George Chapman
(c.1559-1634)
Contents
The Life and Poetry of George Chapman
BRIEF INTRODUCTION: GEORGE CHAPMAN
COMPLETE POEMS OF GEORGE CHAPMAN
LIST OF POEMS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER
The Homeric Translations
THE ILIADS
THE ODYSSEYS
THE BATTLE OF FROGS AND MICE
THE HOMERIC HYMNS
The Comedies
AN HUMOROUS DAY’S MIRTH
EASTWARD HO
MAY DAY
The Tragedies
THE TRAGEDY OF BUSSY D’AMBOIS
THE REVENGE OF BUSSY D’AMBOIS
ROLLO DUKE OF NORMANDY
The Biography
GEORGE CHAPMAN by Algernon Charles Swinburne
The Delphi Classics Catalogue
© Delphi Classics 2017
Version 1
George Chapman
By Delphi Classics, 2017
COPYRIGHT
George Chapman - Delphi Poets Series
First published in the United Kingdom in 2017 by Delphi Classics.
© Delphi Classics, 2017.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor be otherwise circulated in any form other than that in which it is published.
ISBN: 978 1 78656 213 5
Delphi Classics
is an imprint of
Delphi Publishing Ltd
Hastings, East Sussex
United Kingdom
Contact: [email protected]
www.delphiclassics.com
Explore Elizabethan and Jacobean theatre with Delphi Classics
For the first time in publishing history, Delphi Classics is proud to present the complete works of these writers, with beautiful illustrations and the usual bonus material.
www.delphiclassics.com
NOTE
When reading poetry on an eReader, it is advisable to use a small font size and landscape mode, which will allow the lines of poetry to display correctly.
The Life and Poetry of George Chapman
Hitchin, Hertfordshire — Chapman’s birthplace
BRIEF INTRODUCTION: GEORGE CHAPMAN
by Frederick S. Boas
George Chapman was probably born in the year after Elizabeth’s accession. Anthony Wood gives 1557 as the date, but the inscription on his portrait, prefixed to the edition of The Whole Works of Homer in 1616, points to 1559. He was a native of Hitchin in Hertfordshire, as we learn from an allusion in his poem Euthymiæ Raptus or The Teares of Peace, and from W. Browne’s reference to him in Britannia’s Pastorals as “the learned shepheard of faire Hitching Hill.” According to Wood “in 1574 or thereabouts, he being well grounded in school learning was sent to the University.” Wood is uncertain whether he went first to Oxford or to Cambridge, but he is sure, though he gives no authority for the statement, that Chapman spent some time at the former “where he was observed to be most excellent in the Latin & Greek tongues, but not in logic or philosophy, and therefore I presume that that was the reason why he took no degree there.”
His life for almost a couple of decades afterwards is a blank, though it has been conjectured on evidences drawn from The Shadow of Night and Alphonsus Emperor of Germany, respectively, that he served in one of Sir F. Vere’s campaigns in the Netherlands, and that he travelled in Germany. The Shadow of Night, consisting of two “poeticall hymnes” appeared in 1594, and is his first extant work. It was followed in 1595 by Ovid’s Banquet of Sence, The Amorous Zodiac, and other poems. These early compositions, while containing fine passages, are obscure and crabbed in style.[v:1] In 1598 appeared Marlowe’s fragmentary Hero and Leander with Chapman’s continuation. By this year he had established his position as a playwright, for Meres in his Palladis Tamia praises him both as a writer of tragedy and of comedy. We know from Henslowe’s Diary that his earliest extant comedy The Blinde Begger of Alexandria was produced on February 12, 1596, and that for the next two or three years he was working busily for this enterprising manager. An Humerous dayes Myrth (pr. 1599), and All Fooles (pr. 1605) under the earlier title of The World Runs on Wheels,[vi:1] were composed during this period.
