OF A LOVER'S COMPLAINT, THE PASSIONATE PILGRIM, &c. A LOVER'S COMPLAINT was first printed with the Sonnets in 1609. It was reprinted in 1640, in that collection called Shakspere's Poems, in which the original order of the Sonnets was entirely disre garded, some were omitted, and this poem was thrust in amidst translations from Ovid which had been previously claimed by another writer. Of these we shall have presently to speak. There can be no doubt of the genuineness of A Lover's Complaint. It is distinguished by that condensation of thought and outpouring of imagery which are the characteristics of Shakspere's poems. The effect consequent upon these qualities is, that the language is sometimes obscure, and the metaphors occasionally appear strange and forced. It is very different from any production of Shakspere's contemporaries. As in the case of the Venus and Adonis, and the Lucrece, we feel that the power of the writer is in perfect subjection to his art. He is never carried away by the force of his own conceptions. We mention these attributes merely with reference to the undoubted character of the poem as belonging to the Shaksperian system: we shall have occasion to notice it again. The PASSIONATE PILGRIM was originally published in 1599, by William Jaggard, with the name of Shakspere on the title-page. A reprint, with some additions and alterations of arrangement, appeared in 1612, bearing the following title: The Passionate Pilgrime, or certaine amorous Sonnets, betweene Venus and Adonis, newly corrected and augmented. By W. Shakespeare. The third Edition. Whereunto is newly added two Love-Epistles, the first from Paris to Hellen, and Hellen's Answere backe again to Paris. Printed by W. Jaggard, 1612.' The second edition was, in all probability, a mere reprint of the first edition; but in the third edition there are, as the title-page implies, important alterations. There is one alteration which is not expressed in the title-page. A distinction is established in the character of the poems by classifying six of them under a second title page, "Sonnets to Sundry Notes of Musick." This distinction we have preserved. There can be no doubt, we apprehend, that the "newly added two Love-Epistles, the first from Paris to Hellen, and Hellen's Answere backe again to Paris," were not written by Shakspere. There is the best evidence that they were written by Thomas Heywood. In 1609 that writer published a folio volume of considerable pretension, entitled 'Troia Britanica, or Great Britaine's Troy.' In this volume appear the two translations from Ovid which William Jaggard published as Shakspere's in 1612. Heywood in that year published a treatise entitled 'An Apology for Actors;' to which is prefixed an epistle to his bookseller, Nicholas Okes. The letter is a curious morsel in the misquotations, mistaking of syllables, misplacing half-lines, coining of strange and neverheard-of words: these being without number, when I would have taken a particular account of the errata, the printer answered me, he would not publish his own disworkmanship, but rather let his own fault lie upon the neck of the author: and being fearful that others of his quality had been of the same nature and condition, and finding you, on the contrary, so careful and industrious, so serious and laborious, to do the author all the rights of the press, I could not choose but gratulate your honest endeavours with this short remembrance. Here, likewise, I must necessarily insert a manifest injury done me in that work, by taking the two Epistles of Paris to Helen, and Helen to Paris, and printing them in a less volume, under the name of another, which may put the world in opinion I might steal them from him, and he, to do himself right, hath since published them in his own name but as I must acknowledge my lines not worthy his patronage under whom he hath published them, so the author I know much offended with M. Jaggard that (altogether unknown to him) presumed to make so bold with his name. These, and the like dishonesties, I know you to be clear of; and I could wish but to be the happy author of so worthy a work as I could willingly commit to your care and workmanship. "Yours ever, "THOMAS HEYWOOD." Jaggard, upon the publication of this, appears to have been compelled to do some sort of justice to Heywood, however imperfect. He cancelled the title-page of the edition of The Passionate Pilgrim of 1612, removing the name of Shakspere, and printing the collection without any author's name. Malone had a copy of the book with both title pages. This transaction naturally throws great discredit on the honesty of the publisher; and might lead us to suspect that Heywood's was not the only case in which Shakspere was "much offended with M. Jaggard, that (altogether unknown to him) presumed to make so bold with his name." There are other pieces in The Passionate Pilgrim that have been attributed on reasonable grounds to other authors than Shakspere. It may be well, therefore, that we should run through the whole collection, offering a few brief observations on the authenticity of these poems. The two first Sonnets in Jaggard's edition of The Passionate Pilgrim, are those which, with some alterations, appear as the 138th and the 144th in the collection of Sonnets published in 1609. The variations of those Sonnets, as they appeared