 he was apprehended and imprisoned in the Tower for three years, during which he was tortured 13 times. He was then put on trial and executed, February 22, 1595. He was the author ofSt. Peter's ComplaintandThe Burning Babe, a short poem of great imaginative power, and of several prose religious works, includingSt. Mary Magdalene's Teares,A Short Rule of Good Life,The Triumphs over Death, etc.
SPEDDING, JAMES (1808-1881).—Editor of Bacon's works,s.of a Cumberland squire, anded.at Bury St. Edmunds and Camb., was for some years in the Colonial Office. He devoted himself to the ed. of Bacon's works, and the endeavour to clear his character against the aspersions of Macaulay and others. The former was done in conjunction with Ellis and Heath, his own being much the largest share in their great ed. (1861-74); and the latter, so far as possible, inThe Life and Letters, entirely his own. In 1878 hebrought out an abridgedLife and Times of Francis Bacon. He strongly combated the theory that B. was the author of Shakespeare's plays. His death was caused by his being run over by a cab. He enjoyed the friendship of many of his greatest contemporaries, including Carlyle, Tennyson, and Fitzgerald.
SPEED, JOHN (1552?-1629).—Historian,b.at Farington, Cheshire, and brought up to the trade of a tailor, had a strong taste for history and antiquities, and wrote aHistory of Great Britain(1611), which was long the best in existence, in collecting material for which he had assistance from Cotton, Spelman, and other investigators. He alsopub.useful maps of Great Britain and Ireland, and of various counties, etc. In 1616 appeared hisCloud of Witnesses confirming ... the truth of God's most holie Word. His maps werecoll.and with descriptionspub.in 1611 asTheatre of the Empire of Great Britain.
SPEKE, J.H., (see underGRANT, J.A.)
SPELMAN, SIR HENRY (1564?-1641).—Historian and antiquary,b.at Congham, Norfolk, studied at Camb., and entered Lincoln's Inn. He wrote valuable works on legal and ecclesiastical antiquities, includingHistory of Sacrilege(pub.1698),Glossarium Archæologicum(1626 and 1664), a glossary of obsolete law-terms,A History of the English Councils(1639), andTenures by Knight-service(1641). His writings have furnished valuable material for subsequent historians. He sat in Parliament and on various commissions, and in recompense of his labours was voted a grant of £300.
SPENCE, JOSEPH (1699-1768).—Anecdotist,b.at Kingsclere, Hants, anded.at Winchester and Oxf., he entered the Church, and held various preferments, including a prebend at Durham, and was Prof. of Poetry at Oxf. He wrote anEssay on Pope's Odyssey, which gained for him the friendship of the poet, of whose conversation he made notes, collecting likewise anecdotes of him and of other celebrities which werepub.in 1820, and are of great value, inasmuch as they preserve much matter illustrative of the literary history of the 18th century which would otherwise have been lost.
SPENCER, HERBERT (1820-1903).—Philosopher,b.at Derby, thes.of a teacher, from whom, and from his uncle, mentioned below, he received most of his education. His immediate family circle was strongly Dissenting in its theological atmosphere, hisf., originally a Methodist, having become a Quaker, while his mother remained a Wesleyan. At 13 he was sent to the care of his uncle, Thomas S., a clergyman, near Bath, but a Radical and anti-corn-law agitator. Declining a Univ. career he became a school assistant, but shortly after accepted a situation under the engineer of the London and Birmingham railway, in which he remained until the great railway crisis of 1846 threw him out of employment. Previous to this he had begun to write political articles in theNonconformist; he now resolved to devote himself to journalism, and in 1848 was appointed sub-ed. of theEconomist. Thereafter he became more and more absorbed in the consideration of the problems of sociology and the development of the doctrine of evolution as appliedthereto, gradually leading up to the completion of a system of philosophy which was the work of his life. His fundamental proposition is that society, like the individual, is an organism subject to evolution, and the scope of this idea is gradually expanded so as to embrace in its sweep the whole range of cognisible phenomena. Among the books which hepub.in exposition of his views may be mentionedSocial Statics(1850),Principles of Psychology(1855),First Principles(1862),Principles of Biology(1867),Data of Ethics(1879),Principles of Sociology(1877),Political Institutions(1882), andMan versus the State(1884). His works have been translated into most European languages—some of them into Chinese and Japanese. The most characteristic qualities of S. as a thinker are his powers of generalisation and analysis. He left an autobiography, in which he subjects his own personality to analysis with singular detachment of mind.
Lifeby David Duncan, LL.D.,Lifeby A.J. Thompson.SeealsoOutlines of Cosmic Philosophy, Fishe (1874), and books on S. and his philosophy by Hudson (1894), White (1897), and Macpherson (1890).
SPENCER, WILLIAM ROBERT (1769-1834).—Poet,ed.at Harrow and Oxf., belonged to the Whig set of Fox and Sheridan. He wrote gracefulvers de societé, made translations from Bürger, and is best remembered by his well-known ballad ofGelert. After a life of extravagance hed.in poverty in Paris.
SPENSER, EDMUND (1552?-1599).—Poet, wasb.in East Smithfield, London, thes.of John S., described as gentleman and journeyman in the art of cloth-making, who had come to London from Lancashire. In 1561 the poet was sent to Merchant Taylor's School, then newly opened, and in 1569 he proceeded to Pembroke Hall, Camb., as a sizar, taking his degree in 1576. Among his friends there were Edward Kirke, who ed. theShepheard's Calendar, and Gabriel Harvey, the critic. While still at school he had contributed 14 sonnet-visions to Van de Noot'sTheatre for Worldlings(1569). On leaving the Univ. S. went to the north, probably to visit his relations in Lancashire, and in 1578, through his friend Harvey, he became known to Leicester and his brother-in-law, Philip Sidney. The next year, 1579, saw the publication ofThe Shepheard's Calendarin 12 eclogues. It was dedicated to Sidney, who had become his friend and patron, and was received with acclamation, all who had ears for poetry perceiving that a new and great singer had arisen. The following year S. was appointed sec. to Lord Grey of Wilton, Deputy for Ireland, a strict Puritan, and accompanied him to Ireland. At the same time he appears to have begun theFaerie Queen. In 1581 he was appointed Registrar of Chancery, and received a grant of the Abbey and Castle of Enniscorthy, which was followed in 1586 by a grant of the Castle of Kilcolman in County Cork, a former possession of the Earls of Desmond with 3000 acres attached. Simultaneously, however, a heavy blow fell upon him in the death of Sidney at the Battle of Zutphen. The loss of this dear friend he commemorated in his lament ofAstrophel. In 1590 he was visited by Sir Walter Raleigh, who persuaded him to come to England, and presented him to the Queen, from whom he received a pension of £50, which does not, however, appear to havebeen regularly paid, and on the whole his experiences of the Court did not yield him much satisfaction. In the same year his reputation as a poet was vastly augmented by the publication of the first three books of theFaerie Queen, dedicated to Elizabeth. The enthusiasm with which they were received led the publisher to bring out a collection of other writings of S. under the general title ofComplaints, and includingMother Hubbard's Tale(a satire on the Court and on the conflict then being waged between the old faith and the new),Teares of the Muses, andThe Ruins of Time. Having seen these ventures launched, S. returned to Kilcolman and wroteColin Clout's come Home Again, one of the brightest and most vigorous of his poems, not, however,pub.until 1595. In the following year appeared hisFour Hymns, two onLove and Beautyand two onHeavenly Love and Beauty, and theProthalamionon the marriage of two daughters of the Earl of Worcester. He alsopub.in prose hisView of Ireland, a work full of shrewd observation and practical statesmanship. In 1594 he wasm.to Elizabeth Boyle, whom he had courted inAmoretti, and his union with whom he now celebrated in the magnificentEpithalamion, by many regarded as his most perfect poem. In 1595 he returned to England, taking with him the second part of theFaerie Queen,pub.in 1596. In 1598 he was made Sheriff of Cork, and in the same year his fortunes suffered a final eclipse. The rebellion of Tyrone broke out, his castle was burned, and in the conflagration his youngest child, an infant, perished, he himself with his wife and remaining children escaping with difficulty. He joined the President, Sir T. Norris, who sent him with despatches to London, where he suddenlyd.on January 16, 1599, as was long believed in extreme destitution. This, however, happily appears to be at least doubtful. He was buried in Westminster Abbey near Chaucer, and a monument was erected to his memory in 1620 by the Countess of Dorset.
The position of S. in English poetry is below Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Milton only. The first far excels him in narrative and constructive power and in humour, and the last in austere grandeur of conception; but for richness and beauty of imagination and exquisite sweetness of music he is unsurpassed except by Shakespeare. He has been called the poets' poet, a title which he well merits, not only by virtue of the homage which all the more imaginative poets have yielded him, but because of the almost unequalled influence he has exercised upon the whole subsequent course and expression of English poetry, which he enriched with the stanza which bears his name, and which none since him have used with more perfect mastery. His faults are prolixity, indirectness, and want of constructive power, and consequently the sustained sweetness and sumptuousness of his verse are apt to cloy. His great work, theFaerie Queen, is but a gorgeous fragment, six books out of a projected twelve; but probably few or none of its readers have regretted its incompleteness. In it Protestantism and Puritanism receive their most poetic and imaginative presentation and vindication.
SUMMARY.—B.1552,ed.Merchant Taylor's School and Camb., became known to Leicester and Sir P. Sidney 1578,pub.Shepheard's Calendar1579, appointed sec. to Lord Deputy of Ireland 1580, and beganFaerie Queen, receives various appointments and grants1581-6,pub.Astrophelin memory of Sidney 1586, visited by Raleigh and by him presented to Queen Elizabeth, who pensioned him 1590, and in same yearpub.first three books ofFaerie Queen,Teares of Muses, etc., writesColin Clout,pub.1595, and in 1596pub.Four HymnsandProthalamion,m.E. Boyle 1594, whom he had courted inAmoretti, and now celebrated in theEpithalamion, returned to England 1595, Sheriff of Cork 1598, in which year the rebellion broke out and ruined his fortunes, returned to London andd.1599.
