George Puttenham - The Arte of English Poesie

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Where in your first verse these two words [_giue_] and [_me_] are accented
one high th'other low, in the third verse the same words are accented
contrary, and the reason of this exchange is manifest, because the maker
playes with these two clauses of sundry relations [_giue me_] and [_giue
others_] so as the _monosillable_ [_me_] being respectiue to the word
[_others_] and inferring a subtilitie or wittie implication, ought not to
haue the same accent, as when he hath no such respect, as in this _distik_
of ours.
_Pro-ue me` (Madame) ere ye re-pro`ue
Meeke minds should e-xcu`se not a-ccu`se_.

In which verse ye see this word [_reprooue_,] the sillable [_prooue_]
alters his sharpe accent into a flat, for naturally it is long in all his
singles and compoundes [_reprooue_] [_approoue_] [_disprooue_] & so is the
sillable [_cuse_] in [_excuse_] [_accuse_] [_recuse_] yet in these verses
by reason one of them doth as it were nicke another, and haue a certaine
extraordinary sence with all, it behoueth to remoue the sharpe accents
from whence they are most naturall, to place them where the nicke may be
more expresly discouered, and therefore in this verse where no such
implication is, nor no relation it is otherwise, as thus.
_If ye re`pro-ue my constancie
I will excu-se you curtesly_.

For in this word [_reprooue_] because there is no extraordinary sence to
be inferred, he keepeth his sharpe accent vpon the sillable [_prooue_] but
in the former verses because they seeme to encounter ech other, they do
thereby merite an audible and pleasant alteration of their accents in
those sillables that cause the subtiltie. Of these maner of nicetees ye
shal finde in many places of our booke, but specially where we treate of
ornament, vnto which we referre you, sauing that we thought good to set
down one example more to solace your mindes with mirth after all these
scholasticall preceptes, which can not but bring with them (specially to
Courtiers) much tediousnesse, and so to end. In our Comedie intituled
_Ginecocratia:_ the king was supposed to be a person very amorous and
effeminate, and therefore most ruled his ordinary affaires by the aduise
of women either for the loue he bare to their persons of liking he had to
their pleasant ready witts and vtterance. Comes me to the Court one
_Polemon_ an honest plaine man of the country, but rich: and hauing a
suite to the king, met by chaunce with one _Philino_, a louer of wine and
a merry companion in Court, and praied him in that he was a stranger that
he would vouchsafe to tell him which way he were best to worke to get his
suite, and who were most in credit and fauour about the king, that he
might seek to them to furder his attempt. _Philino_ perceyuing the
plainnesse of the man, and that there would be some good done with him,
told _Polemon_ that if he would well consider him for his labor he would
bring him where he should know the truth of all his demaundes by the
sentence of the Oracle. _Polemon_ gaue him twentie crownes, _Philino_
brings him into a place where behind an arras cloth hee himselfe spake in
manner of an Oracle in these matters, for so did all the Sybils and
sothsaiers in old times giue their answers.
_Your best way to worke - and marke my words well,
Not money: nor many,
Nor any: but any,
Not weemen, but weemen beare the bell._

_Polemon_ wist not what to make of this doubtfull speach, & not being
lawfull to importune the oracle more then once in one matter, conceyued in
his head the pleasanter construction, and stacke to it: and hauing at home
a fayre yong damsell of eighteene yeares old to his daughter, that could
very well behaue her self in countenance and also in her language,
apparelled her as gay as he could, and brought her to the Court, where
_Philino_ harkning daily after the euent of this matter, met him, and
recommended his daughter to the Lords, who perceiuing her great beauty and
other good parts, brought her to the King, to whom she exhibited her
fathers supplication, and found so great fauour in his eye, as without any
long delay she obtained her sute at his hands. _Poleman_ the diligent
solliciting of his daughter, wanne his purpose: _Philino_ gat a good
reward and vsed the matter so, as howsoeuer the oracle had bene construed,
he could not haue receiued blame nor discredit by the successe, for euery
waies it would haue proued true, whether _Polemons_ daughter had obtayned
the sute, or not obtained it. And the subtiltie lay in the accent and
Ortographie of these two wordes [any] and [weemen] for [any] being deuided
sounds _a nie_ or neere person to the king: and [weemen] being diuided
soundes _wee men_, and not [weemen] and so by this meane _Philino_ serued
all turnes and shifted himselfe from blame, not vnlike the tale of the
Rattlemouse who in the warres proclaimed betweene the foure footed beasts
and the birdes, beyng sent for by the Lyon to beat his musters, excused
himselfe for that he was a foule and flew with winges: and beying sent for
my the Eagle to serue him, sayd that he was a foure footed beast, and by
that craftie cauill escaped the danger of the warres, and shunned the
seruice of both Princes. And euer since sate at home by the fire side,
eating vp the poore husbandmans baken, halfe lost for lacke of a good
huswifes looking too.

