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    The Poetry of Robert Greene: 'He is dead, at this her sorowes were so sore: And so she wept that she could speake no more''
    The Poetry of Robert Greene: 'He is dead, at this her sorowes were so sore: And so she wept that she could speake no more''
    The Poetry of Robert Greene: 'He is dead, at this her sorowes were so sore: And so she wept that she could speake no more''
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    The Poetry of Robert Greene: 'He is dead, at this her sorowes were so sore: And so she wept that she could speake no more''

    By Robert Greene

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    About this ebook

    Robert Greene was, by the best accounts available, born in Norwich in 1558 and baptised on July 11th.

    Greene is believed to have been a pupil at Norwich Grammar School and then attended Cambridge receiving his B.A. in 1580, and an M.A. in 1583. He then moved to London and began an extraordinary chapter in his life as a widely published author.

    His literary career began with the publication of the long romance, ‘Mamillia’, (1580). Greene's romances were written in a highly wrought style which reached its peak in ‘Pandosto’ (1588) and ‘Menaphon’ (1589). Short poems and songs incorporated in some of the romances attest to his ability as a lyric poet.

    In 1588, he was granted an MA from Oxford University, almost certainly as a courtesy degree. Thereafter he sometimes placed the phrase Utruisq. Academiae in Artibus Magister', "Master of Arts in both Universities" on the title page of his works.

    The lack of records hinders any complete biography of Greene but he did write an autobiography of sorts, but where the balance lies between facts and artistic licence is not clearly drawn. According to that autobiography ‘The Repentance of Robert Greene’, Greene is alleged to have written ‘A Groatsworth of Wit Bought with a Million of Repentance’ during the month prior to his death, including in it a letter to his wife asking her to forgive him and stating that he was sending their son back to her.

    His output was prolific. Between 1583 and 1592, he published more than twenty-five works in prose, becoming one of the first authors in England to support himself with his pen in an era when professional authorship was virtually unknown.

    In his ‘coney-catching’ pamphlets, Greene fashioned himself into a well-known public figure, narrating colourful inside stories of rakes and rascals duping young gentlemen and solid citizens out of their hard-earned money. These stories, told from the perspective of a repentant former rascal, have been considered autobiographical, and to incorporate many facts of Greene's own life thinly veiled as fiction. However, the alternate account suggests that Greene invented almost everything, merely displaying his undoubted skills as a writer.

    In addition to his prose works, Greene also wrote several plays, none of them published in his lifetime, including ‘The Scottish History of James IV’, ‘Alphonsus’, and his greatest popular success, ‘Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay’, as well as ‘Orlando Furioso’, based on Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso.

    His plays earned himself the title as one of the ‘University Wits’, a group that included George Peele, Thomas Nashe, and Christopher Marlowe.

    Robert Greene died 3rd September 1592.

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherStage Door
    Release dateMar 25, 2019
    ISBN9781787805057
    The Poetry of Robert Greene: 'He is dead, at this her sorowes were so sore: And so she wept that she could speake no more''
    Author

    Robert Greene

    Robert Greene is the author of three bestselling books: The 48 Laws of Power, The Art of Seduction, and The 33 Strategies of War. He attended U.C. Berkeley and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, where he received a degree in classical studies. He has worked in New York as an editor and writer at several magazines, including Esquire, and in Hollywood as a story developer and writer. Greene has lived in London, Paris, and Barcelona; he speaks several languages and has worked as a translator. He currently lives in Los Angeles.

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      Book preview

      The Poetry of Robert Greene - Robert Greene

      The Poetry of Robert Greene

      Robert Greene was, by the best accounts available, born in Norwich in 1558 and baptised on July 11th.

      Greene is believed to have been a pupil at Norwich Grammar School and then attended Cambridge receiving his B.A. in 1580, and an M.A. in 1583.  He then moved to London and began an extraordinary chapter in his life as a widely published author.

      His literary career began with the publication of the long romance, ‘Mamillia’, (1580). Greene's romances were written in a highly wrought style which reached its peak in ‘Pandosto’ (1588) and ‘Menaphon’ (1589). Short poems and songs incorporated in some of the romances attest to his ability as a lyric poet.

      In 1588, he was granted an MA from Oxford University, almost certainly as a courtesy degree. Thereafter he sometimes placed the phrase Utruisq. Academiae in Artibus Magister', Master of Arts in both Universities on the title page of his works.

      The lack of records hinders any complete biography of Greene but he did write an autobiography of sorts, but where the balance lies between facts and artistic licence is not clearly drawn. According to that autobiography ‘The Repentance of Robert Greene’, Greene is alleged to have written ‘A Groatsworth of Wit Bought with a Million of Repentance’ during the month prior to his death, including in it a letter to his wife asking her to forgive him and stating that he was sending their son back to her.

