George Puttenham - The Arte of English Poesie

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And the country custome maketh things decent in ves as in Asia for all men
to weare long gownes both a foot and horsebacke: in Europa short
gaberdins, or clokes, or iackets, euen for their vpper garments. The Turke
and Persian to weare great tolibants of ten, fifteene, and twentie elles
of linen a peece vpon their heads, which can not be remooued: in Europe to
were caps or hats, which vpon euery occasion of salutation we vse to put
of as a signe of reuerence. In th'East partes the men to make water
couring like women, with vs standing as a wall. With them to congratulat
and salute by giuing a becke with the head, or a bende of the bodies, with
vs here in England, and in Germany, and all other Northern parts of the
world to shake handes. In France, Italie, and Spaine to embrace ouer the
shoulder, vnder the armes, at the very knees, according the superiors
degree. With vs the wemen giue their mouth to be kissed in other places
their cheek, in many places their hand, or in steed of an offer to the
hand, to say these words _Beso los manos_. And yet some others surmounting
in all courtly ciuilitie will say, _Los manos & los piedes_. And aboue
that reach too, there be that will say to the Ladies, _Lombra de fus
pisadae_, the shadow of your steps. Which I recite vnto you to shew the
phrase of those courtly seruitours in yeelding the mistresses honour and
reuerence.

And it is seen that very particular vse of it selfe makes a matter of much
decencie and vndecencie, without any countrey custome or allowance, as if
one that hath many yeares worne a gowne shall come to be seen weare a
iakquet or ierkin, or he that hath many yeares worne a beard or long haire
among those that had done the contrary, and come sodainly to be pold and
shauen, it will seeme not only to himself, a deshight and very vndecent,
but also to all others that neuer vsed to go so, vntill the time and
custome haue abrogated that mislike.

So it was in England till her Maiesties most noble father for diuers good
respects, caused his owne head and all his Courtiers to be polled and his
beard to be cut short. Before that was thought more decent both for old
men and young to be all shauen and to weare long haire either rounded or
square. Now againe at this time, the young Gentlemen of the Court haue
taken vp the long haire trayling on their shoulders, and thinke it more
decent: for what respect I would be glad to know.

The Lacedemonians bearing long bushes of haire, finely kept & curled vp,
vsed this ciuill argument to maintaine that custome. Haire (say they) is
the very ornament of nature appointed for the head, which therforeto vse
in his most sumptuous degree is comely, specially for them that be Lordes,
Maisters of men, and of a free life, hauing abilitie & leasure inough to
keepe it cleane, and so for a signe of seignorie, riches and libertie, the
masters of the Lacedemonians vsed long haire. But their vassals, seruaunts
and slaues vsed it short or shauen in signe of seruitude and because they
had no meane nor leasure to kembe and keepe it cleanely. It was besides
combersome to them hauing many businesse to attende, in some seruices
there might no maner of filth be falling from their heads. And to all
souldiers it is very noysome and a daungerous disauantage in the warres or
in any particular combat, which being the most comely profession of euery
noble young Gentleman, it ought to perswade them greatly from wearing long
haire. If there be any that seeke by long haire to helpe or to hide an ill
featured face, it is in them allowable so to do, because euery man may
decently reforme by arte, the faultes and imperfections that nature hath
wrought in them.

And all singularities or affected parts of a mans behauiour seeme
vndecent, as for one man to march or let in the street more stately, or to
looke more solempnely, or to go more gayly & in other coulours or
fashioned garments then another of the same degree and estate.

Yet such singularities haue had many time both good liking and good
successe, otherwise then many would haue looked for. As When _Dinocrates_
the famous architect, desirous to be knowen to king _Alexander_ the great,
and hauing none acquaintance to bring him to the kings speech he came one
day to the Court very strangely apparelled in long skarlet robes, his head
compast with a garland of Laurell, and his face all to be slicked with
sweet oyle, and stoode in the kings chamber, motioning nothing to any man:
newes of this stranger came to the king, who caused him to be brought to
his presence, and asked his name and the cause of his repaire to the
Court. He aunswered, his name was _Dinocrates_ the Architect, who came to
present his Maiestie with a platforme of his own deuising, how his
Maiestie might buylde a Citie vpon the mountaine Athos in Macedonia, which
should beare the figure of a mans body, and tolde him all how. Forsooth
the breast and bulke of his body should rest vpon such a fiat: that hil
should be his head, all set with foregrowen woods like haire: his right
arme should stretch out to such a hollow bottome as might be like his
hand: holding a dish conteyning al the waters that should serue that
Citie: the left arme with his hand should hold a valley of all the
orchards and gardens of pleasure pertaining thereunto: and either legge
should lie vpon a ridge of rocke, very gallantly to behold, and so should
accomplish the full figure of a man. The king asked him what commoditie of
soyle, or sea, or nauigable riuer lay neere vunto it, to be able to
sustaine so great a number of inhabitants. Truly Sire (quoth _Dinocrates_)
I haue not yet considered thereof: for in trueth it is the barest part of
all the Countrey of Macedonia. The king smiled at it, and said very
honourably, we like your deuice well, and mean to vse your seruice in the
building of a Citie, but we wil chuse out a more commodious scituation:
and made him attend in that voyage in which he conquered Asia and Egypt,
and there made him chiefe Surueyour of his new Cite of Alexandria. Thus
did _Dinocrates_ singularitie in attire greatly further him to his
aduancement.

