As to Norton's assistance in this play, it is said on better authority than that of Antony Wood, who supposes GORBODUC to have been in old English rhime, that the three first acts were written by Thomas Norton, and the two last by Sackville*. But the force of internal evidence often prevails over the authority of assertion, a testimony which is diminished by time, and may be rendered suspicious from a variety of other circumstances. Throughout the whole piece, there is an invariable uniformity of diction and versification. Sackville has two poems of considerable length in the MIRROUR FOR MAGISTRATES, which fortunately furnish us with the means of comparison: and every scene of GORBODUC is visibly marked with his characteristical manner†, which consists in a perspicuity of style, *[Could we suppose, that Norton wrote the first three acts of Gorboduc, it would infinitely diminish Sackville's merit: because the design and example must be given to the former. Norton might write dully, as we find most poets do, on sacred subjects; and with more spirit when left to his own invention. Shakspeare himself wrote but dully, in his historic poem of Tarquin and Lucrece. Yet it is difficult to conceive how Sackville and Norton, whose gene. ral poetic talents were so widely different, could write distinct parts of a play, the whole of which should appear of uniform merit; like the famous statue made by two sculptors in different countries, which so greatly excited the wonder of Pliny.-ASHEY.] + [The reflections of Eubulus at the close of the drama on the miseries of civil war, are so patriotically interesting, that I am impelled to take the occasion of placing an extract from them in the margin. And thou, O Brittaine! whilome in renowne, In loyall trouth, and subjectes will be kinges. And this doth growe, when loe unto the prince, Whom death or sodcine happe of life beraves, Whilome in wealth and fame, shalt thus No certaine heire remaines; such cer be torne, Jadvice. and a command of numbers, superior to the tone of his times". Thomas Norton's poetry is of a very different and a subordinate cast: and if we may judge from his share in our metrical psalmody, he seems to have been much more properly qualified to shine in the miserable mediocrity of Sternhold's stanza, and to write spiritual rhymes for the solace of his illuminated brethren, than to reach the bold and impassioned elevations of tragedy. Y The same may be said of Sackville's SONNET prefixed to Thomas Hoby's English version of Castiglio's IL CORTEGIANO, first printed in 1556. The third part, on the behaviour of Courtladies, appears to have been translated in 1551, at the request of the marchioness of Northampton. SECTION LVII. THIS appearance of a regular tragedy, with the division of acts and scenes, and the accompaniment of the antient chorus, represented both at the Middle-temple and at Whitehall, and written by the most accomplished nobleman of the court of queen Elisabeth, seems to have directed the attention of our more learned poets to the study of the old classical drama, and in a short time to have produced vernacular versions of the JOCASTA of Euripides, as it is called, and of the ten Tragedies of Seneca. I do not find that it was speedily followed by any original compositions on the same legitimate model. The JOCASTA of Euripides was translated by George Gascoigne and Francis Kinwelmersh, both students of Grays-inn, and acted in the refectory of that society, in the year 1566. Gascoigne translated the second, third*, and fifth acts, and Kinwelmersh the first, and fourth. It was printed in Gascoigne's poems, of which more will be said hereafter, in 1577, under the following title, "JoCASTA, a Tragedie written in Greeke by Euripides. Translated and digested into Acte, by George Gascoigne and Francis Kinwelmershe of Graies inn, and there by them presented, An. 1566." The Epilogue was written in quatraines by Christopher Yelverton, then one of their brother students. So strongly were our audiences still attached to spectacle, that the authors did not venture to present their play, without introducing a DUMB SHEW at the beginning of every act. For this, however, they had the example and authority of GORBODUC. Some of the earliest specimens of Inigo Jones's Grecian architecture are marred by Gothic ornaments. * [This third act has no denotation of its translator, in edit. 1575.-PARK.] It must, however, be observed, that this is by no means a just or exact translation of the JoCASTA, that is the PHOENISSE, of Euripides. It is partly a paraphrase, and partly an abridgement, of the Greek tragedy. There are many omissions, retrenchments, and transpositions. The chorus, the characters, and the substance of the story, are entirely retained, and the tenor of the dialogue is often preserved through whole scenes. Some of the beautiful odes of the Greek chorus are neglected, and others substituted in their places, newly written by the translators. In the favorite address to Mars, Gascoigne has totally deserted the rich imagery of Euripides, yet has found means to form an original ode, which is by no means destitute of pathos or imagination. O fierce and furious Mars! whose harmefull hart Why dost thou thus our harmlesse towne annoy, Father of warre and death, that doost remoue, So graunt the goddes, that for our finall rest See PHOENISs. p. 140. edit. Barnes. *Ω πολύμοχθος "Αρης, Τί που είματι Καὶ θανάτῳ κατέχη, &c. b So Tibullus, where he cautions Mars not to gaze on his mistress. Lib. iv. ii. 3. At tu, violente, caveto, Ne tibi miranti turpiter arma cadant. And neuer rest to range about the costes, And when thou hast our fields forsaken thus, Yet thou returne, O Ioie, and pleasant Peace! Whose swelling pride hath all this iarre begon, &c. © I am of opinion, that our translators thought the many mythological and historical allusions in the Greek chorus, too remote and unintelligible, perhaps too cumbersome, to be exhibited in English. In the ode to CONCORD, which finishes the fourth act, translated by Kinwelmershe, there is great elegance of expression and versification. It is not in Euripides. O blissefull CONCORD, bred in sacred brest Of hym that rules the restlesse-rolling skie, That to the earth, for mans assured rest, From height of heauens vouchsafest downe to flie ! In thee alone the mightie power doth lie, With sweet accorde to keepe the frowning starres, And euerie planet els, from hurtful warres. In thee, in thee, such noble vertue bydes, Act ii. Sc. ult. |