Page:Cousins's Short Biographical Dictionary of English Literature.djvu/365

 Dictionary of English Literature 353

plied thereto, gradually leading up to the completion of a system of philosophy which was the work of his life. His fundamental propo sition 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 he pub. in exposition of his views may be mentioned Social Statics (1850), Principles of Psycho logy (1855), First Principles (1862), Principles of Biology (1867), Data of Ethics (1879), Principles of Sociology (1877), Political In stitutions (1882), and Man 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.

Life by David Duncan, LL.D., Life by J. A. Thompson. See also Outlines of Cosmic Philosophy, Fishe (1874), and books on S. and his philosophy by Hudson (1894), White (1897), an d Macpherson (1890).

SPENCER, WILLIAM ROBERT (1769-1834). Poet, ed. at

Harrow and Oxf., belonged to the Whig set of Fox and Sheridan. He wrote graceful vers de society, made translations from Burger, and is best remembered by his well-known ballad of Gelert. After a life of extravagance he d. in poverty in Paris.

SPENSER, EDMUND (i552?-i599). Poet, was b. in East

Smithfield, London, the 5. of John S., described as gentleman and ourneyman 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 iriends there were Edward Kirke, who ed. the Shepheard's Calendar, and Gabriel Harvey, the critic. While still at school he had con- ixibuted 14 sonnet- visions to Van der Noot's Theatre for Worldlings '1569). On leaving the Univ. S. went to the north, probably to irisit his relations in Lancashire, and in 1578, through his friend tlarvey, he became known to Leicester and his brother-in-law, Philip Sidney. The next year, 1579, saw the publication of The S hep heard' s Calendar in 12 eclogues. It was dedicated to Sidney, ivho had become his friend and patron, and was received with ac-
 * lamation, all who had ears for poetry perceiving that a new and
 * reat singer had arisen. The following year S. was appointed sec.
 * o Lord Grey of Wilton, Deputy for Ireland, a strict Puritan, and

iccompanied him to Ireland. At the same time he appears to have Degun the Faerie Queen. In 1581 he was appointed Registrar of Chancery, and received a grant of the Abbey and Castle of Ennis- xjlman in County Cork, a former possession of the Earls of Desmond ,vith 3000 acres attached. Simultaneously, however, a heavy blow
 * orthy, which was followed in 1586 by a grant of the Castle of Kil
 * ell upon him in the death of Sidney at the Battle of Zutphen. The

oss of this dear friend he commemorated in his lament of Astrophel. ^n 1590 he was visited by Sir Walter Raleigh, who persuaded him to
 * ome to England, and presented him to the Queen, from whom he

received a pension of ^50, which does not, however, appear to have

M