George Puttenham - The Arte of English Poesie

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_CHAP. XIII._

_A more particular declaration of the metricall feete of the ancient Poets
Greeke and Latine and chiefly of the feete of two times_.

Their Grammarians made a great multitude of feete, I wot not to what huge
number, and of so many sizes as their wordes were of length, namely sixe
sizes, whereas indeede, the metricall feete are but twelve in number,
wherof foure only be of two times, and eight of three times, the rest
compounds of the premised two sorts, even as the Arithmeticall numbers
aboue three are made of two and three. And if ye will know how many of
these feete will be commodiously received with vs, I say all the whole
twelve, for first for the foote, _spondeus_ of two long times ye haue
these English words _mo-rni-ng, mi-dni-ght, mi-scha-unce_, and a number
moe whose ortographie may direct your iudgement in this point: for your
_Trocheus_ of a long and short ye haue these words _ma-ne`r, bro-ke`n,
ta-ke`n, bo-die`, me-mbe`r_, and a great many moe if there last sillables
abut not vpon the consonant in the beginning of another word, and in these
whether they do abut or no _wi-tti`e, di-tti`e, so-rro`w, mo-rro`w_, &
such like, which end in a vowell for your _Iambus_ of a short and a long,
ye haue these words [_re`sto-re_] [_re`mo-rse_] [_de`si-re_] [_e`ndu-re_]
and a thousand besides. For your foote _pirrichius_ or of two short
silables ye haue these words [_ma`ni`e_] [_mo`ne`y_] [_pe`ni`e_]
[_si`lie`_] and others of that construction or the like: for your feete of
three times and first your _dactill_, ye haue these words & a number moe
_pa-ti`e`nce, te-mpe`ra`nce, wo-ma`nhea`d, io-li`ti`e, dau-nge`ro`us,
du-eti`fu`ll_ & others. For your _molossus_, of all three long, ye haue a
member of wordes also and specially most of your participles actiue, as
_pe-rsi-sti-ng, de-spo-ili-ng, e-nde-nti-ng_, and such like in
ortographie: for your _anapestus_ of two short and a long ye haue these
words but not many moe, as _ma`ni`fo-ld, mo`ni`le-sse, re`ma`ne-nt,
ho`li`ne-sse_. For your foote _tribracchus_ of all three short, ye haue
very few _trissillables_, because the sharpe accent will aways make one of
them long by pronunciation, which els would be by ortographie short as,
[me`ri`ly`] [minion] & such like. For your foote _bacchius_ of a short &
two long ye haue these and the like words _trissillables_ [_la`me-nti-ng_]
[_re`que-sti-ng_] [_re`nou-nci-ng_] [_re`pe-nta-nce_] [_e`nu-ri-ng_]. For
your foote _antibacchius_, of two long and a short ye haue these words
[_fo-rsa-ke`n_] [_i-mpu-gne`d_] and others many: For your _amphimacer_
that is a long, a short and a long ye haue these words and many more
[_e-xce`lle-nt_] [_i-mi`ne-nt_] and specially such as be propre names of
persons or townes or other things and namely Welsh words; for your foote
_amphibracchus_, of a short, a long and a short, ye haue these words and
many like to these [_re`si-ste`d_] [_de`li-ghtfu`ll_] [_re`pri-sa`ll_]
[_i`nau-nte`r_] [_e`na-mi`ll_] so as for want of English wordes if your
eare be not to daintie and your rules to precise, ye neede not be without
the _metricall_ feete of the ancient Poets such as be most pertinent and
not superfluous. This is (ye will perchaunce say) my singular opinion:
then ye shall see how well I can maintaine it. First the quantitie of a
word comes either by (preelection) without reason or force as hath bene
alledged, and as the auncient Greekes and Latines did in many wordes, but
not in all, or by (election) with reason as they did in some, and not a
few. And a sound is drawen at length either by the infirmitie of the
toung, because the word or sillable is of such letters as hangs long in
the palate or lippes ere he will come forth, or because he is accented and
tuned hier and sharper then another, whereby he somewhat obscureth the
other sillables in the same word that be not accented so high, in both
these cases we will establish our sillable long, contrariwise the
shortning of a sillable is, when his sounde or accent happens to be heauy
and flat, that is to fall away speedily, and as it were inaudible, or when
he is made of such letters as be by nature slipper & voluble and smoothly
passe from the mouth. And the vowell is alwayes more easily deliuered then
the consonant: and of consonants, the liquide more than the mute, & a
single consonant more then a double, and one more then twayne coupled
together: all which points were obserued by the Greekes and Latines, and
allowed for _maximes_ in versifying. Now if ye will examine these
foure _bissillables_ [_re-mna-nt_] [_re`ma-ine_] [_re-nde`r_] [_re`ne`t_]
for an example by which ye may make a generall rule, and ye shall finde,
that they aunswere our first resolution. First in [_remnant_] [_rem_]
bearing the sharpe accent and hauing his consonant abbut vpon another,
soundes long. The sillable [_nant_] being written with two consonants must
needs be accompted the same, besides that [_nant_] by his Latin originall
is long, viz. [_remane-ns._] Take this word [_remaine_] because the last
sillable beares the sharpe accent, he is long in the eare, and [_re_]
being the first sillable, passing obscurely away with a flat accent is
short, besides that [_re_] by his Latine originall and also by his
ortographie is short. This word [_render_] bearing the sharpe accent upon
[_ren_] makes it long, the sillable [_der_] falling away swiftly & being
also written with a single consonant or liquide is short and makes the
_trocheus._ This word [_re`ne`t_] hauing both syllables sliding and
slipper make the foote _Pirrichius_, because if he be truly vttered, he
beares in maner no sharper accent upon the one then the other sillable,
but be in effect egall in time and tune, as is also the _Spondeus._ And
because they be not written with any hard or harsh consonants, I do allow
them both for short sillables, or to be used for common, according as
their situation and place with other words shall be: and as I haue named
to you but onely foure words for an example, so may ye find out by
diligent obseruation foure hundred if ye will. But of all your words
_bissillables_ the most part naturally do make the foot _Iambus_, many the
_Trocheus_, fewer the _Spondeus_, fewest of all the _Pirrichius_, because
in him the sharpe accent (if ye follow the rules of your accent as we haue
presupposed) doth make a litle oddes: and ye shall find verses made all of
_monosillables_, and do very well, but lightly they be _Iambickes_,
bycause for the more part the accent falles sharpe vpon euery second word
rather then contrariwise, as this of Sir _Thomas Wiats_.
_I fi-nde no` pea-ce a`nd ye-t mi`e wa-rre i`s do-ne,
I feare and hope, and burne and freese like ise._

