THE ARTE

OF

ENGLISH POESIE;

BY

GEORGE PUTTENHAM.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY HARDING AND WRIGHT, ST. JOHN'S SQUARE,

FOR

ROBERT TRIPHOOK, ST. JAMES'S STreet.

1811.

Df the Author.

Four author, such has been the silence of contemporary writers, that, if we except a few observations, dropt rather in the course of narrative than egotistically brought forward, in the following pages, his personal history is confined to the narrow limits of a traditional name and ulterior designation in life. Little can therefore be expected in this dearth of materials to gratify curiosity, but it becomes a duty to gather that little with scrupulous attention to authorities.

GEORGE PUTTENHAM, is first mentioned as a writer upon English verse by Richard Carew of Anthony, Esq.* and identified as author of the present work in the Hyper-critica of Edmund Bolton +, whose manuscript being preserved in the archives at Oxford,

* Or rather of St Anthony. The passage alluded to follows: "To close up these proofs of our copiousness, look into our limitations of all sorts of verses afforded by any other language, and you shall find that Sir Philip Sidney, Master Puttenham, Master Stanihurst, and divers more have made use how far we are within compass of a foreimagined possibility in that behalf" See an article on the Excellency of the English tongue, in Camden's Remains, 1623. This essay did not appear in the first edition, 1605. At that period Camden was not acquainted with our author's name, as, under the head of Poems, he speaks of "the Gentleman which proved that poets were the first Politicians, the first Philosophers, the first Historiographers," See p. 3-6.

"Q. Elizabeth's verses, (says this writer,) those which I have seen and read, some extant in the elegant, witty, and artificial book of the Art of English Poetry, the work, (as the fame is,) of one of her Gentlemen Pensioners, Puttenham, are princely as her prose." Hypercritica, Oxford, 1722.

was discovered and referred to by Anthony a Wood*. The christian name of our author was certainly GEORGE, though it appears hitherto to have been subject to a great degree of incertitude and contradiction. By the late Joseph Ames, he is styled Webster +, which received the sanction of Dr. Lort, by a manuscript note in his own copy; though it may be questioned if it was more than a repetition of the same authorityt. A similar note, by that critical investigator Steevens, calls him Georges, adding a reference unusually indistinct, and hitherto unexplained ¶. This contrariety of identification, occasioned an elegant

"There is a book in being called The Art of English Poesie, not written by Sidney, as some have thought, but rather by one Puttenham, sometimes a Gentleman Pensioner to Qu. Elizab." Ath. Oxon. 1691. Vol. 1, col. 184. Ballard has, “said to be wrote by Sir Philip Sidney." Memoirs of Learned Ladies, 1752. p. 226.

+ See Typographical Antiquities, 1749, p. 418.

Bibliographia Poetica, p. 303, note.

In the prerogative court of Canterbury there is a nuncupative will dated the first of September, 1590, of George Putenham, of London, Esquire, and probably our author, whereby, "First and principallie he bequeathed his soull vnto Almightie God, and his bodie to be buried in christian buriall. Item, he gaue and bequeathed vnto Marye Symes, wydowe, his servant, as well for the good service she did him as alsoe for the money which she had layed forth for him, all and singular, his goods, chattels, leases, plate, redie money, lynnen, wollen, brasse, peuter, stuff of houshold, bills, bondes, obligations, and all other his goodes and debts whatsoeuer, due or owinge vnto him. Alsoe his goodes moueable or vnmoueable, of what kinde nature qualitie or condicion, and in whose hands custodye or possession theye then were in, or remained, as well within his dwellinge howse as in anie other place or places within the realme of England. In the presence of Sebastian Archibould, scrivener: James Clerke, William Johnson, and diuers others." The probate act describes the defunct of Saint Bridgett's, in Fleet Street, London, Esq. There was also a Richard Puttenham, Esquire, whose will accords with the above as a scrivener's form, dated 16 Oct. 1597, he being" prisoner in her Majesiy's Bench :" bequeaths all his property to his “verily reported and reputed daughter Katherine Puttenham." Considering the tenor of both Wills, the want of descendants of the name of Puttenham is no longer extraordinary.

"N. B. His name was George Puttenham; vide MS. of Nicholson among authors;" beneath are initials scarcely legible, supposed “ I. C.” and the whole in the hand writing of Steevens. That the christian name of Puttenham was George is confirmed by a manuscript of an unpublished work in prose, written by him, and preserved in the Harleian collection, which I did not discover until some time after the present volume was printed. Its general character is amply shown by the following title: "An apologie or true defence of her Mate. honor and good renowne against all such as haue unduelie sought or shall seek to blemish the same with any injustice, crueltie, or other unprincely behaviour in any parte of her Mats proceedings against the late Scotisch Queene. Be it for her first surprince, imprisonment, process, attaynder, or death. By very firme reasons, authorities and examples proveing that her Matie hath done nothing in the said action or otherwise, not warrantable by the law of God and of man. Writen by GEORGE PUTTENHAM to the service of her Matie and for large satisfaction of all such persons both princely and private who by ignorance of the case, or partiallitie of mind shall happen to be irresolute and not well satisfied in the said cause."