George Chapman Has Yet Been Hitherto of a Looser and Vaguer Kind Than ﬂoats About the Memory Of

G E O R G E C H A P MA N .

which from his own day to ours has

never wholly failed to attend the memory of

George Chapman has yet been hitherto of a looser and vaguer kind than ﬂoats about the memory of

s t r e s In the r a r vi al f mo t o he po t . g e t e v o studious enthusias m for the works of the many famous men who won themselves a name during t he seventy

ﬁve m ra l ars of his la ri us lif ass emo b e ye bo o e, the m of his original work has been left too long unnoticed ” and unh n ur d Our H r- Lu an as was o o e . ome c , he happily termed by Dani el in that admirable Defence of Rhyme which remains to this d ay one of the PMA GEORGE CHA N . most perfect examples of sound and temperate s ns of ur st l and us u n f un e e, p e y e j t j dgme t, to be o d in lit ra ur of ri i is has r i it ma b e the e t e c t c m, ece ved y not much less than his due meed of prai se for those

Homeric labours by which his name is still chieﬂy known ; but what the great translator could aecom plish when ﬁghting for his own hand few students of Englis h poetry have been careful to inquire or

n a r ia compete t to pp ec te.

And y et there are not many among his various and unequal writings which we can open without some sense of great qualities in the workman whose

r li f r r are few fr m wo k es be o e us. The e poets o whose remains a more copious and noble anthology of tac auti s i ht s l t He has a de hed be e m g be e ec ed.

sin ular f r and t of ral th u h a con g o ce dep h mo o g t,

s an en r and in nsi of r ssi n an a t t e gy te ty exp e o , occ

sional delicacy and perfection of fanciful or reﬂective

au w i s ul a nsur him a lac in be ty, h ch ho d h ve e ed p e

he fr n ran at l as of n i s is true t o t k e t g om c poet . It

that his wisdom entangles itself in over- niceness

that his philosophy is apt to lose its way among

brakes of digression and jungles of paradox ; that ORG C A PM GE E H A N .

his subtle and sleepless ingenuity can never resist

the lure of any quaint or perverse illustration which

may start across its path from some obscure corner

at the unlucki est and unlikeliest time ; that the

r u and arr n wa s of in n ru us allusi n o gh b e by y co g o o ,

of unseasonable reﬂection or preposterous and

r es u s lis are r in to his f g ot q e ymbo m, mo e tempt g eet

t an i wa of art and rushw r h the h gh y , the b ood o the

moras s of metaphysics seems often preferable in hi s

s the as ur s or ar ns of r But eye to p t e the g de poet y .

from ﬁrst to last the grave and frequent blemishes

of his genius bear manifestly more likeness to the

deformities of a giant than to the malformations of

a warf to rs rain us l s of an a hl d , the ove t ed m c e t ete

n he i r li s of a w aklin tha to t w the ed mb e g.

He was rn w n S ns r and S a s ar bo bet ee pe e h ke pe e,

before the ﬁrst dawn of English tragedy with the

w Fiv morning star of Marlo e . e years later that

an a lif m r ri f r l ri great poet beg e o e b e , mo e g o ous

and more fruitful in proportion to its brevity than that of any among his followers except Beaumont and Shelley : each of these leaving at the close of some thirty years of life a fresh crown of immor 1—2 4 GEORGE CHA PMA N tality to the national drama founded by the ﬁrst

rn of he t r A few nt s m r and t . bo h ee mo h o e,

a s ar was in w rl ten ars fur r Sh ke pe e the o d ; ye the ,

B n n n had f ll w is lat er and e s . Jo o o o ed Th t poet, the l in and n r us an rist of a an ov g ge e o p egy Ch pm , was r f r ﬁft n ars un r than his fri n the e o e ee ye yo ge e d, who was us w nt ars l r han Fl r th t e y ye o de t etche , an n - n l r h B d twe ty seve years o de t an eaumont . All t s i r als uli on ar h wit the he e mmo t he o t ved e t , h sin l i n of ns n who di but hr g e except o Jo o , ed t ee

ars af r a of the l r t man ye te the de th e de poe . No could ever look round upon a more godlike com pany of his fellows ; yet we have no record of his r la i ns wit an of h s but ns n and Fl tchem e t o h y t e e Jo o e l\

’ dat of ha an s ir h is si niﬁ ant and The e C pm b t g c , should be borne in mind when we attempt to determine his rank among the poets of that golden a e Fr the s l ndi and rium an a g . om p e d t ph t ex mple of the one great poet whose popularity his earlier

ars must a wi n ss he ma ha au a ye h ve t e ed, y ve c ght contagious love of allegory and moral sy mbolism he certainly caught nothing of the melodious ease and delicate grace which gave Spenser his su C A PM GEORGE H A N .

premacy in the soft empire of that moonlight

l ur rl w r nl his nius was at co o ed wo d he e o y ge home .

’ ha an s all ri s are ars ru and s a \ C pm ego e h h, c de, h pe 7

less ; for the sweet airs and tender outlines and

’ ﬂ atin El sian s of S ns r s isi n has o g y echoe pe e v o , he

nothing to offer in exchange but the thick rank

mis of a lowland inhabited by monstrous hybrids . t and haunt rri is r a n s . ed by j g d co d ,

Behind Spenser came Sidney and the Euphuists ;

and in their schools neither Chapman nor any other

was li l l arn mu na ural f s ke y to e ch good. The t de ect

and dangers of his genius were precisely of the kind

most likely to increase in the contagion of such

an He ha r i fr natur at his comp y. d ece ved om e

irth a r fus an tur i i a ina i n a ﬁ r b p o e d b d m g t o , e y

n r and r stl ss ar ur of m ral assi and e e gy e e do o p gg m

' ir ual mfifion witm l la of as and Sp it a r megtfig ck t te

ud nt and a n a l ss of t s r i us j gme , ot b e exce ho e p ec o

qualities of pride and self - reliance which are at once

needful to support and liable to misguide an artist

n i a f w r two main faul s of the o h s w y o o k. The t

school of poets which blossomed and faded from the

brief ﬂower of court favour during the youth of 6 GEORGE CHA PMAN .

Chapman were tedious excess of talk and grotesque

encumbrance of imagery ; and Chapman had nu

happily a native tendency to the grotesque and

di us whi all his s u of i h s and te o , ch t dy the h g e t

purest literature in the world was inadequate to

su r ss or n F r all his la urs in the pp e to chaste . o bo

ﬁ l of Gr ransla i n no was r l ss of a e d eek t t o , poet eve e

Gr in s l or s iri He n rs the s r n eek ty e p t. e te e e e temples and handles the holy va sels of Hellenic art

with the stride and the grasp of a high- handed and

hi h- in ar arian g m ded b b .

r h l ss it is a n s ls of Gr Neve t e e , mo g the choo eek poetry that we must look for a type of the class to

i h is n In the r a a e of Gre wh c th poet belo gs . g e t g ece he would have found a place of some credit among

ran s of n i ts and ri n u the k the g om c poe , w tte m ch grave and lofty verse of a moral and political sort in rais of a w rful ns r a i li ar h and p e po e co e v t ve o g c y, in illustration of the public virtues which are fos tered and the public vices which are repressed under

s r n h n At the t o g s arp tutelage of such a governme t. the many- headed beast of democracy he would have dis har the n s arr ws f hi lama i n c ged kee e t o o s dec t o , MA GEORGE CHAP N . and sought shelter at need from its advance behind the s i l of s u r Pisis ra us h e d ome tutelary Pittac s o t t .

’ What Pope said of Chapman s Homer may be applied with a difference to his original poetry ; it might not ina ura to sa ha ft n wri s not in be cc te y t t he o e te ,

as H r but as Theo nis mi hav wri t n deed ome , g ght e t e

f r h f r i n H sh ws e a ars o dis . e be o e c me to ye c et o o , we us a mit nl in a few u l s or ri f ara m t d , o y co p et b e p graphs the pure and luminous charm of perfect speech proper to a Greek moralist of the elegiac school ; but he has more of a certain ﬁre and force of fancy than we should look for in a poet of that

r r w r wi far l ss of thi a ri s th r o de , he e th e ck c d moke e e is also less real heat and ﬂame perceptible than struggles here through the fume and fog of a Cim

’ rian s l i f man s ms is me ty e. The d alect o Chap poe undoubtedly portentous in its general barbarism ; and t a s u of ur r wri rs whi i in h t t dy p e te , ch m ght another case have been trusted to correct and chas ten the turgid and ﬁery vigour of a barbarian imagina

i n s s ft n a n rus e in t o , eem too o e to h ve e c t d the m d with such arrogance and the style with such

an r a r ain of h s ems full of ped t y as to m ke ce t t e e po , 8 GEORGE CHAPMAN

arn s u of assi na e n r of umi and e e t tho ght, p o t e e gy, t d

ﬁtful l u the s indi s i l f v r e oq ence, mo t ge t b e ood e e served up to the guests of a man of genius by the

r f th f as n r n ir u s an s ro as e o e . U o m t e t de c c m t ce , p

a l w ul C a man ha n alwa s a ur b b y, o d h p ve bee y p e and har ni us wri r a a l of as in in fit mo o te , c p b e c t g to and radi ant form the d ark hard masses of his deep and ar n u ht of u erin the w i h and de t tho g , tt g e g ty noble things he had to say in a fluent and lucid s l but as it was a ars fr first las to ty e ; , he ppe om to t have erected his natural defects into an artificial s s e and ul i a his in a a i i s as r men y t m, c t v ted c p c t e othe

u!tiva h ir fa ul i c te t e c t es.

ha P s s ul as r ial as ra r and T t oe y ho d be pe v o to y,

lainn ss her s ial rna n w r lai n wa p e pec o me t, e e the p y to barbarism so he tells us at the very outset of his ar r in a l r of ica i n r ﬁ the c ee , ette ded t o p e xed to s n of his u lis s and n ainin eco d p b hed poem , co t g several excellent reﬂections on the folly of those who expect grave and deep matter of poetry to be so handled that he who runs or lounges need no t

‘ aus or r us ims lf r a r ia or a . t ene p e o e h e to e d Th g ,

l arn ss of r r s n a i n r uir in abs lu e c e e ep e e t t o , eq ed o t E M N GEORG CHAP A . 9

ms is not the rs i u us li r of a low in poe , pe p c o de ve y vention ; but high and hearty invention expressed

” in m s si niﬁan and unaff ha is o t g c t ected phras e. T t admirably said ; but when we turn to the practical comment supplied by the poetry which illustrates

is ri i al r f ssi n of fai h we ﬁnd it ar th c t c p o e o t , h d to

’ s a th r a r s a li a i n of his In tomch e p e che pp c t o text.

is sam i a i n i is ll w r n and th e ded c t o , wh ch we o th ote — regard from all students of Chapman and with all his shortcomings we may reasonably hope that the num r of th m will in r as ith the ﬁrs issu of be e c e e, w t e his l w r s am n all r f ss s u nts of comp ete o k , o g p o e ed t de — English poetry at its highest periods he proceeds to a yet more distinct avowal of his main principle ; and it is s hin to n w t a had an omet g k o h t he y , though the knowledge be b ut too likely to depress the interest and dishearten the sympathy of a reader who but for this assurance of design would probably have supposed that great part of these poems had

n wri n in a a ti ar n w r ra ar bee tte ch o c j go , he e g mm , m r s ns s un h r n and r l van are et e, e e, o d, co e e ce e e cy hurled together on a heap of j arring and hurtling ruins rath r aus the au h r wan e s ill or ar , e bec e t o t d k c e l o G M GEOR E CHAP AN . to ri r an aus he ain w te bette , th bec e took p s to achieve so remarkable a result by the observance of

ﬁ m ans for the a ainm n of a ﬁ ur s xed e tt e t xed p po e .

It should seem to be with malice aforethought that he sets himself to bring to perfection the qualities of crabbed turgidity and barbarous bombas t with w i na ur had but too ri hl n w him h ch t e c y e do ed , mingling these among many better gifts with so cunning a hand and so malignant a liberality as wellnigh to stiﬂe the good seed of which y et she had not n s arin bee p g.

r is no nf i n a to las but is ad The e co ect o m de t, mitted more cost and skill than presently- to - b e used simples ; and in my opinion that which being with a little endeavour searched adds a kind of majesty to poesy is better than that which every c bbl r ma sin his at h Obs uri in affec o e y g to p c . c ty tion of words and indigested conceits is pedantical and childish ; but where it shroudeth itself in the

ar of his su u r wi h ﬁ n ss of ﬁ ur he t bject, tte ed t t e g e and r ssi e i h s wi a ar n ss will exp e v ep t et , th th t d k e I

” la ur ha w his r mis we ma ill s . s t bo to be do ed T p o e, y add was m s r li i usl but the la ur was , o t e g o y kept ; bo CHA P A GEORGE M N . 1 r

at l as su rﬂu us ransla out f ru e t pe o . To t te o the c de

and incoherent forms of expression in which they

now lie weltering the scholas tic subtleties and meta

’ physical symbols which beset the reader s diverted

and di stracted attention at every step through the

un l of th s s and hus r n r ha he j g e e e poem , t to e de w t

had sa int s m n r r and ar n to y o o e dece t o de h mo y, he

would have found a harder if a more proﬁtable

labour than to ﬂing forth his undigested thoughts

and incongruous fancies in a mas s of rich inextri

l an r lis cab e confusion for them to sift d so t who t.

But is we see was far n u h fr m his ur s . th , , e o g o p po e

He takes his motto from Persius :

em h e n m ! uis leget haec ? N o, ercul , e o V el duo vel nemo and the label thus afﬁxed to the forehead of one

volume might have served for almost any other of

his s His s air of a ﬁt audi n is l ss poem . de p e ce e

remarkable than the bitter and violent expression

of his n for n ral O ini n Su is co tempt ge e p o . ch the

ilful r of u n s wan rin li as s w pove ty j dgme t , de g ke p

portless men in contempt of the divine dis cipline of M N GEORGE CHAP A .

s a a man ma w ll f ar fr u n ir poe y, th t y e e to eq e t the

al s r fan multi u a an nl . d w k The p o e t de I h te, o y cons ecrate my strange poems to those searching s irits l arnin at a n l and n ili p whom e g h h m de ob e, ob ty

” sa r c ed. And this is throughout his manner of reference to the tastes and judgments of those com mon read ers in whose eyes he took such less than little pains to make his work even pas sably attrae tive that we may presume this acrid tone of angry

n m alf au t an alf ulant in its co te pt, h h gh y d h pet

ndl ss r i i n ha h in it sa t of , v ad o e e epet t o to e s me “ l , r y as well as some und nse of con M it erlyiggm se scious failure in the pursuit of that success on the image or idea of which he turns and tramples with

as si na s It is not usuall ill has fail ; p o te corn. y t he ed to please that a man dis covers how despicable and

i undesirable a thing it would have been to succeed.

s ud n r warm his ill and ad No t e t, howeve goodw miration for the high- toned spirit and genius of

a man ill dis s w n r a f un Ch p , w be po ed to o de th t he o d cause to growl and rail at the neglect and distaste

in D m s n s of mul i u for his wri s. the t t de t g e o the e , a rdin r r tau ht hi s lf s a wi h cco g to epo t, g m e to pe k t 13 pebbles in his mouth ; but it is presumable that he also learnt to dispense with their aid before he stood up against ZEschines or Hyperides on any great

o asi n of u li ra or . Our il s i cc o p b c o t y ph o oph c poet, on r hand f r a dr ssin su au i n the othe , be o e d e g ch d e ce as ma ﬁnd is ar ful alwa s ﬁll his m u he y , c e y to o th till the j aws are stretched wellnigh to bursting with the lar s r u s and s an ular of l nal ge t, o ghe t, mo t g po ygo

ﬂintstones that can be hewn or dug out of the mine

of human language ; and as fast as one voluminous

sentence or unwieldy paragraph has emptied his

ut of ﬁrs a of ar aris s is no l ss mo h the t b tch b b m , he e

careful to reﬁll it before proceeding to a fresh

li r sin r l in and 0 ha no ms de ve y. I ce e y th k h pe t t poe

wi th a tithe of their genuine power and merit were

ever written on such a plan or af ter such a fashion

as the Shadow of Night or Andr omeda Liber ata of

a man is not m r l the a and convul Ch p . It e e y he vy

si nt of the r n and arrin s n n s ve moveme b oke j g e te ce ,

the hurried broken- winded rhetoric that seems to

wh z and an at r ainful s the in ssan ee e p t eve y p tep, ce t

byplay of incongruous digressions and impenetrable

allusi ns a a ﬁrs r adin of h s ms o , th t m ke the t e g t e e poe 1 G MA 4 EORGE CHAP N . as tough and tedious a task for the mind as oakum

i in or st n - r akin can b e for p ck g o e b e g the body.

Worse than all this is the want of any perceptible centre towards which these tangled and ravelled

f u ma s m at l n r lines o tho ght y ee east to co ve ge .

We see that the author has thought hard and felt deeply ; we apprehend that he is charged as it were to the muzzle with some ardent matter of spiritual in res of i w ul fain li r i s lf in te t, wh ch he o d de ve h m e

l si l u n w e r i a he is an r exp o ve e oq e ce ; pe ce ve th t g y,

m i i us m n and arr an no r n r a b t o , vehe e t og t ; p ete de , but a genuine seer or Pythian bemused and stiﬂed by the oracular fumes which choke in its very

ssa ins ir and for r utterance the me ge they p e, eve preclude the seer f rom becoming properly the prophet of their mysteries :

tand a h We und ers fury in is words, But not the words

and the fury which alone we understand waxes tenfold hotter at our incompetence to comprehend

r is in n r s He what the orato compete t to exp e s. foams at the mouth with rage through all the ﬂints

16 GEORGE CHAPMAN:

ﬁ n u a vigorous but un xed a d chao tic intellect. S ch

as L r Br for a l and ta e poet o d ooke, ex mp e I k

George Chapman and Fulke Greville to be of all

English poets the two most genuinely obscure in style upon whose works I have ever adventured to . ' ar in s ar of r as ur hiddcen n a h the emb k , e ch t e e be e t dark gulfs and crossing currents of their rocky and

wa rs at s m ris of m un rs an in weedy te , o e k y de t d g

in sw awa r un sw ll— such a be g ept y by the g o d e poet,

r ar i rﬂ win h u s is not ove ch ged w th ove o g t o ght , sufﬁ i n l ss ss an one l adin i a or c e t y po e ed by y e g de , a ra war s an one n ral in see with tt cted to d y ce t po t, to decision the proper end and use with resolution the

i si n N w if h r is proper instruments of h s de g . o t e e any great quality more perceptible than another in

’ Mr Br wnin in ll t i i i d in . o g s te ec t s his decis ve an oisi fa ul of u ht his sur n ss and int nsit ve c ty tho g , e e e y of r ti n his ra i and r n an r s lu i n of pe cep o , p d t e ch t e o t o aim ar him wi s uri is a u as a u . To ch ge th ob c ty bo t cc rate as to pall Lynceus purblind or complain of the

r H is sluggish action of the telegraphic wi e. e some thing too much the reverse of obscure ; he is too brilliant and subtle for the ready reader of a ready PMA V GEORGE CHA I . I 7 writer to follow with any certainty the track of an intelligence which moves with such incessant

or even to realize with what spider- like swiftness and sagacity his building spirit leaps and lightens to and fro and backward and forward as it liv s al n the ani at lin of its la ur s rin s e o g m ed e bo , p g from thread to thread and darts from centre to cir cumference of the glittering and quivering web of living thought woven from the inexhaustible stores of his perception and kindled from the inexhaust i l ﬁre of his i a ina i n He n r in s b e m g t o . eve th k b ut at full speed ; and the rate of his thought

’ is to that of another man s as the speed of a railway to that of a waggon or the speed of a

l ra that of a railwa It is o less te eg ph to y. h pe

to enjoy the charm or to apprehend the gis t of his

wri in s wi h a min t r u l al r an t g except t d ho o gh y e t,

a t n i n awa at all ints a s iri O n and t e t o ke po , p t pe

’ r a indl n a of the wri r s e dy to be k ed by the co t ct te .

To do justice to any book which deserves any other

sort of j ustice than that of the ﬁre or the waste

a r as it is n ssar r a it in the ﬁt p pe b ket, ece y to e d

frame of mind ; and the proper mood in which to 2 18 GEORGE CHAPMAN

’ s u for the ﬁrs i a of Mr Br nin s i t dy t t me book . ow g s

the fr s s l ar s s a i of min e he t, c e e t, mo t ct ve mood the d

in its ri h es and n s urs of w r R a at b g t t kee e t ho o k. e d

su a i and not i alf- s u s fallin ch t me, w th h h t eye g

” as l in a alf - dr am it will f un in C a eep h e , be o d ( h p

’ man s phrase) pervial enough to any but a slug

gish or a sandblind eye ; but at no time and in no

mood will a really obscur e writer be found other than

' s The diff r n w n w is iff r ob cure . e e ce bet ee the t o the d e

ence between smoke and lightning ; and it is far more difﬁcult to pitch the tone of your thought in

arm n i a of a f in r an wi h o y w th th t oggy th ke , th th

l ri in i i n that of one whose thought is e ect c ts mot o .

To the latter we have but to come with an Open and

liant s irit untir and undi s ur r p p , ed t bed by the wo k or the idl n ss Of the d a and we ann but r i e e e y , c ot ece v a vivid and active pleasure in following the swift and fine ra ia i ns the su l la and en i ra d t o , bt e p y ke v b tion of its sleepless fires ; and the more steadily we trac e their course the more surely do we see that these forked flas hes of fancy and changing lights of

th u m un rrin l ar un one n r and o ght ove e g y o d ce t e, GEORGE CHAPMAN

s ri s rai in end n in nl ran t ke t ght the to o e po t . O y

dom thinking and random writing produce obscurity ;

CI ’ 2 and these are the radical faults of Chapman s style

f r W ﬁn n o o . e d o s uri in li nin p et y ob c ty the ght g,

whether it play about the heights Of metaphysical lspeculation or the depths of character and motive ; the mind derives as much of vigorous enjoyment

f rom the study by such light of the one as of the

r a ti n of so ri and i a iri othe . The c o b ght sw ft sp t

gives insight as it were to the eyes and wings to the

’ feet of our own ; the reader s apprehension takes

’ ﬁre fr wri r s and a h s fr a su l r om the te , he c tc e om bt e

and more active mind the infection of spiritual

interest ; so that any candid and clear- headed stu

dent ﬁnds himself able to follow for the time in

fancy the lead of such a thinker with equal satisfac

tion on any course of thought or argument ; when

he sets himself to refute Renan through the dying

f S t n or tr n lusi ns it S rauss lips o . Joh to y co c o w h t

his own rs n and n ﬂas s at n e the in pe o , whe he he o c

whole force of his illumination full upon the inmost

f m s infam us ri inal a thought and mind o the o t o c m , 2—2 2 0 GEORGE CHAPMAN

Gui Fran s ini or a L uis B na ar com do ce ch o o p te, pelling the black and Obscene abyss of such a spirit to yield up at last the secret of its profoundest s is ri s and let f r the s r n of a s ul a oph t e , o th e pe t o th t lies coiled under the most intricate and supple r as ni f lf- ustiﬁed and s lf - n i u ri e o ngs o se j e co sc o s c me .

And thanks to this very quality of vivid Spiritual illu ina i n we are a l see b v li of m t o , b e to the ght the

’ author s mind without being compelled to see with his s or wi s of the li in as whi h eye , th the eye v g m k c he as sumes for his momentary impersonation of sain or s his hil s r or al fa r wi t op t, p o ophe m e cto ; th out a in one n lusi n n in one in ccept g co c o , co ced g po t, or n nin one ri is vi n a co do g c me. It e de t th t to produce any such effect requires above all things brightness and decisi on as well as subtlety and pliancy of genius ; and this is the supreme gift

’ and is in i fa ul of Mr Br nin s in d t ct ve c ty . ow g m d.