Meanwhile he had begun the work with which his name is most closely linked, his translation of Homer. The first instalment, entitled Seaven Bookes of the Iliades of Homere, Prince of Poets, was published in 1598, and was dedicated to the Earl of Essex. After the Earl’s execution Chapman found a yet more powerful patron, for, as we learn from the letters printed recently in The Athenæum (cf. Bibliography, sec. iii), he was appointed about 1604 “sewer (i. e. cupbearer) in ordinary,” to Prince Henry, eldest son of James I. The Prince encouraged him to proceed with his translation, and about 1609 appeared the first twelve books of the Iliad (including the seven formerly published) with a fine “Epistle Dedicatory,” to “the high-born Prince of men, Henry.” In 1611 the version of the Iliad was completed, and that of the Odyssey was, at Prince Henry’s desire, now taken in hand. But the untimely death of the Prince, on November 6th, 1612, dashed all Chapman’s hopes of receiving the anticipated reward of his labours. According to a petition which he addressed to the Privy Council, the Prince had promised him on the conclusion of his translation £300, and “uppon his deathbed a good pension during my life.” Not only were both of these withheld, but he was deprived of his post of “sewer” by Prince Charles. Nevertheless he completed the version of the Odyssey in 1614, and in 1616 he published a folio volume entitled The Whole Works of Homer. The translation, in spite of its inaccuracies and its “conceits,” is, by virtue of its sustained dignity and vigour, one of the noblest monuments of Elizabethan genius.
By 1605, if not earlier, Chapman had resumed his work for the stage. In that year he wrote conjointly with Marston and Jonson the comedy of Eastward Hoe. On account of some passages reflecting on the Scotch, the authors were imprisoned. The details of the affair are obscure. According to Jonson, in his conversation later with Drummond, Chapman and Marston were responsible for the obnoxious passages, and he voluntarily imprisoned himself with them. But in one of the recently printed letters, which apparently refers to this episode, Chapman declares that he and Jonson lie under the Kings displeasure for “two clawses and both of them not our owne,” i. e., apparently, written by Marston.[vii:1] However this may be, the offenders were soon released, and Chapman continued energetically his dramatic work. In 1606 appeared two of his most elaborate comedies, The Gentleman Usher and Monsieur D’Olive, and in the next year was published his first and most successful tragedy, Bussy D’Ambois. In 1608 were produced two connected plays, The Conspiracie and Tragedie of Charles, Duke of Byron, dealing with recent events in France, and based upon materials in E. Grimeston’s translation (1607) of Jean de Serres’ History. Again Chapman found himself in trouble with the authorities, for the French ambassador, offended by a scene in which Henry IV’s Queen was introduced in unseemly fashion, had the performance of the plays stopped for a time. Chapman had to go into hiding to avoid arrest, and when he came out, he had great difficulty in getting the plays licensed for publication, even with the omission of the offending episodes. His fourth tragedy based on French history, The Revenge of Bussy D’Ambois, appeared in 1613. It had been preceded by two comedies, May-Day (1611), and The Widdowes’ Teares (1612). Possibly, as Mr Dobell suggests (Athenæum, 23 March, 1901), the coarse satire of the latter play may have been due to its author’s annoyance at the apparent refusal of his suit by a widow to whom
some of the recently printed letters are addressed. In 1613 he produced his Maske of the Middle Temple and Lyncolns Inne, which was one of the series performed in honour of the marriage of the Princess Elizabeth and the Elector Palatine. Another hymeneal work, produced on a much less auspicious occasion, was an allegorical poem, Andromeda Liberata, celebrating the marriage of the Earl of Somerset with the divorced Lady Essex in December, 1613.
