• To The Reader
• 1. Shakspere or Shakespeare?
• 2. Shakespeare a Pseudonym?
• 3. Treasure Texts
  • 3.1. Harvey - Nashe The Players
    • 3.1.1. Harvey Gratulationes Valdinenses
    • 3.1.2. Harvey, Three proper
    • 3.1.3. Lyly, Pappe with an hatchet
    • 3.1.4. Harvey, Foure Letters
    • 3.1.5. Nashe, Strange Newes
    • 3.1.6. Harvey, Pierces’s Supererogation
    • 3.1.7. Harvey, A New Letter
    • 3.1.7.1 Ox, Old Ass, Gentlewoman
    • 3.1.8. Peele, The Old Wives Tale
    • 3.1.9. Shakespeare, Loves Labors Lost
    • 3.1.10. Nashe, Have with you
  • 3.2. Gascoigne-Willobie
  • 3.3. Munday - Shakespeare
  • 3.4. Spenser - Edwards
  • 3.5. Lyly-Greene-Chettle
  • 3.6. Hall-Marston-Parnassus
  • 3.7. Sir Thomas Smythes voiage
  • 3.8. List of contemporary witnesses
• 4. Edward de Vere
• 5. Works
• 6. Ben Jonson’s Forgery
• 7. Research for Shake-speare
• 9. Relationship
• 10. Chronology

3.1.2. Harvey, Three Letters

Gabriel Harvey, Three proper & wittie familiar Letters: lately passed betweene two Universitie men, touching the Earthquake in April last, and our English reformed Versifying . 1580

The Earl of Leicester's return to the Queen's court (after having been banished to his estates for marrying without her consent) gave Harvey the impression that the supporters of the French marriage were in a weaker position. Convinced that his contingency was in the right, he considered this to be the perfect time to step out on to the literary platform and declare his animosity towards his old aquaintance.

In the summer of 1580, the laudable rhetor published Three Proper And Witty Familiar Letters: one containing a poem in hexameters with the tittle Speculum Tuscanismi - “Mirror of Tuscanism” which was, according to a meticulous entry in Harvey's private Letter-Book, specifically addressed to the Earl of Oxford: “Now tell me, I beseech you, if this be not a noble verse and politic lesson... in effect containing the argument of his courageous and warlike apostrophe to my Lord of Oxenforde in his fourth book Gratulationum Valdinensium.” (Letter-book of Gabriel Harvey, ed. E.J.L. Scott, 1884, p. 99.)

In a letter to Edmund Spenser (1552-1599) - with whom he maintained a very one sided correspondence - Harvey writes, he must set set open his “shop-windows”. Harvey then goes on to beg Edmund Spenser to share his opinions on a recently written “bold Satirical Libel” with him.

 

But seeing I must needs bewray my store, and set open my shop-windows, now I pray thee and conjure thee, by all thy amorous Regards, and Exorcisms of Love, call a Parliament of thy Sensible & Intelligible powers together, & tell me, in Tom Troth’s earnest [1], what Il secondo & famoso Poeta [2] [the second and famous poet], Messer Immerito [3], saith to this bold Satirical Libel, lately devised at the instance of a certain worshipful Hertfordshire gentleman [4] of mine old acquaintance: in Gratiam quorundam Illustrium Anglofrancitalorum, hic & ubique apud nos volitantium. Agedum vero, nosti homines, tanquam tuam ipsius cutem [5] [dedicated to some famous Anglo-franco-italians who skulks amongst our midst. Well, you know the people as well as your own skin].

Speculum Tuscanismi

Since Galateo came in [6], and Tuscanism gan usurp,
Vanity above all: Villainy next her [7], Stateliness Empress.
No man, but Minion, Stout, Lout, Plain, swain, quoth a Lording:
No words but valorous, no works but womanish only [8].
For life Magnificoe’s [9], not a beck but glorious in show,
In deed most frivolous, not a look but Tuscanish always.
His cringing side neck, Eyes glancing, Fisnamy [physiognomy] smirking,
With forefinger kiss, and brave embrace to the footward [10].
Largebelled Cod-pieced Doublet, uncod-pieced half hose,
Straight to the dock, like a shirt, and close to the breech, like a diveling.
A little Apish Hat, couched fast to the pate, like an Oyster,
French Camarick Ruffs, deep with a witness [knowledge] starched to the purpose.
Every one A per se A, his terms, and braveries in Print [11],
Delicate in speech, quaint in array: conceited in all points:
In Courtly guiles [deceits], a passing singular odd man,
For Gallants a brave Mirror, a Primrose of Honour,
A Diamond for nonce, a fellow peerless in England.
Not the like Discourser for Tongue, and head to be found out:
Not the like resolute Man, for great and serious affairs,
Not the like Lynx to spy out secrets, and privities of States [12],
Eyed like to Argus, Eared like to Midas [13], Nos'd like to Naso [14],
Wing'd like to Mercury, fittst of a Thousand for to be employ'd,
This, nay more than this doth practice of Italy in one year.
None do I name, but some do I know, that a piece of a twelvemonths
Hath so perfited [perfected] outly and inly both body, both soul,
That none for sense, and senses, half matchable with them.
A Vulture's smelling, Ape's tasting, sight of an Eagle,
A spider's touching, Hart's hearing, might of a Lion. [15]
Compounds of wisdom, wit, prowess, bounty, behavior,
All gallant Virtues, all qualities of body and soul:
O thrice ten hundred thousand times blessed and happy,
Blessed and happy Travail, Travailer most blessed and happy. [16]

Penatibus Hetruscis laribusque nostris Inquilinis.
    [To the Etruscan Penates and to our adopted Lares.]

Tell me in good sooth, doth it not too evidently appear that this English Poet [17] wanted but a good pattern before his eyes, as it might be some delicate, and choice elegant Poesy of good Master Sidney's or Master Dyer's [18] (our very Castor and Pollux for such and many greater matters) when this trim gear was in hatching: Much like some Gentlewoman, I could name in England, who by all Physic and Physiognomy too, might as well have brought forth all goodly fair children, as they have now some ill-favoured and deformed, had they at the time of their Conception had in sight the amiable and gallant beautiful Pictures of Adonis, Cupido, Ganymedes, or the like, which no doubt would have wrought such deep impression in their fantasies and imaginations, as their children, and perhaps their Children's children too, might have thanked them for, as long as they have Tongues in their heads.

Nosti manum & stylum [19] 

“I had forgot to observe unto you, out of his first four [three] familiar epistles, his ambitious stratagem to aspire, that whereas two great peers [Philip Sidney, Leicester’s favourite nephew -and the Earl of Oxford] being at jar, and their quarrel continued to bloodshed, he would needs, uncalled and when it lay not in his way, step in on the one side, which indeed was the safer side (as the fool is crafty enough to sleep in a whole skin) and hew and slash with his hexameters, but hewed and slashed he had been as small as chippings if he had not played duck friar and hid himself eight weeks in that nobleman's house for whom with his pen he thus bladed. Yet nevertheless Sir Iames a Croft, the old Controller, ferreted him out, and had him under hold in the Fleet a great while - ” (Thomas Nashe, Have With You To Saffron Walden, 1596)

Sources:

- Three Proper And Witty Familiar Letters, lately passed between two university men, touching the earthquake in April last, and our English reformed versifying.With the preface of a well-willer to them both. Imprinted at London by H. Bynneman, dwelling in Thames Street near unto Baynard's Castle Anno Domini 1580

- The Works of Gabriel Harvey, ed. by Alexander B. Grosart (3 vols). Huth Library 1884–85. (Reprint, Kessinger 2007.)

Notes: