her hands kept time to her voice's music. As for the houses of the country (for many houses came under their eye), they were all scattered, no two being one by the other, and yet not so far off as that it barred mutual succour; a shew, as it were, of an accompanable 1 solitariness, and of a civil wildness. 'I pray you,' said Musidorus (then first unsealing his long-silent lips), 'what countries be these we pass through, which are so divers in shew, the one wanting no store, the other having no store but of want? ’ 'The country,' answered Claius, 'where you were cast ashore and now are past through, is Laconia: not so poor by the barrenness of the soil (though in itself not passing fertile) as by a civil war, which being these two years within the bowels of that estate between the gentlemen and the peasants (by them named Helots), hath in this sort, as it were, disfigured the face of nature, and made it so unhospital as now you have found it; the towns neither of the one side nor the other willingly opening their gates to strangers, nor strangers willingly entering for fear of being mistaken. 2 'But this country (where now you set your foot) is Arcadia.' VERSE NOT ESSENTIAL TO POETRY. (From An Apology for Poetry.) The greatest part of poets have apparelled their poetical inventions in that numbrous kind of writing which is called verse: indeed but apparelled, verse being but an ornament, and no cause to poetry: sith there have been many most excellent poets that never versified, and now swarm many versifiers that need never answer to the name of poets. For Xenophon, who did imitate so excellently as to give us effigiem justi imperii,1 the portraiture of a just empire, under the name of Cyrus (as Cicero saith of him), made therein an absolute heroical poem. So did Heliodorus in his sugared invention of that picture of love in Theagines and Chariclea, and yet both these writ in prose: which I speak to shew that it is not riming and versing that maketh a poet, no more than a long gown maketh an advocate: who, though he pleaded in armour, should be an advocate, and no soldier. But it is that feigning notable images of virtues, vices, or what else, with that delightful teaching which must be the right describing note to know a poet by: although indeed the senate of poets hath chosen verse as their fittest raiment, meaning as in matter they passed all in all, so in manner to go beyond them: not speaking (table-talk fashion, or like men in a dream) words as they chanceably fall from the mouth, but poising each syllable of each word by just proportion according to the dignity of the subject. 1 The portrait or likeness of a perfect empire or government. NOTES. Numbrous kind of writing: writing in numbers, the stress of voice falling regularly after a certain number of syllables. Verse being but an ornament, and no cause to poetry. This is one of the most remarkable instances of sagacious criticism in Sidney's book. Sith, since. See Dunbar, The Golden Therein. Xenophon's Cyropædia, giving Heliodorus, the best of the Greek writers of romance, lived about the end of the fourth century A.D. He became Bishop of Tricca in Thessaly. Theagines and Chariclea, hero and heroine of Heliodorus's romance Ethiopica. Jaques Amyot received an abbey from Francis I. of France for translating this 'sugared invention.' Both these: Xenophon and Helio- Writ: long a common form, for which 'rime' came to be written 'rhyme.' No (more than, &c.): double negative for denial. Should (be an (advocate). We should say 'would.' the Soldier. Very loose sentence, author being led off by the rela tives, first 'which,' and then 'who.' Both sentences and paragraphs are open to improvement. ROBERT GREENE.-1560?-1592. ROBERT GREENE was born at Norwich, and educated at Cambridge (B.A., St John's College, 1578). After a tour in Spain and Italy, he returned to Cambridge, and took his M.A. degree at Clare Hall, 1583. He next went to London, where he became an author of plays, and a penner of love pamphlets,' or tales, and 'soon grew famous in that quality.' He led a most dissolute life, and his death was the issue of an illness resulting from a surfeit at a 'fatal banquet of pickleherring' and Rhenish wine. Greene was a voluminous author. He wrote many plays, which were eagerly sought after by rival managers; but only five of them have come down to us. His novels, which are now forgotten, were in his own time even more popular than his plays. His songs, madrigals, odes, sonnets, roundelays, &c., which are his best productions, were scattered through his novels. THE DESCRIPTION OF SILVESTRO'S LADY. (From Morando, the Tritameron of Love.) Her stature like the tall straight cedar trees, A foot like Thetis when she tripped the sands To shew what Nature's lineage could afford. NOTES. (see quotation from Shakspeare in notes to next extract). 14. Apollo, the Sun-god. 20. Thetis, a sea divinity, one of the Nereids, wife of Peleus, and mother of Achilles. 21. Neptūnus' favour. Neptune (Poseidon), the god of the sea, desisted from his suit for the hand of Thetis when her mother declared that the son of Thetis would be more illustrious than his father. 22. A later condensed version gives this line complete: 'In fine, a piece,' &c. 23. The condensed version reads: 'To see what Nature's cunning could afford.' THE SHEPHERD'S WIFE'S SONG. (From The Mourning Garment.) Ah, what is love? It is a pretty thing, For kings have cares that wait upon a crown, Ah then, ah then, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, 5 His flocks are folded, he comes home at night, 10 And merrier too, For kings bethink them what the state require, Ah then, ah then, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, 15 He kisseth first, then sits as blithe to eat For kings have often fears when they do sup, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, Upon his couch of straw he sleeps as sound, More sounder too, For cares cause kings full oft their sleep to spill, 20 35 Ah then, ah then, If country loves such sweet desires do gain, 40 |