THE ensuing collection of irrelative poems, some probably from Shakespeare's hand, but some certainly belonging to other writers, was first published by William Jaggard, in small octavo, with the title,-"The Passionate Pilgrime. By W. Shakespeare. At London. Printed for W. Iaggard, and are to be sold by W. Leake, at the Greyhound in Paules Churchyard, 1599." In 1612 another edition was printed bearing the title of, "The Passionate Pilgrime. Or Certaine Amorous Sonnets, betweene Venus and Adonis, newly corrected and augmented. By W. Shakespere. The third Edition. Where-unto is newly added two Love-Epistles, the first from Paris to Hellen, and Hellen's answere backe againe to Paris. Printed by W. Iaggard, 1612."* The "Love Epistles" which Jaggard had the audacity to particularise in his title-page, and insert in this reprint as the works of Shakespeare, were two of Ovid's Epistles, that had been translated by Thomas Heywood, and printed with his name in his "Troja Brittannica," &c. 1609. It was not likely that Heywood would patiently submit to this flagrant injustice, and accordingly at the close of a work entitled, "The Apology for Actors," &c. which was published by him in 1612, he appended the following letter to his bookseller, Nicholas Okes: "To my approved good friend, Mr. Nicholas Okes. "The infinite faults escaped in my booke of Britaines Troy, by the negligence of the Printer, as the misquotations, mistaking of sillables, misplacing halfe lines, coining of strange and never heard of words. These being without number, when I would have taken a particular account of the Errata, the Printer answered me, hee would not publishe his owne disworkemanship, but rather let his owne fault lye upon the necke of the Author: and being fearfull that others of his quality, had beene of the same nature, and condition, and finding you on the contrary, so carefull and industrious, so serious and laborious, to doe the author all the rights of the presse; 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 worke, by taking the two Epistles of Paris to Helen, and Helen to Paris, and printing them in a lesse volume under the name of another, which may put the world in opinion I might steal them from him; and hee, to do himselfe right, hath since published them in his owne name: but as I must acknowledge my lines not worthy his patronage under whom he hath publisht them, so the Author I know much offended with M. Jaggard that (altogether unknowne to him) Although this edition purports to be the third, no intermediate impression between it and the first copy is now known. presumed to make so bold with his name. These, and the like dishonesties, I know you to be cleare of; and I could wish but to bee the happy author of so worthie a worke as I could willingly commit to your care and workmanship. "Yours ever, THOMAS HEYWOOD." This exposure, aided probably by the indignant remonstrance of Shakespeare, compelled Jaggard to cancel the original title-page of the 1612 edition, and substitute another, which bore no author's name. Such at least is presumed to have been the case, from the fact that Malone's copy of this edition, by the "fortunate negligence" of the old binder, contains two title-pages, one with and the other without an author's name. I. DID not the heavenly rhetoric of thine eye," If by me broke, what fool is not so wise II. Sweet Cytherea, sitting by a brook, To win his heart, she touch'd him here and there, Touches so soft still conquer chastity ;- Then fell she on her back, fair queen and toward; He rose and ran away,-ah, fool too froward! Scarce had the sun dried up the dewy morn, A longing tarriance for Adonis made A brook where Adon used to cool his spleen : He, spying her, bounc'd in, whereas he stood; V. Fair is my love, but not so fair as fickle; A lily pale, with damask dye to grace her, Her lips to mine how often hath she join'd, "When my love swears that she is made of trutli," &c. and No. CXLIV.: "Two loves I have," &c. bto delight his ear;] The old text has, "ears." e If love make me forsworn,-] See "Love's Labour's Lost," Act IV. Sc. 2. She burn'd with love, as straw with fire flameth, She burn'd out love, as soon as straw out-burneth; She fram'd the love, and yet she foil'd the framing, She bade love last, and yet she fell a-turning. Was this a lover, or a lecher whether? Bad in the best, though excellent in neither. VI. a If music and sweet poetry agree, One god is god of both, as poets feign; One knight loves both, and both in thee remain. Paler for sorrow than her milk-white dove, "Once," quoth she, "did I see a fair sweet youth Here in these brakes deep-wounded with a boar, Deep in the thigh, a spectacle of ruth! See in my thigh," quoth she, "here was the b A line has here been lost. For why-] Because. d Venus, with young Adonis sitting by her-] This Sonnet, with some variations, occurs in a collection of Poems by B. Griffin, called Fidessa more Chaste then Kinde, 1596; and there the opening line is given as in our text. "The Passionate Pilgrim" reads, - "Venus with Adonis sitting by her," &c. And as he fell to her, so fell she to him.] In "The Passionate Pilgrim" this line is imperfect, "so" being omitted. The word is supplied from Griffin's Fidessa. Crabbed age and youth Cannot live together: Age like winter weather; Youth is nimble, age is lame; Youth is wild, and age is tame. O, my love, my love is young! For methinks thou stay'st too long. XI. Beauty is but a vain and doubtful good, A doubtful good, a gloss, a glass, a flower, f "Even thus," quoth she, "the warlike god embrac'd me,"-] In the latter part of this Sonnet the version in Fidessa differs considerably from the one before us. There, it runs as follows:"Even thus,' quoth she, the wanton god embrac'd me; ' And thus she clasp'd Adonis in her arms: Even thus,' quoth she, 'the warlike god unlac'd me,' As if the boy should use like loving charms : But he, a wayward boy, refus'd her offer, And ran away, the beauteous queen neglecting; " defy thee:-] Renounce or contemn thee. So, in "Romeo and Juliet," Act V. Sc. 3, "I do defy thy conjurations," &c. And as goods lost are seld or never found, So beauty blemish'd once for ever's lost, XII. "Good night, good rest." Ah, neither be my share! "Farewell," quoth she, "and come again tomorrow;" Fare well I could not, for I supp'd with sorrow. Yet at my parting sweetly did she smile, In scorn or friendship, nill I construe whether : 'T may be, she joy'd to jest at my exile, may be, again to make me wander thither: "Wander!" a word for shadows like myself, As take the pain, but cannot pluck the pelf. 'T XIII. Lord, how mine eyes throw gazes to the east! SONNETS TO SUNDRY NOTES OF MUSIC. XIV. It was a lording's daughter, The fairest one of three,b с That liked of her master As well as well might be, Her fancy fell a-turning. Unto the silly damsel! But one must be refused; More mickle was the pain, That nothing could be used To turn them both to gain, For of the two the trusty knight Was wounded with disdain: Alas, she could not help it! Thus art, with arms contending, For now my song is ended. XV. On a day (alack the day!),d Love, whose month was ever May, Spy'd a blossom passing fair, Playing in the wanton air: Through the velvet leaves the wind, All unseen, 'gan passage find; That the lover, sick to death, Wish'd himself the heaven's breath. valuable work, "A Critical Examination of the Text of Shake," &c. which has been published while these pages were in speare,' preparation for the press, suggests that we should read, “of a master; " that is, a scholar by profession, a master of arts. d On a day (alack the day!),-] This, as we have before remarked, is one of the three Sonnets found in "Love's Labour's Lost." It was printed also, with Shakespeare's name attached, in a collection of poems entitled, "England's Helicon," 1600, where it is entitled, The Passionate Sheepheard's Song. |