Sunday, December 20, 2009

By Shadowes, onely Shadowes Bringing Forth




Vain imaginings unauthorized by God. Oxford's 'crime'? Eikastike vs. phantastike representations - the argument initiated against Oxford by Sir Philip Sidney:

"For I will not denie, but that mans wit may make Poesie, which should be EIKASTIKE, which some learned have defined figuring foorth good things to be PHANTASTIKE, which doth contrariwise INFECT the FANCIE with unWOORTHie objects..." (Sidney, _Defence of Poesy_)

Pride. Superbia - Satan's sin. Self-love. Putting his own hollow, godless images before the people and snaring them with his enchantments. Selling dross - shadows, dreams and smoke - unwoorthie objects. Creating a world of metaphor and shadow rather than seeking out substance (true meaning/worth).


Caelica, if I obey not, but dispute,
Thinke it is darkenesse; which seeks out a light,
And to presumption do not it impute,
If I forsake this way of Infinite;
Books be of men, men but in clouds doe see,
Of whose embracements Centaures gotten be. (Greville)


Sweet Swan of Avon! (grappling with an evasive cygnified)



"No cloud of Fancie, no mysterious stroke,
No Verse like those which antient Sybils spoke;
No Oracle of Language, to *AMAZE*
The Reader with a dark, or Midnight Phrase," (Jasper Mayne)


In my imagination I turn to a shadowy figure and point:

YOU! Fulke Greville! Come forth!

(You, who never affected Fame, but instead chose where and how to bestow it.)


"Then make the summe of our Idea's this,
Who loue the world, giue latitude to Fame,
And this Man-pleasing, Gods displeasing is,
Who loue their God, haue glory by his name:
But fixe on Truth, who can, that know it not?
*Who fixe on ERROR, doe but write to blot*.

"Who worship Fame, commit Idolatry,
"Make Men their God, Fortune and Time their worth,
"Forme, but reforme not, meer hypocrisie,
"By shadowes, onely shadowes bringing forth,
"Which must, as blossomes, fade ere true fruit springs,
"(Like voice, and eccho) ioyn'd; yet diuers things." (Greville)



Form but reform not? Bringing forth shadows and deformity? Meer hypocrisie -

Hypocrisy \Hy*poc"ri*sy\ (h[i^]*p[o^]k"r[i^]*s[y^]), n.; pl.
  Hypocrisies (-s[i^]z). [OE. hypocrisie, ypocrisie, OF.
  hypocrisie, ypocrisie, F. hypocrisie, L. hypocrisis, fr. Gr.
  "ypo`krisis the playing a part on the stage, simulation,
  outward show, fr. "ypokr`nesqai to answer on the stage, to
  play a part; "ypo` under + kri`nein to decide; in the middle
  voice, to dispute, contend. See Hypo-, and Critic.]
  The act or practice of a hypocrite; a feigning to be what one
  is not, or to feel what one does not feel; a dissimulation,
  or a concealment of one's real character, disposition, or
  motives; especially, the assuming of false appearance of
  virtue or religion; a simulation of goodness.


Your godly Sidney enjoys True Fame - but what of his Adversary? In your 'Life of Sidney' you set Oxford upon a stage - lifting his mask of nobility you reveal him to be a tyrant. A tyrant encountering his David.

Greville - Life of Sidney

Neither am I (for my part) so much in love with this life, nor believe so little in a better to come, as to complain of God for taking him [Sidney], and such like exorbitant WORTHYness from us: fit (as it were by an Ostracisme) to be divided, and not incorporated with our corruptions: yet for the sincere affection I bear to my Prince, and Country, my prayer to God is, that this WORTH, and Way may not fatally be buried with him; in respect, that both before his time, and since,experience hath published the usuall discipline of greatnes to have been tender of it self onely; making honour a triumph, or rather TROPHY of desire, set up in the eyes of Mankind, either to be worshiped as IDOLS, or else as Rebels to perish under her glorious oppressions. Notwithstanding, when the PRIDE of FLESH, and power of favour shall cease in these by death, or disgrace; *what then hath time to register, or FAME to publish in these great mens names, that will not be offensive, or infectious to others? What Pen without BLOTTING can write the story of their deeds? Or what Herald blaze their Arms without a blemish? And as for their counsels and projects, when they come once to light, shall they not live as noysome, and loathsomely above ground, as their Authors carkasses lie in the grave? So as the return of such greatnes to the world, and themselves, can be but private reproach, publique ill example, and a fatall scorn to the Government they live in. Sir Philip Sidney is none of this number; for the greatness which he affected was built upon true WORTH; esteeming Fame more than Riches, and Noble actions far above Nobility it self.

(By their rank thoughts, my deeds must not be shown)


Achates! Tell the story of the aBASEment of that Idol - that unwoorthie object, the Earl of Oxford. Fulke Greville! Servant of Queen Elizabeth, Councillor to King James, Friend to Sir Philip Sidney.

Recorder of Stratford. Master of Shakespeare.



1 John 2:16
For all that is in the WORLD, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the PRIDE of life, is not of the Father, but is of the WORLD.


