George Puttenham - The Arte of English Poesie
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George Puttenham >> The Arte of English Poesie
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23 THE ARTE
OF ENGLISH
POESIE.
Contriued into three Bookes: The first of Poets and Poesie,
the second of Proportion, the third of Ornament.
[Illustration: AN CHORA SPEI (shield with hand coming out of a cloud and
holding onto an anchor entwined with vine)]
AT LONDON
Printed by Richard Field,
dwelling in the black-Friers, neere Ludgate.
1589.
TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE SIR WILLIAM CECILL KNIGHT,
LORD OF BVRGHLEY, LORD HIGH TREASVRER OF ENGLAND, R.F.
Printer wisheth health and prosperitie, with the commandement
and vse of his continuall seruice.
_This Booke (right Honorable) coming to my handes, with his bare title
without any Authours name or any other ordinarie addresse, I doubted how
well it might become me to make you a present thereof, seeming by many
expresse passages in the same at large, that it was by the Authour
intended to our Soueraigne Lady the Queene, and for her recreation and
seruice chiefly deuised, in which case to make any other person her
highnes partener in the honour of his guift it could not stand with my
dutie, nor be without some prejudice to her Maiesties interest and his
merrite. Perceyuing besides the title to purport so slender a subiect, as
nothing almost could be more discrepant from the grauitie of your yeeres
and Honorable function, whose contemplations are euery houre more
seriously employed upon the publicke administration and services:
I thought it no condigne gratification, nor scarce any good satisfaction
for such a person as you. Yet when I considered, that bestowing vpon your
Lordship the first vewe of this mine impression (a feat of mine owne
simple facultie) it could not scypher her Maiesties honour or prerogatiue
in the guift, nor yet the Authour of his thanks: and seeing the thing it
selfe to be a deuice of some noueltie (which commonly it giveth euery good
thing a speciall grace) and a noueltie so highly tending to the most
worthy prayses of her Maiesties most excellent name. So deerer to you I
dare conceiue them any worldly thing besides love although I could not
deuise to have presented your Lordship any gift more agreeable to your
appetite, or fitter for my vocation and abilitie to bestow, your Lordship
beyng learned and a louer of learning, my present a Book and my selfe a
printer alwaies ready and desirous to be at your Honourable commaundement.
And thus I humbly take my leave from the Black-friers, this xxvii of May,
1589._
Your Honours most humble
at commaundement,
_R.F._
_A colei_
[Illustration of Queen holding orb and sceptre.]
_Che se stessa rassomiglia & non altrui._
THE FIRST BOOKE,
_Of Poets and Poesie.
_CHAP. I._
_What a Poet and Poesie is, and who may be worthily sayd the most
excellent Poet of our time._
A Poet is as much to say as a maker. And our English name well conformes
with the Greeke word: for of [Greek: poiein] to make, they call a maker
_Poeta_. Such as (by way of resemblance and reuerently) we may say of God:
who without any trauell to his diuine imagination, made all the world of
nought, nor also by any paterne or mould as the Platonicks with their
Idees do phantastically suppose. Euen so the very Poet makes and contriues
out of his owne braine both the verse and matter of his poeme, and not by
any foreine copie or example, as doth the translator, who therefore may
well be sayd a versifier, but not a Poet. The premises considered, it
giueth to the name and profession no smal dignitie and preheminence aboue
all other artificers, Scientificke or Mechanicall. And neuerthelesse
without any repugnancie at all, a Poet may in some sort be said a follower
or imitator, because he can expresse the true and liuely of euery thing is
set before him, and which he taketh in hand to describe: and so in that
respect is both a maker and a counterfaitor: and Poesiean art not only of
making, but also of imitation. And this science in his perfection, can not
grow, but by some diuine instinct, the Platonicks call it _furor_: or by
excellencie of nature and complexion: or by great subtiltie of the spirits
& wit or by much experience and obseruation of the world, and course of
kinde, or peradventure by all or most part of them. Otherwise how was it
possible that _Homer_ being but a poore priuate man, and as some say, in
his later age blind, should so exactly set foorth and describe, as if he
had bene a most excellent Captaine or Generall, the order and array of
battels, the conduct of whole armies, the sieges and assaults of cities
and townes? or as some great Princes maiordome and perfect Surueyour in
Court, the order, sumptuousnesse and magnificence of royal bankers,
feasts, weddings, and enteruewes? or as a Polititian very prudent, and
much inured with the priuat and publique affaires, so grauely examine the
lawes and ordinances Ciuill, or so profoundly discourse in matters of
estate, and formes of all politique regiment? Finally how could he so
naturally paint out the speeches, countenance and maners of Princely
persons and priuate, to wit, the wrath of _Achilles_, the magnanimitie of
_Agamemnon_, the prudence of _Menelaus_, the prowesse of _Hector_, the
maiestie of king _Priamus_, the grauitie of _Nestor_, the pollicies and
eloquence of _Vlysses_, the calamities of the distressed _Queenes_, and
valiance of all the Captaines and aduenturous knights in those lamentable
warres of Troy? It is therefore of Poets thus to be conceiued, that if
they be able to deuise and make all these things of them selues, without
any subiect of veritie, that they be (by maner of speech) as creating
gods. If they do it by instinct diuine or naturall, then surely much
fauoured from aboue. If by their experience, then no doubt very wise men.
