Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/226

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NOTES AND QUERIES. [9 th s. vm. SEPT. 14, 1901.

speare's ' Venus ' and * Lucrece.' Those who run may read Spenser frequently in Barnfield ; but his obligations to Shake- speare apparently have escaped notice, and therefore 1 shall draw attention to some of his borrowings in this paper. Hence Barnfield, who copied and imitated Spenser and Shake- speare, would be likely to copy Marlowe. In any case he borrowed from somebody por- tions of the material he uses in ' The Affec- tionate Shepheard,' and in doing so he exactly repeats Marlowe's plays, which, of course, were in existence at least twelve months before Barnfield began to write.

To return to Barnfield's preface to his 'Cynthia,' he there also informs us that 'The Affectionate Shepheard ' is but an imitation of Virgil's Eclogue II., to Alexis. But if the reader compares Barnfield and Virgil he will find that beyond the conceit of describing the love of an old man for a youth there is little in the two pieces to suggest imita- tion. Indeed, if Barnfield had entitled his poem " Come live with me and be my love," he would have described it accurately ; for the theme he handles was not uncommon at the time, and the reference to Virgil seems far-fetched.

The youth of Barnfield's poem is named Ganymede. Is not it a little singular that portions of this poem should follow speeches in 'Dido' addressed to another Ganymede the beloved of Jupiter ?

Jupiter. From Juno's bird I '11 pluck her spotted

pride, To make thee fans wherewith to cool thy face.

'Dido,' Dyce, p. 251, col. 2. With Phcenix' feathers shall thy face be fann'd tooling those cheeks, that being cool'd wax red, Like lilhes in a bed of roses shed.

'The Aff. Shep.,' Arber, p. 14. The last line of Barnfield is stolen from Spenser,

And in her cheekes the vermeill red did she\v Like roses in a bed of lillies shed.

' Faerie Queene,' book ii. canto iii. stanza 22. Again, Barnfield's old man promises "his many gaudy toys and other

If thou wilt be my boy, or else my bride. r P, r Arber, p. 14.

1 he line, of course, recalls the burden of Marlowe s song, as it also does the following :

Ganymede. 1 would have a jewel for mine ear And a hue brooch to put in my hat And then I '11 hug with you an hundred times.

& my ite. ^ haV ' (anvmede > * thou wilt ' Dido,' Dyce, p. 252, col. 1.

It is possible, then that this poem which I suppose Marlowe to nave written was similar

in theme to that of Barnfield's, and that its youth was named Ganymede. Moreover, it is probable that Marlowe may have written it as a preparatory exercise for ' The Tragedy of Dido.'

I will again compare Barnfield with in following out such resemblances to a perusal of the play and the poem ; for he will find much more in them than I can find space to tell.
 * Dido,' and leave the reader who is interested

The Nurse in ' Dido ' wheedles the young Ascanius into following her by her enticing description of the orchard attached to her house :

I have an orchard that hath store of plums, Brown almonds, services, ripe figs, and dates, Dewberries, apples, yellow oranges ; A garden where are bee-hives full of honey, &c.

' Dido,' p. 269, col.' 2.

Then would I lead thee to my pleasant bower Jb ill d full of grapes, of mulberries, and cherries ; ihen shouldst thou be my wasp or else my bee.

Or if thou dar'st to climb the highest trees For apples, cherries, medlars, pears, or plums, Nuts, walnuts, filberts, chestnuts, services, Ihe hoary peach, when snowy winter comes 1 have fine orchards full of mellowed fruit.

Arber, pp. 8 and 9.

Again, note how Barnfield and Marlowe describe a grove or arbour :

Venus. Now is he fast asleep ; and in this grove Amongst green brakes, I '11 lay Ascanius And strew him with sweet-smelling violets, -blushing roses, purple hyacinths : These milk-white doves shall be his centronels &c

' Dido,' p. 259, col. 2.

And in the swelt'ring heat of summer-time 1 would make cabinets for thee, my love ; bweet-smelling arbours made of eglantine Should be thy shrine, and I would be thy dove, tool cabinets of fresh green laurel-boughs bhould shadow us, o'er-set with thick-set yews.

Arber, p. 8.

As a matter of fact, Barnfield's poem re- peatedly reminds one of Marlowe's song and play ; and in the following instance it copies or nearly copies, a remarkably fine line of the opening scene of 'Edward II.': And in the day, when he shall walk abroad Like sylvan nymphs my pages shall be clad ;

Sometimes a lovely boy in Dian's shape, VV ith hair that gilds the water as it glides, Crownets of pearl about his naked arms, &c

Dyce, p. 184; col. 1.

I would put amber bracelets on thy wrists Crownets of pearl about thy naked arms, &c!

. Arber, p. 8.

A few lines further on Barnfield has And when it pleaseth thee to walk abroad, &c., which looks like a mere repetition of the first line just quoted from 'Edward II.' And