And some verses where the sharpe accent falles vpon the first and third,
and so make the verse wholly _Trochaicke_, as thus,
_Worke not, no nor, with thy friend or foes harme
Try but, trust not, all that speake thee so faire._

And some verses made of _monosillables_ and _bissillables_ enterlaced as
this of th'Earles,
_When raging loue with extreme paine_
And this
_A fairer beast of fresher hue beheld I neuer none._

And some verses made all of _bissillables_ and others all of
_trissillables_, and others of _polisillables_ egally increasing and of
diuers quantities, and sundry situations, as in this of our owne, made to
daunt the insolence of a beautifull woman.
_Brittle beauty blossome daily fading
Morne, noone, and eue in age and eke in eld
Dangerous disdaine full pleasantly perswading
Easie to gripe but combrous to weld.
For slender bottome hard and heauy lading
Gay for a while, but little while durable
Suspicious, incertaine, irreuocable,
O since thou art by triall not to trust
Wisedome it is, and it is also iust
To sound the stemme before the tree be feld
That is, since death will driue us all to dust
To leaue thy loue ere that we be compeld._

In which ye haue your first verse all of _bissillables_ and of the foot
_trocheus._ The second all of _monosillables_, and all of the foote
_Iambus_, the third all of _trissillables_, and all of the foote
_dactilus_, your fourth of one _bissillable_, and two _monosillables_
interlarded, the fift of one _monosillable_ and two _bissillables_
enterlaced, and the rest of other sortes and scituations, some by degrees
encreasing, some diminishing: which example I haue set downe to let you
perceiue what pleasant numerosity in the measure and disposition of your
words in a meetre may be contriued by curious wits & these with other like
were the obseruations of the Greeke and Latine versifiers.

