a defence of poesie and poems-第15章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



But　what！　methinks　I　deserve　to　be　pounded　｛94｝　for　straying　from　poetry　to　oratory：　　but　both　have　such　an　affinity　in　the　wordish　considerations；　that　I　think　this　digression　will　make　my　meaning　receive　the　fuller　understanding：　　which　is　not　to　take　upon　me　to　teach　poets　how　they　should　do；　but　only　finding　myself　sick　among　the　rest；　to　allow　sonic　one　or　two　spots　of　the　common　infection　grown　among　the　most　part　of　writers；　that；　acknowledging　ourselves　somewhat　awry；　we　may　bend　to　the　right　use　both　of　matter　and　manner：　　whereto　our　language　giveth　us　great　occasion；　being；　indeed；　capable　of　any　excellent　exercising　of　it。　｛95｝　　I　know　some　will　say；　it　is　a　mingled　language：　　and　why　not　so　much　the　better；　taking　the　best　of　both　the　other？　　Another　will　say；　it　wanteth　grammar。　　Nay；　truly；　it　hath　that　praise；　that　it　wants　not　grammar；　for　grammar　it　might　have；　but　needs　it　not；　being　so　easy　in　itself；　and　so　void　of　those　cumbersome　differences　of　cases；　genders；　moods；　and　tenses；　which；　I　think；　was　a　piece　of　the　tower　of　Babylon's　curse；　that　a　man　should　be　put　to　school　to　learn　his　mother　tongue。　　But　for　the　uttering　sweetly　and　properly　the　conceit　of　the　mind；　which　is　the　end　of　speech；　that　hath　it　equally　with　any　other　tongue　in　the　world；　and　is　particularly　happy　in　compositions　of　two　or　three　words　together；　near　the　Greek；　far　beyond　the　Latin；　which　is　one　of　the　greatest　beauties　can　be　in　a　language。

Now；　｛96｝　of　versifying　there　are　two　sorts；　the　one　ancient；　the　other　modern；　the　ancient　marked　the　quantity　of　each　syllable；　and　according　to　that　framed　his　verse；　the　modern；　observing　only　number；　with　some　regard　of　the　accent；　the　chief　life　of　it　standeth　in　that　like　sounding　of　the　words；　which　we　call　rhyme。　Whether　of　these　be　the　more　excellent；　would　bear　many　speeches；　the　ancient；　no　doubt　more　fit　for　music；　both　words　and　time　observing　quantity；　and　more　fit　lively　to　express　divers　passions；　by　the　low　or　lofty　sound　of　the　well…weighed　syllable。　　The　latter；　likewise；　with　his　rhyme　striketh　a　certain　music　to　the　ear；　and；　in　fine；　since　it　doth　delight；　though　by　another　way；　it　obtaineth　the　same　purpose；　there　being　in　either；　sweetness；　and　wanting　in　neither；　majesty。　　Truly　the　English；　before　any　vulgar　language　I　know；　is　fit　for　both　sorts；　for；　for　the　ancient；　the　Italian　is　so　full　of　vowels；　that　it　must　ever　be　cumbered　with　elisions。　　The　Dutch　so；　of　the　other　side；　with　consonants；　that　they　cannot　yield　the　sweet　sliding　fit　for　a　verse。　　The　French；　in　his　whole　language；　hath　not　one　word　that　hath　his　accent　in　the　last　syllable；　saving　two；　called　antepenultima；　and　little　more；　hath　the　Spanish；　and　therefore　very　gracelessly　may　they　use　dactiles。　The　English　is　subject　to　none　of　these　defects。

Now　for　rhyme；　though　we　do　not　observe　quantity；　we　observe　the　accent　very　precisely；　which　other　languages　either　cannot　do；　or　will　not　do　so　absolutely。　　That　〃caesura；〃　or　breathing…place；　in　the　midst　of　the　verse；　neither　Italian　nor　Spanish　have；　the　French　and　we　never　almost　fail　of。　　Lastly；　even　the　very　rhyme　itself　the　Italian　cannot　put　in　the　last　syllable；　by　the　French　named　the　masculine　rhyme；　but　still　in　the　next　to　the　last；　which　the　French　call　the　female；　or　the　next　before　that；　which　the　Italian　calls　〃sdrucciola：〃　the　example　of　the　former　is；　〃buono；〃　〃suono；〃　of　the　sdrucciola　is；　〃femina；〃　〃semina。〃　　The　French；　of　the　other　side；　hath　both　the　male；　as　〃bon；〃　〃son；〃　and　the　female；　as　〃plaise；〃　〃taise；〃　but　the　〃sdrucciola〃　he　hath　not；　where　the　English　hath　all　three；　as　〃due；〃　〃true；〃　〃father；〃　〃rather；〃　〃motion；〃　〃potion；〃　with　much　more　which　might　be　said；　but　that　already　I　find　the　trifling　of　this　discourse　is　much　too　much　enlarged。

