Page:The Poems of Sappho (1924).djvu/36

30 English was made by William Webbe in 1586. This writer took his degree at one of the colleges at Cambridge in 1572 of 1573, and in 1586 published his book, “A Discourse of English Poetry, together with the Author’s judgment touching the Reformation of our English Verse. By William Webbe graduate. Imprinted at London by John Charlewood for Robert Walley 1586.” The author turns part of Spenser’s fourth Eclogue into English Sapphics which he describes as “homely”—a just description. He also says, “for in truth I am perswaded a little paine taking might furnish our speeche with as much pleasant delight in this kind of verse, as any other whatsoever.” Of this book only two copies are known. Thomas Lodge, in his “Margarite of America,” published in 1596, inserts a dedication “To the noble learned and vertuous Ladie, the Ladie Russell, our English Sappho.” There is, however, no further reference to Sappho herself.

Another example occurs in Barnabe Barnes’ “Parthenophil and Parthenophe,” 1593, in which there are two attempts at lyrics in imitation of the Greek, one in Sapphics and one in Anacreontics. The first verse of the Sapphic poem goes as follows