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Science and Invention in Greene's Prose

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 December 2020

Don Cameron Allen
Don Cameron Allen*
Affiliation:
Duke University
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Extract

Of all the Euphuists, Robert Greene was the one most fascinated by the rhetorical possibilities provided for literature by science. Similes and allusions drawn from the storehouse of natural history appear on almost every page of his work. One counts references to more than thirty animals, forty minerals and precious stones, fifteen reptiles, thirty birds, fifteen fish, twenty trees, fifteen insects, and sixty herbs in the corpus of his prose romances. The number of his allusions must total almost a thousand—a staggering mass of material for such a mercurial mind to retain. What is the origin of all this learning?

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Research Article
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PMLA , Volume 53 , Issue 4 , December 1938, pp. 1007 - 1018
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Copyright © Modern Language Association of America, 1938

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References

Note 1 in page 1007 The materia] for this paper was gathered while the compiler was a fellow of the American Council of Learned Societies.

Note 2 in page 1007 Works, ed. Grosart (1881–83), ix, 34.

Note 3 in page 1007 Op. cit., vii, 20.

Note 4 in page 1007 Op. cit., ii, 49.

Note 5 in page 1007 Hieroglyphica (Basileæ, 1556), p. 21v.

Note 6 in page 1008 Works, ed. Grosart (1884), ii, 125–126.

Note 7 in page 1008 Works, ed. McKerrow (London, 1910), iii, 132.

Note 8 in page 1008 Works (Oxford, 1902), i, 132.

Note 9 in page 1008 De Invloed van Erasmus op de engelsche Tooneel literature (Gent, 1908), i, 128–188.

Note 10 in page 1008 “Robert Greene's Prose Works,” N. & Q., iv (1905), pp. 163–164. Borrowings overlooked by Hart, who cites about twelve instances, are here listed.

Greene (Grosart) Lyly (Bond)
Abeston:iii, 66; v, 60; vii, 71 i, 191
Bitches: vi, 131 ii, 4
Carvia: viii, 59 i, 210
Chrisocoll: iii, 236; viii, 155, 173, 183; ix, 175 ii, 138
Draconite: ii, 291; iii, 217 ii, 184
Emerald: iii, 229 ii, 64
Herb of India: ii, 265 ii, 148
Jet: iv, 54; vi, 81; viii, 67, 91; ix, 95 i, 228; ii, 138
Myrrh: iii, 214–215 ii, 131
Mandrake: iii, 224 ii, 89
Scorpion: iv, 51; ix, 74; xi, 9, 141 i, 247; ii, 124
Seres wool: vi, 187 ii, 152 (?)
Silicia stone: iv, 46 i, 204
Spider: xii, 180 i, 242
Theamides: iii, 237 ii, 139
Tillia: ii, 265 ii, 148
Trochiles: v, 60; vii, 72 i, 193; ii, 145
Viper: ii, 283 ii, 50
Wolf: iii, 224; v, 55; vii, 67; ix, 32 ii, 150

Note 11 in page 1008 Greene's borrowings from Philotimus (London, 1583) are three in number. The herb Panace raises the dead (Greene, n, 32; Melbancke, p. G3r); asses' sweat is an antidote to love (Greene, iv, 166; xii, 42; Melbancke, p. O3v); and the deer is lured by a fair apple (Greene, ii, 274; Melbancke, p. C2v). The latter allusion is also in Lyly, but Greene obviously derives it from Melbancke.

Note 12 in page 1009 Op. cit., vi, 47; Tristium, i, ix, 7–8.

Note 13 in page 1009 For the sake of reasonable accuracy, I have compared Greene's allusions with close to a hundred works of reference available to him. In the main, the orthodox material is obvious to anyone familiar with the encyclopædiæ of the period. Some allusions, such as those to herbs imported from the Americas, can be found only in special works. I list below in a classified fashion the authors who have been consulted.

  1. The encyclopaedias of the following have been consulted: Pliny, Solinus, St. Isidore, St. Hildegarde, Vincent of Beauvais, Albertus Magnus, Alexander Neckham, Batman upon Bartholomew, Juan de Cuba, Brunetto Latini, John Maplet, Jean Bodin, and Simon Maiolus.

  2. The following lapidaries have been checked: St. Epiphanius, Marbodus, Pseudo-Mandeville, C. Leonardus, F. Ruet, C. Gesner, C. Entzelt, L. Dolce, and A. Boetius.

  3. The following zoologists have been studied: Aristotle, Ælianus, Oppianus, Theobald, Hugo of St. Victor, J. Æmylianus, U. Aldrovandus, P. Bellon, M. de Thou, C. Gesner, G. Rondeletus, H. Salvianus, E. Topsell, W. Turner, and E. Wotton.

  4. The botanies and kindred works of the following have been used: Theophrastus, Macer, Dioscorides, P. Alpinus, J. de Castello Branco, Apuleius Platonicus, N. Bassaeus, C. Bauhinus, P. Bellonius, O. Brunfelsius, A. Cæsalpinus, G. Coterius, C. Clusius, V. Cor-dus, J. Dalechampius, R. Dodoens, J. de Dondis, D. Dorstensius, A. du Pinet, C. Durante, C. Egenolphus, C. Estienne, L. Fuchius, J. Gerard, C. Gesner, G. Linocier, M. Lobelius, B. Maranta, P. Matthiolus, A. Mizaldus, G. de Orta, A. Pinæus, J. Ruellius, J. