HenryVIIIasWriterandLyricistRaymondG.SiemensIntroductionAsGeorgePutten - PDF document

HenryVIIIasWriterandLyricistRaymondG.SiemensIntroductionAsGeorgePuttenhamtellsusinhisArteofEnglishPoesie,HenryVIIIwasamandrawntopoeticexpression,evenspontaneouslyso.inparttoillustratetheprincipleofdecoruminpoeticornament,PuttenhamrecountsaninteractionbetweenSirAndrewFlamock,standard-bearertotheking,andthekinghimselfastheywereonabargepassingfromWestminstertoGreenwichtovisit“afayreLadywhomthekinglouedandwaslodgedinthetoweroftheParke.”Thestorycontinues:thekingcommingwithinsightofthetower,andbeingdisposedtobemerry,said,Flamockletvsrime:aswellasIcansaidifitpleaseyourgrace.Thekingbeganthus:Withinthistowre,Thereliethaßower,ThathathmyhartFlamockforaunswer:Withinthishowershewill,&c.withtherestinsovncleanlytermes,asmightnotnowbecomemebytheruleoftovtterwritingtosogreataMaiestie,butthekingtooketheminsoeuillpart,ashebid...thatheshouldnomorebesoneerevntohim.(Thefullexchange,avariantofwhichisdocumentedmorecompletelyinSamuelRowleyÕsdramaWhenyouseeme,Youknowme.OrthefamousChronicleHistorieofkingHenrytheeight[1605],maybeasfollows:“InyonderTower,theresaower,thathathmyhart,”witharesponseinRowley’stextattributedtotheking’sfool,WillSommers,of“Withinthishoure,shepistfullsower,&letafart”[l.3055].)WhilerevealingsomethingofthecharactersbothofHenry,whocaststhefoulpoetaside,andFlamock,whosepoeticindecencyresultsinanincreaseddistancefromthemonarch,Puttenham’sstorydrawsattentiondoi:10.1093/musqtl/gdp0121Ð31TheAuthor2009.PublishedbyOxfordUniversityPress.Allrightsreserved.Forpermissions,pleasee-mail:journals.permissions@oxfordjournals.org The Musical Quarterly Advance Access published September 24, 2009 Respectblushnotfayernimphes/theineeofnobellblod/Ifainavouchit.&ofmanersgood/spottlesinlyfofmyndsencere/&sound:/inwhoamaworldofverteis/dothabowend:&sithbesydstye/lysensgiuwhall/setdoughtasyedandtosom/sportingfall:/therfoorsuspisyonIdo/banyshthee/thatcaslesthethensnimphe/dostterifyee...]yowilbeclearofeuysuspysioThepoemwastranscribed—saveforthepenultimatelinewhichcon-tainsseveralillegiblewords—andthescriptidentiedasHenry’sownbyE.Charltonin1850;thistranscriptionandattributionwouldberepeatedjustaftertheturnofthecenturybyLadyMaryTrefusisinhercollectionofSongs,Ballads,andInstrumentalPiecesComposedbyKingHenryVIIIAsapoem,itappearsthatitmaybequitepersonallyand,perhaps,contextuallybound.Itisscrawledinanareaofabooktypicallyreservedforindicationsofownership,dedications,andotherpersonalwritings,andthebook’sownerwasthewifeoftheallegedauthor—abibliophile,patron,andwriterherself.Consideringtheapproximatedateofthe Figure1b.BlockcapitalÒHÓfromthesecondvoiceofHenryÕsÒHelasmadamcelqueiemetantÓ(18v).BritishLibrary,AddMs31,922.ReproducedwithpermissionoftheBritishLibraryBoard.Allrightsreserved.HenryVIIIasWriterandLyricistPage7of31 beroughlyplacedat1540–70,thehandisquitedifferentfromwhatisextantofHenry’swritingsandlikelybelongstoanotherpersoninKatherineParr’scircleofthe1540s.WithoutconrmationofHenry’shand,attributiontohimhasverylittlesupportingevidence,thoughthecircumstancesaresuggestiveandplausible.Thesecondofthesetwopoems,“Theeaglesforcesubdueseachbirdthatyes,”wasattributedtoHenrybyJohnHarringtoninaletterdated1609andaddressedtoKingJamesI’seldestsonPrinceHenry.HarringtondiscussesandreprintsaspecialverseofKingHenrytheEight,whenheconceivedloveforAnnaBulleign.AndhereofIentertainnodoubtoftheAuthor,for,ifIhadnobetterreasonthantherhyme,itweresufÞcienttothinkthatnootherthansucheaKingcoudwritesucheasonnet;butofthismyfatheroftgavemegoodassurance,whowasinhishoushold.ThissonnetwassungetotheLadyAnnathiscommaundment,andherefolloweth:THEeagleÕsforcesubdueseachebyrdthatßyes;Whatmetalcanresysttheßamingefyre?Dothenotthesunnedazletheclearesteeyes,Andmelttheice,andmakethefrosteretyre?Thehardeststonesarepeircedethrowythtools;Thewysestare,withPrinces,madebutfools.Theselines,whichareincludedsettomusicinWilliamByrd’sSongs,andSonnets(1611;B1r),appearalsoinAMirrorforMagistrates(1563)aslines85–91ofThomasChurchyard’s“Shore’sWife,”wheretheverseisspokenbyShore’swife,aconcubinetoEdwardIVwhohasbeenspoiledbyRichardIIIandisforcedtodopenance.Thelinesappearaspartofamoralexemplumandseemquiteunlikethatwhichmightresultfromthebuddingloveofamonarchandanoblewoman—thoughtheirsituationinsuchaplacebyHarringtonisnotunusualandtsapatternofassociation(andascription)forthegroupofpoemsassociatedwithHenryVIIIthatlaststothisday.Henry’sLyrics,TheirContexts,andtheRealmsofTheirInterpretationWhilespurious,thesetwopoemspresentvaluableminorstudiesinthemselves,fortheyservetoillustratetheparametersofinterpretationtypicallyandtraditionallyallowedHenry’spoeticefforts:thatis,theprocessoftheirattributionhelpsexemplifyoneveinofcriticalengage-mentgivenHenry’sworkssincethetimeoftheirauthorship.Notably,theseinterpretivetraditionssuggesttheideaofa“poeticsituation.”HenryVIIIasWriterandLyricistPage9of31 Inthecaseof“Respect,”thelocationoftheversesinthebookofsermonssuggeststhatit—astatementofafrmation—alongwiththebookmay,perhaps,serveasanapology;evenifnotexactlythis,wecanatleastacknowledgethatsuchapoeticexpressionissomethinggivenbyonefamiliartoanother,withaspecicintentinmind.TheaspectofpoeticsituationisalsointegraltoHarrington’sattributionof“Theeagle’sforce”:Harrington,ontheevidenceofthewordsofhisfather,whomayhavewitnessedsucheventsandalsowasabletotestifytoHenry’slyricalabilities,suggestsaperformanceofHenry’slyrictoAnneBoleyn,intendedtowoo.SuchpoeticsituationsaresuggestedinengagementsofHenry’sactualpoeticworkaswell.Inanineteenth-centurydescriptionoftheHenryVIIIMSbyWilliamChappell,Henry’slyricsarecriticallyapproachedasstraightforwardlovesongsandstatementsofpersonalcharacter.InhisarticlediscussingthelyricsChappellnotesthatthoughHenry“wasprofessinglovefortheQueen[KatherineofAragon]hissongs,”hepromisesfuture,notpresent,self-denialofthepleasuresofhisageandstatus.IntheeighthchapterofhisnovelHereComesthe,PhilipLindsayassociatesHenry’sproclamationofunwaveringdevotioninthesecondstanzaofhis“Grenegrowithholy”(37v–38r)withhisrelationshipwithhisfthwife,KatherineHowardtheholygrouthgrene./andneuchaungythhew./SoIameuerhathbene./vntomyladytrew”(ll.5–8).JamesJoyce,inalettertohisNorafromaroundJuly1904,placeswhatheidentiesasalyricbyHenryintoaromanticcontextwhilecommentingonHenry’scharacter:IfoundmyselfsighingdeeplytonightasIwalkedalongandIthoughtofanoldsongwrittenthreehundredyearsagobytheEnglishKingHenryVIIIÑabrutalandlustfulking.ThesongissosweetandfreshandseemstohavecomefromsuchasimplegrievingheartthatIsendittoyou,hopingitmaypleaseyou.Itisstrangefromwhatmuddypoolstheangelscallforthaspiritofbeauty.Thewordsexpressverydelicatelyandmusi-callythevagueandtiredlonelinesswhichIfeel.Thelyrictowhichherefers,“Athesyghesthatfromyhart”32v–33r),was,infact,setbyWilliamCornysh,leaderofHenry’sChapelRoyal,andnotHenry.Nonetheless,Joyce’sempathywiththemoodoftheworkisnotable,andthepersonalsituationintowhichhebringsitreectstheoneinwhichHenry’spoemsareoftenseen.NowherearethesituationalparametersofHenry’slyricsbetterdemonstratedthanintheirrstcriticalengagementinapurelyliterarycontext,thatofSarahBrooks’s“SomePredecessorsofSpenser.”Page10of31TheMusicalQuarterly