in The Passionate Pilgrim, are given in our footnotes at pages 89 and 90. The third Sonnet in the collection (the first in our reprint) is found in Love's Labour's Lost. The fourth is one of the four Sonnets on the subject of Venus and Adonis. In Malone's first edition of these poems (1780), he followed the order of the original, as we now do; but in his posthumous edition, by Boswell, that order is changed, and the four Sonnets on the subject of Venus and Adonis are placed together, the first in the series. Malone's opinion, which he did not subsequently alter, was, that "several of the Sonnets in this collection seem to have been essays of the author when he first conceived the notion of writing a poem on the subject of Venus and Adonis, and before the scheme of his work was completely adjusted." Boswell justly says that some doubt is thrown upon Malone's conjecture by the circumstance that one of these four Sonnets, with some variations, is found in a volume of poems published before The Passionate Pilgrim, namely, Fidessa more Chaste than Kinde,' by B. Griffin, 1596. In Griffin's little volume, which has been reprinted, the Sonnet stands as follows:— "Venus, with young Adonis sitting by her, Under a myrtle shade began to woo him; And ran away, the beauteous queen neglecting; Showing both folly to abuse her proffer, And all his sex of cowardice detecting. The variations between this Sonnet and that printed in The Passionate Pilgrim are very remarkable; but there can be no doubt we should think that the authorship belongs to Griffin. This volume was not published anonymously; and it is dedicated "to Mr. Wm. Essex, of Lambourne, Berks, and to the Gentlemen of the Inns of Court." It is not likely that he would have adopted a Sonnet by Shakspere floating about in society, and made it his own by these changes. The fifth poem in Jaggard's collection is Biron's Sonnet in Love's Labour's Lost. The seventh, "Fair is my love," stands as Shakspere's, without any rival to impugn Jaggard's authority. The eighth is not so fortunate. It would be pleasant to believe that the Sonnet commencing "If music and sweet poetry agree' was written by Shakspere.* It would be satisfactory that the greatest dramatic poet of the world should pay his homage to that great contemporary from whose exhaustless wells of imagination every real lover of poetry has since drawn waters of "deep delight." But that Sonnet is claimed by another; and we believe that the claim must be admitted. There was another publisher of the name of Jaggard-John Jaggard; and he, in 1598, printed a volume bearing this title:- Encomion of Lady Pecunia; or the Praise of Money: the Complaint of Poetrie for the Death of Liberalitie: i. e. The Combat betweene Conscience and Covetousness in the Minde of Man: with Poems in divers Humors.' The volume bears the name, as author, of Richard Barnfield, graduate of Oxford, who had previously We have previously expressed an opinion that it was written by Shakspere: it has been generally attributed to him and we had adopted the received opinion, looking chiefly at the character of the Sonnet. See page 125 "Sweet rose, fair flower." "Crabbed age and youth." "Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good." But there is a poem, imperfectly printed in The Passionate Pilgrim (and which we have reprinted, that the reader may have before him what that work originally contained), of a higher reputation than any poem in the collection. "Live with me, and be my love" is printed in England's Helicon' with the signature of "Chr. Marlow," and the copy there given is as follows: THE PASSIONATE SHEPHERD TO HIS LOVE. A gown made of the finest wool, A belt of straw and ivy buds With coral clasps and amber studs. The shepherd swains shall dance and sing CHR. MARLOW. In that collection it is immediately succeeded by another poem, almost equally celebrated, bearing the signature of "Ignoto: THE NYMPH'S REPLY TO THE SHEPHERD. If all the world and love were young, Time drives the flocks from field to fold, Thy gowns, thy shoes, thy beds of roses, Thy belt of straw, and ivy buds, But could youth last, and love still breed, IGNOTO In our Illustrations of The Merry Wives of Windsor, Act III., we have already noticed the probable authorship of these poems. Warburton, upon the authority of The Passionate Pilgrim, assigns "Come live with me" to Shakspere. But we fear that Mr. William Jaggard's authority is not quite so much to be relied upon as that of England's Helicon :' and, moreover, there was an honest witness living some fifty years after, whose traditionary evidence must go far to settle the point. We cannot resist the pleasure of transcribing dear Izaak Walton's testimony:-"Look! under that broad beech-tree I sat down when I was last this way a-fishing. And the birds in the adjoining grove seemed to have a friendly conteution with an echo, whose dead voice seemed to live in a hollow tree near to the brow of that primrose-hill. There I sat viewing the silver streams glide silently towards their centre, the tempestuous sea; but sometimes opposed by rugged roots and pebble-stones, which broke their waves, and turned them into foam. And sometimes I beguiled time by viewing the harmless lambs-some leaping securely in the cool shade, while others sported themselves in the cheerful sun; and saw others craving comfort from the swollen udders of their bleating dams. As thus I sat, these and other sights had so fully possessed my soul with content, that I thought, as the poet has happily expressed it, 'I was for that time lifted above earth, And possess'd joys not promis'd in my birth.' As I left this place, and entered into the next field, a second pleasure entertained me: 't was a handsome milkmaid, that had not yet attained so much age and wisdom as to load her minds with any fears of many things that will never be, as too many men too often do; but she cast away all care, and sung like a nightingale : her voice was good, and the ditty fitted for it; it was that smooth song which was made by Kit Marlow, now at least fifty years ago. And the milkmaid's mother sang an answer to it, which was made by Sir Walter Raleigh in his younger days. They were old-fashioned poetry, but choicely good; I think much better than the strong lines that are now in fashion in this critical age. Look yonder! on my word, yonder they both be a-milking again. I will give her the chub, and persuade them to sing those two songs to us.' We have now gone though all the poems of The Passionate Pilgrim; and, taking away the five poems which are undoubtedly Shakspere's, but which are to be found in the Sonnets and Love's Labour's Lost, and considering at least as apocryphal those which have been assigned to other authors, there is not a great deal left that posterity may thank Mr. William Jaggard for having rescued from oblivion. There are two other poems that usually follow The Passionate Pilgrim, though they form no part of that collection. The first is the celebrated song of "Take, O take those lips away." Our readers are aware that the first stanza is found in Measure for Measure, as sung by a boy to Mariana, who says "Break off thy song." The two stanzas are in the tragedy, ascribed to Fletcher, of 'Rollo, Duke of Normandy.' There is no possibility, we apprehend, of deciding the authorship of the second stanza (see Illustrations of Measure for Measure, Act IV.). The other poem, beginning "Let the bird of loudest lay," is found with Shakspere's name in a book printed in 1601, the greater part of which consists of a poem translated from the Italian by Robert Chester, entitled 'Love's Martyr; or Rosalin's Complaint: allegorically shadowing the Truth of Love, in the constant Fate of the Phoenix and Turtle.' There is a second title to this volume prefixed to some sup. plementary verses: 'Hereafter follow diverse Poetical Essaies on the former Subject, viz. the Turtle and Phoenix. Done by the best and chiefest of our modern Writers, with their Names subscribed to their particular Works. Never before extant.' The "Wm. Shakeispeare" is subscribed to this poem, in the same way that the names of Ben Jonson, Marston, and Chapman are subscribed to other name poems. "IF the first heir of my invention prove deformed, I shall be sorry it had so noble a godfather." These are the words which, in relation to the Venus and Adonis, Shakspere addressed, in 1593, to the Earl of Southampton. Are we to accept them literally? Was the Venus and Adonis the first production of Shakspere's imagination? Or did he put out of his view those dramatic performances which he had then unquestionably produced, in deference to the critical opinions which regarded plays as works not belonging to "invention"? We think that he used the words in a literal sense. We regard the Venus and Adonis as the production of a very young man, improved, perhaps, considerably in the interval between its first composition and its publication, but distinguished by peculiarities which belong to the wild luxuriance of youthful power, such power, however, as few besides Shakspere have ever possessed. A deep thinker and eloquent writer, Julius Charles Hare, thus describes "the spirit of self-sacrifice," as applied to poetry : "The might of the imagination is manifested by its launching forth from the petty creek, where the accidents of birth moored it, into the wide ocean of being,-by its going abroad into the world around, passing into whatever it meets with, animating it, and becoming one with it. This complete union and identification of the poet with his poem,-this suppression of his own individual insulated consciousness, with its narrowness of thought and pettiness of feeling,-is what we admire in the great masters of that which for this reason we justly call classical poetry, as representing that which is symbolical and universal, not that which is merely occasional and peculiar. This gives them that majestic calmness which still breathes upon us from the statues of their gods. This invests their works with that lucid transparent atmosphere wherein every form stands out in perfect definiteness and distinctness, only beautified by the distance which idealizes it. This has delivered those works from the casualties of time and space, and has lifted them up like stars into the pure firmament of thought, so that they do not shine on one spot alone, nor fade like earthly flowers, but journey on from clime to clime, shedding the light of beauty on generation after generation. The same quality, amounting to a total extinction of his own selfish being, so that his spirit became a mighty organ through which Nature gave utterance to the full diapason of her notes, is what we |