If by any president or paterne layd before them, then truly the most
excellent imitators & counterfaitors of all others. But you (Madame) my
most Honored and Gracious: if I should seeme to offer you this my deuise
for a discipline and not a delight, I might well be reputed, of all others
the most arrogant and iniurious: your selfe being alreadie, of any that I
know in our time, the most excellent Poet. Forsooth by your Princely
pursefauours and countenance, making in maner what ye list, the poore man
rich, the lewd well learned, the coward couragious, and vile both noble
and valiant. Then for imitation no lesse, your person as a most cunning
counterfaitor liuely representing _Venus_ in countenance, in life _Diana,
Pallas_ for gouernement, and _Iuno_ in all honour and regall magnificence.
_CHAP. II._
_That there may be an Art of our English Poesie, as well as there is of
the Latine and Greeke._
Then as there was no art in the world till by experience found
out: so if Poesie be now an Art, & of al antiquitie hath bene among
the Greeks and Latines, & yet were none, vntill by studious
persons fashioned and reduced into a method of rules & precepts,
then no doubt may there be the like with vs. And if th'art of Poesie
be but a skill appertaining to vtterance, why may not the same
be with vs as wel as with them, our language being no lesse copious
pithie and significatiue then theirs, our conceipts the same, and our
wits no lesse apt to deuise and imitate then theirs were? If againe
Art be but a certaine order of rules prescribed by reason, and gathered
by experience, why should not Poesie be a vulgar Art with
vs as well as with the Greeks and Latines, our language admitting
no fewer rules and nice diuersities then theirs? but peraduenture
moe by a peculiar, which our speech hath in many things differing
from theirs: and yet in the generall points of that Art, allowed to
go in common with them: so as if one point perchance which is
their feete whereupon their measures stand, and in deede is all the
beautie of their Poesie, and which feete we haue not, nor as yet neuer
went about to frame (the nature of our language and wordes
not permitting it) we haue in stead thereof twentie other curious
points in that skill more then they euer had, by reason of our rime
and tunable concords or simphonie, which they neuer obserued.
Poesie therefore may be an Art in our vulgar, and that verie methodicall
and commendable.
_CHAP. III._
_How Poets were the first priests, the first prophets, the first
Legislators and politicians in the world._
The profession and vse of Poesie is most ancient from the beginning, and
not as manie erroniously suppose, after, but before any ciuil society was
among men. For if it was first that Poesie was th'originall cause and
occasion of their first assemblies; when before the people remained in the
woods and mountains, vagarant and dipersed like the wild beasts; lawlesse
and naked, or verie ill clad, and of all good and necessarie prouision for
harbour or sustenance vtterly vnfurnished: so as they litle diffred for
their maner of life, from the very brute beasts of the field. Whereupon it
is fayned that _Amphion_ and _Orpheus_, two Poets of the first ages, one
of them, to wit _Amphion_, builded vp cities, and reared walles with the
stones that came in heapes to the sound of his harpe, figuring thereby the
mollifying of hard and stonie hearts by his sweete and eloquent
perswasion. And _Orpheus_ assembled the wilde beasts to come in heards to
harken to his musicke and by that meanes made them tame, implying thereby,
how by his discreete and wholesome lessons vttered in harmonie and with
melodious instruments, he brought the rude and sauage people to a more
ciuill and orderly life, nothing as it seemeth, more preuailing or fit to
redresse and edifie the cruell and sturdie courage of man then it. And as
these two Poets and _Linus_ before them, and _Museus_ also and _Hesiodus_
in Greece and Archadia: so by all likelihood had mo Poets done in other
places and in other ages before them, though there be no remembrance left
of them, by reason of the Recordes by some accident of time perished and
failing. Poets therfore are of great antiquitie. Then forasmuch as they
were the first that entended to the obseruation of nature and her works,
and specially of the Celestiall courses, by reason of the continuall
motion of the heauens, searching after the first mouer, and from thence by
degrees comming to know and consider of the substances separate &
abstract, which we call the diuine intelligences or good Angels
_(Demones)_ they were the first that instituted sacrifices of placation,
with inuocations and worship to them, as to Gods; and inuented and
stablished all the rest of the obseruances and ceremonies of religion, and
so were the first Priests and ministers of the holy misteries. And because
for the better execution of that high charge and function, it behoued than
