[From The Schoole of Abuse, Containing a pleasaunt inuectiue against Poets, Pipers, Plaiers, Iesters and such like Caterpillers of a Commonwelth . . . (1579; S. R. 22 July 1579). A second edition appeared in 1587. There are modern reprints in Somers Tracts, iii (1810), 552, and by J. P. Collier (1841, Sh. Soc.) and E. Arber (1868, English Reprints). On 5 (or 16) Oct. 1579 Spenser wrote to Gabriel Harvey (Gregory Smith, i. 89, from Two Other very Commendable Letters, 1580): 'Newe Bookes I heare of none, but only of one, that writing a certaine Booke, called The Schoole of Abuse, and dedicating it to Maister Sidney, was for hys labor scorned, if at leaste it be in the goodnesse of that nature to scorne. Suche follie is it not to regarde aforehande the inclination and qualitie of him to whome wee dedicate oure Bookes.']
[Summary and Extracts.] Epistle to Sidney. Epistle to the Reader. . . .
'I take vpon mee to driue you from playes, when mine owne
woorkes are dayly to be seene vpon stages, as sufficient witnesses of
mine owne folly, and seuere iudges againste my selfe.' Poetry
and Music are first attacked; an apologist for Homer being likened
(p. 21) 'to some of those players, that come to the scaffold with
drum and trumpet to profer skirmishe, and when they haue sounded
allarme, off go the peeces to encounter a shadow, or conquere a paper
monster.' P. 28. 'As poetrie and piping are cosen germans: so
piping and playing are of great affinity, and all three chayned in
linkes of abuse.' P. 29. 'I was first instructed in the university,
after drawne like a nouice to these abuses.' Criticism of the
theatre by the graver Greeks and Romans and its abuses in Rome.
Similar abuses have replaced 'the olde discipline of Englande'.
P. 35. 'In our assemblies at playes in London, you shall see suche
heauing, and shoouing, suche ytching and shouldring, too sitte by the
women; suche care for their garments, that they bee not trode on:
such eyes to their lappes, that no chippes light in them: such pillowes
to ther backes, that they take no hurte: such masking in their eares,
I knowe not what: such giuing them pippins to passe the time:
suche playing at foote saunt without cardes: such ticking, such
toying, such smiling, such winking, and such manning them home,
when the sportes are ended, that it is a right comedie, to marke their
behauiour, to watche their conceites, as the catte for the mouse, and
as good as a course at the game it selfe, to dogge them a little, or
followe aloofe by the printe of their feete, and so discouer by slotte
where the deare taketh soyle. If this were as well noted, as ill seene:
or as openly punished, as secretly practised: I haue no doubte but
the cause would be seared to dry vp the effect, and these prettie
rabbets very cunningly ferretted from their borrowes. For they that
lack customers al the weeke, either because their haunte is vnknowen,
or the constables and officers of their parishe watch them so narrowly,
that they dare not queatche, to celebrate the Sabboth, flock to theaters,
and there keepe a generall market of bawdrie: not that any filthynesse
in deede is committed within the compasse of that grounde, as was
doone in Rome, but that euery wanton and his paramour, euery man
and his mistresse, euery John and his Joan, euery knaue and his