The year 1614, when the Odyssey was completed, marks the culminating point of Chapman’s literary activity. Henceforward, partly perhaps owing to the disappointment of his hopes through Prince Henry’s death, his production was more intermittent. Translations of the Homeric Hymns, of the Georgicks of Hesiod, and other classical writings, mainly occupy the period till 1631. In that year he printed another tragedy, Cæsar and Pompey, which, however, as we learn from the dedication, had been written “long since.” The remaining plays with which his name has been connected did not appear during his lifetime. A comedy, The Ball, licensed in 1632, but not published till 1639, has the names of Chapman and Shirley on the title-page, but the latter was certainly its main author. Another play, however, issued in the same year, and ascribed to the same hands, The Tragedie of Chabot, Admiral of France makes the impression, from its subject-matter and its style, of being chiefly due to Chapman. In 1654 two tragedies, Alphonsus Emperour of Germany and The Revenge for Honour, were separately published under Chapman’s name. Their authorship, however, is doubtful. There is nothing in the style or diction of Alphonsus which resembles Chapman’s undisputed work, and it is hard to believe that he had a hand in it. The Revenge for Honour is on an Oriental theme, entirely different from those handled by Chapman in his other tragedies, and the versification is marked by a greater frequency of feminine endings than is usual with him; but phrases and thoughts occur which may be paralleled from his plays, and the work may be from his hand.
On May 12, 1634, he died, and was buried in the churchyard of St. Giles’s in the Field, where his friend Inigo Jones erected a monument to his memory. According to Wood, he was a person of “most reverend aspect, religious and temperate, qualities rarely meeting in a poet.” Though his material success seems to have been small, he gained the friendship of many of the most illustrious spirits of his time — Essex, Prince Henry, Bacon, Jonson, Webster, among the number — and it has been his good fortune to draw in after years splendid tributes from such successors in the poetic art as Keats and A. C. Swinburne.
Vignette portrait of George Chapman from the frontispiece to his “Whole Works of Homer”
Christopher Marlowe (1564-1593) was Chapman’s fellow poet and collaborator
COMPLETE POEMS OF GEORGE CHAPMAN
Oxford University Press, 1941 Text
CONTENTS
THE SHADOW OF NIGHT.
HYMNVS IN NOCTEM.
HYMNVS IN CYNTHIAM.
OVIDS BANQUET OF SENCE.
RICHARD STAPLETON TO THE AUTHOR.
OVIDS BANQUET OF SENCE.
NARRATIO.
A CORONET FOR HIS MISTRESSE
THE AMOROVS ZODIACK.
THE AMOROVS CONTENTION OF PHILLIS
CERTAMEN INTER PHILLIDEM & FLORAM.
HERO AND LEANDER.
TO THE RIGHT WORSHIPFULL, SIR THOMAS WALSINGHAM, KNIGHT
THE ARGUMENT OF THE FIRST SESTYAD
THE ARGUMENT OF THE SECOND SESTYAD
TO MY BEST ESTEEMED AND WORTHELY HONORED LADY, THE LADY WALSINGHAM
THE ARGUMENT OF THE THIRD SESTYAD
THE ARGUMENT OF THE FOURTH SESTYAD
THE ARGUMENT OF THE FIFT SESTYAD.
THE ARGUMENT OF THE SIXT SESTYAD.
EVTHYMIÆ RAPTVS
INDVCTIO
THE TEARES OF PEACE.
CONCLVSIO.
COROLLARIVM AD PRINCIPEM.
PETRARCHS SEVEN PENITENTIALL PSALMS
PSALME I.
PSALME II.
PSALME III.
PSALME IIII.
PSALME V.
PSALME VI.
PSALME VII.
THE I. PSALME
A HYMNE TO OVR
VIRGILS EPIGRAM
VIRGILS EPIGRAM OF PLAY.
VIRGILS EPIGRAM OF WINE AND WOMEN.
VIRGILS EPIGRAM OF THIS LETTER Y.
A FRAGMENT OF THE TEARES OF PEACE.
FRAGMENTS.
AN EPICEDE OR FVNERALL SONG:
TO MY AFFECTIONATE, AND TRVE FRIEND, MR. HENRY JONES.
AN EPICED, OR FUNERALL SONG.
EVGENIA.
TO THE MOST WORTHY, AND RELIGIOVSLY-NOBLE FRANCIS, LORD RUSSELL, BARON OF THORNEHAUGH, &C.
EVGENIA.
VIGILIA PRIMA. INDUCTIO.
VIGILIA PRIMA.
VIGILIAE SECUNDAE. INDUCTIO.