to live chast, and in all holines of life, and in continuall studie and
contemplation: they came by instinct divine, and by deepe meditation, and
much abstinence (the same assubtiling and refining their spirits) to be
made apt to receaue visions, both waking and sleeping, which made them
vtter prophesies, and foretell things to come. So also were they the first
Prophetes or seears, _Vidontes_, for so the Scripture tearmeth them in
Latine after the Hebrue word, and all the oracles and answers of the gods
were giuen in meeter or verse, and published to the people by their
direction. And for that they were aged and graue men, and of much wisedome
and experience in th'affaires of the world, they were the first lawmakers
to the people, and the first polititiens, deuising all expedient meanes
for th'establishment of Common wealth, to hold and containe the people in
order and duety by force and virtue of good and wholesome lawes, made for
the preseruation of the publique peace and tranquillitie. The same
peraduenture not purposely intended, but greatly furthered by the aw of
their gods, and such scruple of conscience, as the terrors of their late
inuented religion had led them into.
_CHAP. IIII._
_How the Poets were the first Philosophers, the first Astronomers and
Historiographers and Oratours and Musiciens of the world._
Vtterance also and language is giuen by nature to man for perswasion of
others, and aide of them selues, I meane the first abilite to speake. For
speech it selfe is artificiall and made by man, and the more pleasing it
is, the more it preuaileth to such purpose as it is intended for: but
speech by meeter is a kind of vtterance, more cleanly couched and more
delicate to the eare then prose is, because it is more currant and slipper
vpon the tongue, and withal tunable and melodious, as a kind of Musicke,
and therfore may be tearmed a musicall speech or vtterance, which cannot
but please the hearer very well. Another cause is, for that it is briefer
& more compendious, and easier to beare away and be retained in memorie,
then that which is contained in multitude of words and full of tedious
ambage and long periods. It is beside a maner of vtterance more eloquent
and rethoricall then the ordinarie prose, which we use in our daily talke:
because it is decked and set out with all manner of fresh colours and
figures, which maketh that it sooner inuegleth the iudgement of man, and
carieth his opinion this way and that, whither soeuer the heart by
impression of the eare shal be most affectionatly bent and directed. The
vtterance in prose is not of so great efficacie, because not only it is
dayly vsed, and by that occasion the eare is ouerglutted with it, but is
also not so voluble and slipper vpon the tong, being wide and lose, and
nothing numerous, nor contriued into measures, and sounded with so gallant
and harmonical accents, nor in fine alowed that figuratiue conueyance, nor
so great licence in choise of words and phrases as meeter is. So as the
Poets were also from the beginning the best perswaders and their eloquence
the first Rethoricke of the world. Euen so it became that the high
mysteries of the gods should be reuealed & taught, by a maner of vtterance
and language of extraordinarie phrase, and briefe and compendious, and
aboue al others sweet and ciuill as the Metricall is. The same also was
meetest to register the liues and noble gests of Princes, and of the great
Monarkes of the world, and all other the memorable accidents of time: so
as the Poet was also the first historiographer. Then for as much as they
were the first obseruers of all naturall causes & effects in the things
generable and corruptible, and from thence mounted vp to search after the
celestiall courses and influences, & yet penetrated further to know the
diuine essences and substances separate, as is sayd before, they were the
first Astronomers and Philosophists and Metaphisicks. Finally, because
they did altogether endeuor themselues to reduce the life of man to a
certaine method of good maners, and made the first differences betweene
vertue and vice, and then tempered all these knowledges and skilles with
the exercise of a delectable Musicke by melodious instruments, which
withall serued them to delight their hearers, & to call the people
together by admiration, to a plausible and vertuous conuersation,
therefore were they the first Philosophers Ethick, & the first artificial
Musiciens of the world. Such was _Linus, Orpheus, Amphion & Museus_ the
most ancient Poets and Philosophers, of whom there is left any memorie by
the prophane writers King _Dauid_ also & _Salomon_ his sonne and many
other of the holy Prophets wrate in meeters, and vsed to sing them to the
harpe, although to many of vs ignorant of the Hebrue language and phrase,
and not obseruing it, the same seeme but a prose. It can not bee therefore
that anie scorn or indignitie should iustly be offred to so noble,
profitable, ancient and diuine a science as Poesie is.
