2.2. Of proportion in Staffe.
Staffe in our vulgare Poesie I know not why it should be so called, vnlesse it
be for that we vnderstand it for a bearer or supporter of a song or ballad not
vnlike the old weake bodie, that is stayed vp by his staffe, and were not
otherwise able to walke or to stand vpright. The Italian called it
Stanza, as if we should say a resting place: and if we consider well
the forme of this Poeticall staffe, we shall finde it to be a certaine number
of verses allowed to go altogether and ioyne without any intermission, and
doe or should finish vp all the sentences of the same with a full period
vnlesse it be in som special cases, & there to stay till another staffe
follow of like sort: and the shortest staffe conteineth not vnder foure
verses, nor the longest aboue ten, if it passe that number it is rather a
whole ditty then properly a staffe. Also for the more part the staues stand
rather vpon the euen nomber of verses then the odde, though there be of both
sorts. The first proportion then of a staffe is by quadrien or foure
verses. The second of fiue verses, and is seldome vsed. The third by
sizeme or sixe verses, and is not only most vsual, but also very
pleasant to th'eare. The fourth is in seuen verses, & is the chiefe of our
ancient proportions vsed by any rimer writing any thing of historical or
graue poeme, as ye may see in Chaucer and Lidgate th'one
writing the loues of Troylus and Cresseida, th'other of the fall
of Princes: both by them translated not deuised. The first proportion is of
eight verses very stately and Heroicke, and which I like better then
that of seuen, because it receaueth better band. The sixt is of nine verses,
rare but very graue. The seuenth proportion is of tenne verses, very stately,
but in many mens opinion too long: neuerthelesse of very good grace &
much grauitie. Of eleuen and twelue I find none ordinary staues vsed in any
vulgar language, neither doth it serue well to continue any historicall report
or ballade, or other song: but is a dittie of it self, and no staffe, yet some
moderne writers haue vsed it but very seldome. Then last of all haue ye a
proportion to be vsed in the number
of your staues, as to caroll and a ballade, to a song, & a round, or
virelay. For to an historicall poeme no certain number is limited, but as the
matter fals out: also a
distick or couple of verses is not to be
accompted a staffe, but serues for a continuance as we see in Elegie,
Epitaph, Epigramme or such meetres, of plaine concord not harmonically
entertangled, as some other songs of more delicate musick be.
A staffe of foure verses containeth in it selfe matter sufficient to make a
full periode or complement of sence, though it doe not alwayes so, and
therefore may go by diuisions.
A staffe of fiue verses, is not much vsed because he that cannot comprehend
his periode in foure verses, will rather driue it into six then leaue it in fiue,
for that the euen number is more agreable to the eare then the odde is.
A staffe of sixe verses, is very pleasant to the eare, and also serueth for a
greater complement then the inferiour staues, which maketh him more
commonly to be vsed.
A staffe of seuen verses, most vsuall with our auncient makers, also the
staffe of eight, nine and ten of larger complement then the rest, are onely
vsed by the later makers, & unlesse they go with very good bande, do not
so well as the inferiour staues. Therefore if ye make your staffe of eight,
by two fowers not entertangled, it is not a huitaine or a staffe of eight, but
two quadreins, so is it in ten verses, not being entertangled they be but two
staues of fiue.