Page:Notes and Queries - Series 9 - Volume 8.djvu/286

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NOTES* AND QUERIES. [9* s. vm. OCT. 5, 1901.

conceit of Phoebus gazing at her whilst she sleeps, and noting her beauties, recall at once the visit of Tarquin to Lucrece's chamber and Shakespeare's description of the bed and its tenant. In * The Complaint of Chastitie, published November, 1594, 1 have been unable to find a single verbal parallel with 'Lucrece, except one which might be accidental, and which only repeats a saying that is common in writers of that time. But the poem, short as it is, is packed with expressions from the 4 Venus.' Here are a few : Monster of Art, Bastard of bad Desier, Ill-worshipt Idoll, false Imagerie, &c.

'The Complaint.'

Fie, lifeless picture, cold and senseless stone, Well-painted idol, image dull and dead, Statue contenting but the eye alone.


 * Venus,' stanza 86, 11. 211-3.

Sly Bawd to Lust, Pandor to Infamie.

' The Complaint.'

When reason is the bawd to lust's abuse.

' Venus,' stanza 132, 1. 792.

Thou setst dissention twixt the man and wife.

'The Complaint.' And set dissension 'twixt the son and sire.

'Venus,' stanza 194, 1. 1160.

Those times were pure from all impure complec-

tion, &c. ' The Complaint.'

To mingle beauty with infirmities, And pure perfection with impure defeature, &c. ' Venus, 3 stanza 123, 11. 735-6.

Ill 'Cassandra,' however, we meet with expressions taken indifferently from the 'Venus' and ' Lucrece,' although those from the former preponderate, as they do through- out Barnfield's work : Yoakiug his armes about her Ivory necke.

' Cassandra,' Arber, p. 70. And on his neck her yoking arms she throws.

' Venus,' stanza 99, 1. 592.

Lpoke how a brightsome Planet in the skie, (Spangling the Welkin with a golden spot) Shootes suddenly from the beholders eie, And leaves him looking there where she is not : Even so amazed Phu'bus, &c.

' Cassandra,' p. 71.

Look, how a bright star shooteth from the sky, So glides he in the night from Venus' eye.

' Venus,' stan/a 136, 11. 815-6.

Then angry Pirn-bus mounts into the skie :

J hreatning the world with his hot-burning eie.

' Cassandra,' p. 71.

And Titan, tired in the mid-day heat, With burning eye did hotly overlook them.

' Venus, 3 stanza 30, 11. 177-8.

Whose deadly damp the worlds poor people kils. ' Cassandra,' p. 71.

Look, how the world's poor people are amaz'd, &c.
 * Venus,' stanza 155, 1. 925.

Here ended shee ; and then her teares began, That (Chorus-like) at every word downe rained, &c.

' Cassandra,' p. 79.

With tears, which chorus-like her eyes did rain. ' Venus,' stanza 60, 1. 360.

The following show that * Lucrece ' was also in Barnfield's mind : Now silent night drew on ; when all things sleepe, Save theeves, and cares, &c. * Cassandra,' p. 78. Now leaden slumber with life's strength doth fight ; And every one toorest themselves betake, Save thieves and cares and troubled minds that wake. ' Lucrece,' stanza 18, 11. 124-6.

Heerewith awaking from her slumbring sleepe, (For feare, and care, are enemies to rest.)

' Cassandra,' p. 72.

This said, he sets his foot upon the light, (For light and lust are deadly enemies.)

' Lucrece,' stanza 97, 11. 673-4.

'Cassandra' was published in January, 1595. There are also distinct traces of the influence of the ' Venus ' in Barnfield's first poem, ' The Affectionate Shepheard,' and in its continuation, 'The Shepheards Content' (November, 1594). The latter, too, sometimes reminds one of ' Lucrece.' Wilt thou deceave the deep-earth-delving coney ? 'TheAff. Shep.,'p. 13.

And sometime where earth-delving conies keep. ' Venus,' stanza 115, 1. 687.

Humility in misery is reliev'd,

But Pride in neede of no man is regarded.

'TheAff. Shep.,'p. 17. For misery is trodden on by many, And being low never reliev'd by any.

1 Venus,' stanza 118, 11. 707-8.

Which is intitled Beauty in the best.

'The Aff. Shep.,'p. 16. But beauty, in that white intituled, &c.

' Lucrece, 3 stanza 9, 1. 57.

The wealthie Merchant that doth crosse the Seas, To Denmark, Poland, Spaine, and Barbaric, For all his ritches, lives not still at ease ; Sometimes he feares ship-spoyling Pyracie, &c.

' The Shepheards Content,' p. 27. Pain pays the income of each precious thing ; Huge rocks, high winds, strong pirates, shelves

and sands, The merchant fears, ere rich at home he lands.

' Lucrece,' stanza 48, 11. 334-6.

The foregoing parallels plainly show that Barnfield was an ardent admirer of Shake- speare, and it is but right that they should be put on record, to enable scholars to arrive at a true estimate of Barnfield's work and the influences that assisted to produce it.

I may add that, previous to the information contained in this paper, the first reference to ' Venus _and Adonis ' was supposed to be con- tained in the following line from a poem by