Philip Sidney

, the short-liv’d Ornament of his noble Family, and the Marcellus of the English Nation, hath deserv’d, and without dispute or envy enjoyed, the most exalted praises of his own and of succeeding Ages. The Poets of his time, especially Spencer, reveren’d him not only as a Patron, but a Master; and he was almost the only Person in any age (I will not except Mecaenas) that could teach the best rules of Poetry, and most freely reward the performances of Poets. He was a Man of a sweet nature, of excellent behaviour, of much, and withall of well digested, learning; so that rarely wit, courage, breeding, and other additional accomplishments of conversation have met in so high a degree in any single Person. It is to be wish’d that his life might be written by some judicious hand, and that the imperfect essay of Sir Fulk Grevill L Brook might be supply’d; In the mean time I am forc’d to consider him only as an Author, and to give him these short notes of his life and education. He was Son of Sir Hen. Sidney before-mention’d by the Lady Mary his Wife, eldest Daughter of Joh. Dudley Duke of Northumberland, was born, as ’tis supposed, at Penshurst in Kent, 29. Nov. 1554, and had his Christian name given to him by his Father, from K Philip, then lately married to Qu. Mary. While he was very young, he was sent to Christ Ch. to be improved in all sorts of learning; and was contemporary there with Rich. Carew Author of The Survey of Cornwall, where continuing till he was about 17 years of age, under the tuition of Dr. Tho. Thornton Canon of that house, he was in June 1572 sent to travel, for on the 24 Aug. following, when the Massacre fell out at Paris, he was then there, and at that time, (as I conceive) he, with other English Men, did fly to the house of Francis Walsingham Embassadour there from the Queen of England. Thence he went through Loraine, and by Strasburgh and Heydelburg to Frankfort in Sept. or Oct. following, as his said (w)(w) Printed at Lond. 1652 in oct. c p 1. p. 8 9. life written by Sir Fulk Grevill his companion and friend attesteth. But what is added there, that Hubert Languet accompanied him in the whole course of his 3 years travels, is a great mistake, as will appear by Languets Epistles to our Author Philip Sidney, printed more than once. For so it was, that in the next spring in May 1573, Larguet removed to Vienna, where our Author met him again, and stayed with him till September, when he went into Hungary and those parts. Thence he journied into Italy, where he continued all the Winter following, and most of the Summer, an. 1574, and then he returned into Germany with Languet, and next spring he returned, by Frankfort, Heydelberg, and Antwerp home into England, about May 1575. The like mistakes are in the said life (x)(x) Pag. 11. &c. concerning Languets coming into England in Februar. 1578, at which time, ’tis said, he was about 66 years of age, whereas he was but 61; that also he and Sidney parted at Sea, which could not be, for Duke John Ca [••] mire, with whom he came, went away so suddenly, that Languet could not take leave of him. In the Year 1576 he was sent (y)(y) Camden in Annal. Reg. Elizab. sub an. 1576. by the Queen to Rodolph the Emperour to condole the death of Maximilian, and also to other Princes of Germany, at which time he caused this inscription to be written under his Arms, which he then hung up in all places where he lodged. Illustriss. & generosiss. virs Philippi Sidneii Angli, Proregis Hiberniae filii, Comitum Warwici & Leycestriae nepotis, sereniss. Reginae Angliae ad Caesarem Legati. The next year, in his return, he saw that gallant Prince, Don John de Austria Vice Roy in the L [•] wcountries for the K. of Spain, and William Prince of Aurange or Orange; by the former of which, tho at first he was lightly esteemed, upon the account of his youth, yet after some discourse he found himself so strucken with him, that the beholders wondred to see what tribute that brave and high minded Prince paid to his worth, giving more honour and respect to him, in his private capacity, than to the Embassadours of mighty Princes. In the Year 1579, he, tho neither Magistrate or Counsellour, did shew himself, for several weighty reasons, opposite to the Queens matching with the Duke of Anjou, which he very pithily expressed by a due address of his humble reasons to her, as may be fully seen in a book called (a)(a) Part. 3. p. 201. Cabola. The said address was written at the desire of some great personage, his Uncle Robert (I suppose) Earl of Leycester; upon which a great quarrel hapned between him and Edw. Vere Earl of Oxford. This, as I conceive, might occasion his retirement from Court next Summer, an. 1580, wherein perhaps he wrot that pleasant Romance called Arcadia. In 1581 the treatise of marriage was renewed, and our Author Sidney with Fulk Grevill (b)(b) Vid. Annal. Camdeni. sub an. 1581. were two of the tilters at the entertainment of the French Embassadour; and at the departure of the Duke of Anjou from England in Febr. the same year, he attended him to (c)(c) Ibid. an. 1582. Antwerp. On the 8. Janu. 1582 he with Peregrine Bertie received the honour of Knighthood from the Queen, and in the beginning of 1585 he designed an expedition with Sir Francis Drake into America, but being hindred by the Queen (in whose opinion he was so highly prized that she thought the Court deficient without him) he was in Octob. following made Governour of Flushing, about that time delivered to the Queen for one of the cautionary towns, and General of the Horse. In both which places of great trust, his carriage testified to the world wisdom and valour, with addition of honour to his country by them; and especially the more, when in July 1586 he surprised Axil, and preserved the lives and honour of the English Army at the enterprise of Gravelin. So that whereas (through the fame of his high deserts) he was then, or rather before, in election for the Crown of Poland, the Queen of England refused to further his advancement, not out of emulation, but out of fear to lose the jewel of her times. What can be said more? He was a Statesman, Soldier, and Scholar, a compleat Master of matter and language, as his immortal Pen shews. His Pen and his Sword have rendred him famous enough. He died by the one, and by the other he’ll ever live, as having been hitherto highly extolled for it by the Pens of Princes. This is the happiness of art, that although the sword doth archieve the honour, yet the arts do record it, and no Pen hath made it better known than his own, in that book called Arcadia. Certain it is, he was a noble and matchless Gentleman; and it may be justly said without hyperboles of fiction, as it was of Cato Uticensis that he seemed to be born to that only which be went about. His written works are these.

