a defence of poesie and poems-第2部分

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　but　as　the　word　〃apology〃　has　somewhat　changed　its　sense　in　current　English；　it　may　be　well　to　go　on　calling　the　work　〃The　Defence　of　Poesie。〃

In　1583　Sidney　was　knighted；　and　soon　afterwards　in　the　same　year　he　married　Frances；　daughter　of　Sir　Francis　Walsingham。　　Sonnets　written　by　him　according　to　old　fashion；　and　addressed　to　a　lady　in　accordance　with　a　form　of　courtesy　that　in　the　same　old　fashion　had　always　been　held　to　exclude　personal　suitpersonal　suit　was　private；　and　not　publichave　led　to　grave　misapprehension　among　some　critics。　　They　supposed　that　he　desired　marriage　with　Penelope　Devereux；　who　was　forced　by　her　family　in　1580then　eighteen　years　oldinto　a　hateful　marriage　with　Lord　Rich。　　It　may　be　enough　to　say　that　if　Philip　Sidney　had　desired　her　for　his　wife；　he　had　only　to　ask　for　her　and　have　her。　　Her　father；　when　dying；　had　desired　as　any　father　mightthat　his　daughter　might　become　the　wife　of　Philip　Sidney。　　But　this　is　not　the　place　for　a　discussion　of　Astrophel　and　Stella　sonnets。

In　1585　Sidney　was　planning　to　join　Drake　it　sea　in　attack　on　Spain　in　the　West　Indies。　　He　was　stayed　by　the　Queen。　　But　when　Elizabeth　declared　war　on　behalf　of　the　Reformed　Faith；　and　sent　Leicester　with　an　expedition　to　the　Netherlands；　Sir　Philip　Sidney　went　out；　in　November；　1585；　as　Governor　of　Flushing。　　His　wife　joined　him　there。　　He　fretted　at　inaction；　and　made　the　value　of　his　counsels　so　distinct　that　his　uncle　Leicester　said　after　his　death　that　he　began　by　〃despising　his　youth　for　a　counsellor；　not　without　bearing　a　hand　over　him　as　a　forward　young　man。　　Notwithstanding；　in　a　short　time　he　saw　the　sun　so　risen　above　his　horizon　that　both　he　and　all　his　stars　were　glad　to　fetch　light　from　him。〃　　In　May；　1586；　Sir　Philip　Sidney　received　news　of　the　death　of　his　father。　　In　August　his　mother　died。　　In　September　he　joined　in　the　investment　of　Zutphen。　　On　the　22nd　of　September　his　thigh…bone　was　shattered　by　a　musket　ball　from　the　trenches。　　His　horse　took　fright　and　galloped　back；　but　the　wounded　man　held　to　his　seat。　　He　was　then　carried　to　his　uncle；　asked　for　water；　and　when　it　was　given；　saw　a　dying　soldier　carried　past；　who　eyed　it　greedily。　　At　once　he　gave　the　water　to　the　soldier；　saying；　〃Thy　necessity　is　yet　greater　than　mine。〃　　Sidney　lived　on；　patient　in　suffering；　until　the　17th　of　October。　　When　he　was　speechless　before　death；　one　who　stood　by　asked　Philip　Sidney　for　a　sign　of　his　continued　trust　in　God。　　He　folded　his　hands　as　in　prayer　over　his　breast；　and　so　they　were　become　fixed　and　chill；　when　the　watchers　placed　them　by　his　side；　and　in　a　few　minutes　the　stainless　representative　of　the　young　manhood　of　Elizabethan　England　passed　away。



AN　APOLOGIE　FOR　POETRIE



When　the　right　virtuous　Edward　Wotton　｛1｝　and　I　were　at　the　Emperor's　court　together；　we　gave　ourselves　to　learn　horsemanship　of　Gio。　Pietro　Pugliano；　one　that；　with　great　commendation；　had　the　place　of　an　esquire　in　his　stable；　and　he；　according　to　the　fertileness　of　the　Italian　wit；　did　not　only　afford　us　the　demonstration　of　his　practice；　but　sought　to　enrich　our　minds　with　the　contemplation　therein；　which　he　thought　most　precious。　　But　with　none；　I　remember；　mine　ears　were　at　any　time　more　laden；　than　when　（either　angered　with　slow　payment；　or　moved　with　our　learner…like　admiration）　he　exercised　his　speech　in　the　praise　of　his　faculty。

