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

CHAP. XVI.

Of some other figures vvhich because they serue chiefly to make the meeters tunable and melodious, and af∣fect not the minde but very little, be pla∣ced among the auricular.

* 1.1TThe Greekes vsed a manner of speech or writing in their proses, that went by clauses, finishing in words of like tune, and might be by vsing like cases, tenses, and other points of conso∣nance, which they called Omoioteleton, and is that wherin they nee∣rest approched to our vulgar ryme, and may thus be expressed.

Weeping creeping beseeching I vvan, The loue at length of Lady Lucian.

Or thus if we speake in prose and not in meetre.

Mischaunces ought not to be lamented, But rather by vvisedome in time preuented: For such mishappes as be remedilesse, To sorrovv them it is but foolishnesse: Yet are vve all so frayle of nature, As to be greeued vvith euery displeasure.

The craking Scotts as the Cronicle reportes at a certaine time made this bald rime vpon the English-men.

Long beards hartlesse, Painted hoodes vvitlesse: Gay coates gracelesse, Make all England thriftlesse.

Which is no perfit rime in deede, but clauses finishing in the self same tune: for a rime of good simphonie should not conclude his concords with one & the same terminant sillable, as less, less, less, but with diuers and like terminants, as les, pres, mes, as was before declared in the chapter of your cadences, and your clauses in prose should neither finish with the same nor with the like ter∣minants, but with the contrary as hath bene shewed before in the booke of proportions; yet many vse it otherwise, neglecting the Poeticall harmonie and skill. And th'Earle of Surrey with Syr Thomas Wyat the most excellēt makers of their time, more perad∣uenture respecting the fitnesse and ponderositie of their wordes then the true cadence or simphonie, were very licencious in this point. We call this figure following the originall, the [like loose] alluding to th'Archers terme who is not said to finish the feate of his shot before he giue the loose, and deliuer his arrow from his bow, in which respect we vse to say marke the loose of a thing for marke the end of it.

Ye do by another figure notably affect th'eare when ye make euery word of the verse to begin with a like letter,* 1.2 as for example in this verse written in an Epithaphe of our making.

Time tried his truth his trauailes and his trust, And time to late tried his integritie.

It is a figure much vsed by our common rimers, and doth well if it be not too much vsed, for then it falleth into the vice which shalbe hereafter spoken of called Tautologia.

Ye haue another sort of speach in a maner defectiue because it wants good band or coupling,* 1.3 and is the figure [Asyndeton] we call him [loose language] and doth not a litle alter th'eare as thus.

I savv it, I said it, I vvill svveare it.

Caesar the Dictator vpon the victorie hee obteined against Pharnax king of Bithinia shewing the celeritie of his conquest, wrate home to the Senate in this tenour of speach no lesse swift and speedy then his victorie.

Veni, vidi, vici, I came, I savv, I ouercame.

Meaning thus I was no sooner come and beheld them but the victorie fell on my side.

The Prince of Orenge for his deuise of Armes in banner dis∣played against the Duke of Alua and the Spaniards in the Low-countrey vsed the like maner of speach.

Pro Rege, pro lege, pro grege, For the king, for the commons, for the countrey lavves.

It is a figure to be vsed when we will seeme to make hast, or to be earnest, and these examples with a number more be spoken by the figure of [lose language.]

* 1.4Quite contrary to this ye haue another maner of construction which they called [Polisindeton] we may call him the [couple clause] for that euery clause is knit and coupled together with a coniunctiue thus.

And I savv it, and I say it and I Will svveare it to be true.

So might the Poesie of Caesar haue bene altered thus.

I came, and I savv, and I ouercame.

One wrote these verses after the same sort.

For in her mynde no thought there is, But hovv she may be true iwis: And tenders thee and all thy heale, And vvisheth both thy health and vveale: And is thine ovvne, and so she sayes, And cares for thee ten thousand vvayes.

Ye haue another maner of speach drawen out at length and go∣ing all after one tenure and with an imperfit sence till you come to the last word or verse which cōcludes the whole premisses with a perfit sence & full periode,* 1.5 the Greeks call it Irmus, I call him the [long loose] thus appearing in a dittie of Sir Thomas Wyat where he describes the diuers distempers of his bed.

The restlesse state renuer of my smart, The labours salue increasing my sorrow: The bodies ease and troubles of my hart, Quietour of mynde mine vnquiet foe: Forgetter of paine remembrer of my woe, The place of sleepe wherein I do but wake: Be sprent with teares my bed I thee forsake.

Ye see here how ye can gather no perfection of sence in all this

dittie till ye come to the last verse in these wordes my bed I thee forsake. And in another Sonet of Petrarcha which was thus En∣glished by the same Sir Thomas Wyat.

If weaker care if sodaine pale collour, If many sighes with little speach to plaine: Now ioy now woe, if they my ioyes distaine, For hope of small, if much to feare therefore, Be signe of loue then do I loue againe.

Here all the whole sence of the dittie is suspended till ye come to the last three wordes, then do I loue againe, which finisheth the song with a full and perfit sence.

When ye will speake giuing euery person or thing besides his proper name a qualitie by way of addition whether it be of good or of bad it is a figuratiue speach of audible alteration,* 1.6 so is it also of sence as to say.

Fierce Achilles, wise Nestor wilie Vlysses, Diana the chast and thou louely Venus: With thy blind boy that almost neuer misses, But hits our hartes when he leuels at vs.

Or thus commending the Isle of great Brittaine.

Albion hugest of Westerne Ilands all, Soyle of sweete ayre and of good store: God send we see thy glory neuer fall, But rather dayly to grow more and more.

Or as we sang of our Soueraigne Lady giuing her these Attri∣butes besides her proper name.

Elizabeth regent of the great Brittaine Ile, Honour of all regents and of Queenes.

But if we speake thus not expressing her proper name Eliza∣beth, videl.

The English Diana, the great Britton mayde.

Then is it not by Epitheton or figure of Attribution but by the figures Antonomasia, or Periphrasis.

Ye haue yet another manner of speach when ye will seeme to make two of one not thereunto constrained, which therefore we call the figure of Twynnes, the Greekes Endiadis thus.* 1.7

Not you coy dame your lowrs nor your lookes.

For [your lowring lookes.] And as one of our ordinary rimers said.

Of fortune nor her frowning face, I am nothing agast.

In stead, of [fortunes frowning face.] One praysing the Neapo∣litans for good men at armes, said by the figure of Twynnes thus.

A proud people and wise and valiant, Fiercely fighting with horses and with barbes: By whose provves the Romain Prince did daunt, Wild Affricanes and the lavvlesse Alarbes: The Nubiens marching vvith their armed cartes, And sleaing a farre vvith venim and vvith dartes.

Where ye see this figure of Twynnes twise vsed, once when he said horses and barbes for barbd horses: againe when he saith with venim and with dartes for venimous dartes.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Omoioteleton, or the Like loose.
• * 1.2

  Parimion, or the Figure of like letter.
• * 1.3

  Asyndeton, or the Loose langage.
• * 1.4

  Polisindeton, or the Coople clause.
• * 1.5

  Irmus, or the Long loose.
• * 1.6

  Epitheton, or the Qualifier.
• * 1.7

  Endiadis, or the Figure of Twinnes.