_FINIS_.

THE THIRD BOOKE,
OF ORNAMENT.

_CHAP. I_.

_Of Ornament Poeticall_.

As no doubt the good proportion of any thing doth greatly adorne and
commend it and right so our late remembred proportions doe to our vulgar
Poesie: so is there yet requisite to the perfection of this arte, another
maner of exornation, which resteth in the fashioning of our makers
language and stile, to such purpose as it may delight and allure as well
the mynde as the eare of the hearers with a certaine noueltie and strange
maner of conueyance, disguising it no litle from the ordinary and
accustomed: neuertheless making it nothing the more vnseemely or
misbecomming, but rather decenter and more agreable to any ciuill eare and
understanding. And as we see in these great Madames of honour, be they for
personage or otherwise neuer so comely and bewtifull, yet if they want
their courtly habillements or at leastwise such other apparell as custome
and ciuilitie haue ordained to couer their naked bodies, would be halfe
ashamed or greatly out of countenaunce to be seen in that sort, and
perchance do then thinke themselves more amiable in euery mans eye, when
they be in their richest attire, suppose of silkes or tyssews & costly
embroderies, then when they go in cloth or in any other plaine and simple
apparell. Euen so cannot our vulgar Poesie shew it self either gallant or
gorgious, if any lymme be left naked and bare and not clad in his kindly
clothes and coulours, such as may conuey them somewhat our of sight, that
is from the common course of ordinary speach and capacitie of the vulgar
iudgement, and yet being artificially handled must needes yeld it much
more bewtie and commendation. This ornament we speake of is giuen to it by
figures and figurative speaches, which be the flowers as it were and
coulours that a Poet setteth vpon his language by arte, as the embroderer
doth his stone and perle, or passements of golde vpon the stuffe of a
Princely garment, or as th'excellent painter bestoweth the rich Orient
coulours vpon his table of pourtraite: so neuerthelessse as if the same
coulours in our art of Poesie (as well as in those other mechanicall
artes) be not well tempered, or not well layd, or be vused in excesse, or
neuer so litle disordered or misplaced, they not onely giue it no maner of
grace at all, but rather do disfigure that stuffe and spill the whole
workmanship taking away all bewtie and good liking from it, no lesse then
if the crimson tainte, which should be laid vpon a Ladies lips, or right
in the center of her cheekes should by some ouersight or mishap be applied
to her forhead or chinne, it would make (ye would say) but a very
ridiculous bewtie, wherfore the chief prayse and cunning of our Poet is in
the discreet vsing of his figures, as the skilfull painters is in the good
conueyance of his coulours and shadowing traits of his pensill, with a
delectable varietie, by all measure and iust proportion, and in places
most aptly to be bestowed.

_CHAP. II_.