He　said；　soldiers　were　the　noblest　estate　of　mankind；　and　horsemen　the　noblest　of　soldiers。　　He　said；　they　were　the　masters　of　war　and　ornaments　of　peace；　speedy　goers；　and　strong　abiders；　triumphers　both　in　camps　and　courts；　nay；　to　so　unbelieved　a　point　he　proceeded；　as　that　no　earthly　thing　bred　such　wonder　to　a　prince；　as　to　be　a　good　horseman；　skill　of　government　was　but　a　〃pedanteria〃　in　comparison。　　Then　would　he　add　certain　praises　by　telling　what　a　peerless　beast　the　horse　was；　the　only　serviceable　courtier；　without　flattery；　the　beast　of　most　beauty；　faithfulness；　courage；　and　such　more；　that　if　I　had　not　been　a　piece　of　a　logician　before　I　came　to　him；　I　think　he　would　have　persuaded　me　to　have　wished　myself　a　horse。　　But　thus　much；　at　least；　with　his　no　few　words；　he　drove　into　me；　that　self　love　is　better　than　any　gilding；　to　make　that　seem　gorgeous　wherein　ourselves　be　parties。

Wherein；　if　Pugliano's　strong　affection　and　weak　arguments　will　not　satisfy　you；　I　will　give　you　a　nearer　example　of　myself；　who；　I　know　not　by　what　mischance；　in　these　my　not　old　years　and　idlest　times；　having　slipped　into　the　title　of　a　poet；　am　provoked　to　say　something　unto　you　in　the　defence　of　that　my　unelected　vocation；　which　if　I　handle　with　more　good　will　than　good　reasons；　bear　with　me；　since　the　scholar　is　to　be　pardoned　that　followeth　the　steps　of　his　master。

And　yet　I　must　say；　that　as　I　have　more　just　cause　to　make　a　pitiful　defence　of　poor　poetry；　which；　from　almost　the　highest　estimation　of　learning；　is　fallen　to　be　the　laughing…stock　of　children；　so　have　I　need　to　bring　some　more　available　proofs；　since　the　former　is　by　no　man　barred　of　his　deserved　credit；　whereas　the　silly　latter　hath　had　even　the　names　of　philosophers　used　to　the　defacing　of　it；　with　great　danger　of　civil　war　among　the　Muses。　｛2｝

At　first；　truly；　to　all　them　that；　professing　learning；　inveigh　against　poetry；　may　justly　be　objected；　that　they　go　very　near　to　ungratefulness　to　seek　to　deface　that　which；　in　the　noblest　nations　and　languages　that　are　known；　hath　been　the　first　light…giver　to　ignorance；　and　first　nurse；　whose　milk　by　little　and　little　enabled　them　to　feed　afterwards　of　tougher　knowledges。　　And　will　you　play　the　hedgehog；　that　being　received　into　the　den；　drove　out　his　host？　｛3｝　or　rather　the　vipers；　that　with　their　birth　kill　their　parents？　｛4｝

Let　learned　Greece；　in　any　of　her　manifold　sciences；　be　able　to　show　me　one　book　before　Musaeus；　Homer；　and　Hesiod；　all　three　nothing　else　but　poets。　　Nay；　let　any　history　he　brought　that　can　say　any　writers　were　there　before　them；　if　they　were　not　men　of　the　same　skill；　as　Orpheus；　Linus；　and　some　others　are　named；　who　having　been　the　first　of　that　country　that　made　pens　deliverers　of　their　knowledge　to　posterity；　may　justly　challenge　to　be　called　their　fathers　in　learning。　　For　not　only　in　time　they　had　this　priority　（although　in　itself　antiquity　be　venerable）　but　went　before　them　as　causes　to　draw　with　their　charming　sweetness　the　wild　untamed　wits　to　an　admiration　of　knowledge。　　So　as　Amphion　was　said　to　move　stones　with　his　poetry　to　build　Thebes；　and　Orpheus　to　be　listened　to　by　beasts；　indeed；　stony　and　beastly　people；　so　among　the　Romans　were　Livius　Andronicus；　and　Ennius；　so　in　the　Italian　language；　the　first　that　made　it　to　aspire　to　be　a　treasure…house　of　science；　were　the　poets　Dante；　Boccace；　and　Petrarch；　so　in　our　English　were　Gower　and　Chaucer；　after　whom；　encouraged　and　delighted　with　their　excellent　foregoing；　others　have　followed　to　beautify　our　mother　tongue；　as　well　in　the　same　kind　as　other　arts。