So　｛97｝　that　since　the　ever　praiseworthy　poesy　is　full　of　virtue；　breeding　delightfulness；　and　void　of　no　gift　that　ought　to　be　in　the　noble　name　of　learning；　since　the　blames　laid　against　it　are　either　false　or　feeble；　since　the　cause　why　it　is　not　esteemed　in　England　is　the　fault　of　poet…apes；　not　poets；　since；　lastly；　our　tongue　is　most　fit　to　honour　poesy；　and　to　be　honoured　by　poesy；　I　conjure　you　all　that　have　had　the　evil　luck　to　read　this　ink…wasting　toy　of　mine；　even　in　the　name　of　the　Nine　Muses；　no　more　to　scorn　the　sacred　mysteries　of　poesy；　no　more　to　laugh　at　the　name　of　poets；　as　though　they　were　next　inheritors　to　fools；　no　more　to　jest　at　the　reverend　title　of　〃a　rhymer；〃　but　to　believe；　with　Aristotle；　that　they　were　the　ancient　treasurers　of　the　Grecian's　divinity；　to　believe；　with　Bembus；　that　they　were　the　first　bringers　in　of　all　civility；　to　believe；　with　Scaliger；　that　no　philosopher's　precepts　can　sooner　make　you　an　honest　man；　than　the　reading　of　Virgil；　to　believe；　with　Clauserus；　the　translator　of　Cornutus；　that　it　pleased　the　heavenly　deity　by　Hesiod　and　Homer；　under　the　veil　of　fables；　to　give　us　all　knowledge；　logic；　rhetoric；　philosophy　natural　and　moral；　and　〃quid　non？〃　to　believe；　with　me；　that　there　are　many　mysteries　contained　in　poetry；　which　of　purpose　were　written　darkly；　lest　by　profane　wits　it　should　be　abused；　to　believe；　with　Landin；　that　they　are　so　beloved　of　the　gods　that　whatsoever　they　write　proceeds　of　a　divine　fury。　　Lastly；　to　believe　themselves；　when　they　tell　you　they　will　make　you　immortal　by　their　verses。

Thus　doing；　your　names　shall　flourish　in　the　printers'　shops：　　thus　doing；　you　shall　be　of　kin　to　many　a　poetical　preface：　　thus　doing；　you　shall　be　most　fair；　most　rich；　most　wise；　most　all：　　you　shall　dwell　upon　superlatives：　　thus　doing；　though　you　be　〃Libertino　patre　natus；〃　you　shall　suddenly　grow　〃Herculea　proles；〃


〃Si　quid　mea　Carmina　possunt：〃


thus　doing；　your　soul　shall　be　placed　with　Dante's　Beatrix；　or　Virgil's　Anchisis。

But　if　（fie　of　such　a　but！）　you　be　born　so　near　the　dull…making　cataract　of　Nilus；　that　you　cannot　hear　the　planet…like　music　of　poetry；　if　you　have　so　earth…creeping　a　mind；　that　it　cannot　lift　itself　up　to　look　to　the　sky　of　poetry；　or　rather；　by　a　certain　rustical　disdain；　will　become　such　a　Mome；　as　to　be　a　Momus　of　poetry；　then；　though　I　will　not　wish　unto　you　the　ass's　ears　of　Midas；　nor　to　be　driven　by　a　poet's　verses；　as　Bubonax　was；　to　hang　himself；　nor　to　be　rhymed　to　death；　as　is　said　to　be　done　in　Ireland；　yet　thus　much　curse　I　must　send　you　in　the　behalf　of　all　poets；　that　while　you　live；　you　live　in　love；　and　never　get　favour；　for　lacking　skill　of　a　sonnet；　and　when　you　die；　your　memory　die　from　the　earth　for　want　of　an　epitaph。




POEMS




POEM：　　TWO　PASTORALS



Made　by　Sir　Philip　Sidney；　upon　his　meeting　with　his　two　worthy　friends　and　fellow　poets；　Sir　Edward　Dyer　and　M。　Fulke　Greville。

Join　mates　in　mirth　to　me；　Grant　pleasure　to　our　meeting；　Let　Pan；　our　good　god；　see　How　grateful　is　our　greeting。　Join　hearts　and　hands；　so　let　it　be；　Make　but　one　mind　in　bodies　three。

Ye　hymns　and　singing　skill　Of　god　Apollo's　giving；　Be　pressed　our　reeds　to　fill　With　sound　of　music　living。　Join　hearts　and　hands；　so　let　it　be；　Make　but　one　mind　in　bodies　three。

Sweet　Orpheus'　harp；　whose　sound　The　stedfast　mountains　moved；　Let　there　thy　skill　abound；　To　join　sweet　friends　beloved。　Join　hearts　and　hands；　so　let　it　be；　Make　but　one　mind　in　bodies　three。

My　two　and　I　be　met；　A　happy　blessed　trinity；　As　three　more　jointly　set　In　firmest　band　of　unity。　Join　hearts　and　hands；　so　let　it　be；　Make　but　one　mind　in　bodies　three。

Welcome　my　two　to　me；　The　number　best　beloved；　Within　my　heart　you　be　In　friendship　unremoved。　Join　hearts　and　hands；　so　let　it　be；　Make　but　one　mind　in　bodies　three。

Give　leave　your　flocks　to　range；　Let　us　the　while　be　playing；　Within　the　elmy　grange；　Your　flocks　will　not　be　straying。　Join　hearts　and　hands；　so　let　it　be；　Make　but　one　mind　in　bodies　three。

Cause　all　the　mirth　you　can；　Since　I　am　now　come　hither；　Who　never　joy；　but　when　I　am　with　you　together。　Join　hearts　and　hands；　so　let　it　be；　Make　but　one　mind　in　bodies　three。

Like　lovers　do　their　love；　So　joy　I　in　you　seeing：　Let　nothing　me　remove　From　always　with　you　being。　Join　hearts　and　hands；　so　let　it　be；　Make　but　one　mind　in　bodies　three。

And　as　the　turtle　d