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a defence of poesie and poems-第15章

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Theocritus in Greek; Virgil in Latin; nor Sannazaro in Italian; did affect it。  Besides these; I do not remember to have seen but few (to speak boldly) printed that have poetical sinews in them。  For proof whereof; let but most of the verses be put in prose; and then ask the meaning; and it will be found that one verse did but beget another; without ordering at the first what should be at the last; which becomes a confused mass of words; with a tinkling sound of rhyme; barely accompanied with reason。

Our {83} tragedies and comedies; not without cause; are cried out against; observing rules neither of honest civility nor skilful poetry。  Excepting Gorboduc (again I say of those that I have seen); which notwithstanding; as it is full of stately speeches; and well… sounding phrases; climbing to the height of Seneca his style; and as full of notable morality; which it does most delightfully teach; and so obtain the very end of poesy; yet; in truth; it is very defectuous in the circumstances; which grieves me; because it might not remain as an exact model of all tragedies。  For it is faulty both in place and time; the two necessary companions of all corporal actions。  For where the stage should always represent but one place; and the uttermost time presupposed in it should be; both by Aristotle's precept; and common reason; but one day; there is both many days and many places inartificially imagined。

But if it be so in Gorboduc; how much more in all the rest? where you shall have Asia of the one side; and Afric of the other; and so many other under kingdoms; that the player; when he comes in; must ever begin with telling where he is; {84} or else the tale will not be conceived。  Now shall you have three ladies walk to gather flowers; and then we must believe the stage to be a garden。  By and by; we hear news of shipwreck in the same place; then we are to blame if we accept it not for a rock。  Upon the back of that comes out a hideous monster with fire and smoke; and then the miserable beholders are bound to take it for a cave; while; in the meantime; two armies fly in; represented with four swords and bucklers; and then; what hard heart will not receive it for a pitched field?

Now of time they are much more liberal; for ordinary it is; that two young princes fall in love; after many traverses she is got with child; delivered of a fair boy; he is lost; groweth a man; falleth in love; and is ready to get another child; and all this in two hours' space; which; how absurd it is in sense; even sense may imagine; and art hath taught and all ancient examples justified; and at this day the ordinary players in Italy will not err in。  Yet will some bring in an example of the Eunuch in Terence; that containeth matter of two days; yet far short of twenty years。  True it is; and so was it to be played in two days; and so fitted to the time it set forth。  And though Plautus have in one place done amiss; let us hit it with him; and not miss with him。  But they will say; How then shall we set forth a story which contains both many places and many times?  And do they not know; that a tragedy is tied to the laws of poesy; and not of history; not bound to follow the story; but having liberty either to feign a quite new matter; or to frame the history to the most tragical convenience?  Again; many things may be told; which cannot be showed:  if they know the difference betwixt reporting and representing。  As for example; I may speak; though I am here; of Peru; and in speech digress from that to the description of Calicut; but in action I cannot represent it without Pacolet's horse。  And so was the manner the ancients took by some 〃Nuntius;〃 {85} to recount things done in former time; or other place。

Lastly; if they will represent an history; they must not; as Horace saith; begin 〃ab ovo;〃 {86} but they must come to the principal point of that one action which they will represent。  By example this will be best expressed; I have a story of young Polydorus; delivered; for safety's sake; with great riches; by his father Priamus to Polymnestor; King of Thrace; in the Trojan war time。  He; after some years; hearing of the overthrow of Priamus; for to make the treasure his own; murdereth the child; the body of the child is taken up; Hecuba; she; the same day; findeth a sleight to be revenged most cruelly of the tyrant。  Where; now; would one of our tragedy…writers begin; but with the delivery of the child?  Then should he sail over into Thrace; and so spend I know not how many years; and travel numbers of places。  But where doth Euripides? Even with the finding of the body; leaving the rest to be told by the spirit of Polydorus。  This needs no farther to be enlarged; the dullest wit may conceive it。

But; besides these gross absurdities; how all their plays be neither right tragedies nor right comedies; mingling kings and clowns; not because the matter so carrieth it; but thrust in the clown by head and shoulders to play a part in majestical matters; with neither decency nor discretion; so as neither the admiration and commiseration; nor the right sportfulness; is by their mongrel tragi…comedy obtained。  I know Apuleius did somewhat so; but that is a thing recounted with space of time; not represented in one moment: and I know the ancients have one or two examples of tragi…comedies as Plautus hath Amphytrio。  But; if we mark them well; we shall find; that they never; or very daintily; match horn…pipes and funerals。  So falleth it out; that having indeed no right comedy in that comical part of our tragedy; we have nothing but scurrility; unworthy of any chaste ears; or some extreme show of doltishness; indeed fit to lift up a loud laughter; and nothing else; where the whole tract of a comedy should be full of delight; as the tragedy should be still maintained in a well…raised admiration。

But our comedians think there is no delight without laughter; which is very wrong; for though laughter may come with delight; yet cometh it not of delight; as though delight should be the cause of laughter; but well may one thing breed both together。  Nay; in themselves; they have; as it were; a kind of contrariety。  For delight we scarcely do; but in things that have a conveniency to ourselves; or to the general nature。  Laughter almost ever cometh of things most disproportioned to ourselves and nature:  delight hath a joy in it either permanent or present; laughter hath only a scornful tickling。  For example:  we are ravished with delight to see a fair woman; and yet are far from being moved to laughter; we laugh at deformed creatures; wherein certainly we cannot delight; we delight in good chances; we laugh at mischances; we delight to hear the happiness of our friends and country; at which he were worthy to be laughed at that would laugh:  we shall; contrarily; sometimes laugh to find a matter quite mistaken; and go down the hill against the bias; {87} in the mouth of some such men; as for the respect of them; one shall be heartily sorrow he cannot choose but laugh; and so is rather pained than delighted with laughter。  Yet deny I not; but that they may go well together; for; as in Alexander's picture well set out; we delight without laughter; and in twenty m
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