There have been very numerous ed. of the works, among which may be mentioned the Globe (1899), and Dr. Grosart's (10 vols., 1882-84). There is an excellent biography by Dean Church (1879).
SPOTTISWOOD, JOHN (1565-1639).—Historian,s.of John S., minister of Midcalder and Superintendent of Lothian. Entering the Church he gained the favour of James VI., and was his chief instrument in his endeavours to restore Episcopal church-government in Scotland. He became Archbishop successively of Glasgow and St. Andrews, and in 1635 Lord Chancellor of Scotland. On the rising caused by the introduction of the service-book, he had to flee from Scotland, and was excommunicated by the General Assembly (1638). He wrote aHistory of the Church and State of Scotland,pub.1655. It is, of course, written from the Episcopalian standpoint, as Calderwood's is from the Presbyterian.
SPRAGUE, CHARLES (1791-1875).—Poet,b.at Boston, Mass., had some reputation as a writer of prize poems, odes, and domestic poems. To the first class belongCuriosityandShakespeare Ode, and to the latter,The Family MeetingandI see Thee Still, an elegy on his sister.
SPRAT, THOMAS (1635-1713).—Divine and writer of memoirs,b.at Beaminster, Dorset,ed.at Oxf., was a mathematician, and one of the group of scientific men among whom the Royal Society, of which he was one of the first members and the historian, had its origin. He wrote a Life of his friend Cowley the poet, and an account of Young's plot for the restoration of James II. HisHistory of the Royal Societyis his principal work, but he also wrote poems, and had a high reputation as a preacher. His literary style gives him a distinguished place among English writers. He held various, high preferments, andd.Bishop of Rochester.
SPURGEON, CHARLES HADDON (1834-1892).—B.at Kelvedon, Essex, left the Independents and joined the Baptist communion and became, at the age of 20, pastor of New Park Street Chapel, London, where he attained an unprecedented popularity. In 1859 the Metropolitan Tabernacle was erected for him. He was a decided Calvinist in his theological views, and was strongly opposed to modern critical movements. He possessed in an eminent degree two of the great requisites of effective oratory, a magnificent voice and a command of pure idiomatic Saxon English. His sermons, composed andpub.weekly, had an enormous circulation, and were regularly translated into several languages. In addition to his pastoral labours he superintended an almshouse, a pastor's coll., and an orphanage; and he was likewise a voluminous author, publishing,in addition to his sermons, numerous works, includingThe Treasury of David(a commentary on the Psalms).
STANHOPE, PHILIP HENRY, 5TH EARL STANHOPE (1805-1875).—Historian, wasb.at Walmer, anded.at Oxf. He sat in the House of Commons for Wootton Bassett and Hertford, held some minor official appointments under Peel, and identified himself with many useful measures, specially in regard to literature and art. His writings, which are all remarkable for industrious collection of facts, careful and impartial sifting and weighing of evidence, and a clear, sober, and agreeable style, includeHistory of England from the Peace of Utrecht to the Peace of Versailles(1836-63), and histories of theWar of the Spanish Succession(1832), and of theReign of Queen Anne(1870), besides Lives of the younger Pitt (1861) and of Lord 'Chesterfield. As an author he is best known as Viscount Mahon.
STANLEY, ARTHUR PENRHYN (1815-1881).—Historian, biographer, and theologian,s.of Edward S., Bishop of Norwich,b.at Alderley, Cheshire, of which hisf.was then rector,ed.at Rugby and Oxf., became a Fellow of Univ. Coll. Taking orders in 1839 he became Canon of Canterbury 1851, and of Christ Church 1858, and Dean of Westminster 1864. He was also Prof. of Ecclesiastical History at Oxf. 1856. His ecclesiastical position was Erastian and latitudinarian, and his practical aim in Church politics comprehension. He gave great offence to the High Church party by his championing of Colenso, W.G. Ward, Jowett, and others, by his preaching in the pulpits of the Church of Scotland and in other ways, and his latitudinarianism made him equally obnoxious to many others. On the other hand, his singular personal charm and the fascination of his literary style secured for him a very wide popularity. He was a prolific author, his works includingLife of Dr. Arnold(of Rugby) (1844), whose favourite pupil he was, andMemorials of Canterbury(1854),Sinai and Palestine(1855),Lectures on the Eastern Church(1861),History of the Jewish Church(1863, etc.),Historical Memorials of Westminster Abbey(1867),Lectures on the History of the Church of Scotland(1872), besides various commentaries. In his historical writings he aimed rather at conveying a vivid and picturesque general effect than at minute accuracy of detail or philosophical views. His masterpiece is hisLife of Dr. Arnold, which is one of the great biographies in the language. His wife was Lady Augusta Bruce, to whom he wasm.in 1868.