Look them in the face: you will straight ways affirm they are the driest, leanest, ill-favouredst, abjectest, basemindedst carrions and wretchecks that ever you set your eye on." So every yea must have its nay, and there was hard banging about each other's ears of words as big and harmless as the fool's air-bladder, that came down with resounding thwack upon the head of friend or foe. Often in tiltings with the pen there was as rough sport as in tiltings with the lance. No murder was meant in either case, but there was eagerness on each side to show power of thrust, whether with tongue or arm.

Published Letters between Spenser and Harvey.

Five letters between Spenser and Gabriel Harvey were printed "by H. Bynneman, dvvelling in Thames streate, neere vnto Baynardes Castell," in the year 1580. They were published in two separate issues, and of each of them there is a unique copy in the British Museum. The three letters in the first issue were published as "Three proper and wittie familiar Letters lately passed betvveene tvvo Vniuersitie men touching the Earthquake in Aprill last, and our English refourmed Versifying. With the Preface of a well-willer to them both." After the preface, which is dated the nineteenth of June, 1580, the letters are, (1) from Spenser to his "long approued and singular good Frende, Master G. H.," on versifying, with reference to poems of his own; (2) Gabriel Harvey's "Pleasant and Pitthy Familiar Discourse of the Earthquake in Aprill last," to his "loouing frende M. Immerito"; (3) Gabriel Harvey's "Gallant familiar Letter, containing an Answere to that of M. Immerito, vvith sundry proper examples, and some Precepts of our English reformed Versifying," addressed to his "very friend M. Immerito." This pamphlet consists mainly of Gabriel Harvey's two long letters. The short letter of Spenser's that precedes them is not in quantity a fourteenth part of the whole. The publication of these three letters

F-VOL. IX.

was followed by the issue of two more, that had been written earlier but delivered later to the printer. These were entitled, "Tvvo other very commendable Letters, of the same mens vvriting: both touching the foresaid Artificial Versifying, and certain other Particulars: More lately deliuered vnto the Printer." They are (1) a letter from Spenser upon versification, addressed "To the worshipfull his very singular good friend, Maister G. H. Fellow of Trinitie Hall in Cambridge," and dated from "Leycester House, this 5 of October, 1579," with (2) Gabriel Harvey's answer, dated from Trinity Hall on the twenty-third of the same month.

These letters add a little to our knowledge of Spenser's early work as a poet, and show how the question of writing modern poems in the versification of the ancient Latin classics a question which arose in Italy after the Renais-was being discussed in England among scholars at the universities who cared for English verse.

sance

The earliest in date of these five letters-that written by Spenser to Harvey on the fifth of October, 1579, written from Leicester House, in London, to Trinity Hall, Cambridge--touches on question of another little volume by Spenser, "My Slumber "-afterwards called "Dreames"and other pieces which Harvey wished him to address to Leicester, but which, in fact, although prepared for press, did not appear. This letter refers to Gosson's bad taste in dedicating to Sidney his "School of Abuse." Spenser speaks of an interview to which he had been admitted by the queen, of which he can say nothing to satisfy his friend's curiosity; and he writes Latin verses of farewell to Harvey before his departure into France, which he expects will be next week. Spenser speaks also of his intercourse with Philip Sidney and his friend Edward Dyer, who "have me I thank them in some use of

*E. W." viii. 61, 62.

familiarity," and who hold Gabriel Harvey in credit and estimation. The letter tells also that Sidney and Dyer have declared against rhyme, and that they have drawn. Spenser to the writing of English verse according to the rules founded on metre of the Greeks and Latins established by them and their friends, and specially drawn up by Thomas Drant. And, says Spenser, "I am of late more in loue with my Englishe Versifying than with Ryming: whyche I should haue done long since, if I would then haue followed your councell." But he had thought Harvey was only following the scholarship of Ascham, who in the "Schoolmaster advocated the substitution of Greek metres for rhyme in English poetry. Now, Spenser has found there are good English poets at Court who give him the like counsel. Spenser sends in his letter a taste of his quality in writing Iambic trimeters. They are attempts of which the first two words serve to describe the whole

Vnhappie Verse, the witnesse of my vnhappie state,

Make thyself fluttring wings of thy fast flying

Thought, and fly forth vnto my Loue wheresoeuer she be."

