Read Ebook: Seven Minor Epics of the English Renaissance (1596-1624) by Barksted William Active Gale Dunstan Linche Richard Page Samuel Miller Paul William Commentator

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INTRODUCTION

The purpose of the present volume is to supplement and complement Professor Donno's collection by making available in facsimile seven minor epics of the English Renaissance omitted from it. With the publication of these poems all the known, surviving minor epics of the Elizabethan and Jacobean periods will for the first time be made available for study in faithful reproductions of the earliest extant editions.

SOURCES

Similarly Barksted departs at length from Ovid in the beginning of his tale, where the Renaissance poet undertakes to explain why Mirrha is cursed with love for her father. While she listens to the sweet, sad songs of Orpheus, Cupid, falling in love with her, courts her and is rejected; his parting kiss "did inspire/her brest with an infernall and unnam'd desire" . Golding's Ovid, specifically denying that Cupid had anything to do with Mirrha's unnatural love, suggests that Cinyras' daughter must have been blasted by one of the Furies. Other inventions of Barksted include a picture of her father with which Mirrha converses , pictures of her suitors , a picture of her mother, over which she throws a veil and a description of Mirrha herself . Later in the story Mirrha meets a satyr named Poplar , who makes free with her . As punishment for such goings on in Diana's sacred grove, he is to be metamorphosed into the tree that now bears his name .

FORMAL CHARACTERISTICS

It would probably be impossible, even if it were desirable, for any given minor epic to follow all the conventions of the genre, or even all its alternative conventions. Yet all the poems included here adhere so closely to most of the important minor epic conventions that there should be no question as to the minor epic identity of any.

THE HISTORY OF THE EARLY EDITIONS

Some say When women once have felt that they cal sport, And in their wombe a Tympanie doth rise For things peculiar they do oft import: And though most odious it do seeme to some, Yet give it them or they are quite undone.

And so my case most desperate standes you see, I long for this yet know no reason why, Unlesse a womans will a reason bee, We'le have our will although unlawfully, It is most sweete and wholsome unto mee, Though it seeme bad and odious unto thee.

The third impression of 1620 follows the edition of 1613 but prints three stanzas to a page instead of four.

LITERARY VALUE

There are no Seas to separate our joy, No future danger can our Love annoy.

This is precisely the problem. But in spite of the poem's obvious weakness, one is drawn to the man who wrote it for his obviously sincere, self-deprecatory references to his "weake wit" and "inferiour stile." Fully aware of his limitations, Page, like Barksted and many another unexceptional talent of his age, was nevertheless drawn to the composition of poetry like a moth to the flame.

I also wish to express my thanks to The British Museum, the Bodleian Library, the University of Michigan, and the Ohio State University libraries for generous permission to use their collections, and to the Board of College Education of the Lutheran Church in America for a six-week summer study grant, which enabled me to gather research materials for this project.

Paul W. Miller

Footnotes:

Or Linche's.

The Francis Freeling-Henry Huth-W. A. White copy, here reproduced by courtesy of the Folger Shakespeare Library.

These evident errors appear to have been corrected in ink on the Bodleian copy of the 1620 impression, of which I have seen a microfilm.

No. 95 in the edition cited below.

Painter, I, No. 40, 153-158.

Painter, I, 156.

Painter, I, 157.

Bush, p. 139.

Ibid., p. 199.

Barksted, p. xiv.

The Oxford and Folger copies, of which only the first is listed in the STC. There is a third, imperfect copy at Trinity College, Cambridge, from the Edward Capell collection. According to Mr. L.W. Hanson, Keeper of Printed Books at the Bodleian, the tipping of the type in the Bodleian copy represents a fault at binding.

Though the printer's name is not given, the printer's device, a fleur-de-lis, no. 251 in McKerrow, was used by Okes about this time.

Grosart, p. xiii, n. 17, stanza 20, line 7, which has "adoration" in both the original and Grosart's "corrected" version, and p. xiii, n. 19, stanza 41, line 6, "graces" in both copies.

The printer was Thomas Creede, as revealed by the printer's device, no. 299 in McKerrow, p. 117: "Framed device of Truth being scourged by a hand from the clouds. Between her feet the initials T. C. The motto Viressit vulnere veritas."

The Folger copy, here reproduced, is complete except for Sig. L4 , which have been supplied from another copy.

The first word of the next stanza is changed from "And" in the 1613 edition to "Then" in the second impression.

Occasionally, though, it introduces odd off-rhymes such as "forth" and "mouth" , "vaines" and "streames" , "either" and "fairer" .

LONDON

To the Reader

PHILOS AND LICIA.

Pyramus and Thisbe,

LONDON,

TO THE WORSHIPFVLL his veric friend, D.B.H. Dvnstan Gale, wisheth all happinesse.

Dunstan Gale.

When they came home, as long they staid not forth, Their storming parents fround vpon them both, And charged them neuer so to meet againe, Which charge to them, God knows was endles paine: For yeres came on, and true loue tooke such strength, That they were welnigh slaine for loue at length: For though their parents houses ioynd in one, Yet they poore peats, were ioynd to liue alone. So great and deadly was the daring hate, Which kept their moody parents at debate, And yet their hearts as houses ioynd together, Though hard constraint, their bodies did disseuer.

At length they found, as searching louers find, A shift which somwhat easd their mind: For Io a time worne creuis in the wall, Through this the louers did each other call, And often talke, but softly did they talke, Least busie spy-faults should find out their walke: For it was plast in such a secret roome, As thither did their parents seldome come. Through this they kist, but with their breath they kist, For why the hindring wall was them betwixt, Somtimes poor souls, they talkt till they were windles And all their talke was of their friends vnkindnes.

Alas and then he tore his flesh, Gone is the sunne that did my Zone refresh, Gone is the life, by which I wretch did liue, Gone is my heauen, which hopefull blisse did giue, To giue me heat, her selfe lyes nak't and cold, To giue me life, to death her selfe she sold, To giue me ioy, she bale alas did gaine, My heat, life, ioy, procur'd her death, bale, paine: Had I beene here, my loue had not beene dead, At least the beasts had torne me in her stead, Or would they yet teare me for company, Their loue to me would slacke their tyranny.

Resolv'd to die, he sought the pointed blade, Which erst his hand had cast into the shade, And see, proud Chance, fell Murthers chiefest frend, Had pitcht the blade right vpwards on the end, Which being loth from murther to depart, Stood on the hilt, point-blanke against his hart: At which he smil'd, and checkt his fearefull hand, That stubbornely resisted his command. And though thou scorn'd to doe my will, What lets me now my minde for to fulfill? Both Fate and Fortune to my death are willing, And be thou witnesse of my minds fulfilling.

Thou art my hart, more deare then is mine owne, And thee sad death in my false sleepe was showne: And then she pluckt away the murtherous blade, And curst the hands by whom it first was made, And yet she kist his hand that held the same, And double kist the wound from whence it came. Him selfe was author of his death she knew, For yet the wound was fresh, and bleeding new, And some bloud yet the ill-made wound did keepe, VVhich when she saw, she freshly gan to weepe, And wash the wound with fresh tears down distilling, And view'd the same with eyes vnwilling.

She would haue spoke, but griefe stopt vp her breath, For me my Loue is done to death, And shall I liue, sighes stopt her hindmost word, When speechlesse vp she tooke the bloudy sword, And then she cast a looke vpon her Loue, Then to the blade her eye she did remoue. And sobbing cride, since loue hath murthred thee, He shall not chuse but likewise murther me: That men may say, and then she sigh'd againe, I him, he me, loue him and me hath slaine. Then with resolue, loue her resolue did further: With that same blade, her selfe, her selfe did murther.

Benballa, ? chi fortuna suona.

This loue-some youth, kinde Natures fairest child, what for his beautious loue-alluring face, And for he was so gracious and so milde; was deem'd of all to be of heauenly race; Men honord him, and Maydens gaue him loue, To make him famous Men and Maydens stroue.

Hunting he lou'd, nor did he scorne to loue, Which well his Mistres cruelly did proue, whose causelesse rigor Fame abroad hath blowne. But now lets tell, how hee on hunting went, And in what sports such pleasant time he spent.

Cloth'd all in Greene, he wore a low-crown'd hat of finest silke, Whose brim turnd vp, was fastned with a Ruby, and vnderneath, a Pearle as white as milke, A sleeueles coate of Damaske, richly laced With Indian pearle, as thicke as could be placed.

Her hayre of such corruscant glitterous shine, as are the smallest streames of hottest sunne, Like starres in frostie night, so looke her eyne, within whose Arches Christall springs doe run, Her cheekes faire show of purest Porphyrie, Full curiously were typt with roseall die.

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