Nahum Tate

1652-1715. Poet and dramatist. He was born in Dublin and educated there at Trinity College. Three of his children were killed and his house burned when he reported plans of a revolt to the government. He then left Ireland and settled in England, where he wrote poems and plays in which he adapted the work of earlier dramatists. With Nicholas Brady* he wrote a widely used metrical version of the Psalms (1696). The hymn “While shepherds watched” is attributed to him. Tate became poet laureate in 1692, but at the end of his life was very poor, and he died in debt.