a defence of poesie and poems-第10章

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because　it　might　not　remain　as　an　exact　model　of　all　tragedies。　　For　it　is　faulty　both　in　place　and　time；　the　two　necessary　companions　of　all　corporal　actions。　　For　where　the　stage　should　always　represent　but　one　place；　and　the　uttermost　time　presupposed　in　it　should　be；　both　by　Aristotle's　precept；　and　common　reason；　but　one　day；　there　is　both　many　days　and　many　places　inartificially　imagined。

But　if　it　be　so　in　Gorboduc；　how　much　more　in　all　the　rest？　where　you　shall　have　Asia　of　the　one　side；　and　Afric　of　the　other；　and　so　many　other　under　kingdoms；　that　the　player；　when　he　comes　in；　must　ever　begin　with　telling　where　he　is；　｛84｝　or　else　the　tale　will　not　be　conceived。　　Now　shall　you　have　three　ladies　walk　to　gather　flowers；　and　then　we　must　believe　the　stage　to　be　a　garden。　　By　and　by；　we　hear　news　of　shipwreck　in　the　same　place；　then　we　are　to　blame　if　we　accept　it　not　for　a　rock。　　Upon　the　back　of　that　comes　out　a　hideous　monster　with　fire　and　smoke；　and　then　the　miserable　beholders　are　bound　to　take　it　for　a　cave；　while；　in　the　meantime；　two　armies　fly　in；　represented　with　four　swords　and　bucklers；　and　then；　what　hard　heart　will　not　receive　it　for　a　pitched　field？

Now　of　time　they　are　much　more　liberal；　for　ordinary　it　is；　that　two　young　princes　fall　in　love；　after　many　traverses　she　is　got　with　child；　delivered　of　a　fair　boy；　he　is　lost；　groweth　a　man；　falleth　in　love；　and　is　ready　to　get　another　child；　and　all　this　in　two　hours'　space；　which；　how　absurd　it　is　in　sense；　even　sense　may　imagine；　and　art　hath　taught　and　all　ancient　examples　justified；　and　at　this　day　the　ordinary　players　in　Italy　will　not　err　in。　　Yet　will　some　bring　in　an　example　of　the　Eunuch　in　Terence；　that　containeth　matter　of　two　days；　yet　far　short　of　twenty　years。　　True　it　is；　and　so　was　it　to　be　played　in　two　days；　and　so　fitted　to　the　time　it　set　forth。　　And　though　Plautus　have　in　one　place　done　amiss；　let　us　hit　it　with　him；　and　not　miss　with　him。　　But　they　will　say；　How　then　shall　we　set　forth　a　story　which　contains　both　many　places　and　many　times？　　And　do　they　not　know；　that　a　tragedy　is　tied　to　the　laws　of　poesy；　and　not　of　history；　not　bound　to　follow　the　story；　but　having　liberty　either　to　feign　a　quite　new　matter；　or　to　frame　the　history　to　the　most　tragical　convenience？　　Again；　many　things　may　be　told；　which　cannot　be　showed：　　if　they　know　the　difference　betwixt　reporting　and　representing。　　As　for　example；　I　may　speak；　though　I　am　here；　of　Peru；　and　in　speech　digress　from　that　to　the　description　of　Calicut；　but　in　action　I　cannot　represent　it　without　Pacolet's　horse。　　And　so　was　the　manner　the　ancients　took　by　some　〃Nuntius；〃　｛85｝　to　recount　things　done　in　former　time；　or　other　place。

Lastly；　if　they　will　represent　an　history；　they　must　not；　as　Horace　saith；　begin　〃ab　ovo；〃　｛86｝　but　they　must　come　to　the　principal　point　of　that　one　action　which　they　will　represent。　　By　example　this　will　be　best　expressed；　I　have　a　story　of　young　Polydorus；　delivered；　for　safety's　sake；　with　great　riches；　by　his　father　Priamus　to　Polymnestor；　King　of　Thrace；　in　the　Trojan　war　time。　　He；　after　some　years；　hearing　of　the　overthrow　of　Priamus；　for　to　make　the　treasure　his　own；　murdereth　the　child；　the　body　of　the　child　is　taken　up；　Hecuba；　she；　the　same　day；　findeth　a　sleight　to　be　revenged　most　cruelly　of　the　tyrant。　　Where；　now；　would　one　of　our　tragedy…writers　begin；　but　with　the　delivery　of　the　child？　　Then　should　he　sail　over　into　Thrace；　and　so　spend　I　know　not　how　many　years；　and　travel　numbers　of　places。　　But　where　doth　Euripides？　Even　with　the　finding　of　the　body；　leaving　the　rest　to　be　told　by　the　spirit　of　Polydorus。　　This　needs　no　farther　to　be　enlarged；　the　dullest　wit　may　conceive　it。

