The Humourous Poetry of the English Language

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PHILIPS, BARCLAY--A living English writer, of whom nothing is known in
this country.
PINDAR, PETER--See Wolcott.
POPE, ALEXANDER--The poet of the time of Queen Anne; author of the
"Dunciad," which has been styled the most perfect of satires. Born in
London, 1688; died, 1744.
PRAED, WINTHROP MACKWORTH--An English poet, author of "Lillian," born
in London about the year 1800. Little is known of Mr. Praed in this
country, though it was here that his poems were first collected and
published in a volume. His family is of the aristocracy of the city,
where some of his surviving relations are still engaged in the
business of banking. At Eton, Praed was highly distinguished for his
literary talents. He was for some time the editor of "The Etonian," a
piquant periodical published by the students. From Eton he went to
Cambridge, where he won an unprecedented number of prizes for poems
and epigrams in Greek, Latin, and English. On returning to London, he
was associated with Thomas Babbington Macaulay in the editorship of
"Knight's Quarterly Magazine," after the discontinuance of which he
occasionally contributed to the "New Monthly." A few years before
his death, Mr. Praed became a member of Parliament, but owing to his
love of ease and society, obtained little distinction in that body.
Mr. N. P. Willis thus writes of the poet as he appeared in society:
"We chance to have it in our power to say a word as to Mr. Praed's
personal appearance, manners, etc. It was our good fortune when first
in England (in 1834 or '35), to be a guest at the same hospitable
country-house for several weeks. The party there assembled was
somewhat a femous one-Miss Jane Porter, Miss Julia Pardoe, Krazinski
(the Polish historian), Sir Gardiner Wilkinson (the Oriental traveler),
venerable Lady Cork ('Lady Bellair' of D'lsraeli's novel), and several
persons more distinguished in society than in literature. Praed, we
believe, had not been long married, but he was there with his wife. He
was apparently about thirty-five, tall, and of dark complexion, with a
studious bend in his shoulders, and of irregular features strongly
impressed with melancholy. His manners were particularly reserved,
though as unassuming as they could well be. His exquisitely beautiful
poem of 'Lillian' was among the pet treasures of the lady of the house,
and we had all been indulged with a sight of it, in a choicely bound