Obrázky na stránke
PDF
ePub

than that of Antony Wood, who supposes GORBODUC to have been in old English rhyme, that the three first acts were written by Thomas Norton, and the two last by Sackville*. But the force of internal evidence often prevails over the authority of assertion, a testimony which is diminished by time, and may be rendered suspicious from a variety of other circumstances. Throughout the whole piece, there is an invariable uniformity of diction and versification. Sackville has two poems of considerable length in the MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATES, which fortunately furnish us with the means of comparison: and every scene of GORBODUC is visibly marked with his characteristical mannert, which consists in a perspicuity of style, and a command of numbers, superior to the tone of his times'. Thomas Norton's poetry is of а very different and a subordinate cast: and if we may judge from his share in our metrical psalmody, he seems to have been much more properly qualified to shine in the miserable mediocrity of Sternhold's

* [Could we suppose, that Norton wrote the first three acts of Gorboduc, it would infinitely diminish Sackville's merit, because the design and example must be given to the former. Norton might write dully, as we find most poets do, on sacred subjects; and with more spirit when left to his own invention. Shakspeare himself wrote but dully, in his historic poem of Tarquin and Lucrece. Yet it is difficult to conceive how Sackville and Norton, whose general poetic talents were so widely different, could write distinct parts of a play, the whole of which should appear of uniform merit; like the famous statue made by two sculptors in different countries, which so greatly excited the wonder of Pliny.-ASHBY.]

t[The reflections of Eubulus at the close of the drama on the miseries of civil war, are so patriotically interesting, that I am impelled to take the occasion of placing an extract from them in the margin.

And thou, O Brittaine! whilome in re

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

1 advice.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

T
Dim 1 1 2 m kan para ir nes, ALT

be the tutore di siarizata of the a aboy, and the di*ne nemania jť ang recommnet n the regi f queen Elizabeth, I a sourinary, that sight ines, netezing a man zerms the doctrine of pane ant ursing medens the prince, which appearet i te fi as if the fox edta, if the tragedy, should have been piget in the etron if 15 mastet Loder the immediate ingestion of the ten sv th the Calvinists carried their item of reformation and refnemen in government as well as reigion; and i seemte procatue, that these erit verses were suppressed by Thomas Nornia, Sackville's supposed assistant in the play, who wa wa mặt active and I believe a scositie puritan, but a licenser Ava prizin of bou nie the commission of the bishop of Londent.

As to Norton's assistance in this play, it is said on better authority

**Tantalus, edit. 1565.

* The future of Prometheus. Act iii. c. 1.

unture,

Activ, c. 2.

* Sex Signat. D. V. edit. 1571.

For instance, "Nenen steppes to heunen, also The seven psalmes reduced tulo meter by W. Hunnys, The honny aurules," Bec. by Hunnys. Nov. 8, 1581,

to Denham Registr. Station. B. fol. 185 a. Also, in the same year, "The picture of two pernicious varieties called Prig Pickthank and Clem Clawbacke described by a peerishe painter." Ibid. fol. 184 a. All "under the hands of Mr. Thomas Norton." Et alibi passim. "The Stage of popishe Toyes, written by T. N." perhaps the same is licensed to Binneman, Feb. 22, 1580. Ibid. fol. 178 a.

than that of Antony Wood, who supposes GORBODUC to have been in old English rhyme, that the three first acts were written by Thomas Norton, and the two last by Sackville *. But the force of internal evidence often prevails over the authority of assertion, a testimony which is diminished by time, and may be rendered suspicious from a variety of other circumstances. Throughout the whole piece, there is an invariable uniformity of diction and versification. Sackville has two poems of considerable length in the MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATES, which fortunately furnish us with the means of comparison: and every scene of GORBODUC is visibly marked with his characteristical mannert, which consists in a perspicuity of style, and a command of numbers, superior to the tone of his times". Thomas Norton's poetry is of a very different and a subordinate cast: and if we may judge from his share in our metrical psalmody, he seems to have been much more properly qualified to shine in the miserable mediocrity of Sternhold's

* [Could we suppose, that Norton wrote the first three acts of Gorboduc, it would infinitely diminish Sackville's merit, because the design and example must be given to the former. Norton might write dully, as we find most poets do, on sacred subjects; and with more spirit when left to his own invention. Shakspeare himself wrote but dully, in his historic poem of Tarquin and Lucrece. Yet it is difficult to conceive how Sackville and Norton, whose general poetic talents were so widely different, could write distinct parts of a play, the whole of which should appear of uniform merit; like the famous statue made by two sculptors in different countries, which so greatly excited the wonder of Pliny.-ASHBY.]