      His output was prolific. Between 1583 and 1592, he published more than twenty-five works in prose, becoming one of the first authors in England to support himself with his pen in an era when professional authorship was virtually unknown.

      In his ‘coney-catching’ pamphlets, Greene fashioned himself into a well-known public figure, narrating colourful inside stories of rakes and rascals duping young gentlemen and solid citizens out of their hard-earned money. These stories, told from the perspective of a repentant former rascal, have been considered autobiographical, and to incorporate many facts of Greene's own life thinly veiled as fiction. However, the alternate account suggests that Greene invented almost everything, merely displaying his undoubted skills as a writer.

      In addition to his prose works, Greene also wrote several plays, none of them published in his lifetime, including ‘The Scottish History of James IV’, ‘Alphonsus’, and his greatest popular success, ‘Friar Bacon and Friar Bungay’, as well as ‘Orlando Furioso’, based on Ludovico Ariosto's Orlando Furioso.

      His plays earned himself the title as one of the ‘University Wits’, a group that included George Peele, Thomas Nashe, and Christopher Marlowe.

      Robert Greene died 3rd September 1592.

      Index of Contents

      INTRODUCTION TO A MAIDENS DREAME

      A MAIDENS DREAME - The Epistle Dedicatorie

      A MAIDENS DREAME

      THE COMPLAINT OF JVSTICE

      THE COMPLAINT OF PRVDENCE

      THE COMPLAINT OF FORTITVDE

      THE COMPLAINT OF TEMPERANCE

      THE COMPLAINT OF BOVNTIE

      THE COMPLAINT OF HOSPITALITIE

      THE COMPLAINT OF RELIGION

      POEMS FROM THE NOVELS

      I - VERSES AGAINST THE GENTLEWOMEN OF SICILLIA

      II - ARBASTO’S SONG

      III - DORALICIA’S SONG

      IV - THE DESCRIPTION OF SILVESTROS LADIE

      V - LACENAS RIDDLE

      VI - VERSES VNDER A PICTVRE OF FORTVNE

      VII - A SONNET

      VIII - BARMENISSAS SONG

      IX - TEMPORA MVTANTVR, ET NOS MVTAMVR IN ILLIS

      X - VERSES WRITTEN VNDER THE PROTRAITVRE OF VENVS

      XI - VERSES VNDER A PEACOCKE POVRTRAIED. HER LEFT HAND

      XII - VERSES VNDER A CARVING OF MERCVRY THROWING FEATHERS INTO THE WINDE

      XIII - VERSES VNDER A CARVING OF CVPID BLOWING BLADDERS IN THE AYRE

      XIV - VERSES ON TWO TABLES HVNG BESIDE AN EFFIGY ON A TOMBE

      XV - MADRIGALL

      XVI - BRADAMANT’S MADRIGALE

      XVII - MELISSA’S DITTYE

      XVIII - PRINCE’S SONNET

      XIX - SONNET OF OLDE MAN (A CALDEE) IN ANSWER

      XX - SONNET

      XXI - SONNET

      XXII - BELLARIA’S EPITAPH

      XXIII

      XXIV - APOLLO’S ORACLE (DOOME)

