Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 10.djvu/60

 were entered in the Stationers' register on 29 June 1660, but were not published. These plays were among the manuscripts destroyed by Warburton's cook.

The list of Chapman's non-dramatic works, excluding the Homeric translations and the poems already mentioned, was considerable. Among the 'Divers Poeticall Essaies on the Turtle and Phoenix' printed at the end of Robert Chester's 'Love's Martyr,' 1601, is a short poem by Chapman entitled 'Peristeros, or the Male Turtle.' In 1609 he published 'Euthymiæ Raptus; or the Tears of Peace, with Interlocutions,' dedicated to Prince Henry. The allegory is confused and the writing harsh; but the vision of Homer in the 'Inductio' is singularly impressive, and the 'Conclusio' contains one passage of exquisite harmony and striking imagery. In 1612 appealed 'Petrarch's Seven Penitentiall Psalms, paraphrastically translated, with other Philosopnicall Poems, and a Hymne to Christ upon the Crosse.' Some of the shorter 'philosophical poems' appended to the 'penitential psalms' are tersely and vigorously written. On 6 Nov. 1612 died Chapman's patron, Henry, prince of Wales, and his death was sincerely lamented by the poet in 'An Epicede, or Funerall Song.' Chapman's next work proved very unfortunate. The marriage of Robert Carr, earl of Somerset, to the divorced Countess of Essex was celebrated on 26 Dec. 1613, and in honour of the marriage Chapman wrote an allegoric poem, entitled, 'Andromeda Liberata; or the Nuptials of Perseus and Andromeda,' 1614. The allegory was most in felicitously chosen, and could hardly fail to give offence; but the poet seems to have had no suspicion that he was treading on dangerous ground. In 'A Free and Offenceles Iustification of a Lately pvblisht and most maliciously misinterpreted Poeme entitvled Andromeda liberata' he protests that he had not imagined it possible that the allegory could be regarded as 'intended to the dishonour of any person now living.' There had been a rumour, to which he gives an indignant denial, that he was subjected to personal chastisement for his indiscretion. It is curious to notice, in connection with the publication of the poem, the following entry in the Stationers' register, under date 16 March 1613–14: 'Laurence Lyle. Entred for his coppie vnder the handes of the Duke of Lennox, the Earle of Suffolke, the Earle of Marr, Sir Julius Caesar, Master Warden Feild, and Master Adames, a booke called Perseus and Andromede, by George Chapman' ( Transcript, iii. 249). If Chapman had no suspicion that his poem was likely to give offence, it is hard to suppose that his guilelessness was shared by the persons at whose instance the poem was licensed. Jonson said that, 'next himself, only Fletcher and Chapman could make a masque.' The sole extant specimen of Chapman's talents as a masque writer is the 'Memorable Maske of the two Honorable Houses or Inns of Court, the Middle Temple and Lyncoln's Inne,' 1614, written for the Princess Elizabeth's nuptials, and performed at Whitehall on 15 Feb. 1613–14. In an anonymous unpublished masque (Egerton MS. 1994, ff. 212–23) there is a long passage which is also found in 'Byron's Tragedie.' Possibly this unpublished masque — 'which is dated 1643, but may have been written much earlier — is to be attributed to Chapman. In the same year (1614) Chapman published 'Evgenia, or Trve Nobilities Trance: for the most memorable death of the Thrice Noble and Religious William Lord Rvssel, &c.' with an epistle dedicatory to Francis, lord Russell. It is tedious and obscure, but contains some poetic touches. In 1616 appeared the 'Divine Poem of Musaeus, first of all bookes, translated according to the Originall,' with a dedication to Inigo Jones. This book, of which only one copy (preserved in the Bodleian) is known, measures two inches in length, and scarcely an inch in breadth. The translation of the pseudo 'Musaeus' was succeeded in 1618 by the 'Georgicks of Hesiod,. . . translated elaborately out of the Greek,. . . with a perpetuall Calendar of Good and Bad Daies,' dedicated 'to the Most Noble Combiner of Learning and Honour, Sir Francis Bacon, Knight. Prefixed to this vigorous translation are copies of commendatory verses by Michael Drayton and Ben Jonson. In 1622, when Sir Horace Vere was shut up in Mannheim with a handful of troops. Chapman published a spirited copy of verses entitled 'Pro Vere Autumni Lachrymoe,' in which he urged that aid should be sent to the relief of the distressed garrison. The poem is dedicated to the Earl of Somerset, who had been dismissed from court, and was now living in obscurity. It is to Chapman's credit that he remained firmly attached to the fortunes of his fallen patron. In 1629 appeared the last of Chapman's miscellaneous writings, 'A Justification of a Strange Action of Nero, in burying with a Solemne Funerall one of the cast Hayres of his Mistresse Poppæa. Also a Just Reproofe of a Romane Smell-feast, being the Fifth Satyre of Juvenall.' The translation of Juvenal's fifth Satire is very spirited.

Chapman contributed commendatory verses to Ben Jonson's 'Sejanus' (1605) and 'Volpone' (1606). Jonson told Drummond of