Shakespeare and the Emblem Writers: an exposition of their similarities of throught and expression, preceded by a view of emblem-literature down to A.D. 1616Green, Henry
History
Shakespeare and the Emblem Writers: an exposition of their similarities of throught and expression, preceded by a view of emblem-literature down to A.D. 1616
Green, Henry
Emblem books, English -- History; Emblems -- England -- History; Emblems in literature; Shakespeare, William, 1564-1616 -- Sources
A _Narration Philosophique_ follows for three pages, discoursing on the
power of eloquence.
_Musicæ, & Poeticæ vis_,—“The force of Music and Poetry,”—occupies
Reusner’s 21st Emblem (bk. iii. p. 129), oddly enough dedicated to a
mathematician, David Nephelite. Whitney’s stanzas (p. 186), _Orphei
Musica_,—“The Music of Orpheus,”—bear considerable resemblance to those
of Reusner, and are sufficient for establishing the parallelism of
Shakespeare and themselves.
“LO, ORPHEVS with his harpe, that sauage kinde did tame:
The Lions fierce, and Leopardes wilde, and birdes about him came.
For, with his musicke sweete, their natures hee subdu’de:
But if wee thinke his playe so wroughte, our selues wee doe delude.
For why? besides his skill, hee learned was, and wise:
And coulde with sweetenes of his tonge, all sortes of men suffice.
And those that weare most rude, and knewe no good at all:
And weare of fierce, and cruell mindes, the worlde did brutishe call.
Yet with persuasions sounde, hee made their hartes relente,
That meeke, and milde they did become, and followed where he wente.
Lo, these, the Lions fierce, these, Beares, and Tigers weare:
The trees, and rockes, that lefte their roomes, his musicke for to
heare.
But, you are happie most, who in suche place doe staye:
You neede not THRACIA seeke, to heare some impe of ORPHEVS playe.
Since, that so neare your home, Apollos darlinge dwelles;
Who LINVS, & AMPHION staynes, and ORPHEVS farre excelles.
For, hartes like marble harde, his harmonie dothe pierce:
And makes them yeelding passions feele, that are by nature fierce.
But, if his musicke faile: his curtesie is suche,
That none so rude, and base of minde, but hee reclaimes them muche.
Nowe since you, by deserte, for both, commended are:
I choose you, for a Iudge herein, if truthe I doe declare.
And if you finde I doe, then ofte therefore reioyce:
And thinke, I woulde suche neighbour haue, if I might make my choice.”
In a similar strain, from the _Merchant of Venice_ (act v. sc. 1, l. 70,
vol. ii. p. 361), we are told of the deep influence which music
possesses over—
“a wild and wanton herd
Or race of youthful and unhandled colts.”
The poet declares,—
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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