If indeed there be ever any likelihood of e rror in his uisi anal sis he will d u l ss exq te y , o bt e be found to err rather through excess of light than thr u an u h of dar n ss we ma u o gh y to c k e ; y do bt, not without a sense that the fittest mood of criti GEORGE CHAPMAN 2 1 cism might be that of a self- distrustful confidence in the deeper intuition of his finer and more

rf n wl h r r i n of pe ect k o edge, whet e the pe cept o good or evil would actually be so acute in the mind of the supposed reasoner ; whether for instance a

ri a l us l as sas sin a ri a l sa i ur of ve t b e ho eho d , ve t b e v o s i or r in arna i n of ral s il n oc ety othe c t o mo pe t e ce,

ul in ff see so l arl and so far i w a wo d e ect c e y , w th h t

r rv rsi n or is r i n of i in o the re eve pe e o d to t o v ew, t cesses of the pit of hell wherein he lives and moves and has his being ; recognising with quick and delicate apprehension what points of vantage he must s ri ain ha ut sts of s lf - f n t ve to g , w t o po e de e ce

ma e uar in lana i n and he y hop to g d, the exp t o vindication of the motive forces of his nature

l is and the atent mainspring of his deeds. Th

ﬁneness of intellect and dramatic sympathy whi ch is ever on the watch to anticipate and answer the unspoken imputations and prepossessions of his ar r r m nts of his in the he e , the ve y oveme m d,

r a i n of his ins in ts is rha s a uali ve y ct o t c , pe p q ty hardly compatible with a nature which we might ra r su s ud in fr ubli i n and the ppo e, j g g om p c ev de ce 2 2 GEORGE CHAPMAN

his ri in i ati n slu is and sh rt- si h to c d c o , to be gg h o g ted,

a sly Slow thing with circumspective eye that

can see but a li tl wa imm dia l ar un it but t e y e te y o d ,

n i r f r it nor in a it nor n a e the be o e beh d, bove be e th ;

and wh s in r s ti n if r a w r o e t o pec o , eve th t eye e e

urn inward w ul r a l ur i va il t ed , o d p ob b y be t b d, c

latin l u and un rtain as a i n of a iri g, c o dy ce the ct o Sp t

incapable of self- knowledge but not incapable of

self - di strust timi and im eniten a as and un , d p t, b ed

a ash r rs l ss but not r s lut sha l ss but b ed, emo e e e o e, me e not fearl ss If su h in r alit the u li rait r e . c be e y p b c t o and ur r r of a na i n we ma fairl inf r ha m de e t o , y y e t t his humbler but not viler counterpart in private life will be unlikely to exhibit a ﬁner quality of mind or a l ar r facult of r n B t i u s i n c e e y easo . u this s a q e t o of realism which in no wise affects the spiritual

’ alu and int r st f su w r Mr Br nin o as w s. v e e e ch o k . o g

What is important for our present purpose is to observe that this work of exposition by soliloquy and apology by analysis can only be accomplished or undertaken by the genius of a great special

l a r a l to ﬂin i s lf wi all his ar and p e de , b e g h m e th he t all his rain wit all f r of his in ll and b , h the o ce te ect

2 4 GEORGE CHAPMAN .

Prince Hohenstiel- Schwangau on his ways of

h u and a i n r to u wi ﬁre t o ght ct o , eve be to ched th the

whi ch turns to a sword or to a scourge the tongue of a poet to whom it is given to utter as from Pat mos or from Sinai the word that ﬁlls all the heaven

of song with the lightnings and thunders of chas

isem n But in la of l ri ra ur or ra a i t e t. p ce y c pt e d m t c action we may proﬁtably enjoy the unique and incomparable genius of analysis which gives to these special pleadi ngs such marvellous life and interest

as no other workman in that kind was ever or will

ever again be able to give ; we may pursue with

the same sense of strenuous delight in a new exer

cise of intellect and interest the Slender and lumi nous threads of speculation wound up into a clue with so

ﬁne a skill and such happy sleight of hand in Fqﬁm

at the Fai r or the i of S ordello w r the S xth book , he e

subtle Secret of spiritual weakness in a soul of too

various powers and too restless reﬁnement is laid

ar wi su unnin s r n of t u h con b e th ch c g t e gth o c ,

demned and consoled with such far- Sighted compas

i r r t s on and eg e .

Thi s last- named poem has been held especially GEORGE CHAPMAN . 2 5

liable to the charge which we have seen to be espe cially inapplicable to the general work of its author ; but although the manner of its construction should not s f nsibl as ma nf ss ha it eem de e e, to me I y co e t t

s not it w ul an u r misus of rms doe , o d be tte e te to

ﬁnd in obscurity of thought or language the cause

h i l f in of iff r n of t is percept b e de ect. The po t d e e ce was accurately touched by the exquisite critical genius of Coleridge when he deﬁned the style of — Persius as hard not obscure : for this is equally

' tr ue in the main of the style of S o r dello only the

ar m al is of a diff r n ualit and t r as h d et e e t q y empe , the intellect of the English thi nker is far wider in its r a h far su l r in its a i n and its aim an e c , bt e ct o , th

h f R man rr r if ma a o s i . a t t the o to c The e o , I y t ke on myself to indicate what I conceive to be the

rr r of s l in S ordello is w f l it is a e o , ty e t o o d ; com

osite s l an a al a of irr n ila l ma rials p ty e, m g m eco c b e te

ha na urall r fus al s and li a few of t t t y e e to co e ce ; , ke

’ au r s min r s it is ri n at l as ar the tho o poem , w tte e t p tiall in sh r an w i a asual r a r is li ! y o th d, h ch c e de ke y to mista for i r and to lain a r in l ke c phe , comp cco d g y

h l fr him A that the key should be wit he d om . 26 GEORGE CHAPMAN

curious light is thrown on the method of its com

position by the avowal put forth in the dedication o f a r issu of is m tha sin its ﬁrs adven e e th poe , t ce t ture on publicity the writer had added and had can c elled a notable amount of illustrative or explanatory ma er r f rrin ulti a l to l a his w r su tt , p e e g m te y e ve o k ch a as few us li ra h r an su as poem the m t ke, t e th ch

i h A ain t hi s i i the many m g t . g s t dec s on no one has

a right to appeal ; and there is doubtless much in the work as it stands that all imaginative think ers and capable students of poetry most as suredly must regard with much more than mere liking ; b ut when the reader is further invited to observe that the sole

in si ht s l of in r s ursu kept g , the o e object te e t p ed

the auth r was the inn r s u of an in ivi ual by o , e t dy d d

in the ult s h l of a sin l s ul the m d, occ p yc o ogy g e o ,

rs nal a h l of a s cial i n lli n he has pe o p t o ogy pe te ge ce, a right to suggest that in that cas e there is too

u and in an r as h r is not n u h of m ch, y othe c e t e e e o g , e xternal illustration and the byplay of alien actions and pas sions which now serve only to perplex the s h u to lain If it was the c eme they o ght exp .

’ a uthor s purpose to give to his philosophic poem a GEORGE CHAPMAN 2 7

ac r un of is ri a i n r li a ai ns b kg o d h to c ct o , to e eve g t the broad mass and movement of outer lif e the solitary process of that inward and spiri tual tragedy which

as m n f his min and art set w the ain occupatio o d , to the picture of a human Spirit in the frame of cir cumstances within which it may actually have been en ir n an wit ff rs of l i hr a s v o ed d beset h o e he p, w th t e t and m a i ns u s and r s s and an es te pt t o , do bt p o pect ch c of the d a i had on ar — if is was his ur y t e th, th p

s n sur l r is not r n u of su po e, the e y the e he e e o gh ch relief to illustrate a design which there is more than en u f i nf But if as are now o t to us . o gh co e , we

’ bli to as su the au r s ur s was stu o ged me, tho p po e di ously and strenuously to restrict within the limits o f inner spiritual study the interest and the motive of his w r to n n ra our a n i n wi h his o k, co ce t te tte t o t own u n r and f r un the rium po the g owth the o t e, t ph and failur the li and arkn ss of t is the e, ght the d e h one uman s iri s ul of a man of nius fall n h p t, the o ge e upon evil days and elect for great occasions and

ir i s ran r l i i s n sur l re is beg t w th t ge pe p ex t e , the e y the here far too much of external distraction and diver

’ sion for the reader s mind even to apprehend the 2 8 GEORGE CHAPMAN issu u l ss to r n r ss of t is e, m ch e comp ehe d the p oce , h inn r ra i a i n. in s r is li a e t g c ct o The poem, ho t, ke pictur e in which the background runs into the fore

r un the ﬁ ur s and the lan s a nf un a g o d, g e d c pe co o d e ch

r for an of s a and r r i n and h r is othe w t p ce p opo t o , t e e no mi l dis an dis rni l at all is but a dd e t ce ce b e . It natural corollary to this general error that the body lik the s iri of the its f r not l ss an its e p t poem, o m e th

h u s ul halt w n two or thr di rs t o ght, ho d bet ee ee ve e wa s and a the s le s ul ft n to y , th t ty ho d too o e come the ground between two stools or more being asit is n i r a ra a i nor a narrati s l n it r e the d m t c ve ty e, e he

rs nal nor i rs nal n i r l ri nor is ri pe o mpe o , e the y c h to c, b ut at once too much of all these and not enough of an r sult ma to as r a r no l ss y . The e y be the h ty e de e repellent than the result of obscurity in thought or in style ; but from identity of effect we are not to inf r an i n i of aus e de t ty c e .

The best parts of thi s poem also belong in sub stance always and sometimes in form to the class of monodramas or soliloquies of the spirit ; a form to

al i f Br which the an yt c genius o Mr . owning leads him r as ins in r urn and in whi eve by t ct to et , ch H M 2 GEORGE C AP AN . 9 alone it ﬁnds play for its especial faculties and security against its especial liabilities to error and confusion of styles ; a security for want of which his lyric and dramatic writing is apt to be neither

’ dra a i nor l ri al si l aus of wri r s m t c y c , mp y bec e the te na ural and in i a l n n to anal sis w i t ev t b e te de cy y , h ch, by the nature of things as well as by the laws of art can nl lain and r ss its lf i r , o y exp exp e e e the through the method of direct exposition or in the f r f ra e n al m n l wh o m o elabo t me t o o ogue. The ole argument of the sixth book is monodramatic ; and its counterpart is to be sought in the most dramatic and to me the most delightful passage of ual l n th in the the a niﬁ n eq e g poem, m g ce t s lil u of S alin uerra in f urt full of o oq y g the o h book, the subtle life and reality and pathos which the aut r to s a tr uth as it s s to n ho , pe k eem me, too ge e rall fails ransf r fr n l u in ial u y to t e om mo o og e to d og e, to translate into the sens ible action and passion of

ra or ad ua l x r ss in fuln ss and ﬁt t gedy, eq te y to e p e e

f r The ﬁn s and r l ness of lyric o m . e t most memo ab e

parts of his plays not less than of his poems are

almost always reducible in their essence to what I f )

30 GEORGE CHAPMAN .

have called monodrama ; and if cast into the mono

dramatic form common to all his later writings

would have found a better if not a keener expression

and left a clearer if not a deeper impression on the

min For one xa l the mmunin of old d. e mp e, co g

! ing Victor with himself on his return to the palace

he has resigned is surely far more impressive and

memorable to any reader than the rest of the play

where his character is exhibited in the mutual action

and reaction of dialogue among characters who

seem unable to say rightly what they should say

w n al n or s ur fr m int rru ti n except he o e ec e o e p o .

E n a man fr w ma u to ve Ch p , om hom I y be tho ght

have wandered somewhat far in this inquiry as to

wha is or is not r rl ﬁna l as s uri has t p ope y de b e ob c ty, in my judgment a sounder instinct of dramatic dia logue and movement than the illustrious writer who has carved out for himself in the second period of his career a new and better way to the end appointed by nature for the exercise of his highest powers ; and Chapman was certainly not remarkable among the great men of his day for the specially dramatic

32 GEORGE CHAPMAN . of his ﬂight and puts as ide for more practical means of revenge the thought of enchantments sovereign

la u hi s n i s as u l s i s lf a ain to p g e e em e , he b ck e h m e g — to the grim business of escape these and other such illustrative passages are not more remarkable for the splendour of their imaginative quality than for the aptness of their cunning application and the direct light reflected from them on the immediate argument which is penetrated and vivified through out by the insinuation and exploration of its radi an F w ts on r han . e a n ce poe , the othe d, h ve bee more uns paring in the use of illustration than Chap man flin s a ut si il s the han ful an ; he g bo m e by d , m y of th iffus and la ra in r ssi n s of em d e e bo te exp e o , mo t th uri usl th u ful and in ni us not a few em c o y o ght ge o , of them eloquent and impressive ; but in many cases they tend rather to distract the attention of the rea r an to lu i a the a r of his stud de th e c d te m tte y.

his ﬁrs s r as it is a an a n To t poem, ho t , Ch pm ppe ds a glossary to explain the accumulated allusions of a

th lo i al in i is n t at f t of i : my o g c k d, w th th o e the oo t

For r s of his own in n i n ﬁ ur s and the e t ve t o , g e si il s u hin t ir a n ss and n l at m e , to c g he pt e ove ty, he h h GEORGE CHAPMAN: 33

not la ur to us if m becaus s bo ed j t y the , e he hope they

ill r n u h us if s l s and w be p oved e o g to j t y them e ve ,

prove sufﬁciently authentical to such as understand

” h for the r s God h l for t em ; e t, e p them ( the poet

. vi n l ill not ann t as t rs a e e de t y w ), I c o do o he , m k da s m a li h r w an than she is ain in y ee g te om , by p t g

” h ri ﬁn er. The poem is however ch in e verses which struggle into sight through the vaporous atmosphere of bombas t and confusion ; it is thought ful arn st el u nt i in rlu s of r vi l n , e e , oq e , w th te de me e o e t and diss nan la ati n and rar r ﬂas s of i h o t dec m o , e he h g and su tl eaut li nti us ra ar and b e b y. The ce o g mm the shapeless structure of sentences that break all bounds of sense or harmony are faults that cannot be overlooked and must be condoned if we care to get at the kernel underlying these outer and inner

f r lan ua sa n ma husks o ha d g ge. The me comme t y be applied to the poems which follow ; but the s n H n in l n r and m r dis ursi e eco d ym , be g o ge o e c v

an ﬁrs is r ra a an and inco th the t, mo e ext v g t

r n and its all r r nfus and dith he e t, ego y mo e co ed

' i l o f ll Wh th r cult (whenever it is poss b e) t o ow. e e or not there b e as usual any reference to Elizabeth 3 34 GE ORGE CHAPMAN . and her court under the likeness of Cynthia and

er n s or an allusi n En lis mat rs of h ymph , y o to g h te

n rar mterest rils and rium hs of co tempo y , to pe t p

” li or war in sw t as of rans po cy , the ee ch e the t formed nymph Euthymia under the shape of a pan ther or a boar by the hounds of the goddess which pursue her into the impenetrable thi cket where the souls of such as have revolted from the empire of

n ia are l in n a and t r nt and Cy th he d bo d ge o me , whence the hunters who hew themselves a way into

r are f r r il in rr r it is asi r the cove t o ced to eco ho o , e e to conjecture than to determine : but the fruitful

” islan w i an r ﬂi s and lu s the d to h ch “the p the e e de hounds who track her by scent should be recog nizable as En lan full of all w alth li t and g d, e , de gh ,

r t u s u l in w i h anth r empe y ho gh the eq e h c the p e ,

urn in a u r ar han a of al n la s t ed to h ge bo t th t C ydo , y

” was its n l st ansi ns ar ns and r v s te ob e m o , g de , g o e

r u whi as a s wa ma s m th o gh ch the ch e m ke y , y ee now more impenetrable to human apprehension

han rt f r ri L a in how t the cove be o e desc bed . e v g

’ r t rs wit u of s r ss d eve to o he , ho t heed the poet exp e e

” c n em for our ﬂesh- nf un s uls as o t pt co o ded o , the t k M GEORGE CHAP AN . 35 of s in a s lu i n for ri dl s t us ins lu l we eek g o t o d e o o b e, may note in this poem the ﬁrst Sign of that high

a ri i uali whi h u h n to all the p t ot c q ty c , tho g commo

r a of his n ra i n is r ns an l er g e t ge e t o , mo e co t t y p

’ ceptible in the nobler moods of Chapman s mind

an in w r of an a n his rs th the o k m y mo g compee .

Especially in the reference of one elaborate Simile

a a ai n in the rlands and th e l a r to c mp g Nethe , e de ship of the English forces by

’ War s q uick artisan,

ame- thrivin V ere that in those countries wan F g , ” More fame than guerd on, we trace the lifelong interest taken by this poet in the fortunes of English ﬁghting men in foreign wars and the generous impulse which moved him twenty

i ars lat r at a e of si - r l a e ght ye e , the g xty th ee, to p e d in earnest and fervent verses the cause of Sir Hora tio V r h n n a wi his r han ful of e e, t e e g ged th poo d

’ ’ English in the ﬁrst act of the Thirty ! ears

“ ’ War si and is r sse in Mainhem , be eged d t e d ,

a an lls us in the ars of our i rs of Ch pm te ,) e the c t e

a s J me I. A quainter example of this interes t in the

’ Carl le s Frederick the r ter y G eat, book iii . chap

vol. i. p. 329. 3 — 1 36 GEORGE CHAPMAN foreign campaigns of his countrymen may be found

Before I take in hand the examination of Chap

’ ' man s w r s as a drama is ma sum u the es o k t t, I y p b t

and the worst I have to say of his earlier poems in

the remark that on a ﬁrst plunge into their depths

even the reader most willi ng to accept and most

’ anxious to admire the ﬁrstfruits of a poet s mind

which he knows to have elsewhere put forth such

’ noble fruit as Chapman s will b e liableto do them

less than justice until his own mind recovers from the

’ Shock given to his tas te by the crabbed and bom

basti v r ia r u us and d an i s urit c e b ge, the to t o pe t c ob c y,

the rigidity and the laxity of a style which moves ‘ as it w r i h a s iff shuﬂle at n f r al and e e w t t , o ce o m

Shambling ; which breaks bounds with a limping

ait and la s truan fr all rul i ut an of g , p y t om e w tho y

the grace of freedom ; wanders beyond law and

Straggles out of order at the halting pace of age and

ra it and in arb of a s lmast r la s g v y, the g choo e p y the

pranks of a schoolboy with a ponderous and lumba

inous li ns of n at n e r uma i and g ce e moveme t, o c he t c GEORGE CHAPMAN 37

rra i Wi e t c. th the recovery will probably come a reaction fromthis first impression ; and the student will perhaps be more than sufliciently inclined to condone these shortcomings in favour of the merits they obscure at first sight ; the wealth of imagery

ar ur of h u and f lin the rav and the do t o ght ee g, g e

vi r us harm n of er ar s and the go o o y the bett p t ,

general impression left on us of communion with a

s r n arn s i - min man of enius set l t o g, e e t , h gh ded g ,

ad rift without helm or rudder ; of lofty instincts

and large as pirations that run rather to leaf than to ; fruit for want of an eye to choose their proper aim, “ n i ari h The and a hand to use the mea s to t g t.

editor of the ﬁrst and by no means the worst

En lis an h l has at r fr t s s g h t o ogy g he ed om he e poem ,

’ and s iall fr Ovid s Ban uet o S ense lar e pec y om q f , ge

an fuls of ﬁne v rs s i w n us ull out h d e e , wh ch he th c ed

and bound up into separate Sheaves make a better

Show than in the text where they lay entangled

iar There are au i s among weeds and br s. be t e

enough lost in this thick and thorny jungle of

scholastic sensuality to furnish forth a dozen or so

of pilfering poeticules with abundance of purple 38 GEORGE CHAPMAN

patches to be sewn on at intervals to the common f h texture o t eir style . “ CIt is with a Singular sense of j arring admiration

and irritation that we ﬁnd couplets and quatrains

of the most noble and delicate beauty embedded in

the cumbrous ore of crude pedantic j argon : but

those who will may ﬁnd throughout the two earliest

publications of Chapman a profusion of good verses

thi l s a r a n an r r wth of Th ck y c tte ed mo g ove g o b ad . e

ﬁrst poem however which leaves us on the whole

with a general and equable impression of content

is the small epic song or copy of verses on the

s n n uiana H r the has eco d expeditio to G . e e poet

got clear of those erotic subtleties and sens ual

” metaphysics which were served up at his banquet i n such clumsy vessels of the coarsest ware by the

awkward and unwashed hands of an amorous

ant s ili n with the ink of the s ls the lift ped , o g choo ed

hem of the garment of love ; he has found instead a

ﬁt argument for his genius in the ambition and

f his l st un r n and a li adventur e o bo de co t yme , pp ed

himself to cheer and celebrate them in no ignoble

” rs The ﬁrst ri f ara ra h al n is ra ve e. b e p g p o e c bbed

A M N 40 GEORGE CH P A .

fr ﬁf n ir - ﬁve is la r a e is om tee to th ty . Th tte g the least he can have attained by any computation at the time when he put forth his Shadow of Night ! full of loud and angry complaints of neglect and slight endured at the hands of an unthankful and besotted generation it is somewhat late in life for

ﬁrst a aran of a bet and th n the ppe ce p , the poem e issued is a more crude and chaotic performance than might be looked for from a writer who has no longer the plea of uni'ipe age to put forward in excuse of

r the raw green fruits which he offers to the reade .

Dr Elz in the l arne and in ni us ssa . e, e d ge o e y

’ r ﬁx his iti n of ha an s Al hons'as p e ed to ed o C pm p , points out that from the internal evidence of that play we are driven to the alternative either of supposing Chapman to have been in Germany or of all win him a Ger an ar n r and a li tl o g m p t e (p . t e before observes that there is ample room between his leaving the university without a degree in 15 76 or 15 78 and his ﬁrst acknowledged publication in

’ 15 94 n for a l n th n s a in G r an In eve e g e ed t y e m y. default of evidence we might perhaps be permitted to throw o ut a guess that the future poet had in his G A ! EORGE CHAPM N . 4

y outh seen some service and been possibly an eye

witness of some part of the campaigns in the Low

Countries to which he refers in a manner showing

action on the most excellent river Wall before

’ s at l - si s n - rn Nimi uen f u t b e t e y ghted co ce to g , o gh

tween the cavalry of the Italian Duke and

the En lis l a r Sir Fran is or Sir Hora i g h e de , c t o

’ V r who r w the n s rs a f in a e e, d e e emy ho e, by e t m de

i h his own in an am us a of infan r w t , to b c de t y by

hi w r ut r u B the w ch they e e p to o t. oth text

and the note appended Show a willingness to display this knowledge of the strategy and

geography of the skirmish with some ostentation

of precision ; hi s parting remark at the end of

the note has a tone of satisfaction in the dis

cover of a. ne r r of ill ra i n And y w o de ust t o .

s lik si il s in ini n rawn fr the the e e m e , my op o , d om

n ura l s of our n l untr n la in ho o b e deed ob e co yme , c d

c l a i of s w ul a as ome y h b t poe y, o d become poem

ll as furt r- f r un s if su as s we he etched g o d , ch be poet

’ n a a s ul use m He was not hims lf ow d y wo d the . e ,

as we a se n o r ar ful use at the h ve e , ve c e to them 42 GEORGE CHAPMAN right moment or turn them to the most natural account ; but to the principle here advanced he r ain n i his la er wri in em ed sta ch n t t gs.