_CHAP. V._
_How the wilde and sauage people vsed a naturall Poesie in versicte and
time as our vulgar is._
And the Greeke and Latine Poesie was by verse numerous and metricall,
running vpon pleasant feete, sometimes swift, sometime slow (their words
very aptly seruing that purpose) but without any rime or tunable concord
in th'end of their verses, as we and all other nations now use. But the
Hebrues & Chaldees who were more ancient then the Greekes, did not only
use a metricall Poesie, but also with the same a maner or rime, as hath
bene of late obserued by learned men. Wherby it appeareth, that our vulgar
running Poesie was common to all the nations of the world besides, whom
the Latines and Greekes in speciall called barbarous. So as it was
notwithstanding the first and most ancient Poesie, and the most
vniuersall, which two points do otherwise giue to all humane inuentions
and affaires no small credit. This is proued by certificate of marchants &
trauellers, who by late nauigations haue surueyed the whole world, and
discouered large countries and strange peoples wild and sauage, affirming
that the American, the Perusine & the very Canniball, do sing and also
say, their highest and holiest matters in certaine riming versicles and
not in prose, which proues also that our maner of vulgar Poesie is more
ancient then the artificiall of the Greeks and Latines, ours comming by
instinct of nature, which was before Art or obseruation, and vsed with the
sauage and vnciuill, who were before all science or ciuilitie, euen as the
naked by prioritie of time is before the clothed, and the ignorant before
the learned. The naturall Poesie therefore being aided and amended by Art,
and not vtterly altered or obscured, but some signe left of it, (as the
Greekes and Latines haue left none) is no lesse to be allowed and
commended then theirs.
_CHAP. VI_.
_How the riming Poesie came first to the Grecians and Latines, and had
altered and almost split their maner of Poesie_.
But it came to passe, when fortune fled farre from the Greekes and
Latines, & that their townes florished no more in traficke, nor their
Vniuersities in learning as they had done continuing those Monarchies: the
barbarous conquerers inuading them with innumerable swarmes of strange
nations, the Poesie metricall of the Grecians and Latines came to be much
corrupted and altered, in so much as there were times that the very
Greekes and Latines themselues tooke pleasure in Riming verses, and vsed
it as a rare and gallant thing: Yea their Oratours proses nor the Doctors
Sermons were acceptable to Princes nor yet to the common people vnlesse it
went in manner of tunable rime or metricall sentences, as appeares by many
of the auncient writers, about that time and since. And the great Princes,
and Popes, and Sultans would one salute and greet an other sometime in
frendship and sport, sometime in earnest and enmitie by ryming verses, &
nothing seemed clerkly done, but must be done in ryme: Whereof we finde
diuers examples from the time of th'Emperours Gracian & Valentinian
downwardes; For then aboutes began the declination of the Romain Empire,
by the notable inundations of the _Hunnes_ and _Vandalles_ in Europe,
vnder the conduict of _Totila_ & _Atila_ and other their generalles. This
brought the ryming Poesie in grace, and made it preuaile in Italie and
Greece (their owne long time cast aside, and almost neglected) till after
many yeares that the peace of Italie and of th'Empire Occidentall reuiued
new clerkes, who recouering and perusing the bookes and studies of the
ciuiler ages, restored all maner of arts, and that of the Greeke and
Latine Poesie withall into their former puritie and netnes. Which
neuerthelesse did not so preuaile, but that the ryming Poesie of the
Barbarians remained still in his reputation, that one in the schole, this
other in Courts of Princes more ordinary and allowable.
_CHAP VII._
_How in the time of Charlemaine and many yeares after him the Latine
Poetes wrote in ryme._
And this appeareth euidently by the workes of many learned men, who wrote
about the time of _Charlemaines_ raigne in the Empire _Occidentall_, where
the Christian Religion, became through the excessive authoritie of Popes,
and deepe deuotion of Princes strongly fortified and established by
erection of orders _Monastical_ in which many simple clerks for deuotion
sake & sanctitie were receiued more then for any learning, by which
occasion & the solitarinesse of their life, waxing studious without
discipline or instruction by any good methode, some of them grew to be
historiographers, some Poets, and following either the barbarous rudenes
of the time, or els their own idle inuentions, all that they wrote to the
fauor or prayse of Princes, they did it in such maner of minstrelsie, and
thought themselues no small fooles, when they could make their verses goe
all in ryme as did the Schoole of _Salerno_, dedicating their booke of
medicinall rules vnto our king of England, with this beginning.
