Vol. IX, No. 1 (1948, Spring)

_,,- llPR l 1194S ·S THE SHAKESPEARE FELLOWSIDP UNIV£RSITY C WASHINGTOl\ 11'Aers r / !i The Shakespeare Fellowship was founded in London in 1922 ,under the presidency of Sir George Greenwood. VOL. x& SPRING, 1948 NO l Rarest Contemporary Description of "Shakespeare" Proves Poet to Have Been a· Nobleman Vivid Word-Portrait by Thomas Edwards, Long Declared "Unidentifiable" by the Stratford Experts, Yields Its Secrets Under X0 Ray of Oxford Documentation By CHARLES WISNER BARRELL ONE OF THE RAREST BOOKS ever printed in the Rosamond; and laments the fact that Amintas · English langu~e contains a heretofore unidentified (Thomas Watson) and Leander (Christopher Mar description of the poet-playwright Earl of Oxford lowe) are "gone"-both of these poets having died as a dominating creative spirit of the Shake- by June 1, 1593. Edwards then continues his spearean Age. · "Envoy" with what are probably the earliest refer This is Cephalus and Procris (and) Narcissus ences extant to Venus and Adonis, as that poem by Thomas Edwards. In addition to a fragment was licensed for publication on April 18, 1593, comprising the. title-page and a small part of the only six months before the Edwards' manuscript opening poem, only one complete copy is known. was officially approved. What makes this Shake It was discovered in 1878 in the library of Peter ~pearean commentary of paramount interest, how bQrough Cathedral, and was reprinted for the Rox ever, is the fact that Edwards adds to his apprecia burghe Club in 1882 with editorial comments by tion of 11 en.us and Adonis a remarkable pen-por W. E. Buckley. While the printed date of this trait of its author which, while negating the corpus unique volume published by John ~olfe of L<!n• of Stratfordian creative claims, corroborates the don is 1595, it is evident that an earlier edition Oxford-Shakespeare documentation with construc once existed, and that the work was actually written tive realism. at least two years before 1595, for the following In writing this commentary, Thomas Edwards entry appears in the Stationers' Register under date uses the same form that he applies to Spenser and of 22 October, 1593 : his works-first identifying the poet with his best · John Wolff •. Entred for his copie . a booke known speaking part (such as Colin Clout) and entytuled PROCRIS AND CEPHALUS, divided into then going on to particularize Spenser's character /oure partes .• and life-interests. This is, in fact, a mode of Each of the two narrative poems signed by addr'l!ss then very much in vogue, Spenser himself Thomas Edwards concludes with a separate lyrical being its outstanding exponent. Yet the only envoy, the whole comprising the "foure partes" Shakespearean authorities who have deigned to licensed for publication. These lyrics reflect the note Edwards' spenserian treatment of the author author's reactions to contemporary thought and of 11 enus and Adonis in three stanzas of the "Envoy lo the work of creative writers of the period. to Narcissus," beg the whole question by admitting "L'Envoy. lo Narcissus" expresses Edwards' appre only the first stanza as an authentic Shakespearean ciation of Spenser as Collyn; praises Daniel for his allusion. 2 QUARTERLY The Edwards' verses are reprinted thus in the us tropes or allegorical metaphors; and when 1909 edition of The Shakespeare Alluswn Book, "qaies" is spelled bars, meaning laurel wreaths. Volume I, page 25. L. Toulamin Smith, one of the In the second stanza, "eke" is the early synonym editors, adds this footnote: for likewise, moreover or also. "Roabes" is, of "The two stanzas referring to 'one whose power course, robes and "destained" the ancient variant floweth far' I insert, but he has not been identified." of distained, meaning stained or, as the author of The Comedy of Errors ( 1 I.2) uses it, disgraced, Adon deafly masking thro sullied: "I live distain' d, thou undishonored." Stately troupes rich conceited, Also, "saie" is pronounced say and "bene" been, Shew'd he well deserved to Loves delight on him to gaze, the rhythm accenting have been. In the second line · And had not love her selfe intreated, of the third stanza, a poetic ellipsis of have before Other nymphs had sent him bales. done is apparent. The word "Frieries" in the fourth line is the Elizabethan plural of Friary, its Eke In purple roabes destaln'd, Amld'st the Center of this clime, capitalization by Edwards indicating a definite I have heard sale doth remaine group of former religious buildings which had One whose power ftoweth far, become the scene of noteworthy poetical tourna That should have bene of our rime ments. 