It may be thought somewhat out of keeping with the general reputation of Chapman as a retired student of a grave and sober habit of life that he

Should be supposed to have ever taken any active part in a military campaign ; but those were days when scholars and men of letters were not uncom mouly found apt for employment in matters of war and li and a r f of a ri ht lai po cy, g ve good p oo g to c m their place among other servants of thestate for the

rf r an of i a ri i u nor unl ss we pe o m ce h gh p t ot c d ty; , e

l as n we ima in a an a s r p e e, eed g e Ch pm to h ve e ved personally as a volunteer in the Englis h ranks ; but it is reasonable to conceive that either in person or by proxy he may have had special opportunities of s u in the in i nts of war in h rlan s t dy g c de the Net e d , which he would evidently have been mindful to i make the most of and quick to put to use. It s

also possible that his relations with the stage may have begun at an earlier date than has yet been tra and as n w a in 15 85 n ha ced we k o th t , whe C p M GEORGE CHAP AN . 43

man was n - six ars old L i s r r u twe ty ye , e ce te b o ght over to Holland a company of actors in his train when he set sail as commander of the forces des patched from England to the support of the States

G n ral and t a h rs f ll w sui on h ir own e e , h t ot e o o ed t t e s r in su in ars h s who are unwillin co e cceed g ye , t o e g to allow him a chance of service as a soldier may prefer to conjecture that he was drawn to the seat of war by the more probable force of some poetic or

’ theatrical connection with either the general s ﬁrst troop of players or that which followed in its track

ﬁve ars la r hat t s arli r a n ur rs ye te . T he e e e dve t e were succeeded by fresh companies in 1604 and

1605 and a ain f r ars la er at an un r iti us , g o ty ye t , p op o

at for a t rs in En lan l n ars after the d e c o g d, e eve ye

a of a an fur r l arn fr an ar i l in de th Ch pm , I the e om t c e

h 'wm S 5 th 18 4 n H rr n H ll At eme . o vo the ( ept , 7 ) e e

’ wald s History of the Stage in Holland and eight years later than the venture of the second company of la rs in 15 90 we ﬁnd a man lass p ye , Ch p c ed by

Meres among the best of our tragic writers for the

’ ’ s a and r at l n r on Henslowe s s t ge, epe ed y e te ed book as debtor to the manager for some small advance of 44 GEORGE CHAPMAN money on future dramatic work to be supplied to his co an mp y.

In any case it is remarkable that his ﬁrst play s hould not have been b rought o n the stage till the

t was irt - six or u lis e till was risin poe th y , p b h d . he g f r an a e at whi s men who mi ha o ty ; g ch mo t , ght ve

wri n su a la at si e n w ul av en un tte ch p y xt e , o d h e be

illin x s it to the li is v n a re w g to e po e ght. It e e nro ' c ru and ra l ss i of w r if we c nsi r -it de g ce e p ece o k, o de

as si n for s a han his ﬁrs n ur of de g ed the t ge, t t ve t e

the preceding year if we regard it as intended for h u Th l i il i u h t e s . e s r s t t e t dy p ot mo e ch d h, ho gh

lan ua e ma ur r han we ﬁnd in ru est g g y be p e , t the d

s c s of Gr n or P l w s da was now ket he ee e ee e, ho e y

w ell over ; and even for the ﬁrstfruits of a person

o f s r r n as t r li i us and e ra e mo t eve e d pec , e g o t mpe t ,

uali i s rar l tin in a e will b e ad q t e e y mee g po t,

mitted that the moral tone of Chapm two earliest c omedies is not remarkably higlﬂ The ﬁrst deals

s l l wi the i ssi l frau s r s r us a ul o e y th mpo b e d , p epo te o d

teries and far i al ur ers mit a di s uis , c c m d com ted by g ed

hero who as sumes the mask of as many pseudonyms ‘ to perpetrate his crimes as ever were assumed in Old M N GEORGE CHAP A . 45 or New Grub Street by a prudent member of the libellous order of ras cally rhymesters to vent his villaini s in sha ful saf t The st r is n a e me e y. o y be e th

r uli of a nurs r and but for s the c ed ty e y, ome de tached pas sages of clear and vigorous writing the whole work might plausiblv have been signed by any of the names under which a dunce of the order above- mentioned might think it wisest to put forth his l ri s or his lies In r as sa s and y c . the bette p ge , noticeably in a description of jewels engraved with

ﬁ ur s of s we a c a fain of the g e the god , c t h t echo

mighty line in which Marlowe would lavish on su h s ri i ns the wealth and str n th ma c de c pt o e g , the

an fan of his full i rial s l st d . je y the cy, mpe ty e

The frank folly and reckless extravagance of in

’ cident which appear to have won for Chapman s

ﬁrs la fa ur of an audi n not r arka l t p y the vo e ce em b e, it s ul s for ca tions ni of ri i al as ho d eem, p cety c t c t te and u m n are l ss er ti l in his s nd j dg e t, e p cep b e eco venture ; but this also is a crude and coarse sample

i ara t rs are a nfus d of workmansh p. !The ch c e co e

r w of r u s hes w s in utlin s and c o d o gh ketc , ho e th o e

faint colours are huddled together on a ragged X6 GEORGE CHAPMAN

vass without order or proporti There is some

promise of humour in the part of Puritan adul

teress but it s li l or n thin and , come to tt e o g ; the

c omedy rather collapses than concludes in a tangle

imbecilities and incoherent indecen

is seemingly more corrupt than we

’ ﬁnd in a an s r la s w i are nerall Ch pm othe p y ,‘h ch ge y exempt from such gross and multitudinous misprints

as deform the early editions of many Elizabethan

dramatists ; their chief defect is the confusion and

f dir i In nin f the paucity o stage ect ons . the ope g ’ s of An Hamorous Da s Mirth fr the peech y , om

f ur n to si n h rs ust su l o tee th the xtee t ve e, we m pp y

with some such reading as this the evident hiatus

o f sense and metre in the ﬁfteenth

' But ure reli ion ein b ut men ﬁ p g b g tal stu ,

And sense indeed bein all“b r i f , , [ g! [ ut!fo tsel , ’ Tis to be d oub etc .

The text and arrangement of the scenes through

P an ad ective has here dro ed out erhaps j pp , and we

’ h read the hemistich thus all covetous for itself mig t , or ’ ’ s luttonous an of which care curiou , g , y words would

t and suit the sense of the assa e. ﬁt he metre, p g

48 GEORGE CHAPMAN

I am most loth to pass your sight

ith an such lik e mar of W y k vanity , Being marked with age for an s of greater weight

And drowned in dark d eath- ushering melancholy but for fear of piratical publishers who might print

by stealth an unauthorized and interpolated

’ di i n wi h u ass r a i th r s e t o , t o t my p po t, p tched w th o e

’ wit ns n s s r n , he co e t to expo e to eve y commo eye what he calls

The least allowed irth of m sha en rain b y k b , alleging as his excuse that of two enforced ills I elect the leas t and with this most superﬂuous apology he ushers in one of the most faultless ex amples of high comedy to be found in the whole rich ﬁ l f i 15 e d o our Elizabethan drama. The style s and lumin us as runnin wa r the v rs ur o g te , e e p e, si l sm and s r n the ial u alwa s mp e, ooth t o g, d og e y

ri ﬂu n li l and at i s r li with b ght, e t, ve y, t me e eved delicate touches of high moral and intellectual beauty ; the plot and the characters excellently

ﬁ a h r wi us n u in ri a and tted to e c othe , th j t e o gh t c cy fullness of incident to sustain without relaxation or

r r a rs confusion the ready interest of eaders o spect to . GEORGE CHAPMAN 49

The play and counterplay of action by which all the chief persons of the comedy trick and are tricked by each other in turn might easily have become perf plexed or excessive in less careful and skilful handsl; b ut the lightness and dexterity of handling which the poet has here for once manifested throughout the whole development of his dramatic scheme sufﬁce to keep the course of the story clear and the attention of the reader alert without involution or fatigue ; and over all the dialogue and action there plays a fresh and radiant air of mirth and light swift buoyancy of life which breathes rather of joyous strength and high- spirited health than of the fumes of dark death - ushering melancholy and as in matter of fact d eath was not ushered by melancholy or any other evil spirit into the stout presence of the old poet till full thirty- ﬁve years after the appearance and twenty- nine years after

l di a i n of is la ma ful set the de c t o th p y, we y hope y d own this malcontent phras e to some untimely ﬁt of s l n fr w i havin hus i n it n he p ee om h ch , g t g ve ve t, soon shook himself clear and struck his pen through

r c r of it the e o d . so GEORGE CHAPMAN .

I ﬁnd but one Slight and characteristic blemis h worth noting in a comedy in which the proudest

among his great compeers might have permissibly

taken fresh pride : it is that the ﬁnal scene of dis

covery which wind s up the main thread and recon-e

ciles the chief agents of the intrigue is somewhat

hurri dl s atc wi too ra i a an of e y de p hed, th p d ch ge

ara r and r ad us nt of r la i ns to a ch cte e j tme e t o , m ke room for a thin- spun and wiredrawn sample of that tedious burlesque declamation with which the author was too prone to indulge a taste not likely to be shared or relished by hi s read ers for the minute

iss i n of a a s so dr ha it ru l s in d ect o de d je t, y t t c mb e to

us un r he s al l f the ana is ll th r d t de t c pe o tom t. A e est of the is so li ri and as in all its comedy ght, b ght, e y paces that we are the less disposed to tolerate the stiffn ss and la rati n of t is ra ri al in rlu e e bo o h o to c te de.

But this is really the only spot or patch I can dis cover on the jocund face of a delightful comi c m poe .

It is not impossible that the merit of pure and lucid style which distinguishes the best comedies of

Chapman from the bulk of his other writings may M 1 GEORGE CHAP AN . 5 in part be owing to the slighter value set by the aut r on n hi B ra ho the workma s p of these. y tempe l/ ment and inclination he was rather an epic or tragic than a comic poet : and in writing verse of a tragic or epic quality he evidently felt it incumbent on him to ass rt i ni of his fﬁ inﬂa and e the d g ty o ce, to te exalt his style with all helps of metaphor and hyper

l to s iff n ar of his r and ar n bo e, t e the m ch met e h de the structure of his language ; and hence he is but too prone to rely at need on false props of adven titious and arbari di nit strut on s il s or b c g y, to t t to swim on bladders : whereas in writing for the comic sta was n n to f r t or at l ast f r ge he co te t o ge , e to o ego, thi s imaginary dignity and duty ; he felt himself no l n r un to al bi or to s alk stitﬂ and in o ge bo d t k g t y, consequence was not too high- minded to move easily and s a ra full is l ar a h pe k g ce y. It c e th t e set no great store by his comi c talent as compared with the

r ifts of his nius of all hi s di s two nl othe g ge ; come e o y,

’ All Fools and The Widow s Tears av i a i ns , h e ded c t o

r ﬁ and in h as s n of the p e xed to them, bot c e the to e dedication is almost apologetic in its slighting re ference to the slight worth of the work presented ; a 4— 2 M 5 2 GEORGE CHAP AN . tone by no means to be as cribed in this cas e to a

n ral and nuin u ili sin di a i ns ge e ge e h m ty, ce the de c t o

r ﬁ his vari us s and two a n his p e xed to o poem , to mo g

ra i s u lish un r his own are r ar t ged e p b ed de eye, em k

ﬁ lf- ass r i n The able for their lofty and digni ed se e t o . fa at of h s two ra i s one The Reven e O ct th t e e t ged e , , g f

’ Buss d Ambois was a ar ntl unsu ssful on y , pp e y cce the

sta and the r Cwsar and Pom e s s ge, othe , p y, eem

never to have obtained a chance of appearing on

the ar s at all ma na urall a d bo d , y t y h ve move the

author to assert their right to respect and acceptance

with more studied emphasis than usual ; in the

earlier instance at least he is emphatic enough in

his appeal from the verdict of the maligners with

‘ whom he complains that it met in the scenical

’ r r s ntati n to the a r ati n of r w r ep e e o , pp ob o mo e o thy

‘ j udgments which even therein it di d not fail to

ain and in the s n as u he a ars obt ; eco d c e, tho gh ppe

to apologize for the lack of novelty and fashion

in a play written so long since that it had not

the i l ri en ss of tha a e s nt - two at t me y p e t g ( eve y ) th ,

t an God ﬁnd no faul wi hal for an su h I h k , I yet t t y c

’ f s is a ar n l and r as n l conﬁ de ect , yet he pp e t y e o ab y GEORGE CHAPMAN . 53 dent that the offering of his martial history is one n ura l ali and atr n Botlfl ho o b e ke to poet to p o . plays are rich in rhetorical passages of noble elo quence b ut in all points of workman!ike construe- t tion and dramatic harmony they are incomparably inf ri r r s rt of his i s e o to the bette o comed e .

The year of the publication of All Fools was

memorable to Chapman for a more hazardous mis

adventure on a more serious stage than the failure

of a on ar s for whi he had to comedy the bo d , ch

thank the merited success of a play whose strange

fortune it was to prove as tragical in its sequence as

rr in i s lf us inin in a new fashi n the me y t e , th comb g o

’ li i f B s imm rtal in rlu two main qua t es o o ttom o te de.

All readers will remember the bas e offence taken

and the bas e revenge threatened by the son of

Darnley or of Rizzio for a passing jest aimed at

those among his countrymen who had anticipated

’ Dr ns n s is r of ﬁn st r s r . Joh o d cove y the e p o pect eve

seen by a native of Scotland ; none can forget the

all n r w i Ben ns n a S d es g a t y with h ch Jo o . cot by

cent of whom it might have been said as truly as h of the greatest in the generation before him that e M 54 GEORGE CHAP AN .

’ n r f ar fa of man a r i s lf the eve e ed the ce , pp oved h m e

like- minded son of a Roman- spirited mother by

coming forward to share the certainty of imprison

ment and the probability of mutilation with the

two comrades who without his knowledge had in serted such perilous matter into their common work ; and many will wish with me that he had never borne a nearer and less honourable relationto a king who combined with the northern virulence and

dantr i ma a hi pe y wh ch he y h ve derived from s tutor.

Buchanan a savour of the worst qualities o f the worst Italians of the worst period of Italian de

a n It was r hi r of r a s iri and c de ce. wo t e the g e t p t the mas terful genius of Jonson to be the subject of

hi r Far hi s tyranny than the laureate of s cou t. m r fitl had su h an one t n n rn ul o e y , c he bee bo , wo d that office have been filled by any scribbling S cot o f the excremental school of letters who might have sought and found in his natural prince a congenial patron with whom to bathe his sympathetic spiri t in the ur rali w il swim in wi h s p e mo ty, h e m g t ome what short strokes in the deep delicious stream of

” i r Su a ris La ini of P r nius Ar . the t ty, et o b te ch C

i 50 GEORGE CHAPAIAN

nvi l l rit note a sufficient Share of more e ab e ce eb y.

It is one of the most spirited and brilli ant plays

belonging to that clas s of which the two most

famous examples are the Merry Wives of Wind sor

and Every Man in His Humour ; and for lif e and

m n in r s and ai it ma all n a move e t, te e t g ety, y ch e ge

n n wi th s All the a t rs in compariso eve th e e. c o M

ward Ho wn r sli ht s su as the , do to the ve y g e t, ch

’ raw r utc r s man and the er of the d e , the b he , keep

ris n ha s uali and ara r of ir p o , ve ome q ty ch cte the

own which gives them a place in the comic action ;

and in no play of the time do we get such a true

tas te of the old city life so often turned to mere ridicule and caricature by playwr ights of less good hu ur or f l a ut us su a fa iliar air of mo , ee bo ch m ancient London as blows through every scene ; the

l us ld of the ri ra s an the sh home y ho eho ch t de m , op

’ wi its s all in fr n usur r s l in the th t o t, the e odg g,

at rsi a rn a s arfs stan out as w e de t ve , the Th me wh , d sharply as if etched by the pen of Dickens or the n dl f W is l r L n n f H ar h o . o as set ee e h t e The o do og t , before us in that immortal series of engravings for which he is said to have taken the hint from this GEORGE CHAPMAN . 57

s no t s n ar r or r a ual an comedy, doe eem e e mo e ct th

is l r L n n of ns n a an and Mar th e de o do Jo o , Ch pm ,

ston ; and the more high- ﬂying genius of Frank

!uicksilver is as real and lif elike as the humbler

r and ar r f T dl The debauche y d ke doom o om I e .

parts of Mistress Touchstone and Gertrude are

worthy of Moliere in his homelier mood ; and b ut

for one or two momentary indecencies dropped here

and r a s assa of Mars n the the e to tte t the p ge to ,

scenes in which they ﬁgure would be as perfect and

blameless examples of pure broad comedy as any

s an h ﬂu erin and xu ran tage c S ow. The tt g e be t

ambition of the would- b e Céliméne or Millamant of

the city is painted with such delightful force and

fr s n ss her i rial v lu ilit of n the e h e , mpe o b y co tempt, joyous and tremulous eagerness with which she

obeys the precept of the Psalmi st to forget her own

’ ’ l and her fa h r s us her alt rna as peop e t e ho e, e te ph es

of ra i us a r na and overﬁo win l u are g c o p t o ge g ob oq y,

so charming in the buoyancy and fertility of their

changes that we are rejoiced when after the term of

adversity so differently put to use by the prodigal

daughter and the proﬁigate apprentice Frank and M 58 GEORGE CHAP AN .

Gertrude are alike restored to the favour of the ex cellent old citizen by the kind ofﬁces of his worthy

on- in- l nl ha s i n r f of s aw . Not o y ve the poet g ve p oo gentler morality and a juster sense of justice than the :

V great painter who followed long after in the track

of ir in n i n but t ha ntri n to the ve t o , hey ve co ved eve secure our cordial regard for the kindly virtues of the respectable and industrious characters whose aim it is to rise by thrift and honesty ; and we

’ salute the promotion of Master Deputy s worship to the proud oﬂice of substitute for the al derman o f his ward with a satisfaction which no man surely

’ ever felt in the exaltation of Hogarth s Lord Mayor

t si in ud m nt on his lu kl ss f ll w o t j g e c e e o . The

’ ﬁgures of Gertrude s gallant knight and his crew of

V ir inian a v ntur rs wh s diti n ﬁnall cul g d e e , o e expe o y minates in a drun n shi r on ham s are ke pw eck the T e ,

as vivid and as pleasant as any of these o ther

studies ; and the scenes in which the jealous usurer is induced by the devices of ! uicksilver and Sir

Petronel to bring his disguised wife into the com pany of her paramour and reassure her supposed G MA EORGE CHAP N. 59 scruples with hiS pithy arguments against conj

ﬁ li w il l s ﬂ at her su s de ty, h e he et y ppo ed

' the well- worn jests which recoil on his own head; have in them enough of wit and humorous invention! to furnish forth the whole ﬁve acts of an c of in ri u E n in se s c s omedy t g e. ve the ket he the prosai c life of their day the great and gene rous poets of that age were as prodigal of the riches of their genius as in the tragic and romantic w r of ir i r ds s l of ha o k the h ghe moo . The ty e C p man is perceptible in some of the best of these scenes in the third act as well as in the moral pass age of metrical philosophy put into the lips of the

alf - r wn ui silv r in the f ur w r nl h d o ed ! ck e o th, he e o y the last i r has a n n of his an iw r ed to t ke ote h d o k .

Two allusi ns in the u of the usur r one o mo th e , to

’ ’ the s i of fa us Dra and one the a l s h p mo co, to c me horns of which we hear something too often from

is are in un ista a l ann r of ha th poet, the m k b e m e C p man O r su in s i r a s dis . the ch po t m ght pe h p be covered ; b ut on the whole we may probably feel safe in as signing to each of the three associates as 60 GEORGE CHAPMAN equal a share in the labour and the credit as they bore in the peril entailed on them by a comedy

i u is laimin all unfri ndl aim at wh ch, tho gh d c g e y rivalry with one of similar title already familiar

the s a us r a l and s r dl have to t ge, m t p ob b y de e ve y eclipsed the success of two play s not published till two years later under cognate names by Decker and

Webster ; though the plot of Nor thward H0 is not

an in in u ur and in nui and in Westward w t g h mo ge ty,

HO there is one scene of exquisite and incongruous beauty in which we recognize at once the tender and reckless hand which ﬁve years earlier had

inserted into the yet more inappropriate framework

of the Satiromastia as sweet an episode of seeming

martyr dom and chastity secured under the Shelter i of a Sleep l ke death .

In his next play Chapman reassumed the more

poetical style of comedy which in E astward HO

f r li had been put off for the plainer garb o ea sm.

“ The Gentleman Usher is distinguishable from all his

other works by the serious grace and sweetness of

the l v - s en s and the i r n of f minine o e c e , h ghe to e e

character and masculine regard which is sustai ned GEORGE CHA PMA IV° 6!

r u u ra r assa s Els w r i th o gho t the g ve p ge . e he e t should seem that Chapman had scorned to attempt o r failed to achieve the tas k of rousing and retaining the chief interest of his reader in the fortune of two young lovers : b ut in this play he has drawn such a passionate and innocent couple with singular ten d r and li a r a r ff s of um ur e ness de c cy. The b o de e ect h o are i n u h u r a s s at too com c e o g , tho gh pe h p omewh much prolonged and too often repeated ; but the charm of the play lies in the bright and pure quality

of i r n i ar s n in hi h rin ts oma t c p t. The ce e w ch t e p ce and Mar ar arr t rann and in ri ue g et, deb ed by y y t g

fr the ri t of u li arria s us a om gh p b c m ge, e po e e ch

other in secret by a pretty ceremony devised on the

s t and dial u of w un S r zza i po , the og e the o ded t o w th

the wife who has restored him to spiritual strength

’ the sw f d of her di in a i are m by eet oo v e dv ce, odels o f the si l lu in us and f r n s l of r mp e, m o , e ve t ty e poet y

r r r man i at its hi s A n l p ope to o t c comedy ghe t. ob e

assa in the ﬁft act of is la n ai ns as f p ge h th p y co t , ar

as n w the ﬁrs ir t r t s a ains the rin I k o , t d ec p o e t g t p

ciple of monarchy to be found in our poetical or

’ d ramatic literature ; his last year s hazardous ex 62 GEORGE CHAPMAN

perience of royal susceptibilities may not impro

’ bably have given edge to the author s pen as it set

down these venturous lines in a time when as yet

no in had n au in ras of old L r k g bee t ght, the ph e o d

Au inl ha had a in in his n ch eck, t t he jo t eck.

“ ’ d wh s a rince Had all een virtuo n An at p ? b us me ,

here never had een rince u on the earth T b p p ,

And so no subj ect all men had been princes.

