62
NOTES AND QUERIES. [9* s. vn. JAN. 26, 1901.
My copy of 'Selinms' does not hint at
any relationship between the tragedy and
' Locrine,' and therefore, when I found that it
actually repeated lines of the latter which I
had traced to Spenser years ago, my interest
was aroused. I worked the two plays against
each other and with Spenser for all they
were worth, and the results, especially as
concerns 'Selimus,' are nothing less than
startling.
When I had got sufficient material together to enable me to form some opinion of the real relationship of the two plays, I commu- nicated with Dr. Furnivall, and he went over a portion of the evidence with Mr. Daniel, who was not slow to discover other material in cor- roboration of my statements, with the result that I was advised to get my parallels into print at once. Hence the present paper.
Without further preface, I will at once direct attention to the parallels in Spenser, 'Locrine,' and 'Selimus,' merely remarking that it will surprise many to find that such gross repetitions of Spenser's work have not been detected long ere this.
I will commence with a few parallels in Spenser and * Locrine ' that are not repeated in ' Seliinus ' :
A mighty Lyon, lord of all the wood, Having his hunger throughly satisfide With pray of beasts and spoyle of living blood, Safe in his dreadles den him thought to hide : His sternesse was his prayse, his strength his pride, And all his glory in his cruell clawes. I saw a Wasp, that fiercely him defide, And bad him battaile even to his jawes ; Sore he him stong, that it the blood forth drawes, And his proude heart is fild with fretting ire : In vaine he threats his teeth, his tayle, his pawes, And from his bloodie eyes doth sparkle fire.
- Visions of the Worlds Vanitie, 3 1591, stanza x.
Compare :
Ate. A mighty lion, ruler of the woods, Of wondrous strength and great proportion,
Traversed the groves, and chased the wandering
beasts :
Long did he range amid the shady trees, And drave the silly beasts before his face, When suddenly from out a thorny bush A^dreadful archer with his bow y-bent, Wounded the lion with a dismal shaft So he him struck, that it drew forth the blood, And till'd his furious heart with fretting ire. But all in vain he threat'neth teeth and paws, And sparkleth fire from forth his flaming eyes, For the sharp shaft gave him a mortal wound. bo valiant brute, the terror of the world, Whose only looks did scare his enemies, I he archer Death brought to his latest end. O, what may long abide above this ground In state of bliss and healthful happiness !
' Dumb Show,' I.
Note that the last two lines of Ate's speech are from 'The liuines of Time ' (11. 568-9)
But what can long abide above this ground
In state of blis, or stedfast happinesse ;
that its second line is from stanza vii. of the ' Visions of the Worlds Vanitie ' ; and that the context of the latter is copied again in another part of the play. But I will quote :
High on a hill a goodly Cedar grewe, Of wondrous length, and streight proportion^ That farre abroad her daintie odours threwe ; Mongst all the daughters of proud Libanon.
Spenser.
Brutus. Even as the lusty cedar worn with years, That far abroad her dainty odour throws, 'Mongst all the daughters of proud Lebanon.
' Locrine,' I. i.
Casually I may drop the remark that the line in Ate's speech,
Whose only looks did scare his enemies, parallels a bit of ' Selimus ' : Ohers. Whose only name affrights your enemies.
L. 185.
The writer of ' Locrine ' cribbed from
- Selimus,' here and elsewhere, as I shall
show.
Stanza vi. of the 'Visions of the Worlds Vanitie' is also pressed to do service in 1 Locrine ' :
An hideous Dragon, dreadfull to behold, Whose backe was arm'd against the dint of speare With shields of brasse that shone like burnisht golde, Strove with a Spider his unequall peare ; And bad defiance to his enemie. The subtill vermin, creeping closely neare, Did in his drinke shed poyson privilie ; Which through his entrailes spredding diversly, Made him to swell, that nigh his bowells brust, And him enforst to yeeld the victorie, That did so much in his owne greatnesse trust. Thus in ' Locrine ' :
Ate. High 011 a bank, by Nilus' boisterous streams, Fearfully sat the Egyptian crocodile, Dreadfully grinding in her sharp long teeth The broken bowels of a silly fish. His back was arm'd against the dint of spear, With shields of brass that shined like burnish'd
gold :
And as he stretched forth his cruel paws, A subtle adder creeping closely near, Thrusting his forked sting into his claws, Privily shed his poison through his bones, Which made him swell, that there his bowels burst, That did so much in his own greatness trust.
Mark what ensues, and you may easily see
That all our life is but a tragedy.
' Dumb Show,' III.
As in the case of the previous 'Dumb
Show,' so here the conclusion of Ate's speech
is under obligation to another poem of
Spenser's :
For all mans life me seemes a tragedy, Full of sad sights and sore catastrophees. ' The Teares of the Muses,' 1591, 11. 157-8.
And the author of ' Locrine ' is so enamoured