Yet are generally all rare things and such as breede maruell & admiration
somewhat holding of the vndecent, as when a man is bigger & exceeding the
ordinary stature of a man like a Giaunt, or farre vnder the reasonable and
common size of men as a dwarfe, and such vndecencies do not angre vs, but
either we pittie them or scorne at them.

But at all insolent and vnwoonted partes of a mans behauiour, we find many
times cause to mislike or to be mistrustfull, which proceedeth of some
vndecency that is in it, as when a man that hath alwaies bene strange and
vnacquainted with vs, will suddenly become our familiar and domestick: and
another that hath bene alwaies sterne and churlish, wilbe vpon the
suddaine affable and curteous, it is neyther a comely sight, nor a signe
of any good towards vs. Which the subtill Italian well obserued by the
successes thereof, saying in Prouerbe.
_Chi me fa meglio chenon fuole,
Tradito me ha o tradir me vuolo.

He that speakes me fairer, than his woont was too
Hath done me harme, or meanes for to doo._

Now againe all maner of conceites that stirre vp any vehement passion in a
man, doo it by some turpitude or euill and vndecency that is in them, as
to make a man angry there must be some iniury or contempt offered, to make
him enuy there must proceede some vndeserued prosperitie of his egall or
inferiour, to make him pitie some miserable fortune or spectakle to
behold.

And yet in euery of the these passions being as it were vndecencies, there
is a comelinesse to be discerned, which some men can keepe and some men
can not, as to be angry, or to enuy, or to hate, or to pitie, or to be
ashamed decently, that is none otherwise then reason requireth. This
surmise appeareth to be true, for _Homer_ the father of Poets writing that
famous and most honourable poeme called the _Iliades_ or warres of Troy:
made his commencement the magnanimous wrath and anger of _Achilles_ in his
first verse thus: [Greek: illegible] Sing foorth my muse the wrath of
_Achilles Peleus_ sonne: which the Poet would neuer haue done if the wrath
of a prince had not beene in some sort comely & allowable. But when
_Arrianus_ and _Curtius_ historiographers that wrote the noble gestes of
king _Alexander_ the great, came to prayse him for many things, yet for
his wrath and anger they reproched him, because it proceeded not of any
magnanimitie, but vpon surfet & distemper in his diet, not growing of any
iust causes, was exercised to the destruction of his dearest friends and
familiers, and not of his enemies nor any other waies so honorably as
th'others was, and so could not be reputed a decent and comely anger.

So may al your other passions be vsed decently though the very matter of
their originall be grounded vpon some vndecencie, as it is written by a
certaine king of Egypt, who looking out of his window, and seing his owne
sonne for some grieuous offence, carried by the officers of his iustice to
the place of execution: he neuer once changed his countenance at the
matter, though the sight were neuer so full of ruth and atrocitie. And it
was thought a decent countenance and constant animositie in the king to be
so affected, the case concerning so high and rare a peece of his owne
iustice. But within few daies after when he beheld out of the same window
an old friend and familiar of his, stand begging an almes in the streete,
he wept tenderly, remembering their old familiarity and considering how by
the mutabilitie of fortune and frailtie of mans estate, it might one day
come to passe that he himselfe should fall into the like miserable estate.
He therfore had a remorse very comely for a king in that behalfe, which
also caused him to giue order for his poore friends plentiful reliefe.