A virtuous man is subj ect to no prince,

But to his soul and honour which are laws

That carr ﬁre and sword within themselves y ! ,

d never out of rule Never corrupte ,

e t t his l l What is there in a princ , ha east usts

e f r m Are valued at the liv s o othe en,

in h uld rodi i s b When common faults him s o p g e e,

' And his gross d otage rather loathed than éoothed l

I should be surpri sed to ﬁnd in any poet of Chap

’ man s age an echo of such clear and daring words as th s w i ma sufﬁ s w ha the li ar hi c e e, h ch y ce to he t t o g c habit of mind to which I have before referred in him was frui of no s hanti e r no the t ycop c t mpe ,

lian and r s i ut s irit the r r of a ur p t p o t t e p , p ope ty co

i r or a ur zan but s run rath r from ure t e co te , p g e p intellectual haughtiness and a contempt for the mob

r l ss it is w ll r r r of minds. Neve the e e wo th ema k that such a deliberate utterance of republican prin

6 4 GEORGE CHAPMAN impressive introduction to a play could have been

d is an arri al of .the hi f rs n n wl ev ed th the v c e pe o , e y lan e in i es and s iri s fr a l n v a d d h gh hop p t om o g oy ge, before the closed gates and curtained cas ements of

’ a n old fri n s h us within w i ta rs are urn e d o e, h ch pe b in at n n and f r whi h as er wal s g oo , be o e c the m t k sadl u and wn and r ls his r ff r em y p do , epe p o e ed b rac e and the whole scene following which explains the trouble of one household and the mourning of an h r is a l of l ar natural di niﬁ di a ot e mode c e , , g ed l u in whi r w r is ar ni us a r og e, ch eve y o d h mo o , pp o

l Th r an in r t of thi s ris e and n . e a d s p t , ob e g ce te e e xposition are more or less well sustai ned during the earlier part of the play ; but as the underplot o ns out at r a r l n h ain in r s is pe g e te e gt , the m te e t

r and r rus as i ra as it w r for mo e mo e th t de, c mped e e s a and s u z out of a e ill at las t it is p ce q ee ed Sh p , t fairly hustled into a corner of the action to make way for the overwrought fooleries of the gull

’ d Olive and the courtiers who play upon his vanity ; and is un r l t di r in n u in a Sli ht th de p o , ve t g e o gh g wa for one or two s n s is s r ch ou n the y ce e , t et ed t o tenterhooks of farcical rhetoric and verbose diae M GEORGE CHAP AN . 65

logue till the reader ﬁnds himself defrauded of the

i h r in r s i h e was led and h g e te e t wh ch to expect,

wearied of the empty substitute which the way

wardness or indolence of the author has chosen to

in i a war palm off on him ts ste d. To ds the end in

deed there is a profuse waste of good points and

promising possibilities ; the humorous ingenuity of

the devices so well contrived to wind up together

and in order the double thread of the main plot is

stinted of room to work in and display its excellent

uali of in n i n and the ﬁnal s n w i h q ty ve t o , ce e, h c

Should have explai ned and reconciled all doubts and

errors at large with no less force and fulness of

careful dramatic capacity than was employed upon

ir si i n is as il a u and slurre the expo t o , h t y p tched p d

over to leave place for a las t superﬂuous exhibition of such burlesque eloquence as had already been ad mitted n um r l s of an r m d to e c be the c o e othe co e y,

r rf an is in c ns ru i n but r ainl mo e pe ect th th o t ct o , ce t y

in in n i n In s i how not more interest g co cept o . p te e er of is main l mis in the a i n Monsieur v th b e h ct o ,

’ ' d Ohxve may properly be counted among the more

l f man notab e and successful plays o Chap . 6 MAN 6 GEORGE CHAP .

Of his two remaining comedies I may as well

a w r r a la r M i sa s t . a w was y o d he e e ym, h ch printed ﬁve years after the two last we have ex amined is full of the us l and ustl of in ri u , b t e j e t g e which may be expected in such comedies of incident as depend rather on close and crowded action than on ﬁne or forcible character for whatever they may

ri f su ss h r is no u h in it of r an me t o cce . T e e to c om ce o r o ti al in r st but s ral of si ua i ns p e c te e , eve the t t o and di alogues may have credit for some share of

i ur an hu ur v go d mo .

But of these qualities Chapman gave much fuller

r f n t ar in the un i alr us of p oo ex ye ch v o comedy The,

’ Wid ow s Tears is is urt us ra a is as ri . Th d co eo d m ch in i f r as it is r in ami a l s nti nt com c o ce poo b e e me .

There is a brutal exuberant fun throughout the

whole action which ﬁnds its complete expression

and nsu ati n in rawn allan r and co mm o the b y g t y .

us ular rri n of Th r lio A s ulativ m c me me t a sa . pec e

commentator might throw out some conjecture to

the effect that the poet at ﬁfty - three may have been

bent o n revenge for a slight offered to some unsea

sonable courtship of his own by a lady less amen M N 6 GEORGE CHAP A . 7 able to the proffer of future fame than the belle marquise who has the credit for all time to come of having lent a humble ear to the haughty suit and looked with a gracious eye on the grey hairs of

r rn ill But wh r t is n ou the g eat Co e e. ethe h kee slaught on the pretensions of the whole sex to con tinence or constancy were or were not instigated

an indi i ual ra ur the is wri n by y v d nco , comedy tte with no little pow er and constructed with no little ingenuity ; the metrical scenes are pure and

i r us in s l and the ifﬁult of ﬁtin su h v go o ty e, d c y t g c a story to the stage is surmounted with scarcely

f ri f darin The acti n of the less o dexte ty than o g . o last scene is again hampered by the intrusion of forced and misplaced humours ; and while the superﬂuous underlings of the play are breaking ant b and in ir arr n s s the s or is not so y g the b e je t , t y much wound up as huddled up in whispers and byplay ; but it may certainly be pleaded in excuse of the poet that the reconciliation of the Ephesian matron to her husband was a somewhat difﬁcult ceremony to exhibit at length and support with an lausi l or eff ual lana i n y p b e ect exp t o . 68 GEORGE CHAPMAN

T wo other titles are usually found in the cata

’ logue of Chapman s extant comedies ; but it seems

to me as diﬂicult to di scover any trace of Chapman

in the comedy of The Ball as of Shirley in the

tra f Cha s t o la s w r issu gedy o bot. The e w p y e e ed by the same printer in the same year for the same

u lis rs arin nam s of a an p b he , both be g the e Ch pm

and Shirley link ed together in the bonds of a most incongruous union ; but I know not if there be any

further ground for belief in this singular associa

' i n r diﬁerence in a e ul a h t o . The me e g wo d m ke t e

rumour of a collaboration between the eldest of old

English dramatists and the latest dis ciple of their

school so improbable as to demand the corrobora

tion of some trustworthier authority than a b ook

’ seller s title- page bearing date ﬁve years after the

a of a an In r de th Ch pm . the ve y next year a play

was u lis un r the na of Fletchei' who p b hed de me ,

had then been ﬁfteen years dead ; this play was

afterwards reclaimed by Shirley as the work of

his own han and of his al n n r d, o e ; o is there

an u t t a Fl r had not a ﬁn r in i y do b h t etche ge t.

Of the authorship of Chabot there can be no G M N 6 EORGE CHAP A . 9

u s i n su t the s l mann r the q e t o ; the bjec , ty e, the e , m r the ns ru i n the arac rs all are er et e, co t ct o , ch te , p

’ fectl ha man s The Ba ll on r han is y C p . , the othe d, as h r u l in li st s l of S irl and t o o gh y the ghte ty e h ey, not a bad example of his airily conventional ner it is li l and as n u but mu l w ; ve y e y e o gh, ch be o the ar of his s di s su as The Lad o m k be t come e , ch y f

Pleasur e (where an allusion to this earlier play is

r u in dial u whi but for a sin l b o ght to the og e), ch g e ugly incongruity would be one of the few ﬁnest examples of pure high comedy in verse that our s a l nst ha of M li r t ge coud Show agai t t o e e.

A foundling of y et more dubious parentage has been fathered upon Chapman by the tradition which has afﬁxed to his name the putative paternity of

” a mi al ral nsurin the f lli es of his a e co c mo ce g o t g , an n usl u lis in his si t - ﬁrst ar o ymo y p b hed x y y e . It has been plausibly suggested that the title of this w n rful dl Two Wise Men an d all the r est o de me ey,

Fools was ﬁrs and las aus of its a ri u i n , the t t c e tt b t o

the an of a man and a rr r ar s to h d Ch p , th t the e o o e from a confusion of this with the title of A ll

’ m i s In an Fools the b s of a an s . , e t Ch pm co ed e y CH A PMA 7 0 GEORGE N .. case it is difﬁcult to believe that this voluminous pamphlet in the form of dialogue on social ques tions can have been the work of any practised or

r f i nal r atis is ernall divi p o ess o d am t. It ext y ded into e n a s and i as r as na l a S ve ct , m ght e o b y h ve

- A ar ful and been divided into twenty one . c e laborious perusal of the bulky tract from pro l u to il u whi has na l in s og e ep og e, ch e b ed me ome meas ure to appreciate the double scientiﬁc ex

eriment of Mr Br wnin on Sibrandus S af p . o g ch

” nabur ensis l ns als aﬂirm tha g , embo de me o to t it has no v s i of dr a a i a i n no ra of e t ge m t c ct o , t ce a s r no an m of a l a r a r to y, ph to p ot ; th t the e de who can believe the assertion of its title- page that it was divers times or indeed ever acted on any mortal stage by any human company before any living audience will have a better claim to b e saved by his faith than the author by this sample at leas t of his works ; th at it contains much curious and sometimes amusing detail on social matters of the da and is not wantin in r a lim s s y , g b o d g p e or in r als Of s m h l ni m In te v o ew at c ow sh hu our. the strong coarse satir e on female Puritanis m

GE ORGE CHAPMA N

Al u r ma in lin all w tho gh, howeve , we y be c ed to o no great weight to the tradition current ﬁfty - seven

ars af r the a of a an w i a or in ye te de th Ch pm , h ch cc d g to Langbei ne was at that date the only authority that led him to believe in the general vague ascrip tion of this work to the poet under whose name it has ever since found a questionable place in the corners of catalogues at the tail of his authentic

di s the r fa of his arl a ri ution come e , ve y ct t e y tt b gives it a certai n external interest of antiquarian

uri si si s t a whi it ma fairl laim as c o ty, be de h t ch y y c a quaint example of controversial dialectics on the

r i i dial u s are not r ar conse vat ve S de . The og e em k able either for Platonic Skill or for Platonic urbanity ; fo r which reason they may probably be accepted with the more conﬁdence as fairly expressive of the average of opini on than aﬂoat among honest English

i iz ns of the i dl las s al us of an sus c t e m d e c , je o ch ge,

icious of inn a i n indi nan at si t of p ov t o , g t the gh ras ali w i t r sl e u h c ty h ch hey we e ow to det ct, m c given to growl and wail over the decay of good old ti s and the c lla s of old lan mar s the me o p e good d k , d n ra of rn ann rs and the n ral in ege e cy mode m e , ge e M GEORGE CHAP AN . 7 3

tolerability of things in an age of hitherto unknown

perversity ; men of heavy- headed patience and

ea - i u ur but no ans the in of h vy w tted h mo , by me k d cattle that it would be safe for any driver to goad

r l a r u The wri r ma a n as an o o d ove m ch. te y be t ke exponent of Anglican conservatism if not of Catholic reaction in matters of religious doctrine and disci

pline ; he throws his whole strength as a di alectician

whi is not H r ul an or ui e ual his evi ( ch e c e , q t eq to

d ent goodwill) into the discussion of a prOposal to

secularize the festivals and suppress the holidays appointed by the Church ; and the ground of his

defence is not popular but clerical ; these holidays

’ are to be observed not for the labourer s but for the

’ saint s sake ; and above all because our wiser fore fat rs ha e so ill it for r as ns w i we are he v w ed , e o h ch in duty bound to take on trust as indisputably more

ali t an an r as nin of our own He has a v d h y e o g .

ar dis rus of la rs and r an s and a he ty t t wye me ch t , cordial distas te for soldiers and courtiers ; his senti

ments towards a Puritan are those of Sir Andrew

is f i r rth f A u h O mIOD. o an a ta is o g echeek, P g to wo y 7 4 GEORGE CHAPMAN a is and his vi of a ma u oul do b hop, ew de gog e w d h n ur a uk o o to d e .

A very different work from the effusion of this w r am hl r ars li wis or at l ast has o thy p p etee be ke e, e

n rn u i us n f ha man his is am o . o ce bo e, the d b o e C p T a tragic or romantic drama without a title of its own la ll it uld s for sak of con , be ed Sho eem the e venience by the licenser of play s as a Second

’ Mai n s ra was ﬁrs rin in 1824 de T gedy. It t:p ted ,

i h a ri f n of in r du i n fr w i we w t b e ote t o ct o , om h ch learn that the manuscript was originally inscri bed with the name of William Goughe that Thomas was

n su s i u for Willia whil a t ird Gou he the b t t ted m, e h g ,

R r s ms a ﬁ ur as one of rin i al obe t, ee to h ve g ed the p c p actors ; that a second correction struck out either

Gou he at one s of the en and su lant g weep p , pp ed both names by that of George Chapman ; and that last of all this also was erased to make way for no l r this ess a claimant than Willi am Shakespea e . To late and impudent attempt at imposture no manner of notice need be accorded ; but the claim preferred for Chapman deserves some attention from all stu

f i r dents o our dramat c poet y. MA GEORGE CHAP N . 7 s

In s l and r his la w i ars a ty e met e t p y, h ch be the d te of hi s ﬁfty - third year (161 is noticeably different fr m all his a n wl ra di s one nl ex o ck o edged t ge e , o y cepted ; but it is not more different from the rest

an t is one w i th u not u lish ill th h , h ch, o gh p b ed t

w n ars af r the at of ha an has n r t e ty ye te de h C pm , eve yet been called in question as a dubious or spurious

r t n r r di of his au rs i And if as p e e de to the c e t tho h p . ,

am unwillin dis li a an was a tuall I g to be eve, Ch pm c y the aut r of Reven e or Honour one s ri us ho g f , e o obstacle is cleared out of the way of our belief in the justice of the claim advanced for him to this

la als N ot t at the two can sai to h w p y o. h be d S o many or grave points of likeness to each other ; but between all other tragedies assigned to Chapman

such points of intimate resemblance d o undoubtedly a ar w il the ints of unlik n ss w n an ppe , h e po e e bet ee y one of these and either of the play s in question are

n r at o ce as many and as g ave.

Of the posthumous tragedy I purpose to say a word in its turn ; meantime we may observe that it is not easy to conjecture any motive of interest

which might have induced a forger of names to attri A N 7 6 GE ORGE CHA PM . bute an illegitimate issue of this kind to Chapman ra h r an an r Hi s nam was r a l t e th to othe . e p ob b y never one of those whose popularity would have

sufﬁced to ﬂoat the doubtful venture of a spurious

la S a Fl c r it was of p y. To h kespeare or to et he c ourse a proﬁtable speculation for knavish book s ellers to assign the credit or discredit of any dra

matic bantling which they might think it but barely possible to leave undetected at the door of such a f st r- fa r or ass off for a im on the o e the , to p t e thickest- witted of his admirers as a sinful' slip of

’ the great man s grafting in his idler hours of human

inﬁrmi But if h r was in ff no l a. for the ty. t e e e ect p e

intrusion of such a changeling into the poetic

us l of a an wh s ui r was sur l ho eho d Ch pm , o e q ve e y

’ full enough without the insertion of a stranger s

8 ft the ra ui o us s l ti n of is as s ns r , g t t e ec o th poet po o l f or this play appears to me simply unaccountab e.

No plausible reason can as far as I see be assigned

’ for the superscription of Chapman s name in place

o f an ll nam of Gou he unl ss ri r the c ce ed e g , e the w te

did actually believe that the genuine work of George

Chapman had been wrongly ascribed to Thomas or GEORGE CHAPMAN 7 7

William Goughe ; whereas no reader of the play

will imagine it possible that the name of Shake

speare can have been substituted in good faith and

singleness of heart by a corrector honestly desirous

rr r A i if of r airin a su s . a n the u ep g ppo ed e o g , do bt

less somewhat fragile claim of Chapman be deﬁnitely

r we ﬁnd hi r no r ut f rwar to ejected, the to othe p o d

’ l au r of De th s — ta its a . a ﬁ ok in ke p ce The tho l i ba ,

that brilliant correspondence on poetical questions

which to me gives a higher view of hi s ﬁne and

vigorous intelligence than any other section of his

li rar r mains r as na l r fus s a mi a te y e , e o b y e e to d t

suggestion that the authorship of this nameless and

fa rl ss em mi as ri Massin r the e po ght be c bed to ge .

The is nin and ain in is li him but als po o g p t g ke , o

like Cyril Tourneur ; and it is too poetical for old

’ ili He mi a a a it is als far Ph p . ght h ve dded th t o

too loose and feeble in construction for the admirable

artist of whom Coleridge so justly remarked that

hi s la s a in er s of n ls but B s p y h ve the t e t ove ; eddoe ,

whose noble instinct for poetry could never carry

him in prac tice beyond the production of a few lofty

and massive fragments of half- formed verse which 7 3 GE ORGE CHA PMA N stand better by thems elves when detached from the in r n and di s r rl nt t was a ar n l cohe e t o de y co ex , pp e t y as incapable of doing justice to the art of Mas singer as of reducing under any law of harmony to any

ﬁtness of form hi s own chaotic and abortive con c eptions of a plot for the most faithful admirer of that genius which is discernible beyond mistake in certain majestic pas sages of his blank verse must admit that his idea of a play never passed beyond the embryonic stage of such an organism as that upon which he conferred the gift of lyric utterance in his s and fav uri s n and ha his ha l ss be t o te o g, t t p e

was never and could never have b een more than a bodiless childful of life in the

l r in ith fr i Wha s all g oom, C y g w og vo ce, t h I be

' ’ Perhaps too for him the taint of Giﬁord s patron

a e was s ill on Mas sin r and the fﬁ s of g t ge , good o ce

that rancorous pedant may have inclined him to

undervalue the worth of a poet announced and

ac ani . r la a i n of su ral comp ed by the p oc m t o ch a he d.

This nn i n f r una as in one wa it was for co ex o , o t te y

the dramatist to whose works it secured for ever a

good and trustworthy text admirably edited and

80 C APMAN GEORGE H .

that he should have touched on the incidental point

of action which this anonymous play has in common

’ with The Revenger s Tragedy and The Duke of

Mfila n and s ul also a r mar on the , ho d h ve e ked

poetical or fanciful quality which does undoubtedly

distinguish its language from the comparatively

unima inative di i n of Massin r wi u a in g ct o ge , tho t t k g

further account of the general and radical dissimi

larity of workmanship which leaves the style of

this poem equidistant from the thr ee several styles

of s r Phili the t u ful G r and the obe p, ho ght eo ge,

is sin ular a the ﬁery Cyril . It g th t the name of a

f ur uali of s uliar s l is o th poet, the q ty who e pec ty e

t rou u er i l s ul a n iss h gho t p cept b e, ho d h ve bee m ed

by so acute and well - read a student of our dra

a i r st l is r ainl and u ll m t c poet y. The y e ce t y eq a y

unli t a of a an Massin r or ur ke h t Ch pm , ge , To

n ur but it is r li e the s l of Mi l n e ; ve y k ty e dd eto .

The combination of the plots is as pitift

in n ru us and f r l ss m v n of the co g o o m e , the o eme t

r as na urall sw and ﬂu n a s of met e t y eet e t, the p tho

ua i ns as asi nall i i and i r ssi the sit t o occ o y v v d mp e ve, the play of the fancy as generally delicate and A 8 1 GEORGE CHAPM N . unaff c e as in the s or rs r s of e t d, be t the wo t wo k the

ﬁtful and powerful hand which gave us The Ch ange

' W r r but one rain of bewa re Women. e e the e g

. rnal i n u li ht as t at w i now exte ev de ce, tho gh g h h ch inclines the scale of probabilities in favour of Chap! man s ul not si a e in assi nin it the , I ho d he t t g g to workmanship of this poem also ; but as even such a

rain of r f or of lik li as is is Wan in we g p oo e hood th t g, may remark one or two points in which a resem blance may be traced to the undoubted handiwork of Chapman ; such as a certain grotesque abruptness and i l n in s of in i nts for a l v o e ce ome the c de ; ex mp e, the discharge of a pistol at the father of the heroine fr the han of her l r w i at an i n om d ove , by h ch th c e t sinner is but mocked with death a semi- burlesque interlude in a scene of tragic interest and prelude to a s of vivi l u n i ma r all the peech d e oq e ce, wh ch y ec sudden and random introduction of deeds of violence

’ in the acti n in s m of a man s la s as for to o o e Ch p p y , instance the two attempts at murder in The Gentle man Ushe'r h re u l is n i r ill , w e , tho gh the p ot e the

e ise nor ill arran e et s m ss s and d v d g d, y o e exce e 6 H 82 GEORGE C APMAN .

Singularities in the leading incidents are at once

r i l and ar na l and a ain anner pe cept b e p do b e ; g , the m

’ of s s r a earan at l s w r a the gho t e pp ce the c o e, he e disembodied spirit takes part in the stage business with all the coolness and deliberation of a living a r and is a ar n l r i am n the m cto , pp e t y ece ved o g com pany with little more sign of disturbance or surprise than if she were not confronted with her own dead

’ can nl arall l in ha an s Buss body, o y be p e ed C pm ?)

’ ’ d Ambois or the Death s Jest- book of B s in eddoe , each of which a leading part is ﬁlled throughout the later scenes by a ghost who takes his full share of the a ti n and ial u and ma ai c o the d og e, y be s d to ma hims lf n rall and r i abl us ful i ke e ge e y c ed t y e , w th out exciting the slightest remark or perturbation

' am n his ﬂeshl f ll ws of s n o g y e o the ce e. The quaint ma rialism of h s r alisti and soli s tr s te t e e e c too d pec e , who show no sign and no desire of dissolution by C m ltin in ai r ' or a ra in in has in it e g to ev po t g to dew, nothing of the ﬁne imagination which raises the supernatural agencies employed by the author of

The Witch into a middle region of malign and monstrous life as far above the common ground of H N 8 GEORGE C APMA . 3

mere prosaic phantoms as below the dark aerial

height at which Shakespeare has clothed the forms

with clouds and winged with winds the feet of the

’ w ir is r v rth l s s t s. s in Buss d Ambois e d e Ne e e e , both y

’ and in this second Maiden s Tragedy (as the

Master of the Revels has somewhat inaptly labelled

it the ﬁrs intr u n of stl a n is im ), t od ctio gho y ge cy

pressive : and the scene in thi s latter where the

sleep of the dead is ﬁrst disturbed and her to mb

violated by the pas sion of the bafﬂed tyrant is well

worthy of the praise it has received for the choice

simplicity and earnest s weetness of style which y et

hardly distinguish it above many other scenes and

as s in this au iful and sin ular the p sage be t g poem,

story of whose fate has proved as strange and as

in i nts f its l fantastic as the c de o p ot.

’ 1 The ﬁrst of Chapman s historic tragedies was

ublish at the a e of f rt - i ht and s an s now lp ed g o y e g , t d

sixth on the lis t of the plays in which he had the

l n r He n r wr t r and he p of no part e . eve ote bet e he

seldom wrote worse than in this only play of his

writing which kept any ﬁrm and dur able hold on

the s a i r ssi n a on Dr n its t ge . The mp e o m de yde by 6—2 8 H N 4 GEORGE C APMA .

larin l urs in r r sen a i n and g g co o the ep e t t o , the

’ in i nan r ac i n of hi u n in r adin d g t e t o sj dgme t the e g, are probably known to more than have studied the w r the li f ir own as All his o k by ght o the t te. vituperation is well deserved by such excerpts as thosewhich alone Sir Walter Scott was careful to select in his editorial note on this passage by way of illustration ; not even the sharpest terms in the

’ terrible and splendid arsenal of Dryden s satire can be too vivid or too vigorous in their condemnation of the damnable j argon in which the elder poet was prone to indulge his inﬁrmity ; whole sections

' of his poems and whole scenes of his plays are indeed but shapeless mas ses of bombast and bulky

a uit i n hin t r in h an m s v c y, w th ot g bet e t em th o t

illain us in rre En lis and a i us min l v o co ct g h, h deo g e of false poetry and true nonsense ; or at best a s an lin of wit w i li s as in for lif c t g , h ch e g p g e and groaning beneath a heap of rubbish The injustice of the criticism lies only in the as sertion

or implication that there was nothing discover

’ able on all Chapman s ground but such cinder

heaps and windbags ; whereas the proportion of H GEORGE C APMAN . 85

’ good to bad in this very play of Bussy d Ambois is enough to outweigh even anch demerits as it

’ u l ss s ar s i to u of its aut r s r do bt e h e w th o m ch ho wo k .

r is a ri and ﬁ r n r r u u a The e b ght e y e e gy th o gho t,

i ur of a i i us as ira i n whi is trans i v go mb t o p t o , ch m tted as it were by echo and reflection from the spirit of “ in th s iri f his r rilliant the poet to e p t o he o . The b sw r s an of r f nri h flas u t o . w o s o d m the co He III , he o ut on us as the joyous central figure of one of the most j oy ous and vigoro us in all the bright list of those large historic groups to which the strong swift

an of Dumas av l ur and lif has un er n h d g e co o e, d go e at the heavier hand of the old English poet a

u llis and am ris of tra i i n but ins a of d e t o t d t o ; , te d the

rac and ur lin ss r r to his a e and ran g e co t e p ope g k,

Chapman has bestowed on him the grave qualities of an i ra ar w s n u is at l as as l n ep c b gg t, ho e to g e e t o g as his sw r and s as na s a in m o d, who e g co de h ve the

’ less of the Gas con than of our Homer- Lucan him self ; who with all his notable interest in the France of his time and her turbulent history had assuredly nothing of the lighter and more gracious charac 8 6 GEORGE CHAPMAN .

ni Bu in the r a full teristics of French ge us . t b o d

ulin of his ﬁ ur and in the r us an lin of o t e t g e, ob t h d g

the tragic action which serves for environment or

for backg round to its haughty and dilated propor

i ns t r is r r f of r atn ss t an ha an t o , he e mo e p oo g e e h C pm

had i n His i or n mi tr ma yet g ve . com c g o c poe y y be

tt r or at l as t l ss fault in its in but in that be e e e y k d,

kind there is less room for the growth and display

of those greater qualities which not unfrequently

struggle through the hot and turbid atmosphere of his tra i ri in and sh w a st r and l u g c w t g, o by o my c o dy illu i r ac h s f his r al nius minat on the higher e e o e ge .

Nor is there in these rugged outlying highlands of

ra and in the s what i and r u l t gedy, ome th ck t o b ed air of r in s i s a v h no aut the b ood g k e bo e t em, be y

r i l but the aut of l u and ﬂa of pe cept b e be y c o d me,

ﬂood and fell : they have intervals of pure sunshine and s ft r nswar in rlu s of rav and n r o g ee d, te de g e te de har n as ts of and s r n a tra ti n . mo y, pec deep e e e t c o

There is a noticeable abruptness and want of ease in the is sal of the in i nts as t u h the d po c de , ho g workman were not yet well broken in to his busi ness ; and in effect Chapman never did learn to run

88 HAPMA GEORGE C IV.

a r i i B t e r f an 18 the d nc e equres t. ut h powe o h d gigantic which shifts and shufﬂes these puppets about the board ; there are passages of a sublime and i ani au r belli us and ssi in s l T t c be ty, e o exce ve ty e as in sen im n but full of a s i and assive t e t, m je t c m

r n ma iﬁcen s ee of r ha mo y. The gn t p ch the he o, stri en d a and l anin on his s r die ck to e th e g wo d to , has e n ft n u e and as a sa l of ﬁ r b e o e q ot d, mp e e y imagination clothed in verse of solemn and sonorous music it can never be overprai sed ; the inevitable afterthought that the privilege of tragic poetry to . exceed the range of realism is here strai ned to the utmost and beyond it will recur on reading many Oi l s m ra l assa s in s la s h re the mo t emo b e p ge the e p y , w e the epic declamation of the speaker breaks the last limit of law to attain the las t limit of license pos sible to a style which even in outward form keeps

r n f r a i la si ili An up any p ete ce o d am t c p u b ty. y child may see and object that no man ever died with such a funeral oration on his lips ; but any critic qualiﬁed to judge of such a poet in his strength and his weakness will temper the reﬂection with admiration of that full and heightened style which H 8 GEORGE C APMAN . 9 the third among Englis h tragic poets has applauded in the tra di f a man in e i ge es o Ch p . The height de d s s w a i and fulln ss ft n nds or ome h t g ddy, the e too o e te threatens to dilate into tumidity ; sometimes the foot slips and the style stumbles heavily from its

i ht whil for its fuln ss we ﬁnd but em ti he g , e e the p

’ ness of a burst bladder ; but while the writer s head r ains l ar and his an s ure the hi air of is em c e h d , gh th

tr is fres and u an and its full d n s poe y h b oy t, ca e ce have in them a large echo as of mountain winds and

a ers And if r n r us us i . W s i w t eb te , w th the ge e o j t ce proper to a great fellow - craftsman in the highest

uil of art was a l n n manif st a use g d , b e to co do e the e b

’ in a an s r of rh ri and m r tr Ch pm wo k eto c e e poe y, those may well be content to do likewise who hear d uly in mind the admirable absence of any such d efect from the vivid and intense veracity of his

wn o .

If the union of active interest with superb decla mation may suﬂice to explai n the prolonged good

’ f rtun of a man s ﬁrst ra on ar s o e Ch p t gedy the bo d ,

we can discover no such pretext to account for the

apparent favour shown to his next venture in the 90 GEORGE CHAPMAN sam ﬁ l has no assa ara l for f r e e e d. It p ge comp b e o c and vehemence of imagination to the highest moods

’ of the author of Bussy d AmbO'is ; to the second evo cation of the spirit in a speech of which Lamb said

ll at it was r m n us n the curdlin we th t e e do , eve to g of the blood ; I know nothing in poetry like it nor to the dying appeal of Bussy to his own sur 1 I

‘ vivin fa or sw and w i t rs s of g me, the eet e gh y ve e invocation in which his mistress adjures all the peaceful regents of the night to favour the ﬁrst m i of l r is isﬁ u no su h eet ng the ove s. It d g red by c bloated bombas t and animated by no such theatrical

' an s of eﬂect su su n urns and s ar sur ch ge , ch dde t h p

ris s as ﬁt arli r la a the s and p e , the e e p y to c tch eye

! n au n re i r an ri i l ears of a die ce mo mp essible th c t ca .

It has no such violent interlude of action and emo tion as the scene in which Montsurry (Monsoreau) extorts by torture the confession of her guilt from the bleeding hand of his wife ; an incident which singularly enough recalls a similar scene in the earliest play of the great French improvisatore who has told in such different fas hion the story of the ambuscade by which Bussy fell under the weight : CHAP AN . 9 GEORGE M W . “i 1“ 1m “ of r a r us nu rs u Dumas in a r t e che o mbe ; tho gh h cco d an hav wi all ra i i n assi ns ce I be e th t d t o , g to the duke of Guise the brutal act of force by which his wife was compelled to allure her lover into the snare set by her husband ; whereas the English poet has not only altered the persons of the agent and

a i nt but has in r as ans of ulsi n p t e , c e ed the me comp o from a pinch on the arm to the application of the; rack to a body already mangled by such various wounds that the all but unparalleled tenacity of life in the i i who r a ars in the las s n not v ct m, e ppe t ce e perceptibly the worse for these connubial endear

nts is not l as n ta l in a s ri s of w n rs me , the e t o b e e e o de among which we scarcely make account of the

’ singular part as signed to that affable familiar ghost which moves so freely among the less incorporeal a rs the u n r and i r us a e cto . To to gh e ves v go o pp tite of the original audience this scene was no doubt one of the most acceptable in a closing act as re markable for the stately passion of the style as for Of the high poetic interest of thought and action.

s two ualiti s we ﬁnd but one and a the the e q e , th t

less ra a i in the n w r of . No d m t c, ext o k the poet H N 92 GEORGE C APMA .

m su s was r as in rama i f r poe , I ppo e, eve c t d t c o m whi a ale so w ll ur in ellec ch ppe d ho y to the p e t t.

The singleness of purpose and the steadiness of r esolution with which the poet has pursued his point and forbom e all occasions to diverge from his path to it have made his work that which it is : a s culptured type and monument of his high and aus tere genius in the fulness of its faculties and the

B ron Marshal O France a small i in n y , f , ep c te books

or ac is n l s em rial a of its ts, the ob e t m o we h ve

’ u r i i rs nsi r fr m in a tho s or g nal powe . Co de ed o the po t of M it requires us to assume if we would do any j ustice to the mind which conceived and the hand

w i m l su a si n it is a w ll rea h ch co p eted ch de g , ho y g t and arm ni us w r of ni H r for n no h o o o k ge us. e e o ce t a n is out of un not a t u is out of k in ote t e, o ch eep g ;

the very inﬂation of the style is never the inﬂation of a ui its ma s is no l ng r umi and its v c ty ; je ty o e t d,

el va i n is no l n r ur is at l as has a e t o o ge insec e . Th e t right to be counted for ever among the classic works

° o f En li r We l s at last i g sh poet y . c o e the book w th N GEORGE CHAPMA . 93 a full and satisﬁed sense of severe delight in the

’ deep inner music which sounds on in the mind s ear after study of the thought and passion which inform it ei and the ar n of t is m are . The h ght h mo y h poe equal forces in the composition of its excellence ; the height of its conception and the harmony of its completion were alike needed to do justice to such

lofty thought and such profound passion as it was

all u n to andle and to s un Th s n c ed po h o d . e tre gth

and wealth of intelligence and of language from the

Opening of the ﬁrst act to the close of the tenth

show not a sign anywhere of possible exhaustion or

inadequacy to the large demands made on them by

’ the e s i si n But a suc a s ul po t h gh de g . th t h poem ho d

ever have been acted in two plays at the Black

friars and other public stages must seem to us one

of stran s r rds in a ri al ist r Its the ge t eco the t c h o y.

appearance on any boards for a single night would

have been remarkable enough ; but its reappearance

at ari us eatres is all but incr di l Th s an v o th e b e . e t

dard of cultur e and the level of intelligence required

in its auditors surpass what we can conceive any thea

trical audien a a ce to h ve attained in any modern ge. H N 94 GEORGE C APMA .

It is not merely that the b earer or spectato r of s uch a poem in action would have to follow an un broken line of high thought and lofty language without i nterlude or relief worth mentioni ng of lower or lighter material ; he would have to forego all points of interest whatever but the satisfaction of r l t ﬂ w ca r is n l ss r i i n the pug u ng gg The e e d e epet t o with absolutely no progress ; inﬁnite effusion of

with u one r a of at rial in i nt speech o t b e k m e c de .

E n su tl a ti n and r a i n of the min ve the b e c o e ct o d, the

and ﬂow of s iritual f rc s in and ebb p o e , the com g

in of in ll tual inﬂu n s are not h r iv n go g te ec e ce , e e g e

’ with the strength and cunning of such a master s hand as might secure and sustain the interest of a student in tracing their various movement s by the light of his guidance those movements are too deep and delicate for the large epic touch of Chapman to

r u wi an rti u f r a pu s e th y ce t de. A ew strong b o d strokes often repeated sufﬁce to complete the simple and vigorous outline which is all he can give us of a

ara r c h cte .

It has been observed that the portrait of the

‘ traitor marshal is overlaid with so many touches

GEORGE CHAPMA N . work is never at its best but when it as sumes the

heroic proportion of simple and colossal forms:

There is no growth or development in either cha ‘ racter ; Chapman is always least happy when he jtries his prentice hand at analysis ; he only does well when as here he brings before us a ﬁgure at

n e full- r n and akes no car but nf rce o c g ow , t e to e o

the ﬁrst impression by constant deepening of the

lines ﬁrs ra n not ad i i n of fr s li and t d w , by d t o e h ght

s ad s ftenin or i h enin of min r nes h e, by o g he g t g o to

and ff s e ect .

The high poetic austerity of this work as it now

stands is all the more striking from the absence of

any female element ; the queen appears in the

fourth act of the second part as little more than

a u ﬁ ur wh l in r st is li i al and d mb g e ; the o e te e po t c ,

w l ara t r is mas ulin of a i n and the ho e ch c e c e, the ct o

the passion on which the poet has ﬁxed our atten

i n and n n ra ed his A assa now t o co ce t t own. p ge

cancelled in which the queen and Mademoiselle de

V rn uil r r u f rwar and the wif a e e we e b o ght o d, e g ve

the mis ress a on ear had na urall ra n t box the , t y d w

down a remonstrance from the French ambassador GEORGE CHAPMAN . 97

’ who saw the domestic life of his master s court pre

sented with such singular frankness of exposition to the contemporary eyes of London playgoers ; and at his instigation the play was not unreas onably pro hibited an act of ns rs i as sur dl not so , by ce o h p e y absurd or so arbitrary as in our o wn day has re peatedly exposed the direction of the English stage to the contempt and compassion of civilized Europe ; which has seen at once the classical and the con

rar as r i s of al and of Fran and ' tempo y m te p ece It y ce, among them the works of the greatest tragic dra! metist whom the world has seen since the death of

S a s ar f r i n i rial an at of h ke pe e, o b dde by the mpe m d e some Lord Chamberlain or other Olympian person! to corrupt the insular chastity of an audience too virtuous to face the contamination of such writers as Hugo or Alfieri ; while the virtue thus tenderly guarded from the very sight of a Marion or a Mirra — was by way of compensation there is a law of com — pensation in all things grac iously permitted by leaVe of oficial examiners and under favour of a chaste Chamberlai n to gloat upon the filthiest farces that could be raked from the sweepings of a stage 7 8 H 9 GEORGE C APMAN . whose national masterpieces were excluded from our o wn But it is nl r r a u li ir ini . o y p ope th t the p b c v g ty which averts her eyes from the successors of Euri pides or of Shakespeare should Open her bosom to

l n B r f W r a d Mrs. n the successo s o yche ey eh .

In the time of Chapman the Master of the Revels wielded with as ﬁtful a hand as imperious an autho rity as any court ofﬁcial of later date ; yet then also there was so curious and scandalous an alternation of laxity with rigour in the direction of stage affairs t a in e t of a ir r hi iti n la rs h t the t e h d ect p o b o the p ye ,

wh n saw a the w l urt had l ft n e they th t ho e co e tow ,

” persisted in acting the s uppressed play with all the offending parts revived for the satisfaction of an au i n of itiz ns w s un urtl suffra was d e ce c e , ho e co y ge possibly attracted by this deﬁance of the court; and it may be conjectured that the savour of this politi cal scandal gave zest and edge to their relish of the otherwise grave and sober entertainment set before th w s s w a w i n ure em by the poet, ho e ome h t e ghty ve t may thus have been ﬂoated into favour on the arti

ﬁcial tide of a chance which had made it the pretext o f a ular cr If r r pop y . howeve the e was any such l oo GEORGE CHA PMA IV. length of the ﬁfth (or tenth) act as it now stands may suggest that this seeming confusion has been caused by a mere numerical derangement or mis

The ﬁttest symbol I can ﬁnd for this great and

’ c entral work of Chapman s genius would be one derived from itself ; we might liken the poem to that famous mountain which was to be carved in l ssal li n ss of the here a ian l to the co o ke e , g t ho d ing a city in his left hand and pouring from his r i an n l ss fl in a ra in sea is vi ght e d e ood to g g . Th de ce of a mad and magnificent vanity gives as it were a reflection of the great and singular qualities of the

poem it has an epic and Titanic enormity of ima

ination the hu and nak s litud of a un ain g , ge ed o e mo t

risin fr sea w s h a is ar f r the g om the , ho e e d b e be o e

t un rs and w s si s are furr w wi st rm h de , ho e de o ed th o y

s r ams and fr all its r c s and t rr n s ra s t e ; om o k o e t , c g and s aurs and ull s r s s l f rth c g ey , the e eem to ook o

the lik n ss afar off of a sin l fa su r uman e e g e ce, pe h and inordinate in the proportion of its prodigious

n ral ff is as tha of s as t features. The ge e e ect t ome v ca ri of lan s a at n fan as i a ra p ce d c pe ; o ce t t c, ex gge ted, H N GEORGE C APMA . a nd na ural Ar un i main t . o d t we may group the re

in r s of its aut r as l w r s urs of out g wo k ho , o e p the

l in ran of m un ains n of se l ss r y g ge o t . No e the e e poems were ever befriended by such an occas ion as

' lifted for a season into perilous popularity the

’ mightiest of their author s dramatic brood ; that the

two likest in fol'm and spirit to this giant brother o f their race appear to have won no popular favo

at all is certainly less remarkable than the record of

its own su ss cce .

’ The Revenge of Bussg d AmbOis is a sin

’ e a l h i n f r ara x It is a x mp e of C apman s pass o o p do .

w r of a ur w r and s ri us int r s ri r in o k m t e po e e o e e t, che

pas sages of moral magniﬁcence and interludes of e xalted meditation than any but that greatest of his poems which we have just been considering ; from the large storehouse of these three plays a student may select at every step among their mas sive heaps of mental treasure fresh samples of rare

u and s l s l fr s in s of w i ht tho ght co t y ty e, e h got e g y

and li rin ld fr sh ls of r f un and g tte g go , e jewe p o o d

li in lus r ir of s has l ss in com v g t e. The th d the e e mon with the play of which it is the nominal 102 GEORGE CHAPMAN .

sequel than with the two of intervening date ; it

has in r of in i n an but its al ue deed mo e c de t th they, v

and interest mainly depend on its gnomic or con

tem lative as sa s In ar u n a i n p p ge . the g me t, the ct o ,

and the charac ters of this poem one chief aim of the author was apparently to revers e all expectations

a i i b its i l and wa of th t m ght be exc ted y t t e, by y counterpart to produce a ﬁgure in all points Opposite

a f his f rm r h r to th t o o e e o.

The brother and avenger of Bussy appears as the favourite and faithful follower of a leading aecom

lice in his mur r is as s r s n n i us and p de ; he obe , e te t o , sl w in a i n as his r r was as ful im o ct o b othe bo t ,

etuous and i l n urns e r an of p , v o e t ; he t ve y ch ce fortune and every change of place into an occasion for philosophic debate and moral declamation ; the shelter provided by his patron and the ambuscade prepared by his enemies are to him equally op

rtun for li r of a l ur on hi s as po e the de ve y ect e et c , close and serried in its array of argument as it is

ra and as ure in its l u n of si i g ve me d e oq e ce expo t on.

Hamlet hims elf gave less cause of complaint to the

poor ghost whose second resurrection was insuﬂi

30 4 GEORGE CHAPMAN

mus a disa in and t at a aren l b t h ve ppo ted, h pp t y y d si n and of ali r ns the a i ns a e g m ce p epe e, expect t o p

pealed to by a title seemi ngly devised to trad e upon

’ the ularit of Buss d AmbOis and ak its pop y y , m e

r ﬁ out of the artiﬁ ial a i al of a as t suc ss p o t c c p t p ce .

The audience attracted by the promise implied in

s uch a title may easily have been di sinclined by

such a disappointment to receive with toleration

t s fr a s of dial i in n i he e e k ect c ge uty.

It is not likely that a writer who must have

b een old enough at the age of thirteen to feel and

to remember the shock of the ﬁrst tidings of the — hideous twenty - fourth of August 15 72 that an English poet and patriot of the stalwart type

which from all that we know of Chapman we

might expect to ﬁnd always as nobly exempliﬁed in

his life and writings as in those o f such elder and

y ounger contemporaries as Spenser and Jonson

should have indulged any more personal sentiment

in these eccentric trial s of intellectual strength

than a wayward pleasure in the exercis e and ex

hibition of his powers of argument and eloquence ;

b ut there was certainly in his nature something of P N GEORGE CHA MA .

the s is as w ll as of n i of Thras oph t e the g om c poet, y

machus as w ll as of Th o ni He s s f l a e e g s . eem to ee

’ gladiator s pleasure in the sword- play of a bois terous and hi - han s his r l ss si n to gh ded op t y, e de g ed

mislead or convince than to b aﬂ e or bear down his

can i a in him s in u alm s o pponent. We m g e ett g p o t a ny debateable theorem as a subject for dispute in

the s ls of r ri and main ainin his st choo heto c, t g mo

indefensible position with as much energy and cun ning of argument as his native force of mind could

bring to the support of his acquired skill of fence :

we can perceive that in any such cas e he would argue his point and reinforce his reasoning with no

less passion and profusion of thought and speech

than if his heart and conscience had been enlisted

o n the side which in fact he had taken up by mere

c hance or deﬁant caprice

This however is by no means the general character i'of the philosophy set forth and the eloquence dis

la in is wh l ara r of ClerT- p yed th poem. The o e ch cte l

ment n iv as it is in a s iri of ir ﬁan e 1c/ , co ce ed p t d ect de c .

all rul s and ra i i ns of ra a i ff t and to e t d t o d m t c e ec ,

e laborated as though in disdai n of possible success 106 GEORGE CHAPMAN o r the anti i a an of ulari s ws n e c p ted ch ce pop ty, ho o c more the mas terly workmanship of a po tent and re

In al st r s n r are xam l s solute hand. mo eve y ce e the e e p e

of sound and noble thought clothed in the sober

colours of terse and masculine poetry ; of deep and

high meditation touched now and then with the

ardour of a fervid spiri t and the light of a subtle

fan A r a s a a f s re cy. t eve y p ge ome p ss ge o eve

beauty reminds us with how great a spiri t

call mmun and s an in r s nc of ed to co e, t d the p e e e

an r f un a min how proud d p o o d d.

His equal love for the depths and the heights of

speculation may too Often impel this poet to over

strain his powers of thought and utterance in the

strong effort to dive or to soar into an atmosphere

too thin or a sea too stormy to admit the facile and

natural play of his vigorous faculties ; but when

these are displayed in their full strength and clear

n ss the s u of i s us s e as of the e , t dy them g ve om t te

rare and haughty pleasure that their owner must

n in ir r i H r w r have take the exe c se. e e as else he e

I had taken note in my mind of special verses and

assa s ﬁt for ra i n w i mi iv s me . p ge ext ct o , h ch ght g e o

108 GEORGE CHAPMAN fully sustained by the high ins tinct and spiritual sense of the poet that we may trace and recognize from the first a nature so inflexible at once and so sensitive as to refuse all shelter or compromise which might rather protect than vindicate his inn n fr m at a s of frau and in us i oce ce o the t ck d j t ce, and when cleared of all their charges and restored to all his honours to lie down and die of the wound inflicted by the mere shame of suspicion : a heart so stout and so tender that it could resist all shocks a nd s r s of r or r a r and l to t oke powe t e che y, b eed death for grief to be distrusted where most of all it h r find ru ad dese ved to t st.

But here again the singleness and purity of the interest could hardly be expected to secure success

on the stage ; and though we have no hint as to the or ill f rt f i - n we good o une o this h gh to ed poem, may conjecture that it could hardly have been re d eemed from popular indifference by the dramatic power and pathetic impression of the scene in which

the wife and father- in- law of the arraigned admiral

prevail by the justice and dignity of their appeal

u u n pon the pride and prepossession of the q ee . N GEORGE CHAPMA . 109

! et t is at l as and the las s n in w i h h e t, t ce e, h c

a i s at the f of his r n an as r Ch bot d e eet epe t t m te ,

with a prayer for the pardon of his enemy on the lips that kiss for the last time the hand which

mus nf r it sh ul ha f un fav ur wit an t co e , o d ve o d o h

audience capable of doing justice to the high desert

f su aus r and unseducti ll n o ch te e ve exce e ce.

