A short view of tragedy it's original, excellency and corruption : with some reflections on Shakespear and other practitioners for the stage / by Mr. Rymer ...

CHAP. V. (Book 5)

Of Poetry in Italy. Aristotle's Works. Tramon∣tains. Cardinal Bibiena. Tragedy there with Chorus. Strolers. Christ's Passion.

Of Poetry in France. Clem. Marot. Strolers there. Proceedings at Law against them. Re∣port of their Case. Their Old Testament▪ Acts of the Apostles, and Christ's Passion. Banisht from France. Comedy there. Tragedy by Hardy, Corneille, Richilieu. Academy Royal. The Theatre. Caution that no Equivoque, nor ought against good Manners. More nice than the Pulpit. Their Gallantry, Verse, Language, unfit for Tragedy. Dramatick representations banish'd from Spain. Nurse of Heresie. Father Guz∣man. Escobar.

Of Poetry in England. British, Saxon, Norman, Latin and Provencial Poetry here. Richard Ceur de Lion, a Provencial •…•…oet. Our Monks and History false on that account. The Gay Science. That and the Albigenses contempo∣rany, and from the same Countrey. King Richard's Fellow-Poets. Jeffry Rudel, and Countess of Tripoly.

IN the beginning of the last Century, when People began to open their Eyes, and look farther into the Matters of Reli∣gion and good Litterature, Italy had much the start and advantage from the rest of

Europe, thither were Aristotle's Works first brought a-shoar; and there were they trans∣lated, conn'd, and commented by the chiefest Wits amongst them. And above all, hi•…•… Poeti•…•…a engag'd their u•…•…most car•…•… and application.

So many Comments had they made, and so many Critica•…•… O•…•…servations, b•…•…fore, on this side the Alps, any thing, in that way, was understood, tha•…•… t•…•…ey •…•…gan to lay it down for a truth, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…he Tramontans had no gusto. Oltramontani, says one of them, Non sono zelanti d•…•…le buon•…•… reg•…•…le de Greci, & de Latini. The•…•… m•…•…ke no Conscience of breaking the good Laws of the Greeks and Latins.

Others undertook to put in practice, and write by his Principles and Direction. Bi∣biena (afterwards a Cardinal) •…•…irst try'd his Talent on a Comedy; and was follow∣ed by Aciosto, 〈◊〉〈◊〉, Ma•…•…hiavel, and many others, who took •…•…lautus and Te∣rence for their Patterns.

Trissino, Ruscalli, Cinthio, Tasso, with many more, wro•…•…e Tr•…•…gedies in blank Verse, with the Chorus. and every thing to the best of their power, after the Athe∣ni•…•…n Models.

But Italy had no Fund for the vast charge of Dramatick representations; they h•…•…d no

standing Revenue for the Theatre; and however magnificent some Prince might be on an extraordinary Wedding or great occa∣sion; there was nothing constant, nor could it, in such circumstances, be expected, that the Drama there should turn to account, or rise to any tolerable reputation. There∣fore the ordinary business of the Stage was left amongst a company of Strolers, who wandred up and down, acting Farce, or turning into Farce, whatever they acted. (*) 1.1 Castelvetro tells us, that even at Rome, in his time, Christ's Passion was so acted by them, as to set all the Audience a-laughing.

Francis the first, by whose Encourage∣ment Letters had begun to slourish in France, and Poetry more particularly, by the means of Clement Marot (who then translated the Psalms, and sent abroad his Balades, which Campanella reckons to have ushered in the Heresie) King Francis, I say, was much delighted, for want of better, with these Strolers. At the latter end of his Reign we find a Cause of the Strolers notably plead∣ed and debated amongst their Lawyers and the King's Counsel.

The Charge against them extracted from the Pa•…•…liament Rolls, Anno 1541.

That They, 2 or 3 years ago, had under∣taken

to represent Chr•…•…st's Passion, and the Acts o•…•… the Apos•…•…les; and therein had 〈◊〉〈◊〉 me•…•…n illiterate fellows, who were not cunning in those matters, as a Carpenter, a Bum-Bailiff, a Weaver, and others, who had committed di∣vers faults▪ both in the Fi•…•…tion, and in their Action. An•…•… to lengthen out the time, had interlarded many Apocryphal Mat•…•…ers, not contained in the Acts of the Apostles, that their Play might last three or four days longer; thereby to get the more Money from the People. Adding, moreover at the beginning, or at the end, Drolls, and wanton Farces, and by that means had made it hold out for six or seven months together: By means whereof the Divine Ser∣vice was neglected, no body went to Church, Charity grew cold; besides all the Adulteries, Fornications, Mockeries, and Derisions unex∣pressible.

More •…•…specially, in the first place, on Holy∣days, from eight or nine a Clock a-mornings, the People left their Parish-Mass, Sermon, and Vespers, to take their place at the Play•…•…house; and s•…•…aid there till five in the Afternoon. So that Preaching was left oss, the Preachers finding no body to hear them.

And the •…•…eople, as they came back from the Play house, would publickly and loudly mock at the Plays and Actors, repeating some words they had heard knockt out of joynt, at the Play;

or some part ill acted, saying in derision, The Holy Ghost was lo•…•…h to come down, and the like.

And generally the Parsons of the Parishes, to have their pastime at the Plays, have left off the Afternoon Prayers on Holy-days: Or have said them alone by themselves at Noon, an hour not usual, nor Canonical. And even the King's Chaplains, in the Chappel of the Houshold, whilst the Plays lasted, have on Holy-days said the Evening-Prayers at Noon: And besides, ran them off post-haste, to be gone to the Play∣house: A thing undecent, unusual, of evil ex∣ample, and contrary to the holy Councils of the Church, namely, the Council of Carthage, where it is said, Qui die solemni praeter∣misso Ecclesiae conventu ad spectacula vadit, excommunicetur.

2. •…•…reaching is more decent for the Instru∣ction of the People (provided 'tis done by Theo∣logians, men of Learning and Knowledge) than are the Plays, made by those that are ignorant and illiterate; who neither know what they speak nor what they act; representing the Acts of the Apostles, the Old Testament, and the like Histories which they pretend to Act.

3. It is plain by Natural Reason, that with∣out first k•…•…owing the Truth, one cannot make a •…•…iction; for Fiction is to be something as near the Truth as may be; whereas neither

the Masters, nor the Actors know the A B C. Th•…•…y 〈◊〉〈◊〉 neither the Bible, nor any prophane Learning, being Mechanicks▪ as Cob∣lers, Bot•…•…hers, Porters, that c•…•…n neither read nor write, nor •…•…ave been train'd to the Stage, or that sort of exercise: Neither is their Tongue w•…•…l hung, nor have they proper Lan∣guage, nor can th•…•… accent the words, or give them a d•…•…cent 〈◊〉〈◊〉: Nor do they know at all wha•…•… t•…•…ey are about, or what it is they s•…•…y; so that sometimes they chop one word into three, s•…•…p in the middle of a sen∣tence, m•…•…king it a question, which is a sen∣tence o•…•… Admiration; accenting a•…•…d pronoun∣cing with t•…•…eir ges•…•…ure eve•…•…y thing Kim Kam, quite contrary; causing a laughter, and hooting in the Play-•…•…ouse, that instead of turning to E•…•…ification, there is nothing but scandal and d•…•…rision.

4. The •…•…arccs and wanton Interludes which they mi•…•… with the Mys•…•…eries Ecclesiastical, •…•…ake it a thing forbidden by all the Councils, a•…•… the Doctors all agree.

5. It is visible that what they do is for Lucre only; as they would do with a Tavern, or Trade: And they raise the price, which the •…•…irst year was twenty and twenty five •…•…rowns, the next thirty and thirty six Crowns, and is this present year forty and fifty Crowns of the Sun, for every Box.

6. Great mischief, by Assignations, under colour of going to the Plays, Adulteri•…•…s, &c.

7. The Plays occasion Junketing and ex∣pences extraordinary, amongst the common people; so that which a Handy-cra•…•…ty-man has earn'd in a week, shall be all spent in one day, at the Plays, and the Junketing and Drun∣kenness, whereby his Wife and poor Children susfer all the week.

8. Charity so much impaired, that within the six weeks that the Plays have continued, the Alms are lessen'd 3000 Livres.

Nothwiths•…•…anding all which, one Roy•…•…r, a Fish-seller, a Carpenter, a C•…•…ler, and ot•…•…rs their Companions have a-new for this next year undertaken to have acted the Old Testa∣ment, and set a price for hereafter to get mo∣ney from the people.

Of all which, the King's Attorney General being informed, h•…•…th put a stop to their fart•…•… er proceedings. They shew a Letter of Priviledge they had obtained from the King.