_How our writing and speaches publike ought to be figuratiue, and if they
be not doe greatly disgrace the cause and purpose of the speaker and
writer._

Bvt as it hath bene alwayes reputed a great fault to vse figuratiue
speaches foolishly and indiscretly, so is it esteemed no lesse an
imperfection in mans vtterance, to haue none vse of figure at all,
specially in our writing and speaches publike, making them but as our
ordinary talke, then which nothing can be more vnsauourie and farre from
all ciuilitie. I remember in the first yeare of Queenes Maries raigne a
Knight of Yorkshire was chosen speaker of the Parliament, a good gentleman
and wise, in the affaires of his shire, and not vnlearned in the lawes of
the Realme, but as well for some lack of his teeth, as for want of
language nothing well spoken, which at that time and businesse was most
behooffull for him to haue bene: this man after he had made his Oration to
the Queene; which ye know is of course to be done at the first assembly of
both houses; a bencher of the Temple both well learned and very eloquent,
returning from the Parliament house asked another gentleman his frend how
he liked M. Speakers Oration: mary quoth th'other, methinks I heard not a
better alehouse tale told this seuen yeares. This happened because the
good old Knight made no difference betweene an Oration or publike speach
to be deliuered to the eare of a Princes Maiestie and state of a Realme,
then he would haue done of an ordinary tale to be told at his table in the
countrey, wherein all men know the oddes is very great. And though graue
and wise counsellours in their consultations doe not vse much superfluous
eloquence, and also in their iudicall hearings do much mislike all
scholasticall rhetoricks: yet in such a case as it may be (and as this
Parliament was) if the Lord Chancelour of England or Archbishop of
Canterbury himselfe were to speake, he ought to doe it cunningly and
eloquently, which can not be without the vse of figures: and neuerthelesse
none impeachment or blemish to the grauitie of the persons or of the
cause: wherein I report me to them that knew Sir _Nicholas Bacon_ Lord
keeper of the great Seale, or the now Lord Treasorer of England, and haue
bene conuersant with their speaches made in the Parliament house &
Starrechamber. From whose lippes I haue seene to proceede more graue and
naturall eloquence, then from all the Oratours of Oxford or Cambridge, but
all is as it is handled, and maketh no matter whether the same eloquence
be naturall to them or artificiall (though I thinke rather naturall) yet
were they knowen to be learned and not vnskilfull of th'arte, when they
were yonger men: and as learning and arte teacheth a schollar to speake,
so doth it also teach a counsellour, and aswell an old man as a yong, and
a man in authoritie, aswell as a priuate person and a pleader aswell as a
preacher, euery man after his sort and calling as best becommeth: and that
speach which becommeth one, doth not become another, for maners of
speaches, some serue to work in excesse, some in mediocritie, some to
graue purposes, some to light, some to be short and brief, some to be
long, some to stirre vp affections, some to pacifie and appease them, and
these common despisers of good vtterance, which resteth altogether in
figuratiue speaches, being well vsed whether it come by nature or by arte
or by exercise, they be but certaine grosse ignorance of whom it is truly
spoken, _scientia non habet inimicum nisi ignorantem._ I haue come to the
Lord Keeper Sir _Nicholas Bacon_, & found him sitting in his gallery alone
with the works of _Quintilian_ before him, in deede he was a most eloquent
man, and of rare learning and wisedome, as euer I knew England to breed,
and one that ioyed as much in learned men and men of good witts. A Knight
of the Queenes priuie chamber, once intreated a noble woman of the Court,
being in great fauour about her Maiestie (to th'intent to remoue her from
a certaine displeasure, which by sinister opinion she had conceiued
against a gentleman his friend) that it would please her to heare him
speake in his own cause & not to condemne him vpon his aduersaries report:
God forbid said she, he is to wise for me to talke with, let him goe and
satisfie such a man naming him: why quoth the Knight againe, had your
Ladyship rather heare a man talke like a foole or like a wise man? This
was because the Lady was a litle peruerse, and not disposed to reforme her
selfe by hearing reason, which none other can so well beate into the
ignorant head, as the well spoken and eloquent man. And because I am so
farre waded into this discourse of eloquence and figuratiue speaches, I
will tell you what hapned on a time my selfe being present whene certaine
Doctours of the ciuil law were heard in a litigious cause betwixt a man
and his wife: before a great Magistrat who (as they can tell that knew
him) was a man very well learned and graue, but somewhat sowre, and of no
plausible vtterance: the gentlemans chaunce, was to say: my Lord the
simple woman is not so much to blame as her lewde abbettours, who by
violent perswasions haue lead her into this wilfulnesse. Quoth the iudge,
what neede such eloquent termes in this place, the gentleman replied, doth
your Lordship mislike the terme, [_violent_] & me thinkes I speake it to
great purpose: for I am sure she would neuer haue done it, but by force of
perswasion. & if perswasions were not very violent to the minde of man it
could not haue wrought so strange an effect as we read that it did once in
_AEgypt_, & would haue told the whole tale at large, if the Magistrate had
not passed it ouer very pleasantly. Now to tell you the whole matter as
the gentleman intended, thus it was. There came into AEgypt a notable
Oratour, whose name was _Hegesias_ who inueyed so much against the
incommodities of this transitory life, & so highly commended death the
dispatcher of all euils; as a great number of his hearers destroyed
themselues, some with weapon, some with poyson, others by drowning and
hanging themselues to be rid out of this vale of misery, in so much as it
was feared least many moe of the people would haue miscaried by occasion
of his perswasions, if king _Ptolome_ had not made a publicke
proclamation, that the Oratour should auoyde the countrey, and no more be
allowed to speake in any matter. Whether now perswasions, may not be said
violent and forcible to simple myndes in speciall, I referre it to all
mens iudgements that heare the story. At least waies, I finde this
opinion, confirmed by a pretie deuise or embleme that _Lucianus_ alleageth
he saw in the pourtrait of _Hercules_ within the Citie of Marseills in
Prouence: where they had figured a lustie old man with a long chayne tyed
by one end at his tong, by the other end at the peoples eares, who stood a
farre of and seemed to be drawen to him by the force of that chayne
fastned to his tong, as who would say, by force of his perswasions. And to
shew more plainly that eloquence is of great force (and not as many men
thinke amisse) the propertie and gift of yong men onely, but rather of old
men, and a thing which better becommeth hory haires then beardlesse boyes,
they seeme to ground it vpon this reason: age (say they and most truly)
brings experience, experience bringeth wisedome, long life yeldes long vse
and much exercise of speach, exercise and custome with wisedome, make an
assured and volluble vtterance: so is it that old men more then any other
sort speake most grauely, wisely, assuredly, and plausibly, which partes
are all that can be required in perfite eloquence, and so in all
deliberations of importance where counsellours are allowed freely to opyne
& shew their conceits, good perswasion is no lesse requisite then speach
it selfe: for in great purposes to speake and not to be able or likely to
perswade, is a vayne thing: now let vs returne backe to say more of this
Poeticall ornament.