[The reflections of Eubulus at the close of the drama on the miseries of civil war, are so patriotically interesting, that I am impelled to take the occasion of placing an extract from them in the margin.

And thou, O Brittaine! whilome in re

[blocks in formation]
[blocks in formation]

1 advice.

stanza, and to write spiritual rhymes for the solace of his illuminated brethren, than to reach the bold and impassioned elevations of tragedy.

SECTION LVII.

Classical drama revived and studied. The Phonissa of Euripides translated by Gascoigne. Seneca's Tragedies translated. Account of the translators, and of their respective versions. Queen Elizabeth translates a part of the Hercules Oetaus.

THIS appearance of a regular tragedy, with the division of acts and scenes, and the accompaniment of the ancient chorus, represented both at the Middle Temple and at Whitehall, and written by the most accomplished nobleman of the court of queen Elizabeth, seems to have directed the attention of our more learned poets to the study of the old classical drama, and in a short time to have produced vernacular versions of the JOCASTA of Euripides, as it is called, and of the ten Tragedies of Seneca. I do not find that it was speedily followed by any original compositions on the same legitimate model.

The JOCASTA of Euripides was translated by George Gascoigne and Francis Kinwelmersh, both students of Gray's-inn, and acted in the refectory of that society, in the year 1566. Gascoigne translated the second, third*, and fifth acts, and Kinwelmersh the first and fourth. It was printed in Gascoigue's poems, of which more will be said hereafter, in 1577, under the following title, "JoCASTA, a Tragedie written in Greeke by Euripides. Translated and digested into Acte, by George Gascoigne and Francis Kinwelmershe of Graies inn, and there by them presented, An. 1566." The Epilogue was written in quatraines by Christopher Yelverton, then one of their brother students. So strongly were our audiences still attached to spectacle, that the authors did not venture to present their play, without introducing a DUMB SHEW at the beginning of every act. For this, however, they had the example and authority of GORBODUC. Some of the earliest specimens of Inigo Jones's Grecian architecture are marred by Gothic orna

ments.

It must, however, be observed, that this is by no means a just or exact translation of the JOCASTA, that is the PHŒNISSE, of Euripides. It is partly a paraphrase, and partly an abridgement, of the Greek tragedy. There are many omissions, retrenchments, and transpositions. The chorus, the characters, and the substance of the story,

*[This third act has no denotation of its translator, in edit. 1575.-PARK.]

are entirely retained, and the tenor of the dialogue is often preserved through whole scenes. Some of the beautiful odes of the Greek chorus are neglected, and others substituted in their places, newly written by the translators. In the favorite address to Marsa, Gascoigne has totally deserted the rich imagery of Euripides, yet has found means to form an original ode, which is by no means destitute of pathos or imagination.

a

O fierce and furious Mars! whose harmefull hart
Reioiceth most to shed the giltlesse blood;
Whose headie will doth all the world subvart,
And doth enuie the pleasant merry mood
Of our estate, that erst in quiet stood:
Why dost thou thus our harmlesse towne annoy,
Whych mighty Bacchus gouerned in ioy?

Father of warre and death, that doost remoue,
With wrathfull wrecke, from wofull mothers brest
The trusty pledges of their tender loue!

So graunt the goddes, that for our finall rest
Dame Venus' pleasant lookes may please thee best:
Whereby, when thou shalt all amazed stand,
The sword may fall out of thy trembling hand":

And thou mayst proue some other way ful wel
The bloody prowess of thy mighty speare,
Wherewith thou raisest from the depth of hel
The wrathful sprites of all the Furies there;
Who, when they wake, do wander euery where,
And neuer rest to range about the costes,
T'enrich that pit with spoyle of damned ghostes.
And when thou hast our fields forsaken thus,
Let cruel DISCORD beare thee company,
Engirt with snakes and serpents venemous;
Euen She, that can with red vermilion die
The gladsome greene that florisht pleasantly;
And make the greedy ground a drinking cvp,
Το sup the blood of murdered bodies vp.

Yet thou returne, O Ioie, and pleasant Peace!
From whence thou didst against our willes depart :
Ne let thy worthie mind from trauel cease,
To chase disdayne out of the poysned heart,
That raysed warre to all our paynes and smart,

See Phœniss. p. 140. edit. Barnes.

Ω πολύμοχθος Αρης,
Τι ποθ' αἱματι

Και θανατῳ κατέχη, &c.

b So Tibullus, where he cautions Mars not to gaze on his mistress, lib. iv. ii. 3. At tu, violente, caveto, Ne tibi miranti turpiter arma cadant.

« PredošláPokračovať »