ReferringtotheversesofThomasWyatt’s“Forgetnotyetthetriedintent”asitrelatestotheauthor’srelationshipwithAnneBoleyn,Brookscommentson“OldbluffHal’swooingverses”and,followingapassingreferencetoandquotationof“Theeagle’sforce,”shecontinues:“ButthattheKingspreadhisclawswithsomepretensiontoliteraryneatnessisevidentfromhisbookofsonnetscommemoratingthelovesofthisroyalbutcher.”Theharsh,stereotypicalviewofHenryasaroyalbutcheraside,Brooks’sviewsof1889sharemuchwithpopularsentimentsheldtothisday.Thelyrics,suchsentimentscontend,aretobeviewedashavingintimateand,perhaps,romanticovertones.TherecententryonHenryintheDictionaryofLiteraryBiographyurges,similarly,considerationofthepersonalelementsofHenry’sworksthroughthecontextoftheirintendeddelivery.ThesewereperformancesofthesortthatC.S.LewissuggestedforearlyTudorlyricsasawhole(mainlysomeofWyatt’sverses),thatis,inacoterie“withmanyladiespresent.”Tothismodelofpoeticinterchange,wemightaddtheexpansionofferedbyA.C.Spearingthatitisthepersonalblushofrecognitionthatbecomesthecenteroftheliteraryexperience.Contrarytothistradition,however,itisimportanttonotethatHenry’slyricsdonotspecicallycommemoratehisloves—andcertainlynothislaterones.Ifthatwerethecase,wecouldtrulyengagetheminthemannersuggestedbythemorepopularperceptionsofHenryandhispoeticworks.Inthisimaginativecriticallens,then,wemighthaveHenrygivingvoicetohisundyingloveforAnneBoleyn,wooingherduringthetimeinwhichhiscouncilorswereworkingthroughthedetailsofhisdivorcefromKatherineofAragon;we,ascontemporaryaudience,wouldhavethedarkpleasure,perhaps,ofhearing(andknowing)theironyinsuchwordsas“Nowvntomylady/pmysetoherImake./Ffromeallotheronly/toher.Imebetake”(“Grenegrowithholy”[37v–38r]ll.13–16).Then,perhaps,wemightviewhimdoingthesamewithhisnextwife,whileorchestratingthetrialofAnneBoleynandthearrestofWyatt,andsoon.Butsuchinterpret-ations,inthecaseoftheselyrics,arelessplausiblebecausethelyricsbelongtoasituationquitedifferentfromthatsuggestedbytraditionalSeveralmisunderstandingsinformwhatmaybecalledthe“tra-ditional”viewofHenry’slyrics,andthesearenotsomuchmisconcep-tionsastheyaretranspositionsofassumptionswhichholdupwellwithpoetryofakindotherthanHenry’s.BeforeembarkinguponadiscussionofthepropercontextfortheinterpretationofHenry’spoems,however,HenryVIIIasWriterandLyricistPage11of31 theissueoftheirdateshouldbereviewed,fortheirtemporalplacementcanclearupsomemisunderstandings.ThedateofHenry’slyricalworkscanbesetwithsomeaccuracytobequiteearlyinhisreign.WhilethecompilationandbindingofHenryVIIIMSitselftookplaceaftermid-1522,Henry’sworksthereinaremoresuggestiveoftherstfewyearsofhisreign.Somelyrics,suchas“Pastymewithgoodcompanye,”datefromthersttwoyearsofhisreign—atimeduringwhich,asEdwardHallsaysofthecourt’sprogresstoWindsorinthesecondyearofhisrule,Henrywas“exercisyinghymselfdailyinshotyng,singing,dausyng,wrastelyng,castingofthebarre,plaiyngattherecorder,ute,virginals,andinsettingofsonges,[and]makyngofbalettes.”“Pastymewithgoodcompanye”itselfappearstwiceintheRitsonManuscript,whereitisgiventhetitle“TheKyngesBallade”(141v).Themajorityofthelyricsappeartohavebeencom-pletedpriorto1514,suchthatthecharacterYouth,intheinterludeofthesamename(datedroughly1513–14),isabletoechoseverallinesandsentiments.Duringtheseearlyyears,theyoungmonarch,skillfulhimselfwithmanyinstruments,oftenplayedandsanginpublic.enthusiasmforcourtlyandpopularsong,andthepopulace’sgeneralknowledgeofhisloveforsongitself,wouldlastthroughoutthetimeofhisruleandbeyondintotheearlyseventeenthcentury,asevidencedbyThomasRavenscroft’s1609publicationofabookoffreemen’s(alsocalled“three-men’s”)songs,thesubtitleofwhich,K[ing]H[enry’s],isanexplicitreferencetoHenry’spleasureinthem.thelyricsandHenry’sreputationaslyricistwouldlastforsometime,theearlydateofthesepoemsdispelsnotionsoftheirbeinglovepoemsrefer-ringtospecicromanticsituationsinhislaterlife.So,too,shouldtheconditionoftheirproductionandperformancedispel,inalargepart,theurgetoconsiderhislyricsas“littlepoems”writtentoKatherineofAragon,“sonnetstohisladyloves,”oranythingresemblingacommemorationofHenry’s.IssuesofproductionandperformanceofthelyricsinHenryVIIIMSarecloselyrelated,asJohnStevensdemonstratedsomeyearsago.Thelyricsofthemanu-scriptaresecularandpublicinnature,documentingoneaspectofanactiveandyouthfulcourt’ssenseofcontemporarypoliticsandculture.Henry’spoems,chieyinthecourtlylovetradition,drawfreelyonitsmodelsandmotives,andtaketheirplaceinthepublicsphereofactivi-tiessurroundingtheking.ButwetendtodiscounttheirplaceinthepubliclifeoftheearlyTudorcourtand,instead,relegatethelyricstothemoreprivatecriticaldomaininwhichweviewThomasWyatt.AmuchmoreprominentpoettodaythanHenry,WyattwouldinheritandexpertlyinterpretaspectsofthistraditionseveraldecadesPage12of31TheMusicalQuarterly later,butWyatt’sengagementofitcomesfromaverydifferentperspec-tivethanHenry’s.Chieyworkinginthemilieuofthecoterie—thesameliterarycoterieinwhichthoserelatedtotheDevonshireManuscriptoperated,amongthemThomasHoward,AnneBoleyn,MaryShelton,Mary(Howard)Fitzroy,andHenry’sillegitimateson,HenryFitzroy—Wyatt’sversereectsthepersonalityoftheearlyTudorlyricaccentuatedbyC.S.LewisandSpearing,andalsoWyatt’sownpositioninsociety.Hislyrics,therefore,areinherentlymoreper-sonalinnature,withanticipatedaudiencesandperformancesituationsasintimateasthecircleinwhichhewrote.Hislovepoems—thosebothespousinganddespairinglove—canrightlybeinterpretedwithinthecontextsuggestedbythecoterie.“Myluteawake,”presentinboththeDevonshireandEgertonmanuscripts,isoftentakentobeexemplaryofthistradition.Thesituationconstructedbythepoemisofalyricist,hislute,andhisformerlover(oftenconstrued,rightlyorwrongly,tobeAnneBoleyn);hesingsalternatelytohislute,andtohislover,abouthisrelationshipwithher.WorthconsiderationalsoisthenatureofthereferencesemployedinWyatt’sverses.Hislyric“Ifytwarenot”illustratesthedegreeoftopicalityonecanexpectofaworkinthemilieuinwhichWyattlived.ThispoemappearsonlyintheDevonshireManuscriptandisespeciallynotablebecauseofitsechoingofthethirdlinefromHenry’slyric“Pastymewithgoodcompanye”(14v–15r)—“gruchewholustbutnonedenye”—adeantstatementwhichhasbeenparaphrasedas“letgrudgewhosoeverwill,noneshallrefuse(ittome).”ThislinehasitsrootintheBurgundian“courtoflove”presidedoverbyMargaretofAustria,whoemployedthemotto“GroignequigroigneetviveAnneBoleyn,priorto21December1530,hadadoptedamottothatechoedbothHenry’slineandthatoftheBurgundiancourt.Embroideredonherservants’liverieswas“Ainsisera,groignequigroigne,”whichapproximatesinEnglish,“Whatwillbe,willbe,grumblewhomay.”TherstlineoftheburdentoWyatt’slyricis“Grudgeonwholiste,thisysmylott,”andthematterofthepoemitself—awoman’saddresstoamaleloverinreferencetohermarriagetoanotherman—providesaplausibleglossonthesituationexistingatthistimebetweenhimself,Boleyn,andHenryVIII.FollowingtheestablishedtraditionofinterpretationforHenry’slyrics,onecritichasnotedthat“theKing’spoemcontainsaveiledrefer-encetotherelationshipbetweenAnneandtheKinginthelattermonthsof1530”andthat“Pastyme”was“surelymeantasareassuringreplytoAnnethattheKingwasdeterminedtomarryher.”However,sucharelationshipcannotexistbecauseoftheevidencedatingeachHenryVIIIasWriterandLyricistPage13of31 