But；　besides　these　gross　absurdities；　how　all　their　plays　be　neither　right　tragedies　nor　right　comedies；　mingling　kings　and　clowns；　not　because　the　matter　so　carrieth　it；　but　thrust　in　the　clown　by　head　and　shoulders　to　play　a　part　in　majestical　matters；　with　neither　decency　nor　discretion；　so　as　neither　the　admiration　and　commiseration；　nor　the　right　sportfulness；　is　by　their　mongrel　tragi…comedy　obtained。　　I　know　Apuleius　did　somewhat　so；　but　that　is　a　thing　recounted　with　space　of　time；　not　represented　in　one　moment：　and　I　know　the　ancients　have　one　or　two　examples　of　tragi…comedies　as　Plautus　hath　Amphytrio。　　But；　if　we　mark　them　well；　we　shall　find；　that　they　never；　or　very　daintily；　match　horn…pipes　and　funerals。　　So　falleth　it　out；　that　having　indeed　no　right　comedy　in　that　comical　part　of　our　tragedy；　we　have　nothing　but　scurrility；　unworthy　of　any　chaste　ears；　or　some　extreme　show　of　doltishness；　indeed　fit　to　lift　up　a　loud　laughter；　and　nothing　else；　where　the　whole　tract　of　a　comedy　should　be　full　of　delight；　as　the　tragedy　should　be　still　maintained　in　a　well…raised　admiration。

But　our　comedians　think　there　is　no　delight　without　laughter；　which　is　very　wrong；　for　though　laughter　may　come　with　delight；　yet　cometh　it　not　of　delight；　as　though　delight　should　be　the　cause　of　laughter；　but　well　may　one　thing　breed　both　together。　　Nay；　in　themselves；　they　have；　as　it　were；　a　kind　of　contrariety。　　For　delight　we　scarcely　do；　but　in　things　that　have　a　conveniency　to　ourselves；　or　to　the　general　nature。　　Laughter　almost　ever　cometh　of　things　most　disproportioned　to　ourselves　and　nature：　　delight　hath　a　joy　in　it　either　permanent　or　present；　laughter　hath　only　a　scornful　tickling。　　For　example：　　we　are　ravished　with　delight　to　see　a　fair　woman；　and　yet　are　far　from　being　moved　to　laughter；　we　laugh　at　deformed　creatures；　wherein　certainly　we　cannot　delight；　we　delight　in　good　chances；　we　laugh　at　mischances；　we　delight　to　hear　the　happiness　of　our　friends　and　country；　at　which　he　were　worthy　to　be　laughed　at　that　would　laugh：　　we　shall；　contrarily；　sometimes　laugh　to　find　a　matter　quite　mistaken；　and　go　down　the　hill　against　the　bias；　｛87｝　in　the　mouth　of　some　such　men；　as　for　the　respect　of　them；　one　shall　be　heartily　sorrow　he　cannot　choose　but　laugh；　and　so　is　rather　pained　than　delighted　with　laughter。　　Yet　deny　I　not；　but　that　they　may　go　well　together；　for；　as　in　Alexander's　picture　well　set　out；　we　delight　without　laughter；　and　in　twenty　mad　antics　we　laugh　without　delight：　　so　in　Hercules；　painted　with　his　great　beard　and　furious　countenance；　in　a　woman's　attire；　spinning　at　Omphale's　commandment；　it　breeds　both　delight　and　laughter；　for　the　representing　of　so　strange　a　power　in　love　procures　delight；　and　the　scornfulness　of　the　action　stirreth　laughter。

But　I　speak　to　this　purpose；　that　all　the　end　of　the　comical　part　be　not　upon　such　scornful　matters　as　stir　laughter　only；　but　mix　with　it　that　delightful　teaching　which　is　the　end　of　poesy。　　And　the　great　fault；　even　in　that　point　of　laughter；　and　forbidden　plainly　by　Aristotle；　is；　that　they　stir　laughter　in　sinful　things；　which　are　rather　execrable　than　ridiculous；　or　in　miserable；　which　are　rather　to　be　pitied　than　scorned。　　For　what　is　it　to　make　folks　gape　at　a　wretched　beggar；　and　a　beggarly　clown；　or　against　the　law　of　hospitality；　to　jest　at　strangers；　because　they　speak　not　English　so　well　as　we　do？　what　do　we　learn；　since　it　is　certain；


〃Nil　habet　infelix　pauperatas　durius　in　se；　Quam　qnod　ridiculos；　homines　facit。〃　｛88｝


But　rather　a　busy　loving　courtier；　and　a　heartless　threatening　Thraso；　a　self…wise　seeming　school…master；　a　wry…transformed　traveller：　　these；　if　we　saw　walk　in　stage　names；　which　we　play　naturally；　therein　were　delightful　laughter；　and　teaching　delightfulness：　　as　in　the　other；　the　tragedies　of　Buchanan　｛89｝　do　justly　bring　forth　a　divine　admiration。