_Anglorum Regi scripsit tota schola Salerni
Sivus incolumem, sivis te reddere sanicari
Curas tolle graues, irasci crede prophanum
Necretine ventram nec stringas as fortiter annum._
And all the rest that follow throughout the whole booke more curiously
than cleanely, neuerthelesse very well to the purpose of their arte. In
the same time king _Edward_ the iij. him selfe quartering the Armes of
England and France, did discouer his pretence and clayme to the Crowne of
Fraunce, in these ryming verses.
_Rex sum regnorum bina ratione duorum
Anglorum regnio sum rex ego iure paterno
Matris iure quidem Francorum nuncupor idem
Hinc est armorum variatio facta meorum._
Which verses _Philip de Valois_ then possessing the Crowne as next heire
male by pretexte of the law _Salique_, and holding our _Edward_ the third,
aunswered in these other of as good stuffe.
_Praedo regnorum qui diceris esse duorum
Regno materno priuaberis atque paterno
Prolis ius nullum ubi matris non fuit vllum
Hinc est armorum variatio stulta tuorum._
It is found written of Pope _Lucius_, for his great auarice and tyranny
vsed ouer the Clergy thus in ryming verses.
_Lucius est piscis rex et tyrannus aquarum
A quo discordat Lucius iste parum
Deuorat hic hom homines, his piscibus insidiatur
Esurit hic semper hic aliquando satur
Amborum vitam si laus aquata notaret
Plus rationis habet qui ratione caret._
And as this was vsed in the greatest and gayest matters of Princes and
Popes by the idle inuention of Monasticall men then raigning al in their
superlative. So did every scholer & secular clerke or versifier, when he
wrote any short poeme or matter of good lesson put it in ryme, whereby it
came to passe that all your old Proverbes and common sayinges, which they
would have plausible to the reader and easy to remember and beare away,
were of that sorte as these.
_In mundo mira faciunt duo nummias & ira
Molleficant dura peruertunt omnia iura._
And this verse in disprayse of the Courtiers life following the Court of
Rome.
_Vita palatina dura est animaque ruina._
And these written by a noble learned man.
_Ire redire fequi regum sublimia castra
Eximiius status est, sed non sic itur ad astra._
And this other which to the great injurie of all women was written (no
doubt by some forlorne lover, or else some old malicious Monke) for one
woman's sake blemishing the whole sex.
_Fallere stere nere mentari nilque tacere
Haec qumque vere statuit Deus in muliere._
If I might have bene his Iudge, I would have had him for his labour serued
as _Orpheus_ was by the women of Thrace. His eyes to be picket out with
pinnes for his so deadly belying of them, or worse handled if worse could
be deuised. But will ye see how God raised a revenger for the silly
innocent women, for about the same ryming age came an honest civill
Courtier somewhat bookish, and wrate these verses against the whole rable
of Monkes.
_O Monachi vestri stomachi sunt amphor a Bacchi
Vos estos Deis est restes turpissima pestis._
Anon after came your secular Priestes as jolly rymers as the rest, who
being sore agreeued with their Pope _Calixtus_, for that he had enjoyned
them from their wives,& railed as fast against him.
_O bone Calixte totus mundus perodit te
Quondam Presbiteri, poterant vxoribus vti
Hoc destruxisti, postquam tu Papa fursti._
Thus what in writing of rymes and registring of lyes was the Clergy of
that fabulous age wholly occupied.
We finde some but very few of these ryming verses among the Latines of the
ciuiller ages, and those rather hapning by chaunce then of any purpose in
the writer, as this _Distick_ among the disportes of _Ouid_.
_Quot coem stellas tot habet tua Roma puellas
Pascua quotque haedos tot habet tua Roma Cynedos,_
The posteritie taking pleasure in this manner of _Simphonie_ had leasure
as it seemes to deuise many other knackes in their versifying that the
auncient and ciuill Poets had not vfed before, whereof one was to make
euery word of a verse to begin with the same letter, as did _Hugobald_ the
Monke who made a large poeme to the honour of _Carolus Caluus_, euery word
beginning with _C._ which was the first letter of the king's name thus.
_Carmina clarisona Caluis cantate camenae._
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