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George Puttenham - The Arte of English Poesie

G >> George Puttenham >> The Arte of English Poesie







_CHAP. XI_

_Of auricular figures apperteining to single wordes and working by their
diuers soundes and audible tunes alteration to the eare onely and not the
mynde._


A word as he lieth in course of language is many wayes figured and thereby
not a little altered in sound, which consequently alters the tune and
harmonie of a meeter as to the eare. And this alteration is sometimes by
_adding_ sometimes by _rabbating_, of a sillable or letter to or from a
word either in the beginning, middle or ending ioyning or vnioyning of
sillibles and letters suppressing or confounding their seueral soundes, or
by misplacing of a letter, or by cleare exchaunge of one letter for
another, or by wrong ranging of the accent.
And your figures of addition or surpluse be three, videl.
In the beginning, as to say: _I-doon_ for _doon, endanger_ for _danger,
embolden_ for _bolden_.

In the middle, as to say _renuers_ for _reuers, meeterly_ for _meetly,
goldylockes_ for _goldlockes._

In th'end, as to say [_remembren_ for _remembre_] [_spoken_ for _spoke_].
And your figures of _rabbate_ be as many, videl.

From the beginning, as to say [_twixt_ for _betwixt_] [_gainsay_ for
_againsay_] [_ill_ for _euill_].

From the middle, as to say [_paraunter_ for _parauenture_] [_poorety_ for
_pouertie_] [_souraigne_ for _soueraigne_] [_tane_ for _taken._]

From the end, as to say [_morne_ for _morning_] [_bet_ for _better_] and
such like.

Your swallowing or eating vp one letter by another is when two vowels
meete, whereof th'ones sound goeth into other, as to say for _to attaine,
t'attaine_] for _sorrow smart, sor'smart_.]

Your displacing of a sillable as to say [_desier_ for _desire_] [_sier_
for _sire._]

By cleare exchaunge of one letter or sillable for another, as to say
_euermare_ for _euermore, wrang_ for _wrong: gould_ for _gold: fright_ for
_fraight_ and a hundred moe, which be commonly misused and strained to
make rime.

By wrong ranging the accent of a sillable by which meane a short sillable
is made long and a long short as to say _soueraine_ for _soueraine:
gratious_ for _gratious: endure_ for _endure: Salomon_ for _Salomon._

These many wayes may our maker alter his wordes, and sometimes it is done
for pleasure to giue a better sound, sometimes vpon necessitie and to make
vp the rime. But our maker must take heed that he be not to bold specially
in exchange of one letter for another for vnlesse vsuall speach and
custome allow it, it is a fault and no figure, and because these be
figures of the smallest importaunce, I forbeare to giue them any vulgar
name.




_CHAP. XII._

_Of Auricular figures pertaining to clauses of speech and by them working
no little alteration to the eare._


As your single words may be many waies transfigured to make the meetre or
verse more tunable and melodious, so also may your whole and entire
clauses be in such sort contriued by the order of their construction as
the eare may receiue certaine recreation, although the mind for any
noueltie of sence be little or nothing affected. And therefore al your
figures of _grammaticall_ construction, I accompt them but merely
_auricular_ in that they reach no furder then the eare. To which there
will appeare some sweete or vnsauery point to offer you dolour or delight,
either by some euident defect, or surplusage, or disorder, or immutation
in the same speaches notably altering either the congruitie
_grammaticall_, or the sence, or both.

[Sidenote: _Eclipsis_ or the Figure of default.]
And first of those that worke by defect, if but one word or some little
portion of speach be wanting, it may be supplied by ordinary vnderstanding
and vertue of the figure _Eclipsis_, as to say _so early a man_, for [_are
ye_] so early a man: he is to be intreated, for he is [_easie_] to be
intreated: I thanke God I am to liue like a Gentleman, for I am [_able_]
to liue, and the Spaniard said in his deuise of armes _acuerdo oluido_, I
remember I forget whereas in right congruitie of speach it should be: I
remember [that I [doo] forget. And in a deuise of our owne [_empechement
pur a choison_] a let for a furderance whereas it should be said [_vse_] a
let for a furderance, and a number more like speaches defectiue, and
supplied by common vnderstanding.