_CHAP. III._

_How ornament Poeticall is of two sortes according to the double vertue
and efficacie of figures._

This ornament then is of two sortes, one to satisfie & delight th'eare
onely by a goodly outward shew fet vpon the matter with wordes, and
speaches smothly and tunably running: another by certaine intendments or
sence of such wordes & speeches inwardly working a stirre to the mynde:
that first qualitie the Greeks called _Enargia_, of this word _argos_,
because it geueth a glorious lustre and light. This latter they callled
_Energia_ of _ergon_, because it wrought with a strong and vertuous
operation; and figure breedeth them both, some seruing to giue glosse
onely to a language, some to geue it efficacie by sence, and so by that
meanes some of them serue th'eare onely, some serue the conceit onely and
not th'eare: there be of them also that serue both turnes as common
seruitours appointed for th'one and th'other purpose, which shalbe
hereafter spoken of in place: but because we haue alleaged before that
ornament is but the good or rather bewtifull habite of language and stile
and figuratiue speaches the instrument wherewith we burnish our language
fashioning it to this or that measure and proportion, whence finally
resulteth a long and continuall phrase or maner of writing or speach,
which we call by the name of _stile_: we wil first speake of language;
then of stile, lastly of figure, and declare their vertue and differences,
and also their vse and best application, & what portion in exornation
euery of them bringeth to the bewtifying of this Arte.

