CHAPTER VIII. CHAPMAN'S ATTACKS CONTINUED IN 1597-1598. 66 THE references to a rival poet" in the Sonnets, from which Professor Minto's happy inference regarding Chapman in that connection was drawn, are to be found in the 86th Sonnet. In his "Characteristics of the English Poets" (1885) Professor Minto asks: Who was the 'rival poet'?" and then continues: "So complete is the parallel of the course of true friendship to the course of true love that even the passion of jealousy finds a place. Nine Sonnets, 78 to 86, are occupied with the pretensions of other poets, and one poet in particular, to the gracious countenance of his patron. "In the 80th Sonnet he cries: "O how I faint when I of you do write Knowing a better spirit doth use your name.' Who was this 'better spirit'? I hope I shall not be held guilty of hunting after paradox if I say that every possible poet has been named but the right one, nor of presumption if I say that he is so obvious that his escape from notice is something little short of miraculous. The 86th Sonnet supplies ample means of identification: "Was it the proud full sail of his great verse, Was it his spirit, by spirits taught to write But when your countenance fill'd up his line, "The allusions to supernatural assistance are here very pointed. Chapman was a man of overpowering enthusiasm, ever eager in magnifying poetry and advancing fervid claims to supernatural inspiration. In 1594 he published a poem called 'The Shadow of Night,' which goes far to establish his identity with Shakespeare's rival; in the dedication, after animadverting severely on vulgar searchers after knowledge, he exclaims, 'Now what a supererogation in wit this is, to think Skill so mightily pierced with their loves, that she should prostitutely show them her secrets, when she will scarcely be looked upon by others but with invocation, fasting, and watching, yea, not without having drops of their souls like an heavenly familiar,' etc. "Here we have something like a profession of the familiar ghost that Shakespeare so saucily laughs at." In these words Professor Minto gave the clew to my findings, the only mistake he makes being in supposing that, in these nine Sonnets, others besides this one particular poet are indicated. I have conclusively shown that Chapman is even more distinctly indicated in four Sonnets of an earlier date; viz.: 20, 21, 69, and 70 (1595). To the bulk of the Sonnets in the apparent sequence from 78 to 86 I assign a later date. Shakespeare's protestations are here more pronounced, and his allusions to the "rival poet" more respectful, than in the earlier years. He is evidently threatened by a more powerful weapon in the rival's hands. In 1598 Chapman published his translation of seven books of Homer's Iliad, and a little later in the same year, another book of the Iliad which he entitled "Achilles' Shield," dedicating them both to the Earl of Essex, Southampton's intimate friend, and connection by marriage. These translations were licensed for publication in 1596 or 1597; in the time intervening between their entry in the "Stationer's Register" and their actual issue, Chapman, no doubt, sought a suitable patron to whom to dedicate them. I am fully convinced that it was an attempt of Chapman's upon Southampton's favor at this time that called forth Shakespeare's protest in the bulk of the Sonnets from 78 to 86 and even beyond them, as I am very much inclined to place all of this group of Sonnets, from 78 to 96, at this date. I would, however, omit Sonnet 81, which evidently belongs to another sequence, as I have previously pointed out. I believe I shall plainly prove these Sonnets of Shakespeare's to have been written previous to 1598, when Chapman published his first translations, as I shall show in a poem of Chapman's, published with these translations, very palpable references made by him to the attack which Shakespeare makes upon him in these particular Sonnets. We may infer from this that these Sonnets of Shakespeare's were written while Chapman's translations were still in manuscript, and while Southampton was considering whether or not he would accept their dedication. Southampton probably left England at this time, leaving Shakespeare in doubt on that point; and our poet was probably not cognizant that his remonstrances had been successful, till Chapman's translations appeared with the dedication to the Earl of Essex. These Sonnets of Shakespeare's reveal argument; there is a questionand-answer tone about them, as though Southampton had intimated that he was not tied to Shakespeare's Muse, in answer to which Shakespeare says: SONNET 82. "I grant thou wert not married to my Muse, Thou art as fair in knowledge as in hue, In true plain words by thy true-telling friend; And their gross painting might be better used Where cheeks need blood; in thee it is abused." A little later Southampton seems to have suggested that his learned eulogist praised him more highly than did Shakespeare, and our poet answers: 66 "You to your beauteous blessings add a curse, Being fond on praise, which makes your praises worse. In this the young nobleman was possibly playing upon the feelings of his protégé, to induce him to display his poetic versatility. However, we are quite assured that Southampton did not accept Chapman's dedications, but probably feeling rather kindly disposed than otherwise towards his presumably flattering suitor, and at the same time not wishing to offend Shakespeare, to whom, we may safely conclude, he bore as strong a friendship as a man in his position-an only and, I suppose, a spoiled child, of great place and wealth, flattered from his cradle-could bear to anyone inferior in station; he very likely introduced Chapman to the notice of Essex, to whom we see that Chapman's |