[Sidenote: _Zeugma_ or the Single supply.]
But if it be to mo clauses then one, that some such word be supplied to
perfit the congruitie or sence of them all, it is by the figure [_Zeugma_]
we call him the [_single supplie_] because by one word we serue many
clauses of one congruitie, and may be likened to the man that serues many
maisters at once, but all of one country or kindred: as to say
_Fellowes, and friends and kinne forsooke me quite._

Here this word forsooke satisfieth the congruitie and sence of all three
clauses, which would require euery of them asmuch. And as we setting forth
her Maiesties regall petigree said in this figure of [_Single supplie._]
_Her graundsires Father and Brother was a King
Her mother a crowned Queene, her Sister and her selfe._

Whereas ye see this one Word [was] serues them all in that they require
but one congruitie and sence.

[Sidenote: _Prozeugma_, or the Ringleader.]
Yet hath this figure of [_Single supply_] another propertie, occasioning
him to change now and then his name: by the order of his supplie, for if
it be placed in the forefront of all the seuerall clauses whom he is to
serue as a common seruitour, then is he called by the Greeks _Prozeugma_,
by vs the Ringleader: thus
_Her beautie perst mine eye, her speach mine wofull hart;
Her presence all the powers of my discourse. &c._

Where ye see this one word [_perst_] placed in the foreward, satisfieth
both in sence & congruitie all those other clauses that followe him.

[Sidenote: _Mezozeugma_, or the Middlemarcher.]
And if such word of supplie be placed in the middle of all such clauses as
he serues: it is by the Greeks called _Mezozeugma_, by us the
[_Middlemarcher_] thus:
_Faire maydes beautie (alack) with yeares it weares away,
And with wether and sicknes, and sorrow as they say._

Where ye see this word [_weares_] serues one clause before him, and two
clauses behind him, in one and the same sence and congruitie. And in this
verse,
_Either the troth or talke nothing at all._

Where this word [_talke_] serues the clause before and also behind.

[Sidenote: _Hypozeugma_, or the Rerewarder.]
But if such supplie be placed after all the clauses, and not before nor in
the middle, then is he called by the Greeks _Hypozeugma_, and by vs the
[_Rerewarder_] thus:
_My mates that wont, to keepe me companie
And my neighbours, who dwelt next to my wall
The friends that sware, they would not sticke to die
In my quarrell: they are fled from me all._

Where ye see this word [_fled from me_] serue all the three clauses
requiring but one congruitie & sence.

[Sidenote: _Sillepsis_, or the Double supply.]
But if such want be in sundrie clauses, and of seuerall congruities or
sence, and the supply be made to serue them all, it is by the figure
_Sillepsis_, whom for that respect we call the [_double supplie_]
conceiuing, and, as it were, comprehending vnder one, a supplie of two
natures, and may be likened to the man that serues many masters at once,
being of strange Countries or kinreds, as in these verses, where the
lamenting widow shewed the Pilgrim the graues in which her husband &
children lay buried.
_Here my sweete sonnes and daughters all my blisse,
Yonder mine owne deere husband buried is._

Where ye see one verbe singular supplyeth the plurall and singular, and
thus
_Iudge ye louers, if it be strange or no;
My Ladie laughs for ioy, and I for wo._

Where ye see a third person supplie himselfe and a first person. And thus,
_Madame ye neuer shewed your selfe vntrue,
Nor my deserts would euer suffer you._

Viz. to show. Where ye see the moode Indicatiue supply him selfe and an
Infinitiue. And the like in these other.
_I neuer yet failde you in constancie,
Nor neuer doo intend vntill I die._

Viz. [_to show_.] Thus much for the congruitie, now for the sence. One
wrote thus of a young man, who slew a villaine that had killed his father,
and rauished his mother.
_Thus valiantly and with a manly minde,
And by one feate of euerlasting fame,
This lustie lad fully requited kinde,
His fathers death, and eke his mothers shame._

Where ye see this word [_requite_] serue a double sence: that is to say,
to reuenge, and to satisfie. For the parents iniurie was reuenged, and the
duetie of nature performed or satisfied by the childe.