The Countess of Pembrokes Arcadia—Several times printed at London in quarto and fol. Which being the most celebrated Romance that was ever written, was consecrated to his noble, virtuous and learned Sister Mary, the Wife of Henry Earl of Pembroke, who having lived to a very fair age, dyed in her house in Aldersgate-street in London 25. Sept. 1621. whereupon her body was buried in the Cathedral Church of Salisbury among the graves of the Pembrochian Family. This Arcadia, tho then, and since, it was, and is, taken into the hands of all ingenious Men, and said by one living at, or near, the time when first published, to be a book most famous for rich conceipt and splendor of courtly expressions, yet the Author was not so fond, a B. Heliodorus was of his amorous work, for he desired (e)(e) See Edw. Le [•] gh’s Treatise of religion and tearning.—Lond. 1656. fol. lib. 5. p. 324. when he died (having first consulted with a Minister about it) to have had it suppressed. One who writes himself G. M. (f)(f) Perhaps Gervase Markham, qu. wrot the second and last part of the first book of the said Arcadia, making thereby a compleat end of the first History—Lond. 1613. qu. And in the eighth edit. printed at Lond. 1633. Sir W. A. Knight made a supplement of a defect in the third part of the History, and R. B. of Linc. Inn Esq; added then a sixth book thereunto. In 1662 came out the said Arcadia again, in 6 books; with several of his other works added to them. In 1624 it was printed in French, in 3. vol. or parts in oct. and hath, as I have been informed, undergone several impressions in France. It hath been also printed once or more in the Dutch language and in others. Sir Philip also wrot,

A dissuasive Letter to Queen Elizab. her marriage with Monsier of France, &c.—’Tis in a book called Scrinia Ceciliana Lond. 1663. qu.

Astrophel and Stella; wherein the excellencie of sweet poesie is concluded. Lond. 1591. qu. Said to be written for the sake of one whom he entirely loved, viz. the Lady Rich, by whom was understood Philoclea in the Arcadia.

An Apologie for poetry. Lond. 1595. qu. in prose. There is a book in being called The Art of English Poesie, not written by Sidney, as some have thought, but rather by one Puttenham sometimes a Gentleman Pensioner to Qu. Elizab.