By the Letters it appears, they had suggest∣ed to the King, that what they did w•…•…s out of pure Zeal and Devotion, and for the Edisica∣tion of the •…•…eople, which is false; and besides, their quality and circumstances speak the con∣trary▪ and what they do is barely a Trade for gain. Moreover, in the Old 〈◊〉〈◊〉 •…•…e many things not so proper to be declar•…•… •…•…o the

People, weak and simple, that may be drawn in to turn Jews for want of understanding.

For these considerations a stop is put to their Acting of the Old Testament till the good pleas•…•…re, will and intention of the King, when inform'd of those matters, shall be known.

The said Attorney General also presented another Complaint against the former Compa∣ny, that they might put into the Poors Box, out of their Profits, for their representing the Acts of the Apostles, eight hundred Livres till farther order; the like against the Company that acted Chri•…•…t's Passion.

The Council for the Strolers saith, He comes not to answer the Charge against them that show the Acts of the Apostles; but for the new Company only of the Mystery, for the Old Testament. And true it is, that the King two years since having sometimes seen them 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the Mystery of the Passion; and by the account then made him, how well they played the Acts of the Apostles; and that it was worth his while also to see the Repre∣sentation of the Old Testament, Royer above-named, being then present, did pro∣mise the King to get the Old Testament Acted. And thereupon the King gave leave to the said Ro•…•…er, to have the Representa∣tion of the Old Testament; and granted him Letters Patents accordingly.

This Record, abridg'd here, in the tran∣slation, giving so particular an History of the Sage in those days, is added at length in the Original, at the end of the Book.

King Francis liv'd about five or six years after. And then were the Co•…•…ans both French and Italians, all packt off, and ba∣nished the Kingdom.

In 1597. Peter l'Ariveu publish•…•…d Co∣medies, written, as he tells us, in imita∣tion of the Antient Greeks, Latins, and Modern Italians. And the end he proposed was according to •…•…orace,

Quelque profit, & contentement ensemble.

After him Alexander Hardy attempted Tragedy, whose works were 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ann. 1625 Not long 〈◊〉〈◊〉 succeeded the fa∣mous Corneille, who beg•…•…n to write for the Stage, af•…•…r Hardy's Model.

And now, if the French Theatre did not rise to equal the glory of the Romans, and Antient Greeks, it was not for want of En∣•…•… from the Government. Car∣dinal Richelieu, who had the power in his hand, did heartily and generously perform his part. He founded the Academy Royal, and more especially provided for the Theatre.

Yet with this Caution, (a) 1.2 never to re∣present Aucunes actions Malhonnestes, ny d'•…•…er d'aucu•…•…es paroles lascives, ny a double entente, qui puissent blesser l'honnesteté pub∣lique. And we •…•…ind the Poets stand correct∣ed, and do pennance if they chance to of∣fend against this declaration. The liberty de l'equivoque, nor any idée vilaine will th•…•… escape censure, even by the Audience. So the Theodore by Corneille, wo•…•…'d not take. No other reason could be devised by the Author, but the meer conceipt of her Prostitution, which was odious to the ima∣g•…•…. And He rightly observes from thence, that our Theatres are much more delicate on those occasions, than were the A•…•…nt Fathers, or the Pulpits. Says he; However 'tis s•…•…me satisfaction to me that I see the better and more sound part of my Judges impute this ill success to that imagination of a 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which one could not endure; tho' 'twas well known, it would not take ef∣fect: And that to allay the horror of it, I ma•…•… use of •…•…ll the helps that art and expe∣rience could furnish me withall. Amidst this disgrace, I re•…•…ce to see the purity of our Stage, to find that an 〈◊〉〈◊〉, the fairest Or∣nament •…•…f the sec•…•…nd book of St. Ambros's Virgins, appears too licentiou•…•… to pass on our

Stage. What might have been said, if, like that great Doctor of the •…•…hurch, I 〈◊〉〈◊〉 shown the Virgin in that infam us place, if I had described the various agitations of her mind, whilst she was in the place, if I had drawn the troubles she felt that instant she saw (•…•…r lover) Didymus come in to her; 'tis on this occasion that this great Saint makes Triumph that Eloquence which Converted St. Aus•…•…in, it is for this sp•…•…tacle, t•…•… He particularly invites the Virgins to open their eyes.

I kept her from the sight, And so much as I could, from the imagination of my Audience. Yet after all my industry, the modesty of o•…•…r Theat•…•…e is such, to dislike that little, which the necessity of my subject, forced me to make known.