'l'he only object and the star. The Edwards' orthography having been some Well oould his bewitching pen what modernized and defined, this, then, is what Done the MWICS objects to us, our Shakespearean commentator tells us: Although he differs much from men TIiling under Frlerles, Shakespeare's Adonis, although deaf to the insis• Yet his golden art might woo us tent advances of Venus, is so realistically por• To have honored him with bales. trayed in the poet's rich allegory of love scorned that other nymphs or feminine admirers of Adon's Editor Smith's footnote has· a familiar ring. It creator would have open\y hailed the author for is another admission by a recognized Stratfordian his artistry-hut for one consideration. A real life expert that any such contemporary allusion as this Venus had intervened to prevent this. to a "Shakespeare" who was obviously of premier Who was the living Queen of Love with social rank and Court influence when P,mus and authority so to ordain? Adonis was published, is too inexplicable to war None other than Queen Elizabeth, her Court rant investigation. In the present instance, t\le total · nickname being "Venus," as correspondence of the failure of all Elizabetlian literary and biographical period assures us. But while it would be absurd to law-givers---with ample money and leisure at their suggest that the Queen mi~ht descend to such inter rommand-to pursue the Edwards' lead, and give ference in the professional doings or public adula us some rational and convincing explanation of tion to which William Shakspere of Stratford-on this contemporary description of the 1593 overlord Avon would thus be assumed to have been sub Qf Shakespearean art, unquestionably convicts jected by lov~sick admirers in 1593, it is a matter them of gross incompetence. Their complacent of detailed history that Elizabeth selfishly cir laxity is, moreover, particularly inexcusable when cumscribed the poet Earl of Oxford's career as a the fact is so patently susceptible of proof that man covetous of military or naval glory in order Edwards' lines are all of a piece here, and that the to enjoy his intimate compaJly. Also, when this masking A don of tropes rich conceited can so procedure failed, she intervened in his private logically be taken to be the most powerful example relations with other women with all the jealous then typographically extant of the golden art of ruthlessness of a Venus scorned. this Great Unnamed. Eke or like the Adonis of his creation, who is Ob,serve, then, the telling cogency of these com transformed into a purple fjQwer at the end of the ments upon the foremost narrative and dramatic poem, Shakespeare's own robes of aristoc~atic poet of that day, as they may now for the first purple oblige him to remain deaf to expressions time in modern English literary history he read of love and esteem for his vulgarly popular crea with reasonable understanding. tive achievements. This, Edwards broadly inti• Archaic spelling of several of Edwards' words matP.s, is to be regretted because the real-life should not confuse when "troupes" is translated Shakespeare is the only ( meaning one) poet of ,rt' RING, 194 8 3 supreme power lo whom Edwards should be dedi Oxford's character in preference lo the commenda cating his fullest meed of praise. But the governing tions of the notables I have mentioned is, in fad, Venus has ruled otherwise. the real mystery. Moreover, though his place is at the sovereign's But when we find this learned aristocrat in Court-the Center of this clime-the master's intimate personal contact with a whole group of purple robes are already distained or sullied in popular poets, playwrights and novelists, such as the sense that Adriana uses the word in The Com Thomas Watson, Anthony Munday, John Lyly, edy of Errors to describe the "adulterate blot" Thomas Churchyard, Robert Greene and Thomas with which she charges herself for failure fully to Nash-all of whom acknowledge him as their · perform her duties as a wife. In other words, "Maecenas" and active supporter-Oxford's Shakespeare has been recre~nt to the expectations gradual loss of social prestige is accounted for. of aristocratic usage in devoting too much of his Thus, during the 1580's and early 90's when power to popular creative art-particularly the most should he expected of him in the aristocratic art of public entertainment. Lord Oxford's per pattern, he is otherwise engaged. It is also during sonal documentation proves that his standing had the same period that explicit records are found of been compromised in the same way that Edwards his lead'ership in stage affairs, and "in the rare suggests. In the light of the rigid etiquette of the devices of poetry." period, the poet Earl's literary and dramatic pre Legal proof that Oxford's official title of Lord occupations operated against his advancement in Great Chamberlain of England was commonly those aristocratic circles where Court politics, high shortened to that of "Lord Chamberlain" further ffown social activities, foreign diplomacy or mili nrgue.s that he was the permanent supervising tary prowess were the approved roads to eminence.

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