Sonnetts.

Remedie for love.

At the end of the 11th. edit of Arcadia, Lond. 1662. fol.

Ourania, a Poem. Lond. 1606. published by N. B.

An Essay upon valour—so I find it mention’d in Cottoni posthuma, yet others say it was written by Sir Thom. Overbury Quaere.

Almonzor and Almanzaida, a Novel. Lond. 1678. oct. This book coming out so late, it is to be enquired, whether Sir Philip Sidneys name is not set to it for sale-sake, being a usual thing in these days to set a great name to a book, and to enhance the price of it by the esteem of the supposed Author.

Englands Helicon; or, a collection of Songs—Sir Philip Sidneys name is also put to it, as being the Author of most of the said Songs. ’Twas printed at Lond. in qu.

Instructions describing what special observations are to be taken by Travellers in all nations, states, and countries—This book which is printed in 12o, hath the names of Robert Earl of Essex and Sir Philip Sidney put to it, but may be question’d whether either had a hand in it. He also translated from French into English, A work containing the trueness of Christian Religion against Atheists &c. written originally by Philip Morney. But the said translation being left imperfect by Sidney, Arthur Golding finish’d it.—Lond. 1587. qu. He also (Sidney) turn’d the Psalmes of David into English verse, which are in MS. in the Library of the Earl of Pembroke at Wilton, curiously bound in a crimson velvet cover, left thereunto by his Sister Mary Countess of Pembroke. At length Sir Philip being wounded in the battle at Zutphen, while he was getting up the third horse (having had two slain under him before) on the 22 Septemb. 1586 in Fifteen hundred eighty and six, he was carried to Arnheim, where languishing under his wound 25 days or thereabouts, he died on the sixteenth of October following. This was that Sidney, whom, as Gods will was, he should be therefore born into the world, even (g)(g) Camdeni Britan. in Kent. to shew unto our age a sample of ancient virtues: so his good pleasure was, before any looked for it, to call for him again, and take him out of the world as being more worthy of Heaven than Earth. Soon after his death, his body was brought to Flushing, and being embarqued with great solemnity on the first of November, landed at Tower Wharf on the sixth day of the said month. Thence ’twas conveyed to the Minories without Aldgate, where it lay in state for some time till his magnificent funeral in St. Pauls Cathedral 16. of Feb. following; which, as many Princes have not exceeded in the solemnity, so few have equalled in the sorrow for his loss. He was buried near to that place which his Father-in-law Sir Francis Walsingham had designed (as I have heard) to be entombed in, without any monument or inscription save only a copy of English verses written on a wooden table, that were divers years after his death put over his grave. When his said Father-in-law was buried in that place afterwards, there was a fair tomb designed for them both, and epitaphs composed by Dr. Jo. Rainolds, a copy of which for Sidney you may see (h)(h) In Hist. & Antiq Vniv Ox. lib. 2. p. 265. b. elsewhere. James King of Scots, afterwards of England honored him with an Epitaph of his composition. The muses of Oxon also lamenting much for his loss, composed verses to his memory; (printed at Ox. 1587. qu.) among which I find Cardinal Wolsey’s Daughter lamenting the loss of her Alumnus. Those of New Coll. in their Peplus (i)(i) Edit. Ox. 1587. qu. Sidnaei, dedicated to Henry Earl of Pembroke (who married Sir Philips Sister) as having been formerly of that house, did bewail his death. The most ingenious of Cambridge University did also exercise their fancies; made publick by Alex. Nevill a member thereof—Lond. 1587. qu. besides several private Persons, among which, was L. B. who wrot a pastoral Elegie and Eglogue on his death, entit. Astrophel, printed at the end of Edm. Spencers Poetry called Colin clouts, &c. Lond. 1595. qu. The said Sir Philip left behind him a Daughter named Elizabeth, who being born in 1585, Scipio Gentilis an eminent Civilian wrot a Lat. Poem on her nativity entit. Nereus, sive de natali Elizabethae, illustriss. Philippi Sydnaei filiae Lond. 1586. in one sh. in qu. She was afterwards married to Rog. Mannours Earl of Rutland, but died without issue by him.