The arte of English poesie Contriued into three bookes: the first of poets and poesie, the second of proportion, the third of ornament.

CHAP. XXIIII.

The forme of Poeticall lamentations.

LAmenting is altogether contrary to reioising, euery man saith so, and yet is it a peece of ioy to be able to lament with ease,

and freely to poure forth a mans inward sorrowes and the greefs wherewith his minde is surcharged. This was a very necessary de∣uise of the Poet and a fine, besides his poetrie to play also the Phi∣sitian, and not onely by applying a medicine to the ordinary sick∣nes of mankind, but by making the very greef it selfe (in part) cure of the disease. Nowe are the causes of mans sorrowes many: the death of his parents, frends, allies, and children: (though many of the barbarous nations do reioyce at their burials and sorrow at their birthes) the ouerthrowes and discomforts in battell, the sub∣uersions of townes and cities, the desolations of countreis, the losse of goods and worldly promotions, honour and good renowne: fi∣nally the trauails and torments of loue forlorne or ill bestowed, either by disgrace, deniall, delay, and twenty other wayes, that well experienced louers could recite. Such of these greefs as might be refrained or holpen by wisedome, and the parties owne good en∣deuour, the Poet gaue none order to sorrow them: for first as to the good renowne it is lost, for the more part by some default of the owner, and may be by his well doings recouered againe. And if it be vniustly taken away, as by vntrue and famous libels, the of∣fenders recantation may suffise for his amends: so did the Poet Stesichorus, as it is written of him in his Pallinodie vpon the dis∣prayse of Helena, and recouered his eye sight. Also for worldly goods they come and go, as things not long proprietary to any bo∣dy, and are not yet subiect vnto fortunes dominion so, but that we our selues are in great part accessarie to our own losses and hinde∣raunces, by ouersight & misguiding of our selues and our things, therefore why should we bewaile our such voluntary detriment? But death the irrecouerable losse, death the dolefull departure of frendes, that can neuer be recontinued by any other meeting or new acquaintance. Besides our vncertaintie and suspition of their estates and welfare in the places of their new abode, seemeth to carry a reasonable pretext of iust sorrow. Likewise the great o∣uerthrowes in battell and desolations of countreys by warres, as∣well for the losse of many liues and much libertie as for that it toucheth the whole state, and euery priuate man hath his por∣tion in the damage: Finally for loue, there is no frailtie in flesh and bloud so excusable as it, no comfort or discomfort greater

then the good and bad successe thereof, nothing more natu∣rall to man, nothing of more force to vanquish his will and to inuegle his iudgement. Therefore of death and burials, of th'ad∣uersities by warres, and of true loue lost or ill bestowed, are th'onely sorrowes that the noble Poets sought by their arte to re∣moue or appease, not with any medicament of a contrary tem∣per, as the Galemstes vse to cure [contraria contrarijs] but as the Paracelsians, who cure [similia similibus] making one dolour to expell another, and in this case, one short sorrowing the re∣medie of a long and grieuous sorrow. And the lamenting of deathes was chiefly at the very burialls of the dead, also at monethes mindes and longer times, by custome continued yeare∣ly, when as they vsed many offices of seruice and loue towardes the dead, and thereupon are called Obsequies in our vulgare, which was done not onely by cladding the mourners their friendes and seruauntes in blacke vestures, of shape dolefull and sad, but also by wofull countenaunces and voyces, and besides by Poeticall mournings in verse. Such funerall songs were cal∣led Epicedia if they were song by many, and Monodia if they were vttered by one alone, and this was vsed at the enterment of Princes and others of great accompt, and it was reckoned a great ciuilitie to vse such ceremonies, as at this day is also in some coun∣trey vsed. In Rome they accustomed to make orations funerall and commendatorie of the dead parties in the publique place cal∣led Procostris: and our Theologians, in stead thereof vse to make sermons, both teaching the people some good learning, and also saying well of the departed. Those songs of the dolorous discom∣fits in battaile, and other desolations in warre, or of townes sac∣caged and subuerted, were song by the remnant of the army o∣uerthrowen, with great skrikings and outcries, holding the wrong end of their weapon vpwards in signe of sorrow and dispaire. The cities also made generall mournings & offred sacrifices with Poe∣ticall songs to appease the wrath of the martiall gods & goddesses. The third sorrowing was of loues, by long lamentation in Elegie: so was their song called, and it was in a pitious maner of meetre, placing a limping Pentameter, after a lusty Exameter, which made it go dolourously more then any other meeter.