_CHAP. XIIII_.

_Of your feet of three times, and first of the Dactil._

Your feete of three times by prescription of the Latine Grammariens are of
eight sundry proportions, for some notable difference appearing in euery
sillable of three falling in a word of that size: but because aboue the
_antepenultima_ there was (among the Latines) none accent audible in any
long word, therfore to deuise any foote of longer measure then of three
times was to them but superfluous: because all aboue the number of three
are but compounded of their inferiours. Omitting therefore to speake of
these larger feete, we say that of all your feete of three times the
_Dactill_ is most usuall and fit for our vulgar meeter, & most agreeable
to the eare, specially if ye ouerlade not your verse with too many of them
but here and there enterlace a _Iambus_ or some other foote of two times
to giue him grauitie and stay, as in this _quadrein Trimeter_ or of three
measures.
_Rende`r a`gai-ne mi`e li-be`rti`e
a`nd se-t yo`ur ca-pti`ue fre-e
Glo-ri`ou`s i`s the` vi-cto`ri`e
Co-nque`ro`urs u-se wi`th le-ni`ti`e_

Where ye see euery verse is all of a measure, and yet vnegall in number of
sillables: for the second verse is but of sixe sillables, where the rest
are of eight. But the reason is for that in three of the same verses are
two _Dactils_ a peece, which abridge two sillables in euery verse: and so
maketh the longest euen with the shortest. Ye may note besides by the
first verse, how much better some _bisillable_ becommeth to peece out an
other longer foote then another word doth: for in place of [_render_] if
ye had sayd [_restore_] it had marred the _Dactil_, and of necessitie
driuen him out at length to be a verse _Iambic_ of foure feet, because
[_render_] is naturally a _Trocheus_ & makes the first two times of a
_dactil._ [_Restore_]is naturally a _Iambus_, & in this place could not
possibly haue made a pleasant _dactil_.

Now againe if ye will say to me that these two words [_libertie_] and
[_conquerours_] be not precise _Dactils_ by the Latine rule. So much will
I confesse to, but since they go currant inough vpon the tongue and be so
vsually pronounced, they may passe wel inough for _Dactils_ in our vulgar
meeters, & that is inough for me, seeking but to fashion an art, & not to
finish it: which time only & custom haue authoritie to do, specially in
all cases of language as the Poet hath wittily remembred in this verse
_si volet usus,
Quem penes arbitrium est & vis & norma loquendi._

The Earle of Surrey upon the death of Sir _Thomas Wiat_ made among other
this verse _Pentameter_ and of ten sillables,
_What holy graue (alas) what sepulcher_

But if I had had the making of him, he should haue bene of eleuen
sillables and kept his measure of fiue still, and would so haue runne more
pleasantly a great deale; for as he is now, though he be euen he seemes
odde and defectiue, for not well obseruing the natural accent of euery
word, and this would haue bene soone holpen by inserting one
_monosillable_ in the middle of the verse, and drawing another sillable in
the beginning into a _Dactil_, this word [_holy_] being a good
[_Pirrichius_] & very well seruing the turne, thus,
_Wha-t ho`li`e gra-ue a`la-s wha`t fit se`pu-lche`r._
Which verse if ye peruse throughout ye shall finde him after the first
_dactil_ all _Trochaick_ & not _Iambic_, nor of any other foot of two
times. But perchance if ye would seeme yet more curious, in place of these
four _Trocheus_ ye might induce other feete of three times, as to make the
three sillables next following the _dactil_, the foote [_amphimacer_] the
last word [_Sepulcher_] the foote [_amphibracus_] leauing the other midle
word for a [_Iambus_] thus.
_Wha-t ho`li`e gra-ue a`la-s wha`t fit se`pu-lche`r._
If ye aske me further why I make [_what_] first long & after short in one
verse, to that I satisfied you before, that it is by reason of his accent
sharpe in one place and flat in another, being a common _monosillable_,
that is, apt to receive either accent, & so in the first place receiuing
aptly the sharpe accent he is made long: afterward receiuing the flat
accent more aptly then the sharpe, because the sillable precedent [_las_]
vtterly distaines him, he is made short & not long, & that with very good
melodie, but to haue giuen him the sharpe accent & plucked it from the
sillable [_las_] it had bene to any mans eare a great discord: for
euermore this word [_alas_] is accented vpon the last, & that lowdly &
notoriously as appeareth by all our exclamations vsed vnder that terme.
The same Earle of Surrey & Sir _Thomas Wyat_ the first reformers &
polishers of our vulgar Poesie much affecting the stile and measures of
the Italian _Petrarcha_, vsed the foote _dactil_ very often but not many
in one verse, as in these,
_Fu-ll ma`ni`e that in presence of thy li-ueli`e he`d,
Shed Caesars teares vpon Po-mpe`iu`s he`d.
Th'e-ne`mi`e to life destroi er of all kinde,
If a-mo` ro`us faith in an hart un fayned,
Myne old dee-re e`ne` my my froward master.
The- fu`ri` ous gone in his most ra ging ire._

