for to engarland our Poets heads, (which honor of beeing laureat, as besides them, onely tryumphant Captaines weare, is a sufficient authority to shewe the price they ought to be had in,) then suffer the ill-favouring breath of such wrong-speakers once to blowe upon the cleere springs of Poesie. But sith I have runne so long a careere in this matter, me thinks, before I give my penne a fulle stop, it shalbe but a little more lost time to inquire why England (the Mother of excellent mindes,) should bee growne so hard a step-mother to Poets, who certainly in wit ought to passe all other: sith all onely proceedeth from their wit, being indeede makers of themselves, not takers of others. How can I but exclaime, Musa, mihi causas memora, quo numine læso.17 Sweete Poesie, that hath aunciently had Kings, Emperors, Senators, great Captaines, such as besides a thousand others, David, Adrian, Sophocles, Germanicus, not onely to favour poets, but to be Poets. And of our neerer times, can present for her Patrons, a Robert, king of Sicil, the great king Francis of France, King James of Scotland. Such Cardinals as Bembus, and Bibiena. Such famous Preachers and Teachers, as Beza and Melancthon. So learned Philosophers, as Fracastorius and Scaliger. So great Orators, as Pontanus and Muretus. So piercing wits, as George Buchanan. So grave Counsellors, as besides many, but before all, that Hospitall of Fraunce: than whom, (I thinke) that Realme never brought forth a more accomplished judgement, more firmely builded upon vertue. I say these, with numbers of others, not onely to read others Poesies, but to poetise for others reading, that Poesie thus embraced in all other places, should onely finde in our time a hard welcome in England, I thinke the very earth lamenteth it, and therefore decketh our Soyle with fewer Laurels then it was accustomed. For heertofore, Poets have in England also florished. And which is to be noted, even in those times 17 O Muse, tell me the causes by what offended deity, etc. - VIRGIL, Æneid, I. 8. of a pen. when the trumpet of Mars did sounde loudest. And now that an over-faint quietnes should seeme to strew the house for Poets, they are almost in as good reputation as the Mountibancks at Venice. Truly even that, as of the one side it giveth great praise to Poesie, which like Venus, (but to better purpose) hath rather be troubled in the net with Mars, then enjoy the homelie quiet of Vulcan: so serves it for a peece of a reason, why they are lesse gratefull to idle England, which nowe can scarce endure the payne Upon this necessarily followeth that base men with servile wits undertake it: who think it inough, if they can be rewarded of the Printer. And so as Epaminondas is sayd, with the honor of his vertue, to have made an office, by his exercising it, which before was contemptible, to become highly respected: so these, no more but setting their names to it, by their owne disgracefulnes, disgrace the most gracefull Poesie. For now, . . . without any commission, they doe poste over the banckes of Helicon tyll they make the readers more weary than Poste-horses: while in the mean tyme, they Queis meliore luto finxit præcordia Titan,18 are better content to suppresse the outflowing 19 of their wit, then by publishing them to bee accounted Knights of the same order. But I, that before ever I durst aspire unto the dignitie, am admitted into the company of the Paper-blurers, doe finde the very true cause of our wanting estimation, is want of desert: taking upon us to be Poets in despight of Pallas. Nowe, wherein we want desert, were a thanke-worthy labour to expresse: but if I knew, I should have mended my selfe. But I, as I never desired the title, so have I neglected the meanes to come by it. Onely overmastered by some thoughts, I yeelded an inckie tribute unto them. Mary, they that delight in Poesie it selfe, should seeke to knowe what they doe, and how they doe; and especially looke themselves in an unflattering Glasse of reason, if they bee inclinable 18 Whose hearts Titan has formed out of better clay.— JUVENAL, XIV. 34. 19 outflowings? unto it. For Poesie must not be drawne by the eares, it must bee gently led, or rather it must lead. Which was partly the cause that made the auncient learned affirme it was a divine gift, and no humaine skill: sith all other knowledges lie ready for any that hath strength of witte : A Poet, no industrie can make, if his owne Genius bee not carried unto it: and therefore is it an old Proverbe, Orator fit; Poeta nascitur.20 Yet confesse I alwayes that as the firtilest ground must bee manured, so must the highest flying wit have a Dedalus to guide him. That Dedalus, they say, both in this, and in other, hath three wings, to beare it selfe up into the ayre of due commendation: that is, Arte, Imitation, and Exercise. But these, neyther artificiall rules, nor imitative patternes, we much cumber our selves withall. Exercise indeede wee doe, but that very fore-backwardly for where we should exercise to know, wee exercise as having knowne: and so is oure braine delivered of much matter, which never was begotten by knowledge. For, there being two principal parts, matter to be expressed by