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Encyclopedia Britannica - Main :: DRO-ECG |
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DRUMMOND, WILLIAM (1585-1649) , called " of Hawthorn-den;" Scottish poet, was born at Hawthornden, near Edinburgh, on the 13th of December 1585. His father, John Drummond, was the first laird of Hawthornden; and his mother was Susannah Fowler, sister of William Fowler (q.v.)., poet and courtier. Drummond received his early education at the high school of Edinburgh, and graduated in July 16o5 as M.A. of the recently founded university of Edinburgh. His father was a gentleman usher at the English court (as he had been at the Scottish court from 1590) and William, in a visit to London in 1606, describes the festivities in connexion with the visit of the king of Denmark. Drummond spent two years at Bourges and Paris in the study of law; and, in 16o9, he was again in Scotland, where, by the death of his father in the following year, he became laird of Hawthornden at the early age of twenty-four. The list
earl
Drummond's first publication appeared in 1613, an elegy on the death of Henry, prince of Wales, called Teares on the Death of Meliades (Moeliades, 3rd edit. 1614). The poem shows the influence of Spenser's and Sidney's pastoralism. In the same year he published an anthology
story of his love for Mary Cunningham of Barns, who was about to become his wife when she died in 1615. The poems bear marks of a close study of Sidney, and of the Italian poets. He sometimes translates direct from the Italian, especially from Marini. Forth Feasting: A Panegyricke to the King's Most Excellent Majestie (1617), a poem written in heroic couplets of remarkable facility, celebrates James's visit to Scotland in that year. In 1618 Drummond began a correspondence with Michael Drayton. The two poets continued to write at intervals for thirteen years, the last letter being dated in the year of Drayton's death. The latter had almost been persuaded by his " dear Drummond" to print the later books of Poly-Olbian at Hart's Edinburgh press. In the winter of 1618-1619, Drummond had included Ben Jonson in his circle of literary friends, and at Christmas 1618 was honoured with a visit of a fortnight or more from the dramatist. The account of their conversations, long supposed to be lost, was discovered in the Advocates' Library, Edinburgh, by David Laing, and was edited for the Shakespeare Society in 1842 and printed by Gifford & Cunningham. The conversations are full of literary gossip, and embody Ben's opinion of himself and of his host, whom he frankly told that " his verses were too much of the schooles, and were not after the fancie of the time," and again that he " was too good and simple, and that oft a man's modestie made a fool of his witt." But the publication of what was obviously intended merely for a private journal has given Jonson an undeserved reputation for harsh judgments, a.nd has cast blame on Drummond for blackening his guest's memory. In 1623 appeared the poet's fourth publication, entitled Flowers
In 163o Drummond again began to reside permanently at Hawthornden, and in 1632 he married Elizabeth Logan, by whom he had five sons and four daughters. In 1633 Charles made his coronation-visit to Scotland; and Drummond's pen was employed in writing congratulatory speeches and verses. As Drummond preferred Episcopacy to Presbytery, and was an extremely loyal subject, he supported Charles's general policy, though he protested against the methods employed to enforce it. When Lord Balmerino was put on his trial on the capital charge of retaining in his possession a petition regarded as a libel on the king's government, Drummond in an energetic " Letter " (1635) urged the injustice and folly of the proceedings. About this time a claim by the earl
interest
Scotland by certain Noblemen and Gentlemen, a political pamphlet in support of those royalists in Scotland who wished to espouse the king's cause against the English parliament. Its burden is an invective on the intolerance of the then dominant Presbyterian clergy. His later works may be described briefly as royalist pamphlets, written with more or less caution, as the times required. Drummond took the part of Montrose; and a letter from the Royalist leader in 1646 acknowledged his services. He also wrote a pamphlet, " A Vindication of the Hamiltons," supporting the claims of the duke of Hamilton to lead the Scottish army which was to release Charles I. It is said that Drummond's health received a severe shock when news was brought of the king's execution. He died on the 4th of December 1649. He was buried in his parish church of Lasswade. Drummond's most important works are the Cypresse Grove and the poems. The Cypresse Grove exhibits great wealth of illustration
A noteworthy feature in Drummond's poetry, as in that of his courtier contemporaries Ayton (q.v.), Lord Stirling and others, is that it manifests no characteristic Scottish element, but owes its birth and inspiration rather to the English and Italian masters. Drummond was essentially a follower of Spenser, but, amid all his sensuousness, and even in those lines most conspicuously beautiful, there is a dash of melancholy thoughtfulnessa tendency deepened by the death of his first love, Mary Cunningham. Drummond was called " the Scottish Petrarch "; and his sonnets, which are the expression of a genuine passion, stand far above most of the confemporary Petrarcan imitations. A remarkable burlesque poem Polemo-Middinia inter Vitarvam et Nebernam (printed anonymously in 1684) has been persistently, and with good reason, ascribed to him. It is a mock-heroic tale, in dog-Latin, of a country feud
Drummond's Poems, with Cypresse Grove, the History, and a few of the minor tracts, were collected in 1656 and edited by Edward Phillips, Milton's nephew. The Works of William Drummond, of Hawthornden (1711), edited by Bishop Sage and Thomas Ruddiman, contains a life by the former, and some of the poet's letters. A handsome edition of the Poems was printed by the Maitland Club in 1832. Later editions are by Peter Cunningham (1833), by William R. Turnbull in The Library of Old Authors " (1856), and by W. C. Ward (1894) for " The Muses' Library." The standard biography of Drummond is by David Masson (1873). Extracts from the Hawthornden MSS. preserved in the Library of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland were printed by David Laing in A rchaeologia Scotica, vol. iv. End of Article: DRUMMOND, WILLIAM (1585-1649) If you wish, you can link directly to this article.
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