And many moe which if ye would not allow for _dactils_ the verse would
halt vnlesse ye would seeme to helpe it contracting a sillable by vertue
of the figure _Syneresis_ which I thinke was neuer their meaning, nor in
deede would haue bred any pleasure to the eare, but hindred the flowing of
the verse. Howsoeuer ye take it the _dactil_ is commendable inough in our
vulgar meetres, but most plausible of all when he is sounded vpon the
stage, as in these comicall verses shewing how well it becommeth all noble
men and great personages to be temperat and modest, yea more then any
meaner man, thus.
_Le-t no` no`bi-li`ti`e ri-che`s o`r he-ri`ta`ge
Ho-no`r o`r e-mpi`re o`r ea-rthli`e do`mi-ni`o`n
Bre-ed I`n yo`ur hea-d a`ni`e pe-euish o`pi-ni`o`n
That ye` ma`y sa-fe`r a`uo-uch a`ni`e o-utra-ge._

And in this distique taxing the Prelate symoniake standing all upon
perfect _dactils_.
_No-w ma-ni-e bi-e mo-ne-y pu-rue`y pro`mo-ti`o`n
For mony mooues any hart to deuotion._

But this aduertisement I will giue you withall, that if ye vse too many
_dactils_ together ye make your musike too light and of no solemne
grauitie such as the amorous _Elegies_ in court naturally require, being
alwaies either very dolefull or passionate as the affections of loue
enforce, in which busines ye must make your choice of very few words
_dactilique_, or them that ye cannot refuse, to dissolue and breake them
into other feete by such meanes as it shall be taught hereafter: but
chiefly in your courtly ditties take heede ye vse not these maner of long
_polisillables_ and specially that ye finish not your verse them as
[_retribution_] _restitution_] _remuneration_] _recapitulation_] and such
like: for they smatch more the schoole of common players than of any
delicate Poet _Lyricke_ or _Elegiacke._

_CHAP. XV._

_Of all your other feete of three times and how well they would fashion a
meetre in our vulgar.__