[Sidenote: _Hypozeuxis_, or the Substitute.]
But if this supplie be made to sundrie clauses, or to one clause sundrie
times iterated, and by seuerall words, so as euery clause hath his owne
supplie: then is it called by the Greekes _Hypozeuxis_, we call him the
substitute after his originall, and is a supplie with iteration, as thus:
_Vnto the king she went, and to the king she said,
Mine owne liege Lord behold thy poore handmaid._

Here [_went to the king_] and [_said to the king_] be but one clause
iterated with words of sundrie supply. Or as in these verses following.
_My Ladie gaue me, my Lady wist not what,
Geuing me leaue to be her Soueraine:
For by such gift my Ladie hath done that,
Which whilest she liues she may not call againe._

Here [_my Ladie gaue_] and [_my Ladie wist_] be supplies with iteration,
by vertue of this figure.

Ye haue another _auricular_ figure of defect, and is when we begin to
speake a thing, and breake of in the middle way, as if either it needed no
further to be spoken of, or that we were ashamed, or afraide to speake it
it out. It is also sometimes done by way of threatning, and to shew a
moderation of anger. The Greekes call him _Aposiopesis._ I, the figure of
silence, or of interruption, indifferently.

[Sidenote: _Aposiopesis_, or the Figure of silence.]
If we doo interrupt our speech for feare, this may be an example, where as
one durst not make the true report as it was, but staid halfe way for
feare of offence, thus:
_He said you were, I dare not tell you plaine
For words once out, neuer returne againe._

If it be for shame, or that the speaker suppose it would be indecent to
tell all, then thus: as he that said to his sweete hart, whom he checked
for secretly whispering with a suspected person.
_And did ye not come by his chamber dore?
And tell him that: goe to, I say no more._

If it be for anger or by way of manace or to show a moderation of wrath as
the graue and discreeter sort of men do, then thus.
_If I take you with such another cast
I sweare by God, but let this be the last._

Thinking to haue said further viz. I will punish you.

If it be for none of all these causes but vpon some sodaine occasion that
moues a man to breake of his tale, then thus.
_He told me all at large: lo yonder is the man
Let himselfe tell the tale that best tell can._

This figure is fit for phantasticall heads and such as be sodaine or lacke
memorie. I know one of good learning that greatly blemisheth his
discretion with this maner of speach: for if he be in the grauest matter
of the world talking, he will vpon the sodaine for the flying of a bird
ouerthwart the way, or some other such sleight cause, interrupt his tale
and neuer returne to it againe.

[Sidenote: _Prolepsis_, or the Propounder.]
Ye haue yet another maner of speach purporting at the first blush a defect
which afterward is supplied the, Greekes call him _Prolepsis_, we the
Propounder, or the Explaner which ye will: because he workes both
effectes, as thus, where in certaine verses we describe the triumphant
enter-view of two great Princesses thus.
_These two great Queenes, came marching hand in hand,
Vunto the hall, where store of Princes stand:
And people of all countreys to behold,
Coronis all clad, in purple cloth of gold:
Celiar in robes, of siluer tissew white
With rich rubies, and pearles all bedighte._

Here ye see the first proposition in a sort defectiue and of imperfect
sence, till ye come by diuision to explane and enlarge it, but if we
should follow the originall right, we ought rather to call him the
forestaller, for like as he that standes in the market way, and takes all
vp before it come to the market in grosse and sells it by retaile, so by
this maner of speach our maker setts down before all the matter by a brief
proposition, and afterward explanes it by a diuision more particularly.