      XXV - MENAPHON’S SONG

      XXVI - SEPHESTIAS SONG TO HER CHILDE

      XXVII - MENAPHONS ROVNDELAY

      XXVIII - DORON’S DESCRIPTION OF SAMELA

      XXIX - DORONS IIGGE

      XXX - MELICERTVS MADRIGALE

      XXXI - MENAPHON’S SONG IN HIS BEDDE

      XXXII - MENAPHON’S DITTIE

      XXXIII - MENAPHONS ECLOGVE

      XXXIV - MELICERTVS ECLOGVE

      XXXV - DORONS ECLOGVE IOYND WITH CARMELAS

      XXXVI - SONETTO

      XXXVII - MELICERTVS DESCRIPTION OF HIS MISTRES

      XXXVIII - VERSES FROM CICERONIS AMOR

      XXXIX - POEM

      XL - SONNET OR DITTIE

      XLI - RVNDELAY

      XLII - LENTVLVS DESCRIPTION OF TERENTIA IN LATIN

      XLIII - THE SHEEPHEARDS ODE

      XLIV - ORPHEVS SONG

      XLV - THE SONG OF ARION

      XLVI - SONNET

      XLVII - THE DESCRIPTION OF THE SHEPHEARD AND HIS WIFE

      XLVIII - THE SHEPHEARDS WIVES SONG

      XLIX - HEXAMETRA ALEXIS IN LAVDEM ROSAMVNDAE

      L - HEXAMETRA ROSAMVNDAE IN DOLOREM AMISSI ALEXIS

      LI - PHILADORS ODE THAT HE LEFT WITH THE DESPAIRING LOVER

      LII - THE SONG OF A COVNTRY SWAINE AT THE RETVRNE OF PHILADOR

      LIII - FROM NEVER TOO LATE

      LIV

      LV - THE HERMITES EXORDIVM

      LVI - ISABELLS ODE

      LVII - FRANCESCOS ODE

      LVIII - CANZONE

      LIX - INFIDAS SONG

      LX - FRANCESCOES ROVNDELAY

      LXI - THE PENITENT PALMERS ODE

      LXII - ISABELS SONNET THAT SHE MADE IN PRISON

      LXIII - FRANCESCOS SONNET, MADE IN THE PRIME OF HIS PENAVNCE

      LXIV - FRANCESCOS SONNET CALD HIS PARTING BLOW

      LXV - EVRYMACHVS FANCIE IN THE PRIME OF HIS AFFECTION

      LXVI - RADAGONS SONNET

      LXVII - EVRIMACHVS IN LAVDEM MIRIMIDÆ HIS MOTTO

      LXVIII - RADAGON IN DIANAM

      LXIX - MVLLIDORS MADRIGALE

      LXX - THE PALMER’S VERSES

      LXXI - DESCRIPTION OF THE LADIE MAESIA

      LXXII - MAESIA’S SONG

      LXXIII - LINES TRANSLATED FROM GVAZZO

      LXXIV - FROM DANTE

      LXXV - PHILOMELAS ODE THAT SHEE SVNG IN HER ARBOVR

      LXXVI - PHILOMELAES SECOND OADE

      LXXVII - LVLESIO’S SONNET

      LXXVIII - POEME IN ANSWER

      LXXIX - AN ODE

      LXXX - FAMILIAS SONG

      LXXXI - AGAINST ENTICING CVRTIZANS

      LXXXII - VERSES

      LXXXIII - A CONCEITED FABLE OF THE OLDE COMEDIAN AESOP

      LXXXIV - GREENES ODE, OF THE VANITIE OF WANTON WRITINGS

      LXXXV - THE DESCRIPTION OF SIR GEFFERY CHAWCER

      LXXXVI - THE DESCRIPTION OF JOHN GOWER

      LXXXVII - THEODORAS SONG

      LXXXVIII - THE DESCRIPTION OF SALOMON

      ROBERT GREENE - A SHORT BIOGRAPHY

      ROBERT GREENE - A CONCISE BIBLIOGRAPHY

      INTRODUCTION TO A MAIDENS DREAME

      This poem had long disappeared, and was not known to be in existence till 1845, when it was discovered by Mr. James P. Reardon, who sent a transcript of it to the Council of the Shakespeare Society, among whose papers it was printed. Dyce incorporated it in the second edition of his Greene, but neither Mr. Reardon’s transcript nor Dyce’s is quite accurate. The original, a quarto of ten leaves—4to in Roman letter— is now in the library of Lambeth Palace. It has been transcribed for my text, and is here exactly reproduced.

      A MAIDENS DREAME

      Vpon the Death of the right Honorable Sir Christopher Hatton Knight, late Lord Chancelor of England

      To the right worshipful, bountifull and vertuous Ladie, the Ladie Elizabeth Hatton, wife to the right Worshipful Sir William Hatton Knight, increase of all honorable vertues.

      THE EPISTLE DEDICATORIE

      Mourning as well as many (right Worshipfull Ladie) for the late losse of the right Honorable your deceased Unckle, whose death being the common preiudice of the present age, was lamented of most (if not all) and I among the rest sorrowing that my Countrie was depriued of him that liued not for himselfe, but for his Countrie, I began to call to mind what a subiect was ministred to the excellent wits of both Vniuersities to work vpon, when so worthie a Knight, and so vertuous a Iusticiarie, had by his death left many memorable actions performed in his life, deseruing highly by some rare pen to be registred. Passing ouer many daies in this muse, at last I perceiued mens humors slept, that loue of many friends followed no farther then their graues, that Art was growen idle, and either choice schollers feared to write of so high a subiect as his vertues, or else they dated their deuotions no farther then his life. While thus I debated with my selfe, I might see (to the great disgrace of the Poets of our time) some Mycanicall wits blow vp Mountaines, and bring forth mise, who with their follies did rather disparage his Honors, than decypher his vertues: beside, as Virtutis comes est inuidia, so base report who hath her tong blistered by slanderous enuie, began as

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