The Shorter Poems Read Online

ENDAR, applying an olde name to a new worke. Hereunto

haue I added a certain Glosse or scholion for thexposition of

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old wordes and harder phrases: which maner of glosing and

commenting, well I wote, wil seeme straunge and rare in our

tongue: yet for somuch as I knew many excellent and proper

deuises both in wordes and matter would passe in the speedy

course of reading, either as vnknowen, or as not marked, and

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that in this kind, as in other we might be equal to the learned

of other nations, I thought good to take the paines vpon me,

the rather for that by meanes of some familiar acquaintaunce

I was made priuie to his counsell and secret meaning in them,

as also in sundry other works of his. which albeit I know he

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nothing so much hateth, as to promulgate, yet thus much

haue I aduentured vpon his frendship, him selfe being for

long time furre estraunged, hoping that this will the rather

occasion him, to put forth diuers other excellent works of his,

which slepe in silence, as his Dreames, his Legendes, his

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Court of Cupide, and sondry others; whose commendations

to set out, were verye vayne; the thinges though worthy of

many, yet being knowen to few. These my present paynes if

to any they be pleasurable or profitable, be you iudge, mine

own good Maister Haruey, to whom I haue both in respect

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of your worthinesse generally, and otherwyse vpon some par-

ticular and special considerations voued this my labour, and

the maydenhead of this our commen frends Poetrie, himselfe

hauing already in the beginning dedicated it to the Noble and

worthy Gentleman, the right worshipfull Ma. Phi. Sidney, a

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special fauourer and maintainer of all kind of learning. Whose

cause I pray you Sir, yf Enuie shall stur vp any wrongful

accusasion, defend with your mighty Rhetorick and other

your rare gifts of learning, as you can, and shield with your

good wil, as you ought, against the malice and outrage of so

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many enemies, as I know wilbe set on fire with the sparks of

his kindled glory. And thus recommending the Author vnto

you, as vnto his most special good frend, and my selfe vnto

you both, as one making singuler account of two so very good

and so choise frends, I bid you both most hartely farwel, and

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commit you and your most commendable studies to the tuicion

of the greatest.

Your owne assuredly to

be commaunded E. K.

Post scr

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Now I trust M. Haruey, that vpon sight of your speciall frends

and fellow Poets doings, or els for enuie of so many vnworthy

Quidams, which catch at the garlond, which to you alone is

dewe, you will be perswaded to pluck out of the hateful

darknesse, those so many excellent English poemes of yours,

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which lye hid, and bring them forth to eternall light. Trust

me you doe both them great wrong, in depriuing them of

the desired sonne, and also your selfe, in smoothering your

deserued prayses, and all men generally, in withholding from

them so diuine pleasures, which they might conceiue of your

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gallant English verses, as they haue already doen of your

Latine Poemes, which in my opinion both for inuention and

Elocution are very delicate, and superexcellent. And thus

againe, I take my leaue of my good Mayster Haruey. from

my lodging at London thys 10. of Aprill. 1579.

Little I hope, needeth me at large to discourse the first Originall

of Æglogues, hauing alreadie touched the same. But for the

word Æglogues I know is vnknowen to most, and also mistaken

of some the best learned (as they think) I wyll say somewhat

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thereof, being not at all impertinent to my present purpose.

They were first of the Greekes the inuentours of them

called Æglogaj as it were αγον or αγονóμων. λóγο. that is

Goteheards tales. For although in Virgile and others thespeak

ers be more shepheards, then Goteheards, yet Theocritus

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in whom is more ground of authoritie, then in Virgile, this

specially from that deriuing, as from the first head and wel

spring the whole Inuencion of his Æglogues, maketh Gote

heards the persons and authors of his tales. This being, who

seeth not the grossenesse of such as by colour of learning would

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make vs beleeue that they are more rightly termed Eclogai,

as they would say, extraordinary discourses of vnnecessarie

matter, which difinition albe in substaunce and meaning it

agree with the nature of the thing, yet nowhit answereth with

the áνáλνσς and interpretation of the word. For they be not

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termed Eclogues, but Æglogues. which sentence this authour

very well obseruing, vpon good iudgement, though indeede

few Goteheards haue to doe herein, nethelesse doubteth not

to cal them by the vsed and best knowen name. Other curious

discourses hereof I reserue to greater occasion. These xij.

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Æclogues euery where answering to the seasons of the

twelue monthes may be well deuided into three formes or

ranckes. For eyther they be Plaintiue, as the first, the sixt,

the eleuenth, and the twelfth, or recreatiue, such as al those

be, which conceiue matter of loue, or commendation of special

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personages, or Moral: which for the most part be mixed with

some Satyrical bitternesse, namely the second of reuerence

dewe to old age, the fift of coloured deceipt, the seuenth

and ninth of dissolute shepheards and pastours, the tenth of

contempt of Poetrie and pleasaunt wits. And to this diuision

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may euery thing herein be reasonably applyed: A few onely

except, whose speciall purpose and meaning I am not priuie

to. And thus much generally of these xij. Æclogues. Now will

we speake particularly of all, and first of the first. which he

calleth by the first monethes name Ianuarie: wherein to some

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he may seeme fowly to haue faulted, in that he erroniously

beginneth with that moneth, which beginneth not the yeare.

For it is wel known, and stoutely mainteyned with stronge

reasons of the learned, that the yeare beginneth in March.