By this other example it appeares also.
_Then deare Lady I pray you let it bee,
That our long loue may lead us to agree:
Me since I may not wed you to my wife,
To serue you as a mistresse all my life:
Ye that may not me for your husband haue,
To clayme me for your seruant and your slaue._




_CHAP. XIII._

_Of your figures Auricular working by disorder._


[Sidenote: _Hiperbaton_, or the Trespasser.]
To all of speaches which wrought by disorder by the Greekes gaue a general
name [_Hiperbaton_] as much to say as the [_trespasser_] and because such
disorder may be committed many wayes it receiueth sundry particulars vnder
him, whereof some are onely proper to the Greekes and Latines and not to
vs, other some ordinarie in our maner of speaches, but so foule and
intollerable as I will not seeme to place them among the figures, but do
raunge them as they deserue among the vicious or faultie speaches.

[Sidenote: _Parenthesis_, or the Insertour]
Your first figure of tollerable disorder is [_Parenthesis_] or by an
English name the [_Insertour_] and is when ye will seeme for larger
information or some other purpose, to peece or graffe in the middest of
your tale an vnnecessary parcell of speach, which neuerthelesse may be
thence without any detriment to the rest. The figure is so common that it
needeth none example, neuerthelesse because we are to teache Ladies and
Gentlewomen to know their schoole points and termes appertaining to the
Art, we may not refuse ro yeeld examples euen in the plainest cases, as
that of maister _Diars_ very aptly.
_But now my Deere_ (_for so my loue makes me to call you still_)
_That loue I say, that lucklesse loue, that works me all this ill._

Also in our Eglogue intituled _Elpine_, which we made being but eightene
yeares old, to king _Edward_ the sixt a Prince of great hope, we surmised
that the Pilot of a ship answering the King, being inquisitiue and
desirous to know all the parts of the ship and tackle, what they were, &
to what vse they serued, vsing this insertion or Parenthesis.
_Soueraigne Lord (for why a greater name
To one on earth no mortall tongue can frame
No statelie stile can giue the practisd penne:
To one on earth conuersant among men.)_

And so proceedes to answere the kings question?
_The shippe thou seest sayling in sea so large, &c._

This insertion is very long and vtterly impertinent to the principall
matter, and makes a great gappe in the tale, neuerthelesse is no disgrace
but rather a bewtie and to very good purpose, but you must not vse such
insertions often nor to thick, nor those that bee very long as this of
ours, for it will breede great confusion to haue the tale so much
interrupted.

[Sidenote: _Histeron proteron_, or the Preposterous.]
Ye haue another manner of disordered speach, when ye misplace your words
or clauses and set that before which should be behind, _& e conuerso_, we
call it in English prouerbe, the cart before the horse, the Greeks call it
_Histeron proteron_, we name it the Preposterous, and if it be not too
much vsed is tollerable inough, and many times scarse perceiueable,
vnlesse the sence be thereby made very absurd: as he that described his
manner of departure from his mistresse, said thus not much to be misliked.
_I kist her cherry lip and tooke my leaue_:

For I tooke my leaue and kist her: And yet I cannot well say whether a man
vse to kisse before hee take his leaue, or take his leaue before he kisse,
or that it be all one busines. It seemes the taking leaue is by vsing some
speach, intreating licence of departure: the kisse a knitting vp of the
farewell, and as it were a testimoniall of the licence without which here
in England one may not presume of courtesie to depart, let yong Courtiers
decide this controuersie. One describing his landing vpon a strange coast,
sayd thus preposterously.
_When we had climbde the clifs, and were a shore_,

Whereas he should haue said by good order.
_When we were come ashore and clymed had the cliffs_

For one must be on land ere he can clime. And as another said:
_My dame that bred me up and bare me in her wombe_.

Whereas the bearing is before the bringing vp. All your other figures of
disorder because they rather seeme deformities then bewties of language,
for so many of them as be notoriously vndecent, and make no good harmony,
I place them in the Chapter of vices hereafter following.




_CHAP. XIIII._

_Of your figures Auricular that worke by Surplusage_.


Your figures _auricular_ that worke by surplusage, such of them as be
materiall and of importaunce to the sence or bewtie of your language, I
referre them to the harmonicall speaches oratours among the figures
rhetoricall, as be those of repetition, and iteration or amplification.
All other sorts of surplusage, I accompt rather vicious then figuratiue, &
therefore not melodious as shalbe remembred in the chapter of viciosities
or faultie speaches.




_CHAP. XV._

_Of auricular figures working by exchange._


[Sidenote: _Enallage_, or the Figure of Exchange.]
Your figures that worke _auricularly_ by exchange, were more obseruable to
the Greekes and Latines for the brauenesse of their language, ouer that
ours is, and for the multiplicitie of their Grammaticall accidents, or
verball affects, as I may terme them, that is to say, their diuers cases,
moodes, tenses, genders, with variable terminations, by reason whereof,
they changed not the very word, but kept the word, and changed the shape
of him onely, vsing one case for another, or tense, or person, or gender,
or number, or moode. We, hauing no such varietie of accidents, haue little
or no vse of this figure. They called it _Enallage._

[Sidenote: _Hipallage_, or the Changeling.]
But another sort of exchange which they had, and very prety, we doe
likewise vse, not changing one word for another, by their accidents or
cases, as the _Enallage_: nor by the places, as the [_Preposterous_] but
changing their true construction and application, whereby the sence is
quite peruerted and made very absurd: as he that should say,
for _tell me troth and lie not, lie me troth and tell not._
For _come dine with me and stay not, come stay with me and dine not._

A certaine piteous louer, to moue his mistres to compassion, wrote among
other amorous verses, this one.
_Madame, I set your eyes before mine woes._

For, mine woes before your eyes, spoken to th'intent to winne fauour in
her sight.

But that was pretie of a certaine sorrie man of law, that gaue his Client
but bad councell, and yet found fault with his fee, and said: my fee, good
frend, hath deserued better counsel. Good master, quoth the Client, if
your selfe had not said so, I would neuer haue beleeued it; but now I
thinke as you doo. The man of law perceiuing his error, I tell thee (quoth
he) my counsel hath deserued a better fee. Yet of all others was that a
most ridiculous, but very true exchange, which the yeoman of London vsed
with his Sergeant at the Mace, who said he would goe into the countrie,
and make merry a day or two, while his man plyed his busines at home: an
example of it you shall finde in our Enterlude entituled Lustie London:
the Sergeant, for sparing of hors-hire, said he would goe with the Carrier
on foote. That is not for your worship, saide his yeoman, whereunto the
Sergeant replyed.
_I wot what I meant Iohn, it is for to stay
And company the knaue Carrier, for loosing my way._

The yeoman thinking it good manner to soothe his Sergeant, said againe,
_I meant what I wot Sir, your best is to hie,
And carrie a knaue with you for companie._

Ye see a notorious exchange of the construction, and application of the
words in this: _I wot what I meane_; and _I meane what I wot_, and in the
other, _company the knaue Carrier_, and _carrie a knaue in your company_.
The Greekes call this figure [_Hipallage_] the Latins _Submutatio_, we in
our vulgar may call him the [_under-change_] but I had rather haue him
called the [_Changeling_] nothing at all sweruing from his originall, and
much more aptly to the purpose, and pleasanter to beare in memory:
specially for our Ladies and pretie mistresses in Court, for whose
learning I write, because it is a terme often in their mouthes, and
alluding to the opinion of Nurses, who are wont to say, that the Fayries
vse to steale the fairest children out of their cradles, and put other ill
fauoured in their places, which they called changelings, or Elfs: so, if
ye mark, doeth our Poet, or maker play with his wordes, vsing a wrong
construction for a right, and an absurd for a sensible, by manner of
exchange.




