1.24. The forme of Poeticall lamentations.
Lamenting is altogether contrary to reioising, euery man saith so, and yet is
it a peece of ioy to be able to lament with ease,
and freely to poure forth a mans inward sorrowes and the greefs wherewith
his minde is surcharged. This was a very necessary deuise of the Poet and a
fine, besides his poetrie to play also the Phisitian, and not onely by applying
a medicine to the ordinary sicknes of mankind, but by making the very greef
it selfe (in part) cure of the disease. Nowe are the causes of mans sorrowes
many: the death of his parents, friends, allies, and children: (though many
of the barbarous nations do reioyce at their burials and sorrow at their
birthes) the ouerthrowes and discomforts in battell, the subuersions of
townes and cities, the desolations of countreis, the losse of goods and
worldly promotions, honour and good renowne: finally the trauails and
torments of loue forlorne or ill bestowed, either by disgrace, deniall, delay,
and twenty other wayes, that well experienced louers could recite. Such of
these greefs as might be refrained or holpen by wisedome, and the parties
owne good endeuour, the Poet gaue none order to sorrow them: for first as
to the good renowne it is lost, for the more part by some default of the
owner, and may be by his well doings recouered againe. And if it be vniustly
taken away, as by vntrue and famous libels, the offenders recantation may
suffise for his amends: so did the Poet
Stesichorus, as it is written
of him in his
Pallinodie vpon the disprayse of
Helena, and
recouered his eye sight. Also for worldly goods they come and go, as things
not long proprietary to any body, and are not yet subiect vnto fortunes
dominion so, but that we our selues are in great part accessarie to our own
losses and hinderaunces, by ouersight & misguiding of our selues and our
things, therefore why should we bewaile our such voluntary detriment? But
death the irrecouerable losse, death the dolefull departure of frendes, that
can neuer be recontinued by any other meeting or new acquaintance. Besides
our vncertaintie and suspition of their estates and welfare in the places of
their new abode, seemeth to carry a reasonable pretext of iust sorrow.
Likewise the great ouerthrowes in battell and desolations of countreys by
warres, aswell for the losse of many liues and much libertie as for that it
toucheth the whole state, and euery priuate man hath his portion in the
damage: Finally for loue, there is no frailtie in flesh and bloud so excusable
as it, no comfort or discomfort greater
then the good and bad successe thereof, nothing more naturall to man,
nothing of more force to vanquish his will and to inuegle his iudgement.
Therefore of death and burials, of th'aduersities by warres, and of true loue
lost of ill bestowed, are th'onely sorrowes that the noble Poets sought by
their arte to remoue or appease, not with any medicament of a contrary
temper, as the
Galenistes vse to cure [
contraria contrariis] but
as the
Paracelsians, who cure [
similia similibus] making one
dolour to expell another, and in this case, one short sorrowing the remedie
of a long and grieuous sorrow. And the lamenting of deathes was chiefly at
the very burialls of the dead, also at monethes mindes and longer times, by
custome continued yearely, when as they vsed many offices of seruice and
loue towardes the dead, and thereupon are called
Obsequies in our
vulgare, which was done not onely by cladding the mourners their friendes
and seruantes in blacke vestures, of shape dolefull and sad, but also by
wofull countenaunces and voyces, and besides by Poeticall mournings in
verse. Such funerall songs were called
Epicedia if they were song by
many, and
Monodia if they were vttered by one alone, and this was
vsed at the enterment of Princes and others of great accompt, and it was
reckoned a great ciuilitie to vse such ceremonies, as at this day is also in
some countrey vsed. In Rome they accustomed to make orations funerall and
commendatorie of the dead parties in the publique place called
Prorostris: and our
Theologians, in stead thereof vse to make
sermons, both teaching the people some good learning, and also saying well
of the departed. Those songs of the dolorous discomfits in battaile, and
other desolations in warre, or of townes saccaged and subuerted, were long
by the remnant of the army ouerthrowen, with great skrikings and outcries,
holding the wrong end of their weapon vpwards in signe of sorrow and
dispaire. The cities also made generall mournings & offred sacrifices
with Poeticall songs to appease the wrath of the martiall gods &
goddesses. The third sorrowing was of loues, by long lamentation in
Elegie: so was their song called, and it was in a pitious maner of
meetre, placing a limping
Pentameter, after a lusty
Exameter,
which made it go dolourously more then any other meeter.