In points of decency the French are cer∣tainly very de•…•…e, and commendable, The noble encou•…•… they m•…•… with∣al, and their singular applic•…•…on have car∣ried them very far in the i•…•…ovement of the Drama. Nor were th•…•… Audience to be taxed for the hasty applause, •…•…y have o•…•…n given to Plays of no great merit. It has been so in all Nations.

As, in Pictures, A man who had never seen such a thing before, wou'd find his amusement, and be in admiration at every Sign-post, or Saracens head that he Travels

by. The first Plays of Corneille were bet∣ter, that is, more regular, than any before him, the Audience had never seen the like. Judgment runs, most▪ what by comparison: by Purple we Judge of Purple.

They now see the difference betwixt his first Essays, and the Plays composed in his riper years.

After all it is observ'd how much, that Wild-goose-chase of Romance runs still in their head, some S•…•…enes of Love must eve∣ry where be shuffled in, tho' never so unsea∣sonable.

The Grecians were for Love and Musick as mad as any Monsieur of ▪em all; yet their Musick kept within bounds; attempted no Metamorphosis to turn the Drama to an Opera. Nor did th•…•…ir Love come whining on the Stage to E•…•…eminate the Majesty of their Trag•…•…dy. It was not any love for Briseis •…•…hat made Achilles so wroth; it was the affront, •…•…n taking his booty from him, in the fa•…•…e of the Confederate Army. This, his S•…•…omach cou'd not digest.

—ne•…•… •…•…ravem Peleidoe stomachum cedere Nescij. Hor.

O•…•…e, with the Genius of Miguel Cervante, might, doubtless, find matter for as good

a Satyr, from th•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Gallantry, as He had done from the Spanish Chivalry.

Another obj•…•…ction, is their w•…•…iting Plays in Ryme.

The Hexameter wo•…•…'d not pass in Greek or Latin Tragedy, for the language is to be Agiss•…•…nte, active. They reckon'd the Jambick to be the verse for business.

—Natum rebus agendi•…•…. Hor.

The French seem the remotest in the World from this sort of Turn. Our Ear shou'd not be hankering after the Ryme, when the business should wholly take us up, and fill our Head. The words must be all free, independant, and disengag'd, no entanglement of Ryme to be in our way. We must clear the Decks, and down with the Ornaments and Trappings in the day of Action, and •…•…ngagement.

But they are not only •…•…etter'd with Ryme, but their verse is the long Alexandrin, of twelve syllables: with a stop, or pause al∣ways in the middle.

As if a Latin Tragedy were written all in Pentameters. To the Tune of,

Hei mihi quod domino, non licet ire tuo;

Or, with us, to the Air of Hopkins and Sternold.

O sing unto the Lord, a new and joyful song.

A Man shou'd not trust his own Ear to Judge a forreign lang•…•…age by, but their own best au•…•…ors are sensible of this halt in their ver•…•…e, and complain of that Cesure and perp•…•…al Monotomy, as they call it.

In n•…•…their languag•…•… it self wants strength and sinews, is too seeble for the Weight and Maj•…•…y of Tragedy. We see their Conson•…•…s spread on Paper, but they stick in th•…•… Hedg•…•…; •…•…hey pa•…•…s not their Teeth in their 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

From Spain little observable can be ex∣pected in relation to Dramatick Poetry; Since Ca•…•…panella had assur'd them that it is the N•…•…rse of Here•…•…ie.

So Father 〈◊〉〈◊〉▪ informs us that his Ca∣tholick Majesty, Phil. II. (b) 1.3 towards the end of his life, (when •…•…is Wisdom was en su pun•…•…, on the prick of perfection, old age 〈◊〉〈◊〉 la salsa de la •…•…abiduria, seeing nei∣t•…•…er medio, o remedio •…•…o 〈◊〉〈◊〉 them) did qu•…•… •…•…nish them the Country.

•…•…en anothe•…•… Jesuit le•…•… us to know how rel•…•…giously the truly Catholick, Phil. IV.

this very year 1646. hath packt them awa as the common Plague from out the King doms of Spain, by his Royal Edict.

Quam pie Phil, IV. vere Catholi•…•…us Co∣moedia•…•… ab Hispanioe regni•…•…, ho•…•… Anno 1646. ut Communem pestem regio ablegarit Fdicto, Escobar. Mor. Theol. So we see this Nurse of Heresie, this Head of the Pagan Hydra, is like to have no footing within the Catho∣lick Majesties Dominions. The 〈◊〉〈◊〉 and the M•…•…ses must not set their Horses together.