But generally to weepe for any sorrow (as one may doe for pitie) is not so
decent in a man: and therefore all high minded persons, when they cannot
chuse but shed teares, wil turne away their face as a countenance vndecent
for a man to shew, and so will the standers by till they haue supprest
such passion, thinking it nothing decent to behold such an vncomely
countenance. But for Ladies and women to weepe and shed teares at euery
little greefe it is nothing vncomely, but rather a signe of much good
nature & meekness of minde, a most decent propertie for that sexe, and
therefore they be for the more part more deuout and charitable, and
greater geuers of almes than men, and zealous relieuers of prisoners, and
beseechers of pardons, and such like parts of commiseration. Yea they be
more than so too: for by the common prouerbe, a woman will weepe for pitie
to see a gosling goe barefoote.

But most certainly all things that moue a man to laughter, as doe these
scurrilities & other ridiculous behauiours, it is for some vndecencie that
is found in them: which maketh it decent for euery man to laugh at them.
And therefore when we see or heare a natural foole and idiot doe or say
any thing foolishly, we laugh not at him: but when he doeth or speaketh
wisely, because that is vnlike him selfe: and a buffonne or counterfet
foole, to heare him speake wisely which is like himselfe, it is no sport
at all, but for such a counterfait to talke and looke foolishly it maketh
us laugh, because it is no part of his naturall, for in euery vncomlinesse
there must be a certaine absurditie and disproportion to nature, and the
opinion of the hearer or beholder to make the thing ridiculous. But for a
foole to talke foolishly or a wiseman wisely, there is no such absurditie
or disproportion.

And though at all absurdities we may decently laugh, & when they be no
absurdities not decently, yet in laughing is there an vndecencie for other
respectes sometime, than of the matter it selfe, Which made _Philippus_
sonne to the first Christen Emperour, _Phillipus Arabicus_ sitting with
his father one day in the theatre to behold the sports, giue his father a
great rebuke because he laughed, saying that it was no comely countenance
for an Emperour to bewray in such a publicke place, nor specially to laugh
at euery foolish toy: the posteritie gaue the sonne for that cause the
name of _Philippus Agelastos_ or without laughter.

I haue seene forraine Embassadours in the Queenes presence laugh so
dissolutely at some rare pastime or sport that hath beene made there that
nothing in the world could worse haue becomen them, and others very wise
men, whether it haue ben of some pleasant humour and complexion, or for
other default in the spleene, or for ill education or custome, that could
not vtter any graue and earnest speech without laughter, which part was
greatly discommended in them.

And _Cicero_ the wisest of any Romane writers, thought it vncomely for a
man to daunce: saying, _Saltantem sobrium vidi neminem_. I neuer saw any
man daunce that was sober and his right wits, but there by your leaue he
failed, not our young Courtiers will allow it, besides that it is the most
decent and comely demeanour of all exultations and reioycements of the
hart, which is no lesse naturall to man then to be wise or well learned,
or sober.

To tell you the decencies of a number of other behauiours, one might do it
to please you with pretie reportes, but to the skilfull Courtiers it
shalbe nothing necessary, for they know all by experience without
learning. Yet some few remembraunces wee will make you of the most
materiall, which our selues haue obserued, and so make an end.

It is decent to be affable and curteous at meales & meetings, in open
assemblies more solemne and straunge, in place of authoritie and iudgement
not familiar nor pleasant, in counsell secret and sad, in ordinary
conferences easie and apert, in conuersation simple, in capitulation
subtill and mistrustfull, at mournings and burials sad and sorrowfull, in
feasts and bankets merry & ioyfull, in houshold expence pinching and
sparing, in publicke entertainement spending and pompous. The Prince to be
sumptuous and magnificent, the priuate man liberall with moderation, a man
to be in giuing free, in asking spare, in promise slow, in performance
speedy, in contract circumspect but iust, in amitie sincere, in ennimitie
wily and cautelous [_dolus an virtus quis in hoste requirit_, saith the
Poet] and after the same rate euery sort and maner of businesse or affaire
or action hath his decencie and vndecencie, either for the time or place
or person or some other circumstaunce, as Priests to be sober and sad, a
Preacher by his life to giue good example, a Iudge to be incorrupted,
solitarie and vnacqainted with Courtiers or Courtly entertainements, & as
the Philosopher saith _Oportet iudicem esse rudem & simplicem_, without
plaite or wrinkle, sower in looke and churlish in speach, contrariwise a
Courtly Gentleman to be loftie and curious in countenaunce, yet sometimes
a creeper and a curry fauell with his superiours.