As we have no external ground for conjecture by

what original impulse or bias of mind the genius of

Chapman was attracted to the study and represen

tation on an Engli sh stage of subjects deri ved from

annals of n rar Fran or what fr a Of the co tempo y ce, e k

perverse and erratic instinct may have led him to

bring before a Protestant audience the leading

criminals of the Catholic party under any but an

fa ura l as t so we a no ans of u ss un vo b e pec , h ve me g e

ing whether or not any conscious reason or principle

induced him to present in much the same light

three pri nces of such diverse characters as the ﬁrst

ir n f H nr Francis and the th d a d ourth e ies of France.

but for a sin l r f r n to his rans Indeed, g e e e e ce om

’

fr Pa ian ral Ac t ii. ne iii we om v th dom ( Sce ), should be wholly at a loss to recognize in the royal r10 GEORGE CHAPMAN mas ter of Chabot the ra diant and exub erant lover of

l rl of en the who e wo d wom ,

” il faut d es laisirs d e vi ill Jeune homme auquel p e ard , who in our own age has been far otherwise pre

n atre of a far i tier t r sented o the the m gh poe . The e

n ’ less legitimate inﬂue ce than a. wife s was brought to bear in favour of Chabot on a king with whom his lawful consort might have been supposed Of all women the leas t likely to prevail ; and by this sup pression or disguise of the personal interest actually

exerted on behalf of his hero the dramatist has de

frauded of her due credit the real fri end of the fallen admiral ; for it was not at the instance of the

’ u n but at ins an of Ma am d Etam es a q ee , the t ce d e p ,

insw an of a a an ll r k om Ch bot, th t the ch ce o Poyet was

arrested and disgraced in the same year (15 42)

w i had s n fall the r s ra i n h ch ee the , e to t o , and the

death by heartbreak of the faithful minister who

’ owed no t to the intercession of the king s wife but

t his wn allian l i ’ o o ce by b ood w th the king s mis

r [ 2 GEORGE CHAPMAN

preserve the historic relations of his leading cha

ras t rs ha in wh s in r nti n B e , t t the k g by o e te ve o ussy

’ d Amb ois was betrayed to the jealousy of Mon ﬂ soreau appears not as the treacherous enemy but as

’ the trusty fri end and patron of his brother s re b ellious favourite ; pardons and prefers him to the rank of his o wn and a s him in a sta i n , dopt to th t t o by the surname of his eagle ; while instead of the king it is here the duke of Anjon who delivers his refractory minion into the mur derous snare set for him an in ur us an But if by j ed h b d. I r a ari t in M utation of BrantOme e d gh the h ted p , it would seem that same years before he put into the hands of Monsoreau the intercepted corre spondence of Bussy with his wife the king had

’ already laid an ambush of twelve good men armed with pistols and mounted on Spani sh horses taken from the stables of a very great personage who had

’ set them on to attempt the life of his brother s in ita l a i n was r s rv as w ll dom b e ch mp o , who p e e ed e by his own presence of mi nd and discretion as by the good fortune which befell him to ﬁnd the door 1 r GEORGE CHAPMAN . 3

’ of a neighbour s house aj ar for him to slip through an f n i B in ll d aste t against pursuit. e g compe ed after this adventure to leave Pari s in consequence

’ of his t r ats sli f l s n strils and a h e to t o k o , th t he

’ f would kill everybody in retali ation for this noc- turnai as sault the allan ra was s r out , g t b vo e co ted o f the city by all the noble retainers of his ignoble !

a r n u of An on b ut hr ntl en p t o the d ke j , by t ee ge em

’ only of the king s household brigade ; his kins man BrantOme wh har at ar in to , om he c ged p t g

ar a hi ﬁan th w l ur M s e c . be b ck de ce to ho e o t, de

N uvill and the h r rill n who in s it of his e e, e o C o , p e

’ attachment to the king s party refused to forsake the fri ndshi of so st ut a sw rd s an e p o o m .

’ Although the ﬁrst stand edition of BrantOme s

Lives was not published by a descendant of his

family till thirty- two years after the death of

a an it is sin ular t a the En lish t who Ch pm , g h t g poe

thought ﬁt to choose as a subject for tragedy the

fate of a man at the time of whose murder he had

himself reached the age of twenty should also

have thought ﬁt so seriously to alter the facts of 8 1 1 N 4 GEORGE CHAPMA . his story for no dis cernible reas on but a desire to shift the charge of the principal villainy from the s ul rs o a in of his r h r In ho de f k g to those b ot e . either play dedicated to the memory of Bussy who at the wildest pitch of his windy and bois terous vanity can never have anticipated that twenty- eight years after his death he would ﬁgure on the page of a foreign poet as a hero of the — Homeric or Lucanian type the youngest son of

’ Catheri ne de Medi ci is drawn in colours as hateful as those of truth or tradition ; whereas the last king of his line is handled with such remarkable forbearance that his most notorious qualities are even less recognizable than those of his grandfather

i ﬁ of ha an A in the delicate and d gni ed study C pm . r a r in if su an one w r ssi l who e de deed, ch e e po b e, should come to the perusal of these plays with no

r i us n wl of Fr n his r w ul ﬁnd p ev o k o edge e ch to y, o d little difference or distinction between Henri de

V alois and Henri de Bourbon ; and would probably carry away the somewhat inaccurate impression that the slayer of the duke ef Guise and the judge of the duke of Biron were men of similar tas tes r16 GEORGE CHAPMAN seven years earlier than Bussy in the massacre of

’ S Ba h l m l f h tri t. r o o a an s a r e at t ew . Ch pm po ogy o t bution of this name to the apparently imaginary

’ avenger of his brother s blood is better worth remem “ an su in uiri h r uin P r bering th ch q es are wort pu s g. oo ” n i us s uls t are sa s the t that avil at e v o o hey , y poe , c

’ truth s want in these natural ﬁctions ; a reasonable and memorable protest against the perverse or sense l ss arad w i h nf un s trut with fa t and e p ox h c co o d h c , refuses to distinguish veracity from reality ; and which would not be worth the passing notice of a c n u us instan if men of nius w uld for o tempt o t, ge o bear to confuse the minds of their feebler and more servile admirers by the adoption and promulgation in the loudest tones of prophecy Of such blatant and vacuous babble about kinship of ﬁction to lying and so forth as should properly be left to the lips of the dunces who may naturally believe it in hi - wit e n u h a t as s ri us , be g t ck t d e o g to ccep e o reas oning and deliberate Opinion the most wilful and preposterous paradoxes thundered forth from pulpit or from tripod in the most riotous and ludi r 1 GEORGE CHAPMAN . 7 crous paroxysms of wayward humour or fantastic

as i n p s o .

That the Roman tragedy of Caesar and Pom p ey was earlier in date than most though later in publication than any except Chabot of the French s ri s we mi ha n ur wit ut the evi e e , ght ve co ject ed ho

n of i a i n It is r une de ce the ded c t o . mo e irrpgular in the proportion of its good parts and ’ M d than any of Chapman s tragedies except

’ Bussy d AmbOis I should imagine it to be a w r of n a l the sa ri th u as was o k e r y me pe od ; o gh,

ef r inti a it ars r afﬁnit to the b o e m ted, be mo e y sequel of that play and to the great tragic poem on Biron in the main quality of interest and the

r n ran of s r a ti n his la p epo de ce peech ove c o . To t p y we might adapt a well- known critical remark of

’ Dr ns n s n He I u l ss a li . Joh o o nry V II m ch e pp c a l ia t a as an in his and sa t at b e h t c e th t , y h the genius of the author comes in and goes out with

at N ot a n in hi at r ri al C o . th t eve t s cas e th heto c phras e would be wholly accurate ; there are noble lines and pas sages discernible elsewhere ; but the r 18 GEORGE CHAPMAN: glory of the poem is given it by the scenes in

i t is l in ﬁ ur n w n hin wh ch Ca o the ead g g e . I k o ot g

! in moral or contemplative poetry more admirable

than the speech in the ﬁrst scene on fear or

mis rust of the s and the s lil u in the t god , o oq y

l sl an s r n and as t act on eep d death. The e e e

sublime emotion of heroic wisdom is in either pas

sage so touched and tempered with something of

the personal ardour of a noble passion that its tone

and ff are not r l a s ra or di a i b ut e ect me e y b t ct d ct c,

thoroughly dramatic and human ; and the weighty

words ring in the ear of our remembrance long after

the mind has ﬁrst unconsciously absorbed and re

tained the lofty sound and sense of the memorable

and a niﬁ nt v rs m g ce e e.

It is especially in such examples as these that we

’ r i the r at ualit Of a an s nius the pe ce ve g e q y Ch pm ge ,

true height and purity of its power ; majestic in

tellect li t and n in l ti i a ina i n gh ed e k d ed by poe c m g t o ,

the high beauty of heroic thought warmed and

li in s n i n winged with the spiritual ﬁre of a v g e t me t.

It is true that those who read only the glorious ex

serpts given from this poem by Charles Lamb will

1 20 GEORGE CHAPMAN

r are b ut few ualiti s n to h t re the e q e commo bot , he are yet fewer traces of either the chief merits or the chief defects which distingui sh and deform alike the poems and the tragic plays published during the

if of au r r is n thin in th of l e the tho . The e o g em

ast of ar aris or of s urit t r is bomb , b b m, ob c y ; he e assur l no la of in i nts and t s h w r ed y ck c de , he e, o eve

r w and i l nt in h s lv s are n u c o ded v o e t em e e , co d cted with such clearness and simplicity of exposition as to keep the attention and interest of the r a r un is ra and unfa i u The st l e de d t cted t g ed. y e in is ur lu i and i r us ua l both p e, c d, v go o ; eq b y sustained at an even height above the lowland s of prosaic reali sm and beneath the cloudland of wind s and vapours ; more forcible and direct in the ﬁrs la r ﬂ ri and rati in the t p y, mo e o d deco ve s n On the t r an th s st u us eco d. o he h d, e e po h mo

hil r n a not the l ft ' s a ur the in l c d e h ve o y t t e, k g y as the i anti sin ws and the shinin s pect, g g c e g eye , which went far to redeem the halting gait and the irr r l h n th egular featur es of thei e ders. T ey wa t e

r a of r w the i t of rain the fuln ss of b e dth b o , we gh b , e s and ﬁre of s irit w i mak a n s peech the p , h ch e me d GEORGE CHAPMAN 12 ! for the harsh voice and stammering tongue that im perfectly deliver the message entrusted to them the tumultuous eloquence which bears down and sw s awa all si al im ediment of ut ran the eep y phy c p te ce, fervid vitality which trans ﬁgur es and atones for all

lu sin s f r f rmi li NO c m es o gesture o de o ty of mb .

u so ri and sw no m i n so al tho ght pe eet, e ot o ex ted and august is here discernible as that which uplifts the contemplation and upholds the conﬁdence of the highest in spirit and the deepest in thought among those earlier speakers who served as mouthpieces of the special genius of their high- minded and deep s ul r a r r is no tra of the thi al o ed c e to . The e ce e c power which informs and moulds the m

l r n or of at no r li of i a ina i e C e mo t C o, e c the m g t v pas sion which expands and inﬂates the fancy of

r f B r Bussy o o i on.

’ In A lp honsns there is more of Chapman s quality at ﬁrst perceptible than in Revenge f or Honour

r is a r ain ar n ss in the sim li it of t n the e ce t h d e p c y o e, a certain ri gidity in the sharp masculine lineaments of s l and ara r n mu of his work ty e ch cte , commo to ch when free from the taint of crabbed or bombastic 1 2 2 GEORGE CHAPMAN

curi sin ular i la i ns and nfusi ns of obs ty. The g v o t o co o

is r i ma a n as r a le h to y, wh ch y be t ke to m k the p ob b

llusi ns ma rs of m r r nt li i al in r s a o to tte o e ece po t c te e t,

the thoroughly eﬁcient and suﬂicient introduction to his edition of this play ; in which the student

ill ob s rv i rati u for his hel and admira w e e, w th g t de p

tion for his learning in all matters of social and

hist ri al illus ra i n a G r an i r has o c t t o , th t the e m ed to kept well to such work as he was perfectly compe

en is har and has n r on his as i n t t to d c ge, eve t occ o e xchanged the highest seat in the hall of scholarship for l s f rm in s l of ri i ism B the owe t o the choo c t c . y him as by others the actual merit of this most 1m historic of historical dramas has perhaps been some

wha un rra ed a e as it is of rnam n vio t de t . N k d o e t,

lent in most of its action and repulsive in several of

its s n s arr n of au in lan ua and r in ce e , b e be ty g ge poo

r as ur of u it n r fails in ani a i n and t e e tho ght, eve m t o interest ; and the hardened student of our early

stage who has once entered the shambles will hardly

turn away in disgust or weariness from the fume

and ﬂow of monotonous bloodshed till his curiosity

12 4 GEORGE CHAPMAN .

villain of i who r udi a es ns i n e the the p ece, ep t co c e c as

a weak and fond remembrance

Whi ch men should shun as ele hants cl rin , p ear sp gs, Lest they behold their own d eformities ” And start at their grim shadows.

“ Even here the fall of the verse is not that of

Chapman ; and the tone of the verses which imme diately follow is so utterly alien from the prevailing t n of his t a au n i i of s n as o e h t the the t c ty the ce e, in of w l la can nl vin i a deed the ho e p y, o y be d c ted by a supposition that in his last years he may for once have taken the whim and had the power to change his style and turn his hand to the new fashion of the un s wri rs n r s rin on the s a yo ge t te the p o pe g t ge .

Only the silliest and shallowest of pedants and of

’ sciolists can imagine that a question as to the date or the authorship of any poem can be determined by mere cons iderations of meas ure and mechanical computation of numbers as though the language of a w r i isi l fr the th u ht or to poem e e d v b e om o g , ( borrow a phr as e from the Miltonic theology) the

’ eﬁuence were separable from the essence of a man s 12 GEORGE CHAPMAN . 5

nius It s ul su rﬂu us and i r in n ge . ho d be pe o mpe t e t to explain that the expression is not to be considered apar t from the substance ; but while men who do not know this are suffered to utter as with the authority of a pedagogue or a pulpiteer the verdict of gerundgrind ers and metremongers on the ﬁnest and most intricate questions of the subtlest and

s su li of arts it is but too id nt ha mo t b me , ev e t t the explanation of even so simple and radical a truth

n n it r i r in nt nor su rﬂu us It is c a be e he mpe t e pe o . not because a particul ar pronoun or conjunction is used in this play some ﬁfty times oftener than in an th r w r of its auth r a int on y o e o k o , po

whi ch I profess myself neither competent nor careful

r n un t at am r ar i on to p o o ce, h I p ep ed to dec de the

u s i n of its aut n i it or its a e a q e t o he t c y g . Th t ques

tion indeed I am difﬁd ent enough to regard as one

l a it is th w r impossible to reso ve . Th t e o k of Chap

man see no ﬁnit r as n is li and n I de e e o to d be eve, ot a

littl r as n su s t at it ma e e o to ppo e h y be. The selec

tion and treatment of the subject recall the trick of

his fancyand the habit of his hand ; the process of

the st r is in ar s uain and l al ani an o y p t q t b oody, g v c d 12 6 GEORGE CHAPMAN abrupt ; but the movement on the whole is certainly s o r lu i n r r ular arran e mo the , the evo t o mo e eg , the g m n r rama i than of Old A in it as e t mo e d t c . ccept g

' the last tragic eﬂort of the author whose ﬁrst extant

’ a m in a lin was Buss d AmbOis we s all tte pt th t e y , h

ﬁnd perhaps in the general workmanship almost as

f li n s as of unli n ss nsi r much o ke es ke e . Co de ed a ar and u its o wn ri s shall cer p t j dged by me t , we

noticeable for a close and clear sequence of varying in i n and in r s and for a ui li t u i c de t te e t, q ck ght o ch n

s in of su rﬁial ara r s in the ketch g pe c ch cte . The e be g its i f uali i s ma fairl r n un a ch e q t e , we y y p o o ce th t whether or not it be the work of Chapman it b e longs less to his school than to the school of Shirley ;

’ yet being as it is altogether to o robust and mas cu lin for a r of the latt r s l it s s s e wo k e choo , eem mo t r as na l admi it as hil of an l r fa h r e o b e to t the c d o de t e ,

las - rn of a r i r us n ra i n wi h the t bo mo e v go o ge e t o , t l ss of s r n and sa t an its r t rs but it e t e gth p h b o he , w h something in return of the younger and lighter

f i ll w in graces o ts fe o s age. The hero and his father are ﬁgures well invented and well sustai ned ; the

1 2 8 GEORGE CHAPMAN verse gracious and majestic ; transformed for a mo ment and redeemed by great brief to uches of high a nd profound harmony ; of which better mood let us ta in r f a sin l instan and at the o st ke p oo g e ce, th m s ustai ned and exquisite we shall ﬁnd

n i in storm Before her ﬂew Afﬂictio , g rt s, ’ wi hin wounds and all the forms Gash d all th gus g , Of bane and misery frowning in her face Whom Tyranny and Injustice had in chase

rim Persecution Povert and Shame G , y , ;

D t ac on Env foul Misha an m e r ti , y , p, d la e

S cru le of Conscience ear Deceit Des air p F , , p ; r and Clamour that rent all the air Slande , ;

te r and Massacre uncrowned T il Ha , Wa , o

’ And ickness t all the rest the ase and foil S , b , Crept after ; and his d eadly weight trod d own

l of a cr wn a th B u and the or o . We l , ea ty , g y These ushered her far off as ﬁgures given T o show these crosses orne ma e eace with heav , b k p en.

But now mad e free from them next her f , , be ore,

Peaceful and oun Herculean y g, silence bore His craggy club which up aloft he hild ’ ’ With whi ch and hi s fore- ﬁnger s charm he still d

All sound s in air and left so f e mi n ; r e e ears,

That mi ht hear the music of the s r I g phe es, And all the angels singing out of heaven

tunes were solemn as to a Whose , p ssion given

at ust h For now, th J ice was the appiness there

wr n s t Ri ﬂic For all the o g o ght in ted here. E H 1 2 G ORGE C APMAN . 9

Such was the passion that Peace now put on And on all went when suddenly was gone

All li ht of n r g heave befo e us from a wood ,

hose si ht fore- seen now lost m w W g , , , a azed e stood , The sun still racin us when new g g ; , the air

Inﬂamed with meteors, we di scovered fai r

’ The skipping goat the horse s ﬂaming mane

Bearded and trained comets stars in wane

The burning sword the fireb rand - flying snake The lance the torch the licking fire ; the drake And all else meteors that did ill abode The thunder chid the lightning leapt abroad And y et when Peace came in all heaven was clear ; And hen did ll h t a t e horrid woo d appear, Where mortal dangers more than l eaves did grow

w ul ne free t In hich we co d not o step bes ow, ’ For treading on some murd er d passenger Who thither was by witchcraft forced to err

ose face the ird hi that l ve human est Wh b d o s s b ,

That b ath the u le e es and ros reast b g y y b , ’ ” And is the yellow autumn s nightingale.

Thi s is Chapman at his best ; and few then can

r him lan ua hardl h l s l lier bette . The g ge y o d ove

lin s of m r rf t l ur and r ha e , o e pe ec co o mo e ppy

a n an s m few of t s w i a c de ce, th o e he e h ch I h ve

given to shew how this poet could speak when for a change he was content to empty his mouth of

n l f f fo The isi n pebbles a d c ear his orehead o g. v o 9 130 GEORGE CHAPMAN

of Homer which serves as overture to this poem is

not the only other noble feature which reliev es a

landscape in too great part made up of rocks and

ra l s of ir and rass and for sa e of b mb e , m e mo ; the k

these hidden green places and sunny moments so me

y et may care to risk an hour or so of toil along the

an h rn lan that run n muddy d t o y es betwee .

From the opening verses of The Tea rs e of Pea ce

w e get one of the few glimpses allowed us into the

’ s rs nal lif his ir h la the ann r and poet pe o e, b t p ce, m e the s iri of his w r and his s in his r ir p t o k, hope et ed

‘ ’ age for heaven s blessing in a free and harmle ss life the passage has beauty as well as interest far

beyond those too frequent utterances of querulous

anger at the neglect and poverty to which he could

not r si n himself without r s n n It w ul hav e g e e tme t . o d e

en w ll for i s lf as for us who ann t now be e h m e , c o

read such reiterated complaints without a sense o f w arin ss and irri a i n if had r all laid n e e e t t o , he e y o c

for all to heart the noble verses in which he sup

poses himself to be admoni shed by the spirit Ely

sian of his divin atr n H r who t l him as e p o ome , o d ,

’

sa s ha he was an l star and fa . he y , t t ge to me, , te

2 H 13 GEORGE C APMAN . cation can give no reader such pain as those o f

rs othe .

His ﬁrst and best patron in the court of James was that youth on whose cofﬁn so many crowns of

urnin rs w r s r and who es b mo g ve e e e howe ed, do y all report seem to have well deserved that other than Oﬂicial regrets should go with him to his

’ r A in i n af r g ave . boy dy g at e ghtee te three years

r f of int r s in i r ul ur of his ime p oo e e t the h ghe c t e t ,

r ars urin w i had s wn imself as th ee ye d g h ch he ho h , far as we can see sin r and ar n in his l o f , ce e de t ove n l in s nl and nl of n l men of r ob e th g o y, o y ob e , poet y — and of heroes champion of Ra leigh in his prison — and patron of Chapman in his need must certainly have been one worthy of notice in higher places than a urt one who en if rn in a l fti co ; , ev bo o er atmosphere and likeli er to bring forth seed of eu

urin n ur w ul assur dl a arn r mark d g ho o , o d e y h ve e ed e and r ran as a s i nal ﬁ ur of ememb ce mo t except o g e, trul rar an ira l r is y e d adm b e p om e .

’ The inscription of Chapman s Iliad to Prince

Henry is one of his highest and purest examples of GEORGE CHAPMAN 133 moral verse : the august praise and grave exaltation of his own great art give dignity to the words of admonition as much as of appeal with whi ch he commends it to the acceptance and reverence of

’ kin s We ma w ll eli a rin s g . y e b eve th t the p ce d eath gave to the high heart of his old Homeric teacher and counsellor of royal and heroic things a sharper pain than the mere sense of a patron lost and of rs nal as w ll a of na i nal s cut off pe o e s t o hope .

! et in his special cas e there was good reas on for s ial r r latt r ins al n s of his l f pec eg et. The e t me t o ty labour on the translation of Homer were inscribed to

he i n l s a n the ini ns as f r r had t g ob e t mo g m o , the o me il been inscribed . to the noblest among the ch dren of

in An aus r and s at l ralis li a the k g. te e t e y mo t ke Ch p man could hardly have sought a stranger patron than

Carr ; and when we find him officiating as para nymph at those nuptials which recall the darkest and f ul s is r in all the annals of at r i n o e t h to y th e g , the poisonous and adulterous secrets of blood and shame in whose darkness nothing is discernible but the two masked and muflled figures of treachery 1 H N 34 GEORGE C APMA .

and urd r we ann but r r and a l m e , c ot emembe pp y

the parallel drawn by Macaulay from the court of

Nero ; nor can it be with simple surprise that

we listen to the sermon or the song composed by

Seneca or by Lucan for the epithalamium of Spo rus

and L u oc sta.

ﬂ The celebration of that monstrous marriage in

ethic and allegoric verse brought nothing to Cha p

n i r i i r A man but dis quiet a d d sc ed t. Ne the n dro

meda Lady Essex nor Perseus Earl of Somerset had

reason to thank or to reward the solitary singer

whose voice was rai sed to call down blessings on

the bridal bed which gave such a Julia to the arms

of su a Manlius n r us a surdi o f ch . The e o mo b ty

’ Chapman s ever unfortuna te allegory was on this

ausprcrous occasion so much more than absurd

that Carr himself would seem to have taken such

' oﬂence as his luckless panegyrist had undoubt

edl no sus i i n ha h h i And y p c o t t e mig t g ve . y et

' this innocence of intention aﬂords one of the

oddest instances o n record of the marvellous want

of common sense and common tact which has s m i s n so n a l in men of nius o et me bee ot b e ge .

1 36 GEORGE CHAPMAN

be said to have unbound his fettered virgin ; and in

answer to this not unnatural inquiry Chapman had — the audacious innocence to afﬁrm and I doubt no t — in all truth and simplicity that the inevitable ap

plication of this happy and appropriate symbol had

never so much as crossed his innocent mind . As

if he lai s indi nan l w r arr n , exc m g t y, the o d b e — could be applied to a man was it ever said a man

w as barren ? or was the burden of bearing fruit

ever lai d on man ?

Whether this vindication was likely under the

circumstances to mend matters much the pre judicate and peremptory reader will judge fo r

i s l One ru ur w v r the r udi a s h m e f. mo ho e e poet ep te

in passing with some violence of language ; to the

eff t we ma ath r hat he had n wa laid ec , y g e , t bee y

’ and as saulted as was Dryden by Rochester s ruf

ﬁans but at wh s insti ati n we can nl c on , o e g o o y

ecture He will omrt sa s as s ru um . b j , he y , t ck d

wit the is ain of it th ir s un anl lie h h d d , e mo t m y bot

of m b aﬂ in and w undin sa in a is y g o g, y g, T ke th for your Andromeda not being so much as ” lla l uff rin t u witn ss G od nor one s s . o ched, I e , y b e e g E H N 1 GEORG C APMA . 37

ru ur is sin ular n u h and it w ul The mo g e o g , o d be curious to know if at least any such threat or

a Fr arr at all attempt were actually m de. om C events we can hardly believe that it would have c ome ; for it must be set d own to his credit that in the days of obscurity which followed on his dis grace and retirement he seems to have befriended the poet whose humbler chances of court favour had r u h p es mably fallen with is own.