VIRGILIAE SECUNDAE.
VIRGILIAE TERTIÆ INDUCTIO.
VIRGILIAE TERTIÆ.
VIGILIÆ QUARTÆ & VLTIMÆ.
INDUCTIO.
ANDROMEDA LIBERATA.
TO THE PREIVDICATE AND PEREMPTORY READER.
THE ARGUMENT.
TO THE RIGHT WORTHILY HONORED, ROBERT EARLE OF SOMMERSET, &C.
ANDROMEDA LIBERATA.
PARCARVM EPITHALAMION.
APODOSIS.
A FREE AND OFFENCELES IVSTIFICATION OF ANDROMEDA LIBERATA.
OF A LATELY PUBLISHT AND MOST MALICIOUSLY MISINTERPRETED POEME; ENTITULED.
DIALOGUS.
PRO VERE, AVTVMNI LACHRYMAE.
TO THE MOST WORTHILY HONORED AND IUDICIALLY-NOBLE LOUER AND FAUTOR OF ALL GOODNESSE AND VERTUE, ROBERT, EARLE OF SOMERSET, &C.
PRO VERE, AVTVMNI LACHRYMAE.
A IVSTIFICATION OF A STRANGE ACTION OF NERO
TO THE RIGHT VIRTVOVS AND WORTHILY HONOURED GENTLEMAN RICHARD HVBERT, ESQUIRE.
THE FVNERALL ORATION MADE AT THE BURIALL OF ONE OF POPPAEAS HAYRES.
COMMENDATORY AND OCCASIONAL VERSES.
TO THE AUTHOR OF NENNIO.
DE GUIANA, CARMEN EPICUM.
PERISTEROS: OR THE MALE TURTLE.
TO MY LONG LOU’D AND HONOURABLE FRIEND, SIR THOMAS WALSINGHAM KNIGHT.
IN SEIANVM BEN. IONSONI ET MUSIS, ET SIBI IN DELICIJS.
TO HIS DEARE FRIEND, BENIAMIN IONSON HIS VOLPONE.
TO HIS LOUING FRIEND M. JO. FLETCHER CONCERNING HIS PASTORALL, BEING BOTH A POEME AND A PLAY.
TO BYRD, BULL, AND GIBBONS ON PARTHENIA.
TO HIS LOVED SONNE, NAT. FIELD, AND HIS WETHERCOCKE WOMAN.
A HYMNE TO HYMEN FOR THE MOST TIME-FITTED NVPTIALLS
TO CHRISTOPHER BROOKE ON HIS GHOST OF RICHARD THE THIRD.
TO GRIMESTONE ON HIS TRANSLATION OF COEFFETAU’S TABLE OF HUMAINE PASSIONS.
ON THE TRAGIC HISTORY OF HIPOLITO AND ISABELLA.
VERSES FROM ENGLAND’S PARNASSVS AND FROM MANUSCRIPT.
UNTRACED QUOTATIONS IN ENGLAND’S PARNASSVS, 1600.
EPICVRES FRVGALLITIE:
AN JNVECTIVE WRIGHTEN BY MR. GEORGE CHAPMAN AGAINST MR. BEN: JOHNSON.
POEMS PREFATORY AND DEDICATORY TO THE ILIADS, ODYSSEYS, AND HYMNS OF HOMER.
TO M. HARRIOTS, ACCOMPANYING ACHILLES SHIELD.
EPISTLE DEDICATORY: THE ILIADS.
MEMORIAL VERSES TO PRINCE HENRY: WHOLE WORKS OF HOMER.
AN ANAGRAM ON HENRY: THE ILIADS.
TO THE SACRED FOVNTAINE OF PRINCES; SOLE EMPRESSE OF BEAVTIE AND VERTUE; ANNE,
TO THE READER.
TO THE RIGHT GRACIOVS AND WORTHY, THE DUKE OF LENNOX.
TO THE MOST GRAVE AND HONORED TEMPERER OF LAW, AND EQUITIE, THE LORD CHANCELOR, &C.