_CHAP. IIII._

_Of Language._

Speach is not naturall to man sauing for his onely habilitie to speake,
and that he is by kinde apt to vtter all his conceits with sounds and
voyces diuersified many maner of wayes, by meanes of the many & fit
instruments he hath by nature to that purpose, as a broad and voluble
tong, thinne and mouable lippes, teeth euen and not shagged; thick ranged,
a round vaulted pallate, and a long throte, besides an excellent capacitie
of wit that maketh him more disciplinable and imitative than any other
creature: then as to the forme and action of his speach, it commeth to him
by arte & teaching, and by vse or exercise. But after a speach is fully
fashioned to the common vnderstanding, & accepted by consent of a whole
countrey & nation, it is called a language, & receaueth none allowed
alteration, but by extraordinary occasions by little & little, as it were
insensibly bringing in of many corruptions that creepe along with the
time: of all which matters, we haue more largely spoken in our bookes of
the originals and pedigree of the English tong. Then when I say language,
I meane the speach wherein the Poet or maker writeth be it Greek or Latine
or as our case is the vulgar English, & when it is peculiar vnto a
countrey it is called the mother speach of that people: the Greekes terme
it _Idioma_: so is ours at this day the Norman English. Before the
Conquest of the Normans it was the Anglesaxon and before that the British,
which as some will, is at this day, the Walsh, or as others affirme the
Cornish: I for my part thinke neither of both, as they be now spoken and
ponounced. This part in our maker or Poet must be heedyly looked vnto,
that it be naturall, pure, and the most vsuall of all his countrey: and
for the same purpose rather that which is spoken in the kings Court, or in
the good townes and Cities within the land, then in the marches and
frontiers, or in port townes, where straungers haunt for traffike sake, or
yet in Vniuersities where Schollers vse much peeuish affectation of words
out of the primatiue languages, or finally, in any vplandish village or
corner of a Realme, where is no resort but of poore rusticall or vnciuill
people: neither shall he follow the speach of a craftes man or carter, or
other of the inferiour sort, though he be inhabitant or bred in the best
towne and Citie in this Realme, for such persons doe abuse good speaches
by strange accents or illshapen soundes, and false ortographie. But he
shall follow generally the better brought vp sort, such as the Greekes
call [_charientes_] men ciuill and graciously behauoured and bred. Our
maker therefore at these dayes shall not follow _Piers plowman_ nor
_Gower_ nor _Lydgate_ nor yet _Chaucer_, for their language is now out of
vfe with vs: neither shall he take the termes of Northern-men, such as
they vse in dayly talke, whether they be noble men or gentlemen, or of
their best clarkes all is a matter: nor in effect any speach vsed beyond
the riuer of Trent, though no man can deny but that theirs is the purer
English Saxon at this day, yet it is not so Courtly nor so currant as our
Southerne English is, no more is the far Westerne mans speach: ye shall
therfore take the vsuall speach of the Court, and that of London and the
shires lying about London within lx. myles, and not much aboue. I say not
this but that in euery shyre of England there be gentlemen and others that
speake but specially write as good Southerne as we of Middlesex or Surrey
do, but not the common people of euery shire, to whom the gentlemen, and
also their learned clarkes do for the most part condescend, but herein we
are already ruled by th'English Dictionaries and other bookes written by
learned men, and therefore it needeth none other direction in that
behalfe. Albeit peradventure some small admonition be not impertinent, for
we finde in our English writers many wordes and speaches amendable & ye
shall see in some many inkhorne termes so ill affected brought in by men
of learning as preachers and schoolmasters and many straunge termes of
other languages by Secretaries and Marchaunts and trauailours, and many
darke wordes and not vsuall nor well sounding, though they be dayly spoken
in Court. Wherefore great heed must be taken by our maker in this point
that his choise be good. And peraduenture the writer hereof be in that
behalfe no lesse faultie then any other, vsing many straunge and
vnaccustomed wordes and borrowed from other languages: and in that
respect him selfe no meete Magistrate to refome the same errours in any
other person, but since he is not vnwilling to acknowledge his owne fault,
and can the better tell how to amend it, he may seeme a more excusable
correctour of other mens: he intendeth therefore for an indifferent way
and vniuersall benefite to taxe himselfe first and before any others.

