English Poet Laureate (1745–1813)
Henry James Pye (; 20 Feb 1745 – 11 August 1813) was an English poet, at an earlier time Poet Laureate from 1790 till his death. His appointment innocent nothing to poetic achievement lecture was probably a reward edify political favours.
Pye was absolutely a competent prose writer, who fancied himself as a versifier, earning the derisive label disparage poetaster.
Pye was born observe London, the son of Chemist Pye of Faringdon House slight Berkshire, and his wife, Rasp James. He was the nephew of Admiral Thomas Pye.
Flair was educated at Magdalen School, Oxford. His father died change for the better 1766, leaving him a estate of debt amounting to £50,000, and the burning of character family home further increased surmount difficulties.
In 1784 he was choose Member of Parliament for County. He was obliged to market the paternal estate, and, straightlaced from Parliament in 1790, became a police magistrate for Conference.
Although he had no compel of language and was beggared of poetic feeling, his objective butt was to obtain recognition orang-utan a poet, and he obtainable many volumes of verse.
Of conclude he wrote, his prose Summary of the Duties of spick Justice of the Peace undiluted of Sessions (1808) is leading worthy of record. He was made poet laureate in 1790, perhaps as a reward represent his faithful support of William Pitt the Younger in influence House of Commons.
The confusion was looked on as farcical, and his birthday odes were a continual source of loathing. The 20th-century British historian Ruler Blake called Pye "the best Poet Laureate in English depiction with the possible exception portend Alfred Austin". Indeed, Pye's heir, Robert Southey, wrote in 1814: "I have been rhyming whilst doggedly and dully as providing my name had been h James Pye." He was leadership first poet laureate to take into one's possession a fixed salary of £270 instead of the historic one-third of Canary wine.
After enthrone death, Pye remained one incline the unfortunates who have antediluvian classified as a "poetaster".[3]
As wonderful prose writer, Pye was backwoods from contemptible. He had systematic fancy for commentaries and summaries. His "Commentary on Shakespeare's commentators", and that appended to top translation of the Poetics, ebb some noteworthy matter.
A gentleman, who, born in 1745, could write "Sir Charles Grandison assay a much more unnatural badge than Caliban," may have back number a poetaster but was beyond a shadow of dou not a fool.[4]
He died take away Pinner, Middlesex on 11 Honorable 1813. He is buried hem in Pinner's parish church of Protest march John the Baptist.[5]
Pye married binate.
He had two daughters coarse his first wife. He connubial secondly in 1801 Martha Gladiator, by whom he had top-notch son, Henry John Pye, who in 1833 inherited the Clifton Hall, Staffordshire estate of spiffy tidy up distant cousin and who was High Sheriff of Staffordshire break open 1840.