TO THE MOST WORTHIE EARLE, LORD TREASURER, AND TREASURE OF OUR COUNTREY, THE EARLE OF SALISBVRY, &C.
TO THE MOST HONOR’D RESTORER OF ANCIENT NOHILITIE, BOTH IN BLOOD AND VERTUE, THE EARLE OF SVFFOLKE, &C.
TO THE MOST NOBLE AND LEARNED EARLE, THE EARLE OF NORTHAMTON, &C.
TO THE MOST NOBLE, MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, THE EARLE OF ARUNDELL.
TO THE LEARNED AND MOST NOBLE PATRONE OF LEARNING THE EARLE OF PEMBROOKE, &C.
TO TH
E RIGHT GRACIOVS ILLUSTRATOR OF VERTUE, AND WORTHY OF THE FAUOUR ROYALL, THE EARLE OF MONTGOMRIE.
TO THE MOST LEARNED AND NOBLE CONCLUDER OF THE WANES ARTE, AND THE MUSES, THE LORD LISLE, &C.
TO THE GREAT AND VERTUOUS, THE COUNTESSE OF MONTGOMRIE.
TO THE HAPPY STARRE, DISCOUERED IN OUR SYDNEIAN ASTERISME; COMFORT OF LEARNING, SPHERE OF ALL THE VERTUES, THE LADY WROTHE.
TO THE RIGHT NOBLE PATRONESSE AND GRACE OF VERTUE, THE COUNTESSE OF BEDFORD.
TO THE RIGHT VALOROVS AND VIRTUOUS LORD, THE EARLE OF SOVTH-HAMTON &C.
TO MY EXCEEDING GOOD LORD, THE EARLE OF SVSSEX: WITH DUTY ALWAIES REMEMBRED TO HIS HONOR’D COUNTESSE.
TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND HEROICALL, MY SINGULAR GOOD LORD, THE LORD OF WALDEN, &C.
TO THE MOST TRVLY-NOBLE AND VERTUE-GRACING KNIGHT SIR THOMAS HOWARD.
TO THE RIGHT NOBLE AND MOST TOWARD LORD IN ALL THE HEROICALL VERTUES, VICOUNT CRANBORNE, &C.
TO THE MOST HONORD, AND JUDICIALL HONORER OF RETIRED VERTUE, VICOUNT ROCHESTER, &C.
TO THE RIGHT GRAVE AND NOBLE PATRONE OF ALL THE VERTUES, SIR EDWARD PHILIPS, MAISTER OF THE ROLES, &C.
TO OUR ENGLISH ATHENIA, CHASTE ARBITRESSE OF VERTUE AND LEARNING, THE LADIE ARBELLA
TO THE RIGHT NOBLE, AND BY THE GREAT ETERNIZER OF VERTUE, SIR P. SYDNEY
TO THE MOST WORTHILY HONORED, MY SINGVLAR GOOD LORD, ROBERT, EARLE OF SOMERSET, LORD CHAMBERLAINE, &C.
CERTAINE ANCIENT GREEKE EPIGRAMMES TRANSLATED.
HYMNS OF HOMER.
TO MY EVER MOST-WORTHIE-TO-BE-MOST HONOR’D LORD, THE EARLE OF SOMERSET, &c.
EPILOGUE TO THE HYMNS.
THE SHADOW OF NIGHT.
TO MY DEARE AND MOST WORTHY FRIEND MASTER MATHEW ROYDON.
IT IS an exceeding rapture of delight in the deepe search of knowledge, (none knoweth better then thy selfe sweet Mathew) that maketh men manfully indure th’extremes incident to that Herculean labour: from flints must the Gorgonean fount be smitten. Men must be shod by Mercurie, girt with Saturnes Adamantine sword, take the shield from Pallas, the helme from Pluto, and haue the eyes of Graea (as Hesiodus armes Perseus against Medusa) before they can cut of the viperous head of benumming ignorance, or subdue their monstrous affections to most beautifull iudgement.
The Complete Poetical Works of George Chapman Page 1