It was unlikely that any man ever so slightly as sociated with the recollection of a matter whi ch the king was probably of all men least desirous to keep in mind should again be summoned by two of the

” nns of ur as a an had n su m n I Co t, Ch pm bee m o ed the

ar f r to os arria as u for a ye be o e, comp e the m ge m q e r al w in M r in us i i far t oy edd g . o e a p c ous by hough far more innocent than those of Somerset were the nuptials he had thenbeen chosen to celebrate the nu ials of Eliza h all the u n of H ar s pt bet , c ed ! ee e t , wi h Fr ri one da surna Win r t ede ck, y to be med the te

in F - ! g . or that fatal marriage feas t of Go ody

Pal sgrave and her hapless bridegroom he had b een hidden to provide due decorations of pageantry 1 H 38 GEORGE C APMAN . and verse ; and had produced at leas t some bright

ra ful u l ts and s anzas a n rs hardl g ce co p e t , mo g othe y so d ﬁna l But su a as was no w n o t e b e . to ch t k he likely to be called again ; the turning- point of his fortunes as far as they hung upon the chance o f

r n - f rr pat o age at court was the weddi ng d ay o Ca .

As a favourite of the dead prince to whom his

Homer had been as cribed in weighty and worthy

rs s he ma ha n th u ﬁt the ar ve e , y ve bee o ght ye before to as sist as the laureate of a day at the mar riege which had been postponed by the death o f

’ the bride s brother in the preceding autumn ; and some remembrance of the favour shown him by the noble youth for whom the country if not the court had good reas on to mourn may have kept his name

for awhile before the eyes o f the better part of the

urti rs if a tter art t r w r b ut if v r co e , be p he e e e ; e e , as w e ma n tur his f rtun had ass y co jec e, o e p ed

r u h its ur of ris and its da of r r ss we th o g ho e y p og e , must infer that its decline was sudden and its fall

r ia l ir emed b e .

In the same year which witnessed the unlucky

venture of his A nd r omed a Chapman put forth a

1 0 N 4 GEORGE CHAPMA .

nuin a re of b ad w r a nuin a h rrence ge e h t d o k, ge e b o

o f bas am i i n and fals r en t an an un e b t o e p et ce, h to y j ust or male volent insti nct of mere jealousy ; which

yet might perhaps be found pardonable to the neg

lected an d labori ous old age of a high- minded artis t

and ar - w r in s h lar su as a a ere h d o k g c o ch Ch pm n. Th

are impressive touches of a higher mood in the fune

ral hymn which completes the somewhat volumino us

tri bute of ceremonial verse offered up at the grave

o f Lord Russell ; but the greater part of the poem is

more noticeable for quaintness than for any better

ualit in in d c n ri in uti n as in q y, be g dee ec e t c exec o

c n i n n h n n f a an o cept o beyo d t e wo t eve o Ch pm . It

c arri s w r s w i h of t u h and con e ho eve ome e g t ho g t,

tai ns probably the longest and minutest catalogue

r iv n in i n hin e ve g e vers e of the s gns of a approac g

storm a descri ption which shows at once the close

and intens s rvati n of na ur n and e ob e o t e, the kee

f r i l w r of r r u i n and the u t r in o c b e po e ep od ct o , t e

c n s l t and arran his at rial ali e ompete ce to e ec ge m e , k

and at all i s distin i f this t me ct ve o poet.

Four years after the miscarriage of And rome d a.

we ﬁnd his translation of Hesiod ushered in by a GEORGE CH APMAN 141 digniﬁed appeal and compliment to the truly

Greek inspiration and absolutely Attic elocution of no less a patron than Bacon ; whose all - acknow ledged faculty hath banished ﬂattery therein even from the court ; much more from my country and

’ r an i li i But for his ss mo e th upland s mp c ty. Ody ey and H ns of H r as w ll as for his l a ad ym ome , e p e dr essed to the country on behalf of the beleaguered

an ful of r s s r in wi ir Hor c V r h h d t oop e v g th S a e e e, e sought or found no patronage but that of Carr ; and that this should not have failed him gives evidence of some not ignoble quality in one whom we are accustomed only to regard as the unloveliest of the

n u i r In th i Ga ymedes whose J p te was James . e ded cation of the Hymns he refers to the retired life of his disgraced patron in a tone which might not un

worthﬂy have saluted the more honourable seclusion

’ of a b er man s as h rs of a man s ett . To the e to ot e Ch p

moral verses Coleridge has paid a tribute of thought

ful and ra l rais s r no l ss the memo b e p e, de e ved e by

fragments of ethical poetry pri nted some years

arli r i a m ri al rsi n aft r ha of P rar a e e w th et c ve o , e t t et c ,

ni n alm n h s of the pe te tial Ps s . Amo g t e e there are 142 GEORGE CHAPMAN

an rains of nuin u h of rs and r m y g ge e tho g t, te e g a ve

r ssi n w r h r ar and r ran exp e o , o t em k ememb ce . S o

’ much indeed may be said in parting of Chapman s

r as a w l ; in all his s of i ati n o r poet y ho e poem ded c o ; mere compliment; as in the elaborate and eloquent

’ r a s d r ﬁ Ben onson s S e anus we s all h p o y p e xed to J j , h

1 ﬁnd some weight of reﬂection and some energy o f

’ utterance in the commendatory verses of Fletcher s

Faithful Shep herdess we shall ﬁnd something better ;

f ur of the l v li st lin s in the lan ua rf ct o o e e e g ge, pe e

for l uri and si l sw n ss of l ur me ody, p ty, mp e eet e co o .

It is better to think of Chapman as the just and

’ generous friend of other and younger men s genius than to remark except in passing on his quarr el in ) old a e ith ns n of w i h we n w n thin g w Jo o , h c k o o g ! but by an unhappy fragment of virulent and worth l ss v rs rans ri it sh ul s urin his l e e e, t c bed o d eem d g ast illness by some foolish and oﬂicious friend or ﬂatterer

’ (as we may conceive) of the old man s petulances and

i For th s th r is r as n f ar inﬁrmit es. e e e e e o to e that w e may have to make more allowance than must under all circumstances be claimed by age and sick n ss n wh r a v rsit has no s ar in the e , eve e e d e y h e

1 H 44 GEORGE C APMAN . s iri and if as sa s of H r not itho u p t ; , he y ome , w t e i n and im dia r f r nce to his own lo v de t me te e e e t,

like a man verecwndi i ngenvi (which he witnesseth of i s lf li un n ur and n e ill his h m e ) , he ved ho o ed e dy t

’ a ma eli a he did not li e dis de th, we y b eve th t v sa isﬁe or ected U nw rt in ul the t d dej . o hy deed wo d workman have been of his own work if from the contemplation of it he had been too poor in spirit or too covetous of reward to draw the consolation of a hi n n gh co te t.

This strong and sovereign solace against all the evils that can beset the failing age and fallen f or

n f a ra man surel es rv d if er tu es o b ve he y d e e , ev

His w man s rv a and r ain. o rk de e ed, to h ve to et was done ; neither time nor trouble could affect

n n it that ; neither age nor mi sfortu e could u do . H e had li l n and r ar and end of all ved o g wo ked h d, the the valiant labour and strenuous endurance that must have gone to the performance of his task had

nt He had a a. not been less than tri umpha . dded monument to the temple which contains the glories

f na i lan ua the dli i a s and the o his t ve g ge, go ke m ge costly relics of its past ; he had built himself a H 1 GEORGE C APMAN . 45 massi and a s i rial w r for all the ve m je t c memo , he e

flaws and roughness of the weatherbeaten work the great workmen of days unborn would gather to give h n ur his na He had in l a fir hi o o to me. k d ed e w ch the an in win s of im w r not to ut out the ch g g d t e e e p , veering breath of taste and opinion was never to blow upon so hard but that some would return to warm themselves at its heat and to cheer themselves with its li H a ght. e showed wh t he could of Homer to the lift s of ! ats and the str n and fi r ed eye e , o g e y reflection was to the greater poet as very dawn

f H ll ni sunr i s lf the rf t s l nd ur o ise. t e , pe ec p e o e e c

Much of precious and undying praise has been worthily bestowed on it ; but while anything of

English poetry shall endure the sonnet of ! eats

ill be ﬁnal w r of mm n the ﬁnal n of w the o d co e t, ote

’ i n a an s H r verd ct o Ch pm ome .

This of course was the sovereign labour of his life and to this the highest of his other works can

only be considered as bri nging some addition of

n ur a r is et in s n u serve ho o . Th t the e y the e e o gh to as the foundation of a lasting fame I have made it

f r a k s w But his the purpose o my p esent t s to he . 10 146 GEORGE CHAPMAN . name will always ﬁrst recall neither the plays nor the poems which might well have suﬂiced for the work and the witness of a briefer or less fruitful

. life ; the great enterprise of which the firstfruits were given to the world in his fortieth year and the last har vest was garnered in his sixty- sixth must b e the first and last claim of his memory on the re ve rence of all students who shall ever devote the b est o f their time and of their thought to loving researc h or to thankful labour in the full field of English

r in mi a l f r and ﬁre of a poet y. The do t b e o ce Ch p

’ man s genius have given such breath and spirit td his Homeric poems that whatever their faults

ﬂaws may be they are at least not those of 0

’ men s versions ; they have a seed and salt of per sonal life which divide them from the class of trans lated works and remove them (it might wellnigh b e sai in the rank of ri inal s B th d) to o g poem . y e standard of origin al work they may be more fairly ! and more worthily judged than by the standar d o f t pure translation and upon their worth as tested by that standard the judgment of Coleridge and of

La has n ass n e for all wi ut fear of mb bee p ed o c , tho

148 GE ORGE CHAPMAN

’ before his read ers sight. It is much that his ard o ur and i ur his n r and ti n s ul ha e v go , e e gy devo o , ho d v d n the n l and m ra l w r h ha o e ob e emo b e o k t ey ve .

That unconquerable quaintness which Lamb w as the ﬁrst to point out as the one perpetual note o f inﬁrmity and imperfection in the great work of

Chapman is more hopelessly alien from the quality of the original than any other defect but that of a s lut w a n ss or s rili of s iri ul b e b o e e k e te ty p t co d .

Al t rin v rdi of B n l on P we ma e g the e ct e t ey ope, y say that instead of a very pretty it is a very nob le

but i us n t all H r uain t o . ne poem, m t be c ed ome ! t ss and to s eal a hra s fr uli are an miles he, t p e om J et, m y asun r de .

The temperament of Chapman had more in it o f

’ an Icelandic than a Hellenic poet s and had Homer

been no more than the mightiest of skalds or the

Ili a t an the r at st of sa as a man oul d h g e e g , Ch p w d

have been ﬁtter to play the part of their herald or

nt r r r Hi ﬁ r an i i e p ete . s e y d turb d style has in it the

action rather of earthquakes and volcanoes than of

the oceanic verse it labours to represent ; it can give

us b ut the pace of a giant for echo of the footfall of GEORGE CHAPMAN 149 a god ; it can shew but the huge movements of the

avin ar h inﬂa and inﬂa wi une ual he g e t , ted med th q and vi l n lif for the innu ra l uni and b ar o e t e, me b e ty

n the radian and u ant music of lu in us mo y, t b oy m o m ti n si li i and ualit of as si n and o o , the mp c ty eq y p o of w r the a sti n h r of sin l s un po e , m je c mo oc o d g e o d underlying as it were at the heart of Homeri c verse the multitudinous measures of the epic

sea.

The name of Chapman should al ways be held great ; yet must it always at ﬁrst recall the names of r a r m n For one who hin s of him as the g e te e . t k author of his best play or his loftiest lines of gnomic verse a score will at once remember him as the translator of Homer or the continuator of Marlowe/

The most daring enterpri se of a life which was full of daring aspiration and arduous labour was this of resuming and completing the mighty line of Hera a r For a s an s o ut al n nd Leand e . th t poem t d o e amid all the wi de and wild poetic wealth of its

in and ur ul n a e as i a s all s rin teem g t b e t g , m ght m h e of Parian sculpture amid the rank splendour of a

i l But o a h r can a l r trOp c jung e. n met p o pt y exp ess 1 0 H N 5 GEORGE C APMA .

the rapture of relief with which y ou come upo n it

a i the s of a an and rink nc m o re m d poem Ch pm , d o e

with your whole heart of that well of sweet wa ter after the long draughts y ouhave taken fro m suc h brackish and turbid springs as gush up among the sand f v rs Faul l ss in e s and thickets o his e e . t e d ed this lovely fragment is not ; it also bears traces o f

the Eliza an ar aris as u rea t beth b b m, tho gh the g ‘ ’ queen s ruff and farthingale had been clapped about the neck and waist of the Medicean V enus ; but fo r all the strange costume w e can see that the limb s

’ are rf s ill na of Marl s m has pe ect t . The me owe poe been often coupled with that Of the ﬁrst heir of

’ S hakespeare s invention b ut wi th all reverence to the hi h s na in l t rs it sai the com g e t me e te be d,

parison is hardly less absurd than a comparison of

Tambwrlai e h thell Wi all its r r n wit O o. th ove c owd

’ in au i s of tail Sha s ar s ﬁrs is on g be t e de , ke pe e t poem the whole a model of what a young man of geni us

’ should not write on such a s ubject ; Marlowe s is a

l f a sh ul S ar l the art o f mode o wh t he o d . c ce y

i ian at its i s and sur l not the art o f T t h ghe t, e y

S ak s ar at its a n ul a ma acce h e pe e d w , co d h ve de p

15 2 GEORGE CHAPMAN

poem can justly be charged on the only not faultless

m of Marl a s nc of all u r us w poe owe. The b e e c mb o je els

and ponderous embroideries from the sweet and li m

pid loveliness of its style is not more noticeable than

the absence of such other and possibly such graver

ﬂaws as deform and diminish the undeniable

ar f A Wi l a ch ms o Venus and donis. th e ve o r

without leave of a much lauded critic who could

see nothing in the gloriﬁed version or expansion by

Marlowe of the little poem of Musaeus but a para

ras in v r s ns of the e i t of the m st ph e, e e y e e p the , o

’ li n i us in mus av w a want and am ce t o k d, I t o th t I

ll n n an the s ns a r it b e we co te t to w t e e, wh teve ,

which would enable me to discern mor e offencein

that lovely picture of the union of two lovers in

body as in soul than I can discern in the parting o f

R m and ui nd if i a s a l asur o eo J l et . A t be al w y p e e

to r a a a of Marl w to r a it after a a o f e d p ge o e, e d p ge

a man is to th l n f i h rs Ch p e capab e stude t o h g ve e a.

’ l asur w r X rx h n ! et re p e e o thy e es t e great ki g. the

is not a little to be advanced in favour of Chap

’ in Th an e audacious and arduous undertak g. e hm e was not ali am n all i ht men n po t ve, o g the m g y the G C A PMA GEOR E H N . 53 li in ul w r hil a m l v g, who co d o t y h ve co p eted the d i in fra m n of Marl w ll mi w v e g e t o e. As we ght e look no w to ﬁnd a sculptor who could worthﬂy restore for us the arms of the V enus of Melos Our

’ Lad of B au as H in sai w n l in at her y e ty, e e d he y g f s ri k n a who has no ands and ann eet t c e to de th , h , c ot

’ l us For of narra iv ts r w r n n in he p . t e poe the e e e o e that generation of any note but Drayton and Daniel ;

’ and though these might have more of Marlowe s li i sw n ss and urit of s l lac mp d eet e p y ty e, they ked the f r and w i of ha an Nor is th o ce e ght C pm . e c ontinuation by any means altogether such as we — might have expected it to b e a sequel by Marsyas

he n A ll han s ma su t s of . as s to o g po o T k , we y ppo e, ’ to the i am i i n of the s aim r are h gh b t o poet , the e more beauties and fewer deformities than I have f un in an of his r ms r are o d y othe poe . The e passages indeed which at ﬁrst sight may almost seem to support the otherwise unsupported tradi tion that a brief further fragment of verse from the hand of Marlowe was left for Chapman to work up in his se u l is for ins an u s m to q e . Th t ce, tho gh o e 1 C A PMA 54 GEORGE H N . w a v r fan as i has in it a sw t and enuine h t o e t t c, ee g note of fancy

Her fresh- heat lood cast ures in her e es b ﬁg y , ’ And she supposed she saw in Neptune s skies ’ ’ H w r nd er w h d in marti rine o he star wa d, as s ng b , ’ For her l s sa e that with immortal wine ove k , ’ o d and wim in more heart s- e Sh uld b e embathe , s as e ” Than there was water in the Sestian seas.

Here again is a beautiful example of the short s w eet interludes which relieve the general style of Cha p

’ man s narrative or reﬂective verse

For as ro ortion white nd c n m et p p , a rimso , e ’ t r In beauy s mixtu e, all right clear and sweet,

The e e res onsi le the old en hair y p b , g , And none is held without the other fair ;

All rin to ether all to ether fad e sp g g , g ’ Such intermix d affections should invade ” Tw rf lov o pe ect ers.

An d thi s couplet has an exquisite touch of fancif ul

colour

As two clear ta ers x n li h p mi i one their g t, ” 8 0 did the lil a th w t y nd e hand their hi e.

That at least might have been written by Marlow e

i s lf But the i lar l f r h m e . poem s ge y de o med by

r s n s and a rrati ns mis la d r exc e ce ce be o , by p ce mo als and mis im n i s and at the a as ro he t ed co ce t ; c t t p ,

s56 GEORGE CHAPMAN

’ inevitable by a poet s mind of his peculiar b ent and

ias Th r are su rﬂui i i h w l b . e e pe t es wh c e woud fain see r f rmi i s w i we w uld fain see emoved, de o t e h ch o strai h n d in all but r a s a n ts or g te e , the g e te t mo g poe men ; and these are doubtless in effect irremovable

r l Ev n the A lant an s ul rs of a nd incu ab e. e t e ho de

ns n ﬁt ar w i of mi ties m nar Jo o , to be the e ght gh t o

hi s av n hardl tas su r and rans c e , h e bee y ked to ppo t t

our own da the fam of his r a nius mit to y e g e t ge ,

‘ o verburdened as it was with the twofold load of his

hi an ri f theories on art and s ped t es o practice . An d

a an u h als a r r of the ian r d Ch pm , tho g o b othe g t b oo ,

h ad not the Herculean sinews of hi s younger f riend

- tu n a w i whi h uld b u and fellow s de t. Th t e ght c co t

bend the back that carried the vast world of invention

whose twin hemispheres are Volpone and The A lche

mist was wellnigh enough to crush the staggering

s r n h of l ss r itan His st l r ls an t e gt the e e T . y e ee d

str uggles under the pressure ; he snorts and heaves

as us n a Etna s n in u at a h hu e Typhoe be e th , e d g p e c g

turn and convulsion of his uneasy bulk some show er

o f lindin s ar l s or lu of stiﬂin va ur b g p k e vo me g po . C A PMA N 1 GEORGE H . 57

But for all the discords and contortions of his utterance the presence is always perceptible of a

ian and of one issu fr the lin a of g t, ed om e ge the

arl s He al n as far as I can see am n e y god . o e, , o g all r a men of his r a a e had an in in the g e t g e t g , yth g

m n h n n for r vil w ul not com o wit Jo so good o e . It o d be accurate to lay the heaviest faults of either poe t

the a unt of his l arnin A w i h of l arnin to cco e g. e g t e g at leas t equal to that which bowed and deformed the genius of Jonson and of Chapman served but to give new shape and splendour to the genius of Milton and

f Lan r th s it was but as a staff to ui and o do . To e e g de a crown to glorify their labours ; a lantern by whose li ht th mi ht wal a w lls rin fr wh s wa r g ey g k, e p g om o e te

an r they might draw draughts of fresh strength d est.

But by this light the two elder poets too ofte n fail al s rai and sur drank ften ed to w k t ght e, too o

r r i from this fountain a heady o a na cot c draught.

One at l as and not he had run s e t, who d k deepe t of di in and an r us s rin s s at im s the v e d ge o p g, eem t e under its inﬂuence to move and Speak as under some

ma i n l arnin f ns n ir an ransf r . o C ce t o t o The e g Jo o , A 1 58 GEORGE CHA PM N .

doubtless far wider and sounder than that of Chap man n v r all w or allure him an e for a , e e o ed d to exch g

turbid and tortuous j argon the vigorous purity o f his

wn En lis s iri and s l v rt l f o . ss o ese g h p t ty e Ne e he e , th four illustrious men whom I suppose to have b een

st l r a in lassi al li era ure with th the mo deep y e d c c t t , e exception probably of Gray and possibly of Co le ri am n all o ur s of as t two rea dge, o g poet the p , the g t republicans as sur ely were not as the two di stin guished royalists surely were pedants : and Chap man in l ss r sc lar was na urall , be g the e e ho , t y the

r a r an f the air g e te ped t o p .

As a dramatic po et he has assuredly never - y et received his due meed of discerning praise b assur l no man of nius v r did so u ed y ge e e m ch, as

h u h rv rs and r ns si n ins t o g by pe e e p epe e de g , to ur e a ntinuan of n l t and in us i Ha co ce eg ec j t ce. d he allied himself with some enemy in a league agains t — his o wn fame had he backed himself against suc c ss for a wa r let his s r s wha mi e ge , de e t be t they ght — he could have done no more than he has done to ma r ain of the sir failur Wit a ke ce t de ed e . h s ar of i s irit and in enti n h e com c p v o ,

160 GEORGE CHA PMAN spirit of imagination proper to all great men and ar in in each as fr all r , v y g c e om othe , r f rms of i s lf its own missha n w r tread s e o t e pe o k,

n and riu hs v r its own faults and rr rs dow t mp o e e o , renews its faltering forces and resumes its undi

i i r i n Bu who in so hi h a a r m n shed e g . t he g m tte as ra a i art can sin so avil and so tri the d m t c he y, umphantly tread under the penalty of his trans

ression us r a a n r a st of his fel g , m t be g e t mo g the g e te l u h h all his s n h i ws . S wi ss a d s rt n s o c , t exce e o com g in the wa of ra ati w r was ns n su cer y d m c o k, Jo o ; ch tainl was not C a an The ra for a le y h pm . t gedy ex mp of Chabot a n l and i niﬁ in the ain , ob e d g ed poem m , and the otherwise lively and interesting comedy of

’ M(msiewr d Olfi’ve are s ri usl i air a w rse , e o y mp ed by o than Jonsonian excess in the analysis and anatomy

” f r The turn a a v at and the o humou s . co t d oc e mock ambas sador bestride the action of the plays and

oppress the attentio n of the reader with a more

’ importunate and heavy load than that of Sinbad s

m f h a An t r int of r s lan e old an o t e se . o he po e emb c to Jons on on the wrong side is the absence or in C A PMA N GEORGE H . 1 6!

signiﬁcance of feminine interest throughout his

w r s r h l o k . No poet eve s owed ess love or regard for

w n l ss ar to s u or l ss w r ain ome , e c e t dy e po e to p t i h h i f l f them . W t t e except on o a coup e o passages in

’ his two est i s the wi ﬁ l of a an s b comed e , de e d Ch pm

writings will be found wellnigh barren of any ten

der or noble trace of pas sion or emotion kindled

tw n man and w an s two assa s be ee om . The e p ge

stand o ut in beautiful and brilli ant contras t to the

’ general tone of the poet s mood ; the praise of 1 has seldom been uttered with loftier and s

’“ eloquence than in the well- known verses which

’ ” l ra it as na ur s s n sun inf rmi n ce eb te t e eco d , o g and educing the latent virtues in man as the

sun doth colours the structure and cadence of the

rse h i and fulln ss of w r s are alike . ve , the c o ce e the o d ,

ra l for the rfe w r and urit the memo b e pe ct po e p y,

strong simplicity and luminous completeness of workmanship which may be (too rarely) found and

n in r of a an assa e joyed the poet y Ch pm . The p ge

in The entleman Usher act iv s n 3 whi h G ( . ce e ) c

F 1 All ools, act i. scene . A A 162 GEORGE CH PM N. sets forth the excellence of perfect marriage h as l ss of i illustra i n and ima inati colo ur e poet c t o g ve , but is a no less admirable model of clear a nd vigorous language applied to the ﬁt and f ull

u an l i expression of high tho ght d nob e emot on . B ut as a rule we ﬁnd the genius of Chapman at its b es t

hen furthest removed from female inﬂuence ; as in the two plays of Biron and those nobler parts o f th e

” Roman tragedy of Owsar and Pomp ey in whic h

at is urs s on lif and a h two lea i C o d co e e de t . The d ng h r in s of his ra i rama Tam ra and Caro ia e o e t g c d , y p , k are but a slippery couple of sententious harlots who d eliver themselves in eloquent and sometimes in exalted verse to such amorous or vindictive pur pose

h a i n of the la ma su s W as t e ct o p y y gge t. hether the secret of this singular defect in a dramatic p o et were to be sought in coldness of personal tempera

n in narrowness of in ll ual in r s me t, te ect te e t, o r

in simply the accidental circumstances which m ay

a iv n a as ual dir i n to his lif and u ht h ve g e c ect o e tho g , we n no t now hin n eed t k to co jecture. He was read y

' en u h rea l ur s on l or lus to C, o g to d ect e ove t, expatiate : wi th a dry scholastic sensuality on the details and

' 16 C A PMAN 4 GEORGE H . s r n arms and s ilful an s ast the s of ei r t o g k h d , p cope th

n and s u i us s w ul r a l ha kee t d o eye , they o d p ob b y ve

n una l to li or n i And bee b e be eve to co ce ve . yet there w r w l r i ns of i h i air w l w rl s e e ho e eg o h g poet c , ho e o d of uman assi n and di vin i a ina i n whi h h p o e m g t o , c might be seen by humbler eyes than theirs and tr n f l r f wh r ir r us lun s odde by eeb e eet, e e the ob t g w r w rl ss to r a h and ir str nu us s n e e po e e b e t e, the e o o g f ll sil nt N ot r at r s iri s al n u h . s as Mar e e g e e p t o e, c

’ ’ l w s and S a s ar s but su l ss r s iri o e h ke pe e , ch e e p ts

’ as Decker s had the secret of ways unk nown to them in the w rl of r of a rs fr o d poet y, the key ch mbe om

i h t w r s u ut wh c hey e e h t o .

In Marlowe the passion of ideal love for the ulti mate idea of beauty in art or nature found its per f e and su r x r ssi n faul l ss and unf r d e t p eme e p e o , t e o ce .

ra ian ard ur of his sir li h and th The d t o de e, the g t e

ﬂa of his as irati n iffus and s hr u me p o , d ed hed t o gh all the forms of his thought and all the colours of his rs av su h s a lin ss and s r n h ve e, g e them c h pe e t e gt of life as is given to the spirits of the greatest poets

H far rat r han au r or ns r al n . e S o e , he t Ch ce pe e , whose laurels were ﬁrst fed by the dews and sun GEORGE CHA PMA N: 165

ams of al and Fran w s s n s r full of be It y ce, ho e o g we e sw ra i i n fr rs a of m ri s and n s eet t d t o om ove e , emo e ote

” whi a n fr ir n u s - he al ne ch c me me ded om the to g e , o

was the ru A ll of our a n ri and t e po o d w , the b ght

morning star of the full midsummer day of English

r t i i r W at and S ns r a ts s . au poet y h ghe t Ch ce , y t, pe e

had l f our lan ua as l di us as ﬂu n as e t g ge me o o , e t,

ﬂexible to all purposes of narrative or ly rical poetry as it could be made by the grace of genius ; the supreme note of its possible music was reserved for

an r ri f En lis lan rs one of s . O othe to t ke g h b k ve e, the few highest forms of verbal harmony or poetic 5

e r ssi n nius of Marl w was the abs lu xp e o , the ge o e o te i and i in r r B r in f ri in l an d v e c eato . y me e d t o o g a d godlike instinct he discovered and called it into lif and at his un i l and unha a h r e ; t me y ppy de t , mo e lamentable to us all than any other on record except

’ S lle s l ft mar ll us ins rument of his he y , he e the ve o t invention so nearly perfect that Shakespeare ﬁrst

h ul r i r on i In the han s t ey co d vary o mp ove t. c ge rung by them on the keys ﬁrst tuned by Marlowe we trace a remembrance of the touches of his hand ; HA 166 GEORGE C PMAN .

in his own cadences we catch not a note of any

’ th r an is t a r s lar of humb lest s. o e m Th poe , poo cho

ar n a li rf the uisi me re in p e t ge, ved to pe ect exq te t

en for narra i au r i in it to m v ted t ve by Ch ce , g v g ( y

ear at l as r of w i ht and h o f f r e t) mo e e g dept , o c e

and fulln ss an its f un r had ive h e , th o de to g ; e

invented the highest and hardest form of E nglish

rs the nl ins ru nt sin f un ossib l f ve e, o y t me ce o d p e o r

our tragic or epic poetry he created the mod em

tragic drama ; and at the age of thirty he went

and wher m r Where Orpheus e Ho e are.

Surely there are not more than two or thr ee

names in any literature which can be set above the

’ poet s of whom t his is the least that can in

ruth sai r is no r r tan o f t be d. The e eco d ex t his

living likeness ; if his country should ever b ear

men worthy to raise a statue or monument to his

m m r s ul s an f r i th e o y, he ho d t d be o e them w th e head and eyes of an Apollo looking homeward fro m

’ eart in sun : a fa and ﬁ ur in et h to the ce g e, the po s own r a ras g e t ph e,

e ir lift w n ine Like his d s e, up ard a d div .

1 68 GEORGE CHAPMA N: subtle and final truth the supreme aim and the su r li it of his art the l r and the o o f p eme m , g o y j y his la ur the sa isfa i n and the insuflicience o f bo , t ct o his triumph in the partial and finite expression o f an infinit li ht and an in finite sir Marlow e e de g de de e, has summed up all that can be said or thought o n the ffi and the the ans and end o f o ce object, me the , this hi h st f r of s iri ual a i i n whi h fo r g e o m p t mb t o , c him was as it were shadowed forth in all symbo ls and refl e in all sha s of u an ener r in al l ect d pe h m g ,

xaltati ns of the s iri in all as ira i ns o f th e o p t, p t o e

ill B i a f the ﬁ t r r w . n t o rs was con e g poe o de , he tent to know and to accept the knowledge that ideal beauty lies beyond the most perfect w ords that art can imbue with life or inﬂame with colour ; an ex ellen that x ressi n can n v r r aliz a c ce e p o e e e e, th t

ossession can n v r str n ar r su h p e e de oy . The e e c an

’ artist s work comes to this abstract perfection of ab solut eaut the r l arl will see and e b y, mo e c e y he the more gladly will he admit that it never can

m so n ar as to l s with it and ﬁnd as in in co e e c o e , th gs o f meaner life a n lusi n set in the act of frui i , co c o t on

the s ns of n nt a al ﬁx at a in to e e e joyme , go ed po t CH PM 16 GEORGE A AN . 9

attainable where the delight of spiritual desire may

be nsu ma and nsu in m m n of co m ted, co med the o e t

i s n i A man of s n r r o t co summat on. the eco d o de f

genius is of his nature less qui ck to apprehend the

truth that

If all the pens that ever poets held ’ H f d the f lin of th ir m s rs thou s ad e ee g e a te ght ,

and if one single and supreme poem could embody

in distilled expression the spirit and the sense of

v r n t t s ed t e e y sweet ess ha in pir heir hearts, ” Th ir n nd n admi red them e mi ds, a muses o es ,

h r w l hi a n l t e e oud remain behind all t ngs ttai ab e and . expressible in sound or form or colour something

a will not be x r ss or a ain nor ass in th t e p e ed tt ed, p to

the likeness of any perishable life ; but though all

w r n a all s ul e e do e th t poet co d do,

! et should there hover in their restless heads

One th u ht one ne wonder at o g , grace, o , the least, ” Whi ch into words no virtue can digest.

No poet ever came nearer than Marlowe to the

e r ssi n of is in r ssi l au in xp e o th exp e b e be ty, to the

carnati n in ac ual f rm of i al rfec i n the o t o de pe t o , to A 1 7 ° GEORGE CHA PM N . embodiment in mortal music of immortal harmo ny ; and he it is who has left on record and on e videnc e to all time the truth that no poet can ever co m e n ar r less r ar is wi l ss lib rt of a io n e e . The e t t, th e e y ct , wi ll be the likelier of the two to show less loyal ty of submission to the eternal laws of thought whi ch

ﬁnd their full and natural expression in the eternal

an ns of ar In him we s all ﬁnd at in el c o t. h th t lectual energy has taken what it can of the pla ce and done what it can of the work proper to ideal

as n is subs i ui n of an in ll ual for an p sio . Th t t t o te ect i al end of n r i n al ac i n for assi nate de , e e get c me t t o p o

iri al i n as the ans war s t a end is sp tu emot o me to d h t , as good a test as may be taken of the difference in kind rather than in degree between the ﬁrst and

se n r r of i a ina i ar is s B th the co d o de m g t ve t t . y e

change of instrument alone a critic of the higher

lass ma at n v rif the han f c y o ce e y c ge o object. In

’ almost every page of Chapman s noblest work w e discern the struggle and the toil of a powerful mi nd convulsed and distended as by throes of travail in the effort to achieve something that lies beyond the proper aim and the possible scope of that form of

x N 7 : GEORGE CHA PMA . they walked ; those are not the highest poets o r

soldiers or statesmen whom it is possible o r per

o ther ﬁ l than ir own a li ation to e d the , by the pp c

some other end of such energy and genius as mad e

' them great in the line which they were impelled to

select at least as much by pressure of accident as b y

f r of ins in t ernal n c ssi of chance o ce t c , by the ext e e ty “ as by the internal necessity of nature? Acciden t

and occas ion may b e strongest with men o f the

second order ; but with minds of the ﬁrst rank that

which we call the inlpulse of nature is yet mor e

r n an u t no a ns n mi h st o g th they . I do b t th t Jo o g t

in another age have sought and won distinction

from the active life of soldiership or of statecraft ; I

a l av u t w t r S a s ar had he t ke e e to do b he he h ke pe e,

u h it w ul a won am not isin lin s . to o g t , o d h ve I d c ed

admit the supposition that Chapman might have ;

applied his power of moral thought and his interest

in historic action to other ends than they ev er

r in li ra ur or in lif But n i r for his se ved te t e e . e the

sake nor for ours am I disposed to regret that cir

cumstance or destiny should have impelled or in A C PMA 1 . GEORGE H N . 7 3 duced him to take instead that way of work which has given his memory a right to live with that of men who could never ' have taken another way than they took ; which has mad e it honourable and vene rable to all who have any reverence for English poetry or regard for English fame ; which has set him for ever in the highest place among the ser

an s and in er r ers of H r and all w us to v t t p et ome , o ed ins ri in our ima ina n as on stal of a c be g tio , the pede statue reared in thoughtto the father of our tragic

rs nam of Ge r ha an not dis ve e, the e o ge C pm too creditably far b eneath the name of Christopher '

1 6 A PP N IX 7 E D . with na of ha an i a c r in to Mr the me C pm , wh ch c o d g .

’ Collier is discoverable in Ovid s Banquet Of S en se but after a second and third search through ev ery turn and recess of that dense and torrid jungle o f bad and good verses I have failed to light on this

arti ular w or ﬂ w r Fiv t r p c eed o e . e o he extracts ha ve bafﬂed alike my own researches and the far more

’ a abl in uisi i n of v n Mr lli r s l arni n c p e q t o e e . Co e e g ; nor have they proved traceable by the energy and

’ en usiasm of a man s la s i r as ro th Ch p te t ed to , who h p perly included them in his te xt as authentic frag ments of unknown poems by the writer to who m f ur of a e n as si n R rt All t o them h ve b e g ed by obe o ,

’ i r of En land s Pam assa s s n of the ed to g . The eco d

' these ﬁve passages he ascri bes to Spenser ; Spenser s it undoubtedly is not and as it is followed by an ex

’ cer t fr a man s Hera and Leand er whi h is p om Ch p , c likewise bestowed on Spenser by the too hasty li rali of old i r we a s a i i na l be ty the ed to , h ve ome dd t o reas on to rely on the unmistakable evidence of the s l w i ears i ia e wi n ss the uliar ty e, h ch b mmed t t e to pec

an r of a an h diwo k Ch pm .

last r but one s ms fa iliar me and The exce pt ee m to , IX 1 A PPEN D . 77

is rather in the manner of Greene or Peele and their

fellows than of Chapman or any later poet I canl

not but think that a student more deeply read than

I in the poems interspersed among the romances of

Greene and Lodge might be able to trace both the

two last passages of the ﬁve here fathered on Chap

m n t h f h r h hav a o t e hand o one or t e othe . T ey e

the ﬂuency or ﬂuidity rather of the blank verse

w ritten by the smaller scholastic poets whom we

may see grouped about the feet of Marlowe ; the

sam fa il r fusi n and ffusi n of lassi i a r e c e p o o e o c c m ge y,

the same equable elegance and graceful tenuity of

st l r ss h r and th r lin s of r all hi y e, c o ed e e e e by e e y gh

and t n r aut It ma th u ht that in that e de be y. y be o g

case they would have been as speedily and as surely

tra b Mr lli r as w r h rs s ransf r cked y . Co e e e t e ve e t ered from Warner to Chapman ; but the most learned and

acute among scholars cannot always remember the

right place for all things on which his eye must have

lit in the course of a lifelong study ; and I ﬁnd in M ’ r . lli r s lis two assa o ne i n a 2 2 s t . of Co e t p ge , g ve p

’ ’ E n land s Parna ssus un r adi n Bliss g de the he g , the

’

r at . 108 un r the adi n Gifts ar othe p de he g , m ked 12 A PPE [VD ! X .

as of un n wn ri in of whi h ﬁrst urs i n k o o g , c the occ

’ the ﬁfth s s ia of ha an s H er a and Lea nd er e t d C pm , the s n in h h w o i ht s in eco d is S ad o f N g . The e the list tha f ll ws are assi n to their r r la s t o o g ed p ope p ce .

The number o f the page referred to on the left is that

’ in E ngland s Par nassus ; the number on the right refers to the page in which the same passage appears

’ in th r i i n f a an s ll t s e ﬁ st ed t o o Ch pm co ec ed poem .

’ List of Passages extr acted f rom Chap man s Poem s

’ in En lan s Parnassus or the i st Fl w r g d , Cho ce o e s

f ur M rn P 1 o o ts . 00 ode oe 6 .

PAC 8

’ The l n hain of H m r s hi h 3 . go de c o e g device

hin s s ns l ss li art and ra i n 9. t al T g e e e ve by , o di e .

12 r a is h fr i . S ac ed be uty t e uit of s ght

15 All x ll n of sha is a f . e ce e ce pe m de or sight

In the next line E P r eads . . To be a beetle else were no

1 Ri h B aut tha a h l v r la urs f 6. or 30 3 c e y, t e c o e bo , 1

0 B aut still th ir swi s in l e y, y emp e m b ood 3 1 * 1 B aut n hasin l v l ainin 7 . e y e c g o e, ove g g beauty 2 9

P three mis rints in thi ex E . as s tra . h p ct gaining fo r ’ nﬂict for constant ti gracing, co , me content for true

180 A PPEN DIX .

PAGE PAG E ’ * 4 R un - h a ust th a l x is 7 . o d e ded c om pop e y

In thin s with ut us no li h is sur 5 6. g o de g t e

Fi r li htnin fr her s 67 . e ce g g om eye

B in wh r li htn ss will in sha it eg e e g e , me ends

108 G if ts are ft n i n to men ast . ood g o e g ve p good

110 ! in A alth a was transf r v . d m e o med by Jo e .

12 G d s in as t at t vil 0. ood eed c e h hey be e placed-r

14-1 Man use t l s to s t l fa s . e y emp e god y ce .

161 h n l s rn a sh ul ind ustri u . T ei ob e t bo d me o d o s be

1 4 n as it is v r r stitut 6 . I ch t y e e p o e

’ 1 0 d u l life that d a thin s r f 7 . They o b e e d g g ie

sustain

Lov is a l n u le full of r ams e go de b bb , d e

. f This is the reading in E. P o the line

But custom that the a o l x is , p p e y the two following lines are transcribed exactly as they stand

H er a and L in the third sestiad of eand er .

J r Thi s extract runs thus in E . P.

Good d eed s in case that the b e evil lace , y p d ,

Ill d eeds are rec oned and soon d race k , isg d.

’ a That is good d eed that prevents a b ad .

The third line occurs in the third sestiad of Her o a nd Le and er (p .

’ I So E . P. for And . A I ‘ PPEN D X . 18 1

PAGE PAGE

1 4 L v i f in r h 7 . s a wan n a i in f o e to m e, c ood L 178 . ove laws and judges b ath in fee

’ 180 L v ain hi l n in s in ir in . o e p ts s o g g sweet v g s eyes

181 Tri in a n s ri us a ts a n . ﬂ g ttempts o e o c dva ce

183 Pur l v sai she ur s ra . e o e, d , the p e t g ce pursues

196 What th a man wit u the arts . do m ke ho t p h of men C

) 19 Li a r in rs ha nt n h w 3 7 . ke s ude pa te t t co e d to s o < O 198 H n i f n l ri * . ymen that ow s god o uptia ghts D

0 Before them on an altar he presented In Athens-r The custom was that every maid did wear 86

208 The min b ath in itself a it 15 . d I de y That mind most is beautiful and high 16

22 1 We us in matters ral uit r t 32 . m t mo q e ejec

230 u sir to l as l asur di . Too m ch de e p e e p e e

vorces

260 Li as a lass is an inani a . ke! g m te eye .

2 1 n is so r of s ns and s nc 7 . No e poo e e y To whom a soldier doth not shine

’ 8 f r ri s. 0 E . P. o te

' rd ar in e l r of . 1 These two wo s e t rpo ated by the edito E. P ’

er elf . 1 So E . P. for h s ’ f d in th t ardl o E . P o For an e n uw S . r ext verse o y ’ for inwardly . 182 A PP N IX E D .

PAO ! PAG E * 2 1 ele ancie an eautif 7 . No g c b y

2 E r ha h ul awa s 73 . ve y good motion t t t e so ke

2 4 Ph u hr ws 7 . As oeb s t o Hi s beams abroad though he in clouds be closed E T P. ( hese two are attributed to Spenser i n . ) ’ 285 i s l n thi . T me go de gh U pholds the ﬂowery body of the earth

2 92 Virtu ma s n ur as the s ul . e ke ho o , o doth sense Joy graven in sense like snow in water wastes

2 95 G ws are n r r n with . ood vo eve b oke good deeds We know not how to vow till love unblind

2 m hin s n t in u and hu 9 . U se a s t 7 ke g o h g h ge, ge things nothing Wisdom and the sight of heavenly

Shines not so clear as earthly vanities B in i l d . Be ar O A lexand ri a S c . ( gg f , )

305 B s l v r l f r w wh n m n la . s a e s o it e e t o e o t , e b me

Words well placed move things were never thought

’

o . P f r ele a c . S E . o g n e

1 8 A PP N IX 4 E D .

PAP-B PAC ! 5 A n 3 7 . mo gst this gamesome crew is seen 366 In ﬂ w . o ery season of the year (With two lines p r efixed at botto m of p receding p age The tenth of March when Aries received

’ D n P oe u ra s in hi rn h a a h b s y to s ho ed e d. )

’ 3 2 D n 7 . a s in G of un au t rs 8 1 y k g, od d ed ve e

3 7 9. All su nl a li ht of w nt hu s 7 2 3 dde y g t e y e , 7

3 95 h la an s ﬂ m n 2 . S e d a of dia a 9 30 y , eemed ood t , ’ — (Omitting Now Ovid s muse to make me

3 99 ir s ft un - b the . The o yo g cheek alls to eye

4 h n r r f l 07 . To make t e wo d ous powe o ove appear “‘ 409 n as t she off her r and st u . The c obe ood p

' right

i h h li a u nal ar H r w t s e r s u s . e e o e, ke the t m t ’ 41 h r h is u s in h r ut s 7 . S ee w e e s e s e e bea y pomp . ’ Her air w as l s and ut her sh ul rs h oo e, bo o de hung Like-f as a taper burning in the dark Now as when heaven is mufﬂed with the vapours 33

’ In the third line of this stanza E ngland s Parnassus reads ’ ‘ her night for the night in the eighth choisefull for ’ charmful in the ninth varnishing for vanishing.

“! ‘ ’ ISo E . P. for and . A PP N I 1 8 E D X . 5

PAGE PAG E * As when Jove at once from east to west

4 4 A she was l in in a lass 6 . s ook g g

4 9 In li tl ti h s ladi s f un 6 . t e me t e e e o d

481 (Misp rinted In that mead- proud

a in rass 41 42 m k g g ,

485 A s ft enﬂowered an ra the f unt 23 . o b k emb ced o

’ 488 Gri M la us wit the Ethi s f 13 . m e mp h op eet

There are thus in this anthology no less than

i ht - one x rac ts as ri to a an si s e g y e t c bed Ch pm , be de

two of which one is kno wn and the other suspected

to be the work of his hand ; these are wrongly

assi n t S ns r At the tim of his u li ati n g ed o pe e . e t p b c o

Chapman was in his forty- second year ; he had pub

lis hed b ut two la s and thr lu s of v rs the p y ee vo me e e,

’ third being his continuation of Marlowe s Hero and

Leander .

Of the i ht - thr assa s nu re a v e g y ee p ge mbe d bo e,

irt - two are a n fr m this tw nt - ﬁve th y t ke o poem, e y

’ fr Ovid s Ban uet O S ense ten fr m The Shado w om q f , o

o Ni ht i ht fr m The Contenti on O Phillis and f g , e g o f

Flora a uain and s ti s a ra ful v rsi n , q t ome me g ce e o

’ ‘ ’ 1 h t xt. f . l in t e e o P. r an S E . o d IIer g ass 1 A PP N 86 E DIX .

into the Elizabethan dialect o f a Latin o r more pro

b ably a quas i- Latin poem ascribed by Ritson to one

o f the most famous among mediaeval mas ters ; o ne

is a n fr the ﬁrst s n of his ﬁrs la one is t ke om ce e t p y,

s uri us and six in lu in the assa wr n l p o , ( c d g p ge o g y

’ r f rr in a f r r list to Ovid s Ba n uet o Sense e e ed o me q f ) ,

wh th r s uri us or nuin ha et rac e e p o ge e, ve y to be t ed

t h ir tru s ur In his riti al ir of M r o t e e o ce. c c memo a

ks l i l w or vo . . vii l . . d Mr W e . D o e ( , p . yce

’ observes that the editor of E ngland s Par nassus a ppears never to have resorted to manuscript

sour s and if as is of urs st r a l the ce , co e mo p ob b e,

supposition of that great scholar and careful critic

w ll f un d we us n lu tha h s as be e o de , m t co c de t t e e p

sa es as w ll as the m r r i us and uisi g , e o e p ec o exq te

fragment of a greater poet which called forth this

re ar fr his it r w r tra All m k om ed o , e e ex cted by ot

from some printed book or books long lost to human

n m ll sight. O e s a b ut noticeable extract of tw o

lines and a half descriptive of mid night is evidently

in f a l st la Th I th k rom o p y. e taste of the worthy

person who compiled this ﬁrst English anthology

was remarkable apparently for its equal relish of