_CHAP. XVI._

_Of some other figures which because they serue chiefly to make the
meeters tunable and melodious, and affect not the minde but very little,
be placed among the auricular._


[Sidenote: _Omoioteleton_, or the Like loose.]
The Greekes vsed a manner of speech or writing in their proses, that went
by clauses, finishing in words of like tune, and might be by vsing like
cases, tenses, and other points of consonance, which they called
_Omoioteleton_, and is that wherin they neerest approched to our vulgar
ryme, and may thus be expressed.
_Weeping creeping beseeching I wan,
The loue at length of Lady Lucian._

Or thus if we speake in prose and not in meetre.
_Mischaunces ought not to be lamented,
But rather by wisedome in time preuented:
For such mishappes as be remedilesse,
To sorrow them it is but foolishnesse:
Yet are we all so frayle of nature,
As to be greeued with euery displeasure._

The craking Scotts as the Cronicle reportes at a certaine time made this
bald rime vpon the English-men.
_Long beards hartlesse,
Painted hoodes witlesse:
Gay coates gracelesse,
Make all England thriftlesse._

Which is no perfect rime in deede, but clauses finishing in the self same
tune: for a rime of good simphonie should not conclude his concords with
one & the same terminant sillable, as _less, less, less_, but with diuers
and like terminants, as _les, pres, mes_, as was before declared in the
chapter of your cadences, and your clauses in prose should neither finish
with the same nor with the like terminants, but with the contrary as hath
bene shewed before in the booke of proportions; yet many vse it otherwise,
neglecting the Poeticall harmonie and skill. And th'Earle of _Surrey_ with
Syr _Thomas Wyat_ the most excellent makers of their time, more
peraduenture respecting the fitnesse and ponderositie of their wordes then
the true cadence or simphonie, were very licencious in this point. We call
this figure following the originall, the [_like loose_] alluding to
th'Archers terme who is not said to finish the feate of his shot before he
giue the loose, and deliuer his arrow from his bow, in which respect we
vse to say marke the loose of a thing for marke the end of it.

[Sidenote: _Parimion_, or the Figure of like letter.]
Ye do by another figure notably affect th'eare when ye make euery word of
the verse to begin with a like letter, as for example in this verse
written in an _Epithaphe_ of our making.
_Time tried his truth his trauailes and his trust,
And time to late tried his integritie._

It is a figure much vsed by our common rimers, and doth well if it be not
too much vsed, for then it falleth into the vice which shalbe hereafter
spoken of called _Tautologia._

[Sidenote: _Asyndeton_, or the Loose language.]
Ye haue another sort of speach in a maner defectiue because it wants good
band or coupling, and is the figure [_Asyndeton_] we call him [_loose
language_] and doth not a litle alter th'eare as thus.
_I saw it, I said it, I will sweare it._

_Caesar_ the Dictator vpon the victorie hee obteined against _Pharnax_
king of _Bithinia_ shewing the celeritie of his conquest, wrate home to
the Senate in this tenour of speach no lesse swift and speedy then his
victorie.
_Veni, vidi, vici,
I came, I saw, I overcame._

Meaning thus I was no sooner come and beheld them but the victorie fell on
my side.

The Prince of Orenge for his deuise of Armes in banner displayed against
the Duke of Adua and the Spaniards in the Low-countrey vsed the like maner
of speach.
_Pro Rege, pro lege, pro grege,
For the king, for the commons, for the countrey lawes._

It is a figure to be vsed when we will seeme to make hast, or to be
earnest, and these examples with a number more be spoken by the figure of
[_lose language_.]

[Sidenote: _Polisindeton_, or the Couple clause.]
Quite contrary to this ye haue another maner of construction which they
called [_Polisindeton_] we may call him the [_couple clause_] for that
euery clause is knit and coupled together with a coniunctiue thus,
_And I saw it, and I say it and I
Will sweare it to be true._

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