All your other feete of three times I find no vse of them in our vulgar
meeters nor no sweetenes at all, and yet words inough to serue their
proportions. So as though they haue not hitherto bene made artificiall,
yet nowe by more curious obseruation they might be. Since all artes grew
first by obseruation of natures proceedings and custome. And first your
[Molossus] being of all three long is euidently discouered by this word
[_pe-rmi-tti-ng_] The [_Anapestus_] of two short and a long by this word
[_fu`ri`o-us_] if the next word beginne with a consonant. The foote
[_Bacchius_] of a short and two long by this word [_re`si-sta-nce_] the
foote [_Antibachius_] of two long and a short by this word [_e-xa-mple`_]
the foote [_Amphimacer_] of a long a short & a long by this word
[_co-nque`ri-ng_] the foote of [_Amphibrachus_] of a short a long and a
short by this word [_re`me-mbe`r_] if a vowell follow. The foote
[Tribrachus_] of three short times is very hard to be made by any of our
_trissillables_ vnles they be compounded of the smoothest sort of
consonants or sillables vocals, or of three smooth _monosillables_, or of
some peece of a long _polysillable_ & after that sort we may with wresting
of words shape the foot [_Tribrachus_] rather by vsurpation then by rule,
which neuertheles is allowed in euery primitiue arte & inuention: & so it
was by the Greekes and Latines in their first versifying, as if a rule
should be set downe that from henceforth these words should be counted al
_Tribrachus_ [_e`ne`mi`e_] _re`me`di`e_] _se`li`ne`s_] _mo`ni`le`s_]
_pe`ni`le`s_] _cru`e`lli`e_] & such like, or a peece of this long word
[_re`co-ue`ra`ble`_] _innu`me`ra`ble`_] _rea`di`li`e_] and others. Of all
which manner of apt wordes to make these stranger feet of three times
which go not so currant with our eare as the _dactil_, the maker should
haue a good iudgement to know them by their manner of orthographie and by
their accent which serue most fitly for euery foote, or else he shoulde
haue always a little calender of them apart to vse readily when he shall
neede them. But because in very truth I thinke them but vaine &
superstitious obseruations nothing at all furthering the pleasant melody
of our English meeter, I leaue to speake any more of them and rather wish
the continuance of our old maner of Poesie, scanning our verse by
sillables rather than by feete, and vsing most commonly the word
_Iambique_ & sometime the _Trochaike_ which ye shall discerne by their
accents, and now and then a _dactill_ keeping precisely our symphony or
rime without any other mincing measures, which an idle inuentiue head
could easily deuise, as the former examples teach.

_CHAP. XVI._

_Of your verses perfect and defectiue; and that which the Graecians called
the halfe foote._

The Greekes and Latines vsed verses in the odde sillable of two sortes,
which they called _Catalecticke_ and _Acatalecticke_, that is odde vnder
and odde ouer the iust measure of their verse, & we in our vulgar finde
many of the like, and specially in the rimes of Sir Thomas Wiat, strained
perchaunce out of their originall, made first by _Francis Petrarcha_: as
these
_Like vnto these, immeasurable mountaines,
So is my painefull life the burden of ire:
For hie be they, and hie is my desire
And I of teares, and they are full of fountaines._
Where in your first second and fourth verse, ye may find a sillable
superfluous, and though in the first ye will seeme to helpe it, by drawing
these three sillables,[_i-m me` su`_] into a _dactil_, in the rest it can
not be so excused, wherefore we must thinke he did it of purpose, by the
odde sillable to giue greater grace to his meetre, and we finde in our old
rimes, this odde sillable, sometime placed in the beginning and sometimes
in the middle of a verse, and is allowed to go alone & to hang to any
other sillable. But this odde sillable in our meetres is not the halfe
foote as the Greekes and Latines vsed him in their verses, and called such
measure _pentimimeris_ and _eptamimeris_, but rather is that, which they
called the _catalectik_ or maymed verse. Their _hemimeris_ or halfe foote
serued not by licence Poeticall or necessitie of words, but to bewtifie
and exornate the verse by placing one such halfe foote in the middle
_Cesure_, & one other in the end of the verse, as they vfed all their
_pentameters elegiack_: and not by coupling them together, but by accompt
to make their verse of a iust measure and not defectiue or superflous: our
odde sillable is not altogether of that nature, but is in a maner drownd
and supprest by the flat accent, and shrinks away as it were inaudible and
by that meane the odde verse comes almost to be an euen in euery mans
hearing. The halfe foote of the auncients was reserued purposely to an
vse, and therefore they gaue such odde sillable, wheresoeuer he fell the
sharper accent, and made by him a notorious pause as in this _pentameter_.
_Ni-l mi` hi` re-scri-ba`s a-tta`me`n i-pse` ve` ni`_.

Which in all make fiue whole feete, or the verse _Pentameter._ We
in our vulgar haue not the vse of the like halfe foote.