Since the decay of the Roman Empire this Island, peradventure has been more fortunate in matters of Poetry, than any of our Neighbours. Notwithstanding the present flourish and os•…•…entation of the French Theatre: Our Wit might have made us the better Poets: tho' our honesty make us worse Politicians. We •…•…ind of the British Poetry to this day. One of our oldest Medals bears an Harp on the Reverse, with the Name Kunobeline around it.

The Germans have o•…•…ten printed with Plautus a Comedy call'd Querolus; which no body now questions, but that it was written by Gildas, who lived Anno. 493.

After him Thaliessi•…•…, and Merlin, and others, had they not written in Welch, might yet deserve an esteem amongst u•…•…▪

Our Saxon Kings have their Grants, and Charters in Ryme, yet upon Record.

The first William came, singing Roland, to fight that decisive Battel, which wan him England. Rolandi cantu inchoato, ut bellatoram animos accenderet, proelium Com∣miserunt. As Mat. Paris, Mat. Westminster, Will. Malm•…•…bury, Knighton, and the rest inform us.

And indeed, to write in Latin the World had not the like to our Poets of that Cen∣tury Joseph of Exeter, wrote so much above the Age, that he was well-nigh lost from us; his Poem of the Trojan War, go∣ing a long time currant in Print for a Clas∣sick, under the name of Cornelius Nepos. He brings us to King R. I. with whom, and with Baldwyn Archbishop of Canter∣bury, He went to the Holy War.

This King, Richard Ceur de lion, and his Brother Jeffrey had formerly liv'd much in the Courts of several Princes, in and about Provence, so came to take delight in their Language, their Poetry (then call'd the Gay Science) and their Poets; which be∣gan not long before his time, to be in great vogue in the World.

The Italian (c) 1.4 Authors acknowledge that the best part of their Language, and

of their Poetry is drawn from that o•…•… Pro∣ven•…•…, as, indeed, is also that o•…•… the Sp•…•…∣nish, and other Modern Languages. It is certain that Petrarch (the Poet that th•…•… Itali•…•…ns brag most on to this d•…•…y) wou'd show very empty, If the Provenci•…•…l •…•…oets had from him, all their own again. And, in truth, all our Modern Poetry comes from them.

Never was known that •…•…pplication, both in the Princes and People, as at that •…•…ime every where to the Provencial 〈◊〉〈◊〉, which gave one of (d) 1.5 their 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the fancy that Charlemain made a Donation of Provence, to be the Poets Patrim•…•…y.

I should not be so large on this occasion but to antidote against an impression, our Monks of that time might otherwise make upon us. As, amongst the rest, Roger Hoveden tells, that this King Richard, to raise himself a name, went about begging and buying verses and flattering Rymes; And by rewards enticed over •…•…rom France Singers and Jes•…•…ers, to sing of him in the Streets▪ And it was every where given out, that there was not the like of him, in the World again. Hic ad augmentum & famam sui Nomi•…•…is, emendicata carmina, & rith∣mos adulatorios comparabat, & de reg•…•…

Francorum Cantores & Joculatores allexerat ut de illo canerent in Plateis, & diceba•…•…ur ubique quod non erat talis in orbe.

That these Songsters and Jesters were brought from France is most false. France had no 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thereabouts in those days. Those Countreys were Fie•…•…s of the Empire. •…•…rederick I. had Enfeoffed Ra∣mond B•…•…renger of the County of Provence, •…•…orcalquiers, and places adjacent, as not long after Frederick II. ins•…•…all'd William au courb ne•…•…, Prince of Orange, King of Arles▪ and Viennes: which family had formerly 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Provence. As truly, he might have said, they were brought from Spain: •…•…or Ildesonso King of Arragon, Count of Provence, Barcelona, &c. had given and settl•…•…d on his Son this County of Provence. It may be noted that about the same time that the Provencial Poetry did flourish, did also spring up that •…•…eresy of the Albi∣genses that so much alarm'd the Popish World, and cost so many Crusades to sup∣press them. Ramond Count of Tholouse was the Protector of the Albigenses, and was also a principal Patron of these Poets. Gu•…•…hem of Agoult, Albert of Sisteron, Ram∣bald of Orange (names now reviv'd by the Duke of Savoy) and the like, were Pro∣vencial Poets; All the Princes that were in

league together to support the Albigenses against •…•…rance and the Pope, did encourage and patronize these Poet•…•…, amongst the r•…•…st a King of Arragon lo•…•… his life in the quar∣rel, at a Battel where Simon Monsort did command as chief of the Crus•…•…de.