"And in this freedome of heart [Sidney] being one day at Tennis, a Peer of this Realm, born great, greater by alliance, and superlative in the Princes favour, abruptly came into the Tennis-Court; and speaking out of these three paramount authorities, he forgot to entreat that, which he could not legally command. When by the encounter of a steady object, finding unrespectiveness in himself (though a great Lord) not respected by this PRINCELY SPIRIT, he grew to expostulate more ROUGHLY. The returns of which stile comming still from an understanding heart, that knew what was due to it self, and what it ought to others, seemed (through the MISTS of my Lords PASSIONS, SWOLN with the WINDE of his FACTION then reigning) to provoke in yeelding. Whereby, the LESSE AMAZEMENT, or CONFUSION of thoughts he STIRRED up in Sir Philip, the more SHADOWES this great Lords own MIND was POSSESSED with: till at last with RAGE (which is ever ILL-DISCIPLINED) he commands them to depart the Court...

Hereupon those GLORIOUS INEQUALITIES of FORTUNE in his Lordship were put to a kinde of pause, by a PRECIOUS INEQUALITY of NATURE in this Gentleman." (Greville, Life of Sidney)


"...if the MATTER be in NATURE VILE, /How can it be made PRECIOUS
by a stile" – Greville

****************************


Exploring the vocabulary of Oxford’s enemies:


Vile \Vile\, a. [Comp. Viler; superl. Vilest.] [OE. vil, F.
vil, from L. vilis cheap, WORTHLESS, vile, BASE.]
1. Low; base; worthless; mean; despicable.

A poor man in vile raiment. --James ii. 2.

The craft either of fishing, which was Peter's, or
of making tents, which was Paul's, were [was] more
vile than the science of physic. --Ridley.

The inhabitants account gold but as a vile thing.
--Abp. Abbot.

2. Morally base or impure; depraved by sin; hateful; in the
sight of God and men; sinful; wicked; bad. ``Such vile
base practices.'' --Shak.

Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee ? --Job
xl. 4.


Ignoble \Ig*no"ble\, a. [L. ignobilis; pref. in- not + nobilis
noble: cf. F. ignoble. See In- not, and Noble, a.]
1. Of low birth or family; not noble; not illustrious;
plebeian; common; humble.

I was not ignoble of descent. --Shak.

Her royal stock graft with ignoble plants. --Shak.

2. Not honorable, elevated, or generous; base.

'T but a base, ignoble mind, That mounts no higher
than a bird can soar. --Shak.

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife. --Gray.

3. (Zo["o]l.) Not a true or noble falcon; -- said of certain
hawks, as the goshawk.

Syn: Degenerate; degraded; mean; base; dishonorable;
reproachful; disgraceful; shameful; scandalous;
infamous.


Infamous \In"fa*mous\, a. [Pref. in- not + famous: cf. L.
infamis. See Infamy.]
1. Of very bad report; having a reputation of the worst kind;
held in abhorrence; guilty of something that exposes to
infamy; base; notoriously vile; detestable; as, an
infamous traitor; an infamous perjurer.

False errant knight, infamous, and forsworn.
--Spenser.

2. Causing or producing infamy; deserving detestation;
scandalous to the last degree; as, an infamous act;
infamous vices; infamous corruption. --Macaulay.

3. (Law) Branded with infamy by conviction of a crime; as, at
common law, an infamous person can not be a witness.

4. Having a bad name as being the place where an odious crime
was committed, or as being associated with something
detestable; hence, unlucky; perilous; dangerous.
``Infamous woods.'' --P. Fletcher.

Infamous hills, and sandy perilous wilds. --Milton.

The piny shade More infamous by cursed Lycaon made.
--Dryden.

Syn: Detestable; odious; scandalous; disgraceful; base; vile;
shameful; ignominious.



CXI

1. O! for my sake do you with Fortune chide,
2. The guilty goddess of my harmful deeds,
3. That did not better for my life provide
4. Than public means which public manners breeds.
5. Thence comes it that my name receives a brand,
6. And almost thence my nature is subdued
7. To what it works in, like the dyer's hand:
8. Pity me, then, and wish I were renewed;
9. Whilst, like a willing patient, I will drink
10. Potions of eisel 'gainst my strong infection;
11. No bitterness that I will bitter think,
12. Nor double penance, to correct correction.
13. Pity me then, dear friend, and I assure ye,
14. Even that your pity is enough to cure me.


CXII

1. Your love and pity doth the impression fill,
2. Which vulgar scandal stamped upon my brow;
3. For what care I who calls me well or ill,
4. So you o'er-green my bad, my good allow?
5. You are my all-the-world, and I must strive
6. To know my shames and praises from your tongue;
7. None else to me, nor I to none alive,
8. That my steeled sense or changes right or wrong.
9. In so profound abysm I throw all care
10. Of others' voices, that my adder's sense
11. To critic and to flatterer stopped are.
12. Mark how with my neglect I do dispense:
13. You are so strongly in my purpose bred,
14. That all the world besides methinks y'are dead.

CXXI

1. 'Tis better to be vile than vile esteemed,
2. When not to be receives reproach of being;
3. And the just pleasure lost, which is so deemed
4. Not by our feeling, but by others' seeing:
5. For why should others' false adulterate eyes
6. Give salutation to my sportive blood?
7. Or on my frailties why are frailer spies,
8. Which in their wills count bad what I think good?
9. No, I am that I am, and they that level
10. At my abuses reckon up their own:
11. I may be straight though they themselves be bevel;
12. By their rank thoughts, my deeds must not be shown;
13. Unless this general evil they maintain,
14. All men are bad and in their badness reign.