And touching the person we say it is comely for a man to be a lambe in the
house, and a Lyon in the field, appointing the decencie of his qualitie by
the place, by which reason also we limit the comely parts of a woman to
consist in foure points, that is to be a shrewe in the kitchin, a saint in
the Church, an Angell at the bourd, and an Ape in the bed, as the
Chronicle reportes by Mistresse _Shore_ paramour to king _Edward_ the
fourth.

Then also there is a decency in respect of the persons with whom we do
negotiate, as with the great personages his egals to be solemne and surly,
with meaner men pleasant and popular, stoute with the sturdie and milde
with the meek, which is a most decent conuersation and not reprochfull or
vnseemely, as the prouerbe goeth, by those that vse the contrary, a Lyon
among sheepe and a sheepe among Lyons.

Right so in negotiating with Princes we ought to seeke their fauour by
humilitie & not by sternnesse, nor to trafficke with them by way of indent
or condition, but frankly and by manner of submission to their wils, for
Princes may be lead but not driuen, nor they are to be vanquisht by
allegation, but must be suffered to haue the victorie and be relented
vnto: nor they are not to be challenged for right or iustice, for that is
a maner of accusation: nor to be charged with their promises, for that is
a kinde of condemnation: and at their request we ought not to be hardly
entreated but easily, for that is a signe of deffidence and mistrust in
their bountie and gratitude: nor to recite the good seruices which they
haue receiued at our hands, for that is but a kind of exprobration, but in
crauing their bountie or largesse to remember vnto them all their former
beneficences, making no mention of our owne merites, & so it is thankfull,
and in praysing them to their faces to do it very modestly: and in their
commendations not to be exessiue for that is tedious, and alwayes fauours
of suttelty more then of sincere loue.

And in speaking to a Prince the voyce ought to be lowe and not lowde nor
shrill, for th'one is a signe of humilitie th'other of too much audacitie
and presumption. Nor in looking on them seeme to ouerlooke them, nor yet
behold them too stedfastly, for that is a signe of impudence or litle
reuerence, and therefore to the great Princes Orientall their seruitours
speaking or being spoken vnto abbase their eyes in token of lowlines,
which behauiour we do not obserue to our Princes with so good a discretion
as they do: & such as retire from the Princes presence, do not by & by
turne tayle to them as we do, but go backward or sideling for a reasonable
space, til they be at the wal or chamber doore passing out of sight, and
is thought a most decent behauiour to their soueraignes. I haue heard that
king _Henry_ th'eight her Maiesties father, though otherwise the most
gentle and affable Prince of the world, could not abide to haue any man
stare in his face or to fix his eye too steedily vpon him when he talked
with them: nor for a common suter to exclame or cry out for iustice, for
that is offensiue and as it were a secret impeachement of his wrong doing,
as happened once to a Knight in this Realme of great worship speaking to
the king. Nor in speaches with them to be too long, or too much affected,
for th'one is tedious th'other is irksome, nor with lowd acclamations to
applaude them, for that is too popular & rude and betokens either
ignoraunce, or seldome accesse to their presence, or little frequenting
their Courts: nor to shew too mery or light a countenance, for that is a
signe of little reuerence and is a peece of a contempt.

And in gaming with a Prince it is decent to let him sometimes win of
purpose, to keepe him pleasant, & neuer to refuse his gift, for that is
vndutifull: nor to forgiue him his losses, for that is arrogant: nor to
giue him great gifts, for that is either insolence or follie: nor to feast
him with excessiue charge for that is both vaine and enuious, & therefore
the wise Prince king _Henry_ the seuenth her Maiesties grandfather, if his
chaunce had bene to lye at any of his subiects houses, or to passe moe
meales than one, he that would take vpon him to defray the charge of his
dyet, or of his officers and houshold, he would be maruelously offended
with it, saying what priuate subiect dare vndertake a Princes charge, or
looke into the secret of his expence? Her Maiestie hath bene knowne
oftentimes to mislike the superfluous expence of her subiects bestowed
vpon her in times of her progresses.

Likewise in matter of aduise it is neither decent to flatter him for that
is seruile, neither to be to rough or plaine with him, for that is
daungerous, but truly to Counsell & to admonish, grauely not greuously,
sincerely not sourely: which was the part that so greatly commended
_Cineas_ Counsellour to king _Pirrhus_, who kept that decencie in all his
perswasions, that he euer preuailed in aduice, and carried the king which
way he would.