text,for“Pastyme”belongstoroughly1510,sometwentyyearsbeforeBoleyn’suseoftheallusivemotto.AmoreplausibleseriesofeventsisthatBoleyn’smotto,intendedtoechoHenry’sverypopularlyricthedeantspiritoftheBurgundianmotto(whichitselfurgesreminis-cenceofasharedpastheldbyHenryandAnneattheBurgundianwasadoptedbyWyatt.ByechoingelementsofbothAnne’sandHenry’sstatements,heisabletosituatehisworkintermssuitableforhiscoterie—inthiscase,thatoftheDevonshireManuscriptalone—andtodocumentexplicitlyandprivatelyhisownsorryplaceinthiscon-fusinglovetriangle.Suchatechnique,commontoWyatt,appearsnottohavebeenemployedbyHenry,inlargepartbecauseforamonarchtheideaofpoeticmilieubynecessityofsocialpositionwouldbemuchdifferent.WhilethecourtierWyatt,inaworkwhosetopicalreferencewouldbeknowntothefewofhispoeticcoterie,couldemployHenry’slinetosuchanend,Henry’sownuseis,likemuchofhisverse,muchlesstopical,betrayinginthisinstancewhatwouldhavebeenaverypubliclyknownadmirationof(andacknowledgedculturaldebtto)thecourtfromwhichthemottooriginated.Inhislyrics,Wyattmighthaveper-formedforhisloverandhiscoterie,butHenryperformedforthewholecourt,accompaniedbyatleasttwoothersingers(asevincedbytheset-tingsinHenryVIIIMS)—apointwhichmustbekeptinmind,eventhoughlyricalworkssuchashis“Grenegrowithholy”(37v–38r)and“WhertoshuldIexpresse”(51v–52r)maysuggestattimesanintimacyofsorts.Henry’spoeticperformanceswere,thus,public,whethergiventogroupsthatincludedambassadorialretinuesorthecomparativelysmallergroupofHenry’spersonalentourage(Figure3)EvenwhenperforminglaterinlifewithhiscourtierPeterCarew,forthepleasureofKatherineParrandherwardPrincessElizabeth,thataudi-encewouldincludethecourtandentourageofeach.Bestshownbytheappearanceof“Pastymewithgoodcompanye”inearlyTudorsongbooksmoreoftenthananyotherlyric,itsmentionrstinthelistofshepherd’ssongsinTheComplayntofScotlandeanditsappearancelaterinapopularmoralizedversion,itisthroughthepresentationandcir-culationinsuchapublicarenathatsentimentsfromHenry’slyricscouldbecomeidentiabletargetsforanti-courtsatire,beincorporatedintocourt-centereddidacticworkssuchasThomasElyot’sGovernoursermonsoftheday,aswellasbecomepartofthehistoriographicalrecordoftheearlycourt,alongwiththepageants,tournaments,andrevelsnotedbyEdwardHallinhischronicle.Suchapublicaudience,seenmostclearlyintheoccasionalpiecesoftheHenryVIIIMScommemoratingeventssuchasthebirthofasonPage14of31TheMusicalQuarterly in1511andthewarwithFrancein1513,mustalsobeseenasthecontextforeventhemostseeminglyprivateofHenry’slyrics.Themanuscript,wemustremember,bearsnoneofthesignsofitsoperationinthecoteriefashionoftheDevonshireManuscript(BLAddMS17,492)mostcloselyassociatedwithWyatt’swork.Itisanevellummanuscript,professionallycopied,illuminated,andbound,andtoolargeinsizetobegroupedwithmanuscriptsofanauthorialpersonalitysuchasthoseofWyatt.Themanuscriptalsorevealsnopersonalconnectiontothekinghimself.Rather,connectionappearstobetotheking’sfriendandcomptrollerSirHenryGuildford,whoplayedalargepartasparticipantinandorganizerofmanyofthepublicspectaclesandrevelsoftheearlyTudorcourt.Textually,andintermsofthepoeticsituationconstructedbymyexample,Wyattoffersasolevoiceaspartofalargerpoetic(andper-sonal)exchangeinworksintheDevonshireManuscript.Henry’slyrics Figure3.HenryVIIIplayingtheharp,withfoolWillSummersnearby.FromtheHenryVIIIPsalter,BritishLibrary,RoyalMS2A.xvi,fol.63v.ReproducedwithpermissionoftheBritishLibraryBoard.Allrightsreserved.HenryVIIIasWriterandLyricistPage15of31