wordes, and words to expresse the matter, in neyther wee use Arte, or Imitation, rightly. Our matter is Quodlibit indeed, though wrongly perfourming Ovids verse. : 21 (Quicquid conabar dicere versus erit [erat?] :) 22 never marshalling it into an assured rancke, that almost the readers cannot tell where to finde themselves. Chaucer undoubtedly did excellently in hys Troylus and Cresseid; of whom truly I know not whether to mervaile more, either that he in that mistie time could see so clearely, or that wee in this cleare age walke so stumblingly after him. Yet had he great wants, fitte to be forgiven, in so reverent antiquity. I account the Mirrour of Magistrates meetely furnished of beautiful parts; and in the Earl of Surries Liricks many things tasting of a noble 20 An orator is made; a poet is born. 21 anything you please. 22 Whatever I attempted to utter will be [was] verse. After Ovid, Tristia, IV. 10. 20: Et quod tentabam dicere versus erat, And what I tried to say was verse. birth, and worthy of a noble minde. The Sheapheards Kalender hath much Poetrie in his Eglogues: indeede worthy the reading if I be not deceived. That same framing of his stile to an old rustick language, I dare not allowe, sith neyther Theocritus in Greeke, Virgill in Latine, nor Sanazar in Italian, did affect it. Besides these, doe I not remember to have seene but fewe, (to speake boldely) printed, that have poeticall sinnewes in them: for proofe whereof, let but most of the verses bee put in Prose, and then aske the meaning; and it will be found that one verse did but beget another, without ordering at the first what should be at the last which becomes a confused masse of words, with a tingling sound of ryme, barely accompanied with reason. Our Tragedies and Comedies, (not without cause cried out against,) observing rules, neyther of honest civilitie, nor of skilfull Poetrie, excepting Gorboduck, (againe, I say, of those that I have seene), which notwithstanding, as it is full of stately speeches, and well sounding Phrases, clyming to the height of Seneca his stile, and as full of notable moralitie, which it doth most delightfully teach, and so obtayne the very end of Poesie: yet in troth it is very defectious in the circumstaunces,23 which greeveth mee, because it might not remaine as an exact model of all Tragedies. For it is faulty both in place, and time, the two necessary companions of all corporall actions. For where the stage should alwaies represent but one place, and the uttermost time presupposed in it should be, both by Aristotles precept and common reason, but one day: there is both many dayes, and many places, inartificially imagined. But if it be so in Gorboduck, how much more in al the rest? where you shall have Asia of the one side, and Affrick of the other, and so many other under-kingdoms, that the Player, when he commeth in, must ever begin with telling you where he is: or els the tale wil not be conceived. Now ye shal have three Ladies walke to gather flowers, and then we must beleeve the stage to be a Garden. By and by we heare newes of shipwracke 23 defective in particulars. in the same place, and then wee are to blame if we accept it not for a rock. Upon the backe of that, comes out a hidious Monster, with fire and smoke, and then the miserable beholders are bounde to take it for a Cave. While in the mean-time two Armies flye in, represented with foure swords and bucklers, and then what harde heart will not receive it for a pitched fielde? Now, of time they are much more liberall, . . . which how absurd it is in sence, even sence may imagine, and Arte hath taught, and all auncient examples justified: and at this day, the ordinary Players in Italie wil not erre in. Yet wil some bring in an example of Eunuchus in Terence, that containeth matter of two dayes, yet far short of twenty yeeres. True it is, and so was it to be playd in two daies, and so fitted to the time it set forth. And though Plautus hath in one place done amisse, let us hit with him, and not misse with him. But they wil say, how then shal we set forth a story, which containeth both many places, and many times? And doe they not knowe that a Tragedie is tied to the lawes of Poesie, and not of Historie? not bound to follow the storie, but having liberty, either to faine a quite newe matter, or to frame the historie to the most tragicall conveniencie. Againe, many things may be told, which cannot be shewed, if they knowe the difference betwixt reporting and representing. As for example, I may speake, (though I am heere) of Peru, and in speech, digresse from that, to the description of Calicut: but in action, I cannot represent it without Pacolets horse 2: and so was the manner the Auncients tooke, by some Nuncius,25 to recount thinges done in former time, or other place. Lastly, if they wil represent an history, they must not (as Horace saith) beginne Ab ovo: 26 but they must come to the principall poynt of that one action, which they wil represent. By example this wil be best expressed. I have a story of young Polidorus, delivered for safeties sake, with great riches, by his Father 24 24 See Wheeler's Vocabulary, in Appendix to Webster's Dictionary. 25 messenger. |