_CHAP. XVII._

_Of the breaking your bissillables and polysillables and when it is to be
used._

Bvt whether ye suffer your sillable to receiue his quantitie by his
accent, or by his ortography, or whether ye keepe your _bissillable_ whole
or whether ye breake him, all is one to his quantitie, and his time will
appeare the selfe same still and ought not to be altered by our makers,
vnlesse it be when such sillable is allowed to be common and to receiue
any of both times, as in the _dimeter_, made of two sillables entier.
_e-xtre-ame de`si-re_

The first is a good _spondeus_, the second a good _iambus_, and if the
same wordes be broken thus it is not so pleasant.
_I`n e-x tre-ame de` sire_

And yet the first makes a _iambus_, and the second a _trocheus_ ech
sillable retayning still his former quantities. And alwaies ye must haue
regard to the sweetenes of the meetre, so as if your word _polysillable_
would not sound pleasantly whole, ye should for the nonce breake him,
which ye may easily doo by inserting here and there one _monosillable_
among your _polysillables_, or by changing your word into another place
then where he soundes vnpleasantly, and by breaking, turne a _trocheus_ to
a _iambus_, or contrariwise: as thus:
_Ho-llo`w va-lle`is u-nde`r hi-e`st mou-ntai`nes
Cra-ggi`e cli-ffes bri`ng foo-rth the` fai-re`st fou-ntai`nes_

These verses be _trochaik_, and in mine eare not so sweete and harmonicall
as the _iambicque_, thus:
_The` ho-llo`wst va-ls li`e u-nde`r hi-e`st mo-unta-ines
The` cra-ggi`st clifs bri-ng fo-rth the` fai-re`st fou-nta-ines_.

All which verses bee now become _iambicque_ by breaking the first
_bissillables_, and yet alters not their quantities though the feete be
altered: and thus,
_Restlesse is the heart in his desires
Rauing after that reason doth denie_.

Which being turned thus makes a new harmonie.
_The restlesse heart, renues his old desires
Ay rauing after that reason doth it deny_.

And following this obseruation your meetres being builded with
_polysillables_ will fall diuersly out, that is some to be
_spondaick_, some _iambick_, others _dactilick_, others _trochaick_, and
of one mingled with another, as in this verse.
_He-aui`e I-s the` bu-rde`n of Pri`nce`s i-re_

The verse is _trochaick_, but being altered thus, is _iambicque_.
_Fu`ll he-aui`e i-s the` pa-ise o`f Pri-nce`s i-re_

And as _Sir Thomas Wiat_ song in a verse wholly _trochaick_, because the
wordes do best shape to that foote by their naturall accent, thus,
_Fa-rewe`ll lo-ue a`nd a-ll thi`e la-wes fo`r e-ve`r_

And in this ditty of th'Erle of Surries, passing sweete and harmonicall:
all be _Iambick_.
_When raging loue with extreme paine
So cruell doth straine my hart,
And that the teares like fluds of raine
Beare witnesse of my wofull smart._

Which beyng disposed otherwise or not broken, would proue all _trochaick_,
but nothing pleasant.

Now furthermore ye are to note, that al _monosyllables_ may receiue the
sharp accent, but not so aptly one as another, as in this verse where they
serue well to make him _iambicque_, but not _trochaick_.
_Go`d grau-nt thi`s pea-ce ma`y lo-ng e`ndu-re_

Where the sharpe accent falles more tunably vpon [graunt] [peace] [long]
[dure] then it would by conuersion, as to accent then thus:
_Go-d grau`nt - thi-s pea`ce - ma-y lo`ng - e-ndu-re._

And yet if ye will aske me the reason I can not tell it, but that it
shapes so to myne eare, and as I thinke to euery other mans. And in this
meeter where ye haue whole words _bissillable_ vnbroken, that maintaine
(by reason of their accent) sundry feete, yet going one with another be
very harmonicall.

Where ye see one to be a _trocheus_ another the _iambus_, and so
entermingled not by election but by constraint of their seuerall accents,
which ought not to be altred, yet comes it to passe that many times ye
must of necessitie alter the accent of a sillable, and put him from his
naturall place, and then one sillable, of a word _polysillable_, or one
word _monosillable_, will abide to be made sometimes long, sometimes
short, as in this _quadreyne_ of ours playd in a mery moode.
_Geue me mine owne and when I do desire
Geue others theirs, and nothing that is mine_
_Nor giue me that, wherto all men aspire
Then neither gold, nor faire women nor wine._

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