G. LXXVI.-LXXXVI.-The fear expressed, as early as xxxii., that his poor rude lines might be "outstripp'd by every pen,' "exceeded by the height of happier men," is now realised; for " every alien pen hath got my use, and under thee their poesy disperse" (lxxviii.). But in particular there is one "rival poet," with whom (lxxx.) in a mood of depression Shakespeare humbly compares himself, only to follow this at once (lxxxi.) with a mood of exultation. In lxxxiii. he returns to the thought of xxi., and justifies his plain and unadorned verse; while in lxxxiv. he charges "W. H." with vanity in desiring more. The silence alluded to as early as xxiii. has been misunderstood, and "W. H." has given countenance to the verse of another (lxxxvi.). Several suggestions have been made as to this rival poet. George Chapman has found most favour; but no actual poet satisfies the conditions of what is rather the poetic and imaginative treatment of a theme common to all sonnet sequences-jealousy. H. LXXXVII-XCVI.-The heavy clouds seem at last to break in storm when "Farewell" is uttered in lxxxvii. But even these heaviest of clouds have a silver lining, for the word is uttered with deep selfabnegation (cf. B.). Trouble (cf. xxix.) is still oppressing the poet (xc.), but his greatest grief would be the loss of his friend (xci.): if he really do prove inconstant, the poet will die (xcii.). But even worse: "W. H." may pretend to be true, and the poet live deceived (xciii.). The thought of the iniquity of this leads to the slanders of lxx., then disbelieved in, now being taken up again and treated as true (xcv.-vi.). III. RECONCILIATION AND RETROSPECT. XCVII.-CXXVI. Most of what follows is distinctly retrospective. Reconciliation has taken place, and the past tense, not employed in the early portions of the sonnets, is here frequent (see Nos. 97, '8, '9; 108, '9, '10, '13, '15, '17, 18, 19, 20). There is no possibility of the "third" and "fourth" absences which even Professor Dowden would suggest. All references to absence are distinctly to the past. The duration of this absence also is given in xcvii.-ix.; it was in Summer and Autumn (xcvii.) and in Spring (xcvii.-ix ). This latter refers, of course, to the events of liii. The three years of civ. are the years since first the poet saw "W. H.," not the time since he began writing sonnets to him. The silence of the past is referred to; it continues (cii.), but is now accepted as no sign of diminution of love. Sunshine has returned again after the long cloudy period; what seemed the eclipse of friend ship (cvii.) has only made it more firm, and the poet loves his friend better than before (cxv.). True love does not alter with cloudy skies; it looks on tempests even and is unshaken (cxvi.) The poet has never been really false at heart (cix.); he has only made trial of his friend's constancy (cxvii.). Both have been to blame; both have suffered (cxx.), and out of evil good has come 66 "O benefit of ill! now I find true That better is by evil still made better; And ruin'd love, when it is built anew, Grows fairer than at first, more strong, far greater." (cxix.). The sonnet sequence closes, as it began (xxii.), in mutual self-surrender-" mutual render, only me for thee" (cxxv.); and with a repetition of the warning so often enforced from the opening lines onwardTime is fleeting all must die. Nature, "bankrupt Nature" (lxvii.), may indeed long treasure the loved one, but he too must die at last : "She may detain, but not still keep, her treasure ; Her audit, though delay'd, answer'd must be, And her quietus is to render thee." This, it will be noticed, is but a varied echo of the opening portion of the poems, even to some of its very words- "Nature's bequest gives nothing, but doth lend. Then how when Nature calls thee to be gone, It has been suggested that the "W. H." of the dedication is William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, and that these 126 poems are the record of a real experience; but there is no evidence of such a friendship. Although some verse written for other purposes may have been afterwards incorporated in the Sonnets, the story they contain is doubtless imaginary. BIBLIOGRAPHY. N.B.-The following works are referred to in contracted form :Athenæ Cantabrigienses, 2 vols., 1858 and '61 (Ch. H., and Thompson Cooper). Biographia Britannica, 1747-65, 6 vols.; revised by A. Kippis, 1778-93 (5 vols. only, extending from A-F). J. Payne Collier's Bibliographical Catalogue, 2 vols. 1865. Rev. T. Corser's Collectanea Anglo-Poetica; II "Parts among the issues of the Chetham Soc. M'chester, 1860, etc. W. C. Hazlitt's Handbook to the Popular Poetical and Dramatic Lit. from 1474-1700, 1867; followed in 1876, '82, '87, 89 by additional Collections and Notes (J. G. Gray has prepared an Index to the whole). W. T. Lowndes' Bibliographer's Manual, revised by Hy. Bohn, 4 vols. 1857. Bishop Th. Tanner's Bibliotheca Britannico-Hibernica, folio, 1748 (Latin). Dr. Philip Bliss's revised edition of Anthony à Wood's Athenæ Oxonienses,-Wood (Bl.)