But　I　have　lavished　out　too　many　words　of　this　play　matter；　I　do　it；　because；　as　they　are　excelling　parts　of　poesy；　so　is　there　none　so　much　used　in　England；　and　none　can　be　more　pitifully　abused；　which；　like　an　unmannerly　daughter；　showing　a　bad　education；　causeth　her　mother　Poesy's　honesty　to　be　called　in　question。

Other　｛90｝　sorts　of　poetry；　almost；　have　we　none；　but　that　lyrical　kind　of　songs　and　sonnets；　which；　if　the　Lord　gave　us　so　good　minds；　how　well　it　might　be　employed；　and　with　how　heavenly　fruits；　both　private　and　public；　in　singing　the　praises　of　the　immortal　beauty；　the　immortal　goodness　of　that　God；　who　giveth　us　hands　to　write；　and　wits　to　conceive；　of　which　we　might　well　want　words；　but　never　matter；　of　which　we　could　turn　our　eyes　to　nothing；　but　we　should　ever　have　new　budding　occasions。

But；　truly；　many　of　such　writings　as　come　under　the　banner　of　unresistible　love；　if　I　were　a　mistress；　would　never　persuade　me　they　were　in　love；　so　coldly　they　apply　fiery　speeches；　as　men　that　had　rather　read　lover's　writings；　and　so　caught　up　certain　swelling　phrases；　which　hang　together　like　a　man　that　once　told　me；　〃the　wind　was　at　north…west　and　by　south；〃　because　he　would　be　sure　to　name　winds　enough；　than　that；　in　truth；　they　feel　those　passions；　which　easily；　as　I　think；　may　be　bewrayed　by　the　same　forcibleness；　or　〃energia〃　（as　the　Greeks　call　it）；　of　the　writer。　　But　let　this　be　a　sufficient；　though　short　note；　that　we　miss　the　right　use　of　the　material　point　of　poesy。

Now　｛91｝　for　the　outside　of　it；　which　is　words；　or　（as　I　may　term　it）　diction；　it　is　even　well　worse；　so　is　that　honey…flowing　matron　eloquence；　apparelled；　or　rather　disguised；　in　a　courtesan…like　painted　affectation。　　One　time　with　so　far…fetched　words；　that　many　seem　monsters；　but　most　seem　strangers　to　any　poor　Englishman：　another　time　with　coursing　of　a　letter；　as　if　they　were　bound　to　follow　the　method　of　a　dictionary：　　another　time　with　figures　and　flowers；　extremely　winter…starved。

But　I　would　this　fault　were　only　peculiar　to　versifiers；　and　had　not　as　large　possession　among　prose　printers：　　and；　which　is　to　be　marvelled；　among　many　scholars；　and；　which　is　to　be　pitied；　among　some　preachers。　　Truly；　I　could　wish　（if　at　least　I　might　be　so　bold　to　wish；　in　a　thing　beyond　the　reach　of　my　capacity）　the　diligent　imitators　of　Tully　and　Demosthenes；　most　worthy　to　be　imitated；　did　not　so　much　keep　Nizolian　paper…books　｛92｝　of　their　figures　and　phrases；　as　by　attentive　translation；　as　it　were；　devour　them　whole；　and　make　them　wholly　theirs。　　For　now　they　cast　sugar　and　spice　upon　every　dish　that　is　served　at　the　table：　　like　those　Indians；　not　content　to　wear　ear…rings　at　the　fit　and　natural　place　of　the　ears；　but　they　will　thrust　jewels　through　their　nose　and　lips；　because　they　will　be　sure　to　be　fine。

Tully；　when　he　was　to　drive　out　Catiline；　as　it　were　with　a　thunderbolt　of　eloquence；　often　useth　the　figure　of　repetition；　as　〃vivit　et　vincit；　imo　in　senatum　venit；　imo　in　senatum　venit；〃　&c。　｛93｝　　Indeed；　inflamed　with　a　well…grounded　rage；　he　would　have　his　words；　as　it　were；　double　out　of　his　mouth；　and　so　do　that　artificially　which　we　see　men　in　choler　do　naturally。　　And　we；　having　noted　the　grace　of　those　words；　hale　them　in　sometimes　to　a　familiar　epistle；　when　it　were　too　much　choler　to　be　choleric。

How　well；　store　of　〃similiter　cadences〃　doth　sound　with　the　gravity　of　the　pulpit；　I　would　but　invoke　Demosthenes'　soul　to　tell；　who　with　a　rare　daintiness　useth　them。　　Truly；　they　have　made　me　think　of　the　sophister；　that　with　too　much　subtlety　would　prove　two　eggs　three；　and　though　he　may　be　counted　a　sophister；　had