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Laureate

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Poets so called from an ancient custom in our universities of presenting a laurel wreath to graduates in rhetoric and poetry. Young aspirants were wreathed with laurels in berry (orné de baies de laurier). Authors are still so “crowned” in France. The poets laureate of the two last centuries have been—

Ben Jonson, 1615, appointed by King James.

Sir William Davenant, 1637.

John Dryden, 1670.

Thomas Shadwell, 1688.

Nahum Tate, 1692.

Nicholas Rowe, 1715.

Laurence Eusden, 1718.

Colley Cibber, 1730.

William Whitehead, 1757.

Thomas Warton, 1783.

Henry James Pye, 1790.

Robert Southey, 1813.

William Wordsworth, 1844.

Alfred Tennyson, 1850.

Alfred Austin, 1896.


Six or seven of these are almost unknown, and their productions are seldom read.

 

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Entry taken from Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, edited by the Rev. E. Cobham Brewer, LL.D. and revised in 1895.

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Laugh on the Other Side of Your Mouth
Laughing Philosopher
Laughing-stock
Laughter
Launce
Launcelet
Launched into Eternity
Launfal (Sir)
Laura
Lauras. (Greek, laura.)
Laureate
Laurel
Laurence (Friar)
Lavaine
Lavalette (Marquis de)
Lavender
Lavinia
Lavinia and Palemon
Lavolt or Lavolta
Law
Law Latin