From hence we may gather why the Monks were so angry at •…•…hese Singers and Jesters. And did not like that the King should be so familiar with them.

One of them with King Richard was Anselm Faydet, of whom Petrarch.

—Anselmo & mille alt•…•…i ne vidi: a cui la lingua Lancia & spada fu sempre, & scudo & elmo

I saw, with many others, Anselm there, Whose tongue was shield and helm•…•…t, sword and spear.

This Anselm was wont to write 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and Tragedies; which in his own Country he could sell for 2 or 3000 livres Turnois; and some for more: And had several acted at his own charge. After King Richa•…•…ds death, he married a Nun, a Dam•…•… of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 lity, out of a Nunnery at Aix. And •…•…∣ter went to live with the Marquess o•…•… 〈◊〉〈◊〉 ferrat, who took part with the Cou•…•…t 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Tholouse: And to him Anselm ventur'd 〈◊〉〈◊〉

sh•…•…w a Comedy; which till then he had k•…•…pt secret from every body: and there 〈◊〉〈◊〉 it acted.

In one •…•…f his Poems he describes the Pa∣l•…•…e of Love, his Court, his State, his •…•…er, which Petrarch chang•…•…d, and fa∣•…•…on'd to his mind; and calls it, in his •…•…ok il triumfo di amore.

Another of these Jesters was Fouchet of Marseilles, who upon the death of King Ri•…•…hard, went home, turn'd Monk, and ros•…•… to be Archbishop of Tholouse. Dante ha•…•… him in his Paradise, and Petrarch of him thus

Folchetto: ch'a Marsilia il nome ha dato, & a Genovatolto: & al' estremo Cangio, per miglior patria, habito & stato.

Another of these (with Jeffrey King Ri∣chard's Brother) was Jeffrey Rudel, of whom Petrarch,

Gia•…•…fre Rudel, ch' uso la vela e'l remo A cerc•…•…r la sua morte—

Whilst this Poet was with our Prince Jeffrey, he was told, by Pilgrims that came from the Holy Land, so many fine things of the Countess of Tripoly, that he could stay no longer.

He puts on a Pilgrims Weeds, takes•…•… Voyage to Tripoly, fell sick by the way, and ere he came a-shore was almost dead. The Countess inform'd of this Errantry, went to the Ship, took him by the hand. He opened his Eyes, said, Having seen her, he was satisfied; so departed this life.

She made for him a most splendid Fune∣ral, provided him a Tomb of Porphyry, and his Epitaph in Arabick Verse: And had his S•…•…nnets all curiously copied over, and illumin'd, with Letters of Gold; was taken with Melancholy, and turned Nun: One of the Songs made in his Voyage, was this:

Yrat, & dolent m'eu partray s'yeu non vey est' amour de luench. e non say qu' ouras la veyray, car son trop nostras terras luench. Dieu que fes tout quant ve•…•…, e vay: e form' á quest' amour de luench, my don poder al cor, car hay esper vezer l'amour de luench. Segnour, tenes my per veray, l'amour qu' ay vers ella de luench. car per un ben que m'en eschai ha mille mals tant soy de luench. Ja d'autre amour non janziray s'yeu nen jau dest' amour de luench.

q'una plus bella non en sa en luec que sia, ny pres, ny luench.

Sad and heavy should I part, but for this Love so far away; not knowing what my ways may thwart, my Native Land so far away. Thou that of all things Maker art, and form'st this Love so far away; give body's strength, then shan't I start, from seeing her so far away. How true a Love to pure desert, my Love to her so far away! eas'd once, a thousand times I smart▪ whilst, ah! she is so far away. None other Love, none other Dart I feel, but hers so far away, but fairer never touch'd a•…•… heart, than hers that is so far away.

Notes

• (*) 1.1

  Poe•…•…ica.
• (a) 1.2

  Lew. 13. Decl. 1641.
• (b) 1.3

  Disc. 6. 1. 8.
• (c) 1.4

  B•…•…mbo. Speron Sp•…•…rone, &c.
• (d) 1.5

  Phil•…•… de Me•…•…sks.