And in a Prince it is comely to giue vnasked, but in a subiect to aske
vnbidden: for that first is signe of a bountifull mynde, this of a loyall
& confident. But the subiect that craues not at his Princes hand, either
he is of no desert, or proud, or mistrustfull of his Princes goodnesse:
therefore king _Henry_ th'eight to one that entreated him to remember one
Sir _Anthony Rouse_ with some reward for that he had spent much and was an
ill beggar: the king aunswered (noting his insolencie,) If he be ashamed
to begge, we are ashamed to giue, and was neuerthelesse one of the most
liberall Princes of the world.

And yet in some Courts it is otherwise vsed, for in Spaine it is thought
very vndecent for a Courtier to craue, supposing that it is the part of an
importune: therefore the king of ordinarie calleth euery second, third or
fourth yere for his Checker roll, and bestoweth his _mercedes_ of his owne
meere motion, and by discretion, according to euery mans merite and
condition.

And in their commendable delights to be apt and accommodate, as if the
Prince be geuen to hauking, hunting, riding of horses, or playing vpon
instruments, or any like exercise, the seruitour to be the same: and in
their other appetites wherein the Prince would seeme an example of vertue,
and would not mislike to be egalled by others: in such cases it is decent
their seruitours & subiects studie to be like to them by imitation, as in
wearing their haire long or short, or in this or that sort of apparrell,
such excepted as be only fitte for Princes and none els, which were
vndecent for a meaner person to imitate or counterfet: so is it not comely
to counterfet their voice, or looke, or any other gestures that be not
ordinary and naturall in euery common person: and therefore to go vpright
or speake or looke assuredly, it is decent in euery man. But if the Prince
haue an extraordinarie countenance or manner of speech, or bearing of his
body, that for a common seruitour to counterfet is not decent, and
therefore it was misliked in the Emperor _Nero_, and thought uncomely for
him to counterfet _Alexander_ the great by holding his head a little
awrie, & neerer toward the tone shoulder, because it was not his own
naturall.

And in a Prince it is decent to goe slowly, and to march with leysure, and
with a certaine granditie rather than grauitie: as our soueraine Lady and
mistresse, the very image of maiestie and magnificence, is accustomed to
doe generally, vnlesse it be when she walketh apace for her pleasure, or
to catch her a heate in the colde mornings.

Neuerthelesse, it is not so decent in a meaner person, as I haue obserued
in some counterfet Ladies of the Countrey, which vse it much to their owne
derision. This comelines was wanting in Queene _Marie_, otherwise a very
good and honourable Princesse. And was some blemish to the Emperor
_Ferdinando_, a most noble minded man, yet so carelesse and forgetfull of
himselfe in that behalfe, as I haue seene him runne vp a paire of staires
so swift and nimble a pace as almost had not become a very meane man, who
had not gone in some hastie businesse.

And in a noble Prince nothing is more decent and welbeseeming his
greatnesse than to spare foule speeches, for that breedes hatred, and to
let none humble suiters depart out of their presence (as neere as may be)
miscontented. Wherein her Maiestie hath of all others a most Regall gift,
and nothing inferior to the good Prince _Titus Vespasianus_ in that point.

Also, not to be passionate for small detriments or offences, nor to be a
reuenger of them, but in cases of great iniurie and specially of
dishonors: and therein to be the very sterne and vindicatiue, for that
sauours of Princely magnanimitie: nor to seeke reuenge vpon base and
obscure persons, ouer whom the conquest is not glorious, nor the victorie
honourable, which respect moued our soueraign Lady (keeping alwaies the
decorum of a Princely person) at her first comming to the crowne, when a
knight of this Realme, who had very insolently behaued himselfe toward her
when she was Lady _Elizabeth_, fell vpon his knee to her, and besought her
pardon: suspecting (as there was good cause) that he should haue bene sent
to the Tower, she said vnto him most mildly: do you not know that we are
descended of the Lion, whose nature is not to harme or pray vpon the
mouse, or any other such small vermin?

And with these examples I thinke sufficient to leaue, geuing you
information of this one point, that all your figures Poeticall or
Rhethoricall are but obseruations of strange speeches and such as without
any arte at al we should vse, & commonly do, euen by very nature without
discipline But more or lesse aptly and decently, or scarcely, or
aboundantly, or of this or that kind of figure, & one of vs more then
another, according to the disposition of our nature, constitution of the
heart, & facilities of each mans vtterance: so as we may conclude, that
nature her selfe suggesteth the figure in this or that forme: but arte
aydeth the iudgement of his vse and application, which geues me occasion
finally and for a full conclusion to this whole treatise, to enforme you
in the next chapter how art should be vsed in all respects, and specially
in this behalfe of language, and when the naturall is more commendable
then the artificiall, and contrariwise.

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