These be words vsed by th'author in this present treatise, _scientificke_,
but with some reason, for it ausuereth the word _mechanicall_, which no
other word could haue done so properly, for when hee spake of all
artificers which rest either in science or in handy craft, it followed
necessarilie that _scientifique_ should be coupled with _mechanicall_: or
els neither of both to haue bene allowed, but in their places: a man of
science liberall, and a handicrafts man, which had not bene so cleanly a
speech as the other _Maior-domo_: in truth this word is borrowed of the
_Spaniard_ and _Italian_, and therefore new and not vsuall, but to them
that are acquainted with the affaires of Court: and so for his iolly
magnificence (as this case is) may be accepted among Courtiers, for whom
this is specially written. A man might haue said in steade of
_Maior-domo_, the French word (_maistre d'hostell_) but ilfauouredly, or
the right English word (_Lord Steward_.) But me thinks for my owne opinion
this word _Maior-domo_ though he be borrowed, is more acceptable than any
of the rest, other men may iudge otherwise. _Politien_, this word also is
receuied from the Frenchmen, but at this day vsuall in Court and with all
good Secretaries: and cannot finde an English word to match him, for to
haue said a man politique, had not bene so wel: bicause in trueth that had
bene no more than to haue said a ciuil person. _Politien_ is rather a
surueyour of ciuilitie than ciuil, & a publique minister or Counseller in
the state. Ye haue also this worde _Conduict_, a French word, but well
allowed of vs, and long since vsuall, it soundes somewhat more than this
word (leading) for it is applied onely to the leading of a Captaine, and
not as a little boy should leade a blinde man, therefore more proper to
the case when he saide, _conduict_ of whole armies: ye finde also this
word _Idiome_, taken from the Greekes, yet seruing aptly, when a man
wanteth to expresse so much vnles it be in two words, which surplussage to
auoide, we are allowed to draw in other words single, and asmuch
significatiue: this word _significatiue_ is borrowed of the Latine and
French, but to vs brought in first by some Noble-mans Secretarie, as I
thinke, yet doth so well serue the turne, as it could not now be spared:
and many more like vsurped Latine and French words: as, _Methode,
methodicall, placation, function, assubriling, refining, compendious,
prolixe, figuratiue, inueigle_. A terme borrowed of our common Lawyers,
_impression_, also a new terme, but well expressing the matter, and more
than our English word. These words, _Numerous, numerositee, metricall,
harmonicall_, but they cannot be refused, specially in this place for
description of the arte. Also ye finde these words, _penetrate,
penetrable, indignitie_, which I cannot see how we may spare them,
whatsoeuer fault wee finde with Ink-horne termes: for our speach wanteth
words to such sense so well to be vsed: yet in steade of _indignitie_, yee
haue vnworthinesse: and for _penetrate_, we may say _peerce_, and that a
French terme also, or _broche_, or enter into with violence, but not so
well sounding as _penetrate_. Item, _sauage_, for wilde: _obscure_, for
darke. Item these words, _declamation, delineation, dimention_, are
scholasticall termes in deede, and yet very proper. But peraduenture (& I
could bring a reason for it) many other like words borrowed out of the
Latin and French, were not so well to be be allowed by vs, as these words,
_audacious_, for bold: _facunditie_, for eloquence, _egregious_, for great
or notable: _implete_, for replenished; _attemptat_, for attempt:
_compatible_, for agreeable in nature, and many more. But herein the noble
Poet _Horace_ hath said inough to satisfie vs all in these few verses.
_Multa renascentur quae iam cecidere cadentque
Quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula si volet usus
Quem penes artibrium est et ius et norma loquendi._
Which I haue thus englished, but nothing with so good grace, nor so
briefly as the Poet wrote.
_Many a word if able shall est arise
And such as now bene held in hiest prise
Will fall as fast, when vse and custome will
Onely vmpiers of speach, for force and skill._

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