He

He says of them that they conform everywhere to Master Drant's rules: I dare warrant they be precisely perfect for the feete (as you can easily iudge,) and varie not one inch from the Rule." Harvey, in reply, praises the trimeters, but denies that they are everywhere perfect for the feet. speaks of his friend's travel over sea, but thinks he will not be gone "either the next or the nexte week." Spenser's part in the other three letters consists only of the short letter preceding the two long letters by Harvey. He begins with some discussion of Harvey's writing of English hexameters, and says: "Loe here I let you see my olde vse of toying in Rymes, turned into your artificial straightnesse of Verse, by this Tetrasticon. I beseech you tell me your fansie without parcialitie

See

yee

the blindfoulded pretie God, that feathered Archer, Of Louers Miseries which maketh his bloodie game?

Wote ye why his Moother with a Veale hath coouered his Face?
Trust me, least he my Looue happely chaunce to beholde.'

Seeme they comparable to those two which I translated you ex tempore in bed, the last time we lay together in Westminster ?

That which I eate did I ioy, and that which I greedily gorged,
As for those many goodly matters leaft I for others.'

I would hartily wish you would either send me the Rules and Preceptes of Arte which you observe in Quantities, or else followe mine that M. Philip Sidney gaue me, being the very same which M. Drant deuised, but enlarged with M. Sidney's own judgement, and augmented with my Obseruations, that we might both accorde and agree in one : leaste we ouerthrowe one another, and be ouerthrowne of the reste." Spenser tells that he has in mind to write in this manner of English versifying an Ephithalamion Thamesis, which book will, he thinks, be very profitable for the knowledge, and rare for the invention and manner of handling. In setting forth the marriage of the Thames he will show his first beginning and offspring, and all the country that he passes through, "and also describe all the Riuers throughout Englande whyche came to this Wedding, and their righte names, and right passage &c. A worke, beleeue me, of much labour, wherein notwithstanding Master Holinshed hath muche furthered and aduantaged me, who therein hath bestowed singular paines, in searching out their first heades and sourses and also in tracing and dogging oute all their Course, til they fall into the sea." Spenser then speaks of his "Dreames" and "Dying Pellicane" as finished, and presently to be printed, so he adds: "I wil in hande forthwith with my 'Faerie Queene,' whyche I praye you hartily send me with al expedition."

Here we see that "The Faerie Queene" was already begun, that the part written had been sent to Harvey for his criticism, and that Spenser wished to have it back, that he might go on with his work upon it.

A postscript tells that the Dreames had been so fully glossed by E. K. with discourse of "some things excellently and many things wittily," that they had grown to make a book as large as "The Shepherd's Calendar," and were set forth with singularly good pictures, "as if Michael Angelo were there"; for which reason he thought best they should come forth alone. Spenser referred also to a poem with apostrophes addressed to the Earl of Leicester, Stemmata Dudleiana, of which "must more aduisement be had, than so lightly to send them abroad: howbeit, trust me (though I do neuer very well) yet in my own fancy I neuer did better." The next letter is Harvey's on the earthquake; and in the next-last of the five-Harvey replies to Spenser upon the New Versifying. Spenser had touched on difficulties. Harvey thinks that no rules, whether by Thomas Drant or any other man, will meet the English poet's need, until there shall be a thorough settlement of the spelling of words in accordance with their prosody. He argues, rightly, that length or shortness of a syllable in English depends, not on diphthong or position, or any rule derived from Greek or Latin poetry, but "on the universal consent of all, and continued by a general use and custom of all." There must be fixed pronunciation, and fixed spelling in accordance with it, before there can be any certain general art of versifying in the manner of the ancients. He makes bold, nevertheless, with his particular examples, and looks upon Sidney and Dyer as the two great poets-with, perhaps, Spenser as a third-who will lead the company of the beginners in this work of reformation.

The reference in this letter of Gabriel Harvey's to his friend's proposed volume of "Dreames" is followed by allusions to other works written by Spenser