-4 vols., 1813-20. ABBOT, GEO. 1562-1633. Archbishop of Canterbury. Wood (Bl.) II. 561-5, with list of works. Fullest notice, by Wm. Oldys, Biog. Brit. I. 3-24; (list of II works, p. 23, Note B); repr. sep. vol. 1777, with full list of authorities up to date. Hist. of Eng. 1603-42. 10 vols. (S. R. Gardiner); reliable (see Index, Vol. X., p. 227). An Ecclesiastical Biography, (Dean) W. F. Hook, 1845. 8 vols. (Names of "fathers and divines" alphabetically arranged. "Abbot," I. 7-39, with works and references at end.) Lives of the Archbishops of Cant. 12 vols. 1860-76. (Same author; arranged chronologically; see X., pp. 244-307. Meagre references on p. 244, note.) Dict. of Nat. Biog. (S. L. Lee) I. 5.20. Verse. ACHELLEY (ATCHELOW), THOS. Translator. 1. 1576.-A most lamentable and tragicall historie (full title E. W. x. 368). A metrical version from Bandello. 39 leaves, 8vo. Bodl. (Malone). Collier, Bibl. Cat. I. 4-7. B. M. 2. 1602.-The Massacre of Money, "by T. A." (Date and initials wrongly given E. W. x. 369; Collier, Bibl. Cat. I. 7-9, also distinguishes two Achelleys.) 3. PROSE. -Commend. verses in Watson's 'Exатоμm alía, 1581: and 12 signed poems in Englands Parnassus, 1600. (Collier, Bibl. Cat. II. 108.) 1572.-The Key of Knowledge (prayers and meditations). Collier, Bibl. Cat. I. 4. ADAMS, CLEMENT. 1519?-1587. Schoolmaster and Dict. of Nat. Biog. (C. H. Coote). Athen. Cantab. II. 6. 541. Nova Anglorum ad Muscovitas Navigatio (full title E. W. ix. 116). An account (wr. 1554) of Rich Chancellor's Ist voyage (1553) to Russia; 1st pr. in Latin and English in Hakluyt's Principal Navigations, pp. 270-292 (later ed. omit Latin). Given also in Rerum Muscoviticarum Auctores varii (Marnius and Aubrius: Frankfort, 1600). Repr., Bibliotheca Curiosa (a trans. by J. McCrindle; ed. with notes by E. Goldsmid); and in Cassell's National Lib. 1886, Vol. 177. (ed. Morley). Original MS. (ded. to "King" Philip, Mary's husband), in Pepys MS. 6821 (102), Magdalen Coll. Camb. ALABASTER (ALABLASTER), WM. 1567-1640. Dict. of Nat. Biog. (Bullen). Collier, Bibl. Cat. I. 16-18. POETRY. 1. 1632.-Roxana. B. M.-Latin tragedy wr. 1592 circa. (See Hallam, Hist. of Lit. III. 277-8; ed. 1872.) MS. Lambeth, 838; and Cambridge, Bibl. Publ. Ff. ii. 9. 2. Malone's Shakespeare (ed. Boswell), Prolegomena II. 261-3 (note) prints 2 sonnets. Collier, Eng. Dram. 1879 II. 340-1 gives from MS. in his possession 2 others, out of 17 called Devine Meditations. In Bibl. Cat. I. 16-17 he also gives one of these two. PROSE.-Theology and Philosophy. i. 1598.-Seven motives for his conversion to R. Cathol. Known only by 2 replies by John Racster (1598) and Roger Fenton (1599); both in B. M. See Collier, Bibl. Cat. I. 16-18; and Athen. Cantab. II. 271, under John Racster. ii. 1607. Antwerp.-Apparatus in revelationem J. Christi. B. M. iii. 1621.-Commentarius de Bestia Apocalyptica. iv. 1633-Ecce Sponsus venit (mystical account of end of world). B. M. v. 1633.-Spiraculum Tubarum. Bodl. vi. 1637.-Lexicon Pentaglotton. Folio. B. M. UNPUBLISHED WORKS. 1. Elisæis: Apotheosis Poetica Elizabethæ. (Hebrew, A Latin hexameter epic; one Book only. (Referred to in Spenser's Colin Clout.) MS. in Emmanuel Coll. Camb. 2. In dues Reginaldos inter se de religione certantes (Ashmole MS. 38, Art. 87). 3. Latin Elegiacs in praise of Camden. (Cotton MS., Julius C. v. 10.) ALEXANDER, SIR WM. (E. of Stirling). 1567?-1640. Memorials of the E. of Stirling, and of the House of Alexander (Rev. C. Rogers. 1877. 2 vols. Edin.) gives a life (I. Chap. ii.-vii.) and portrait. Dict. of Nat. Biog. (Grosart) good. B. M. has copies of all 1st ed., except 1612 Elegie. POEMS.-Chalmers Poets, V. 287-439, gives all but No. 5. (No. 4 as in 1637 ed.); it also gives the choruses of (B). I. 1604.-Avrora, containing the first fancies of the Authors 2. 1604.-A Parænesis to the Prince (13 leaves; 84 stanzas). 4. 1614.-Doomes day, or, the great day of the Lords Judgement (in 4 "houres or Books: 1637 ed. has 12 "houres" and 11,000 lines). 5. 1631.-The Psalmes of King David. Translated by King James (really by Sir W. A.). 6. 1637. fol. pp. 326.-Recreations with the Muses (with portrait) contains the dramas; Nos. 2 and 4 supra; and Bk. I. of Jonathan, an heroicke Poeme intended." (105 stanzas.) DRAMA. PROSE. 66 1607. 4. 204. 1.-The Monarchicke Tragedies, newly enlarged. This ed. contained (1) Darius, pub. 1603; repr. 1604 with (2) Crœsus as The Monarchick Tragedies; (3) The Alexandræan, 1605; (4) Julius Caesar, being added. Repr. 1637 ed. (No. 6 supra.) i. 1613.—“Completion" of Arcadia (see Sidney). Pub. in 4th and later ed. ii. 1624.-An Encouragement to Colonies (with map of New England). Repr. 1625 and 1630. Repub. 1865 with notes and memoir (Rev. F. F. Slafter), for Prince Soc., Albany, U.S.A.; and Bannatyne Club (ed. D. Laing), 1867. W-VOL. XI. |