This　｛5｝　did　so　notably　show　itself　that　the　philosophers　of　Greece　durst　not　a　long　time　appear　to　the　world　but　under　the　mask　of　poets；　so　Thales；　Empedocles；　and　Parmenides　sang　their　natural　philosophy　in　verses；　so　did　Pythagoras　and　Phocylides　their　moral　counsels；　so　did　Tyrtaeus　in　war　matters；　and　Solon　in　matters　of　policy；　or　rather　they；　being　poets；　did　exercise　their　delightful　vein　in　those　points　of　highest　knowledge；　which　before　them　lay　hidden　to　the　world；　for　that　wise　Solon　was　directly　a　poet　it　is　manifest；　having　written　in　verse　the　notable　fable　of　the　Atlantic　Island；　which　was　continued　by　Plato。　｛6｝　　And；　truly；　even　Plato；　whosoever　well　considereth　shall　find　that　in　the　body　of　his　work；　though　the　inside　and　strength　were　philosophy；　the　skin；　as　it　were；　and　beauty　depended　most　of　poetry。　　For　all　stands　upon　dialogues；　wherein　he　feigns　many　honest　burgesses　of　Athens　speaking　of　such　matters　that　if　they　had　been　set　on　the　rack　they　would　never　have　confessed　them；　besides；　his　poetical　describing　the　circumstances　of　their　meetings；　as　the　well…ordering　of　a　banquet；　the　delicacy　of　a　walk；　with　interlacing　mere　tiles；　as　Gyges's　Ring；　｛7｝　and　others；　which；　who　knows　not　to　be　flowers　of　poetry；　did　never　walk　into　Apollo's　garden。

And　｛8｝　even　historiographers；　although　their　lips　sound　of　things　done；　and　verity　be　written　in　their　foreheads；　have　been　glad　to　borrow　both　fashion　and；　perchance；　weight　of　the　poets；　so　Herodotus　entitled　the　books　of　his　history　by　the　names　of　the　Nine　Muses；　and　both　he；　and　all　the　rest　that　followed　him；　either　stole　or　usurped；　of　poetry；　their　passionate　describing　of　passions；　the　many　particularities　of　battles　which　no　man　could　affirm；　or；　if　that　be　denied　me；　long　orations；　put　in　the　months　of　great　kings　and　captains；　which　it　is　certain　they　never　pronounced。

So　that；　truly；　neither　philosopher　nor　historiographer　could；　at　the　first；　have　entered　into　the　gates　of　popular　judgments；　if　they　had　not　taken　a　great　disport　of　poetry；　which　in　all　nations；　at　this　day；　where　learning　flourisheth　not；　is　plain　to　be　seen；　in　all　which　they　have　some　feeling　of　poetry。　　In　Turkey；　besides　their　lawgiving　divines　they　have　no　other　writers　but　poets。　　In　our　neighbour…country　Ireland；　where；　too；　learning　goes　very　bare；　yet　are　their　poets　held　in　a　devout　reverence。　　Even　among　the　most　barbarous　and　simple　Indians；　where　no　writing　is；　yet　have　they　their　poets　who　make　and　sing　songs；　which　they　call　〃Arentos；〃　both　of　their　ancestor's　deeds　and　praises　of　their　gods。　　A　sufficient　probability；　that　if　ever　learning　comes　among　them；　it　must　be　by　having　their　hard　dull　wits　softened　and　sharpened　with　the　sweet　delight　of　poetry；　for　until　they　find　a　pleasure　in　the　exercise　of　the　mind；　great　promises　of　much　knowledge　will　little　persuade　them　that　know　not　the　fruits　of　knowledge。　　In　Wales；　the　true　remnant　of　the　ancient　Britons；　as　there　are　good　authorities　to　show　the　long　time　they　had　poets；　which　they　called　bards；　so　through　all　the　conquests　of　Romans；　Saxons；　Danes；　and　Normans；　some　of　whom　did　seek　to　ruin　all　memory　of　learning　from　among　them；　yet　do　their　poets；　even　to　this　day；　last；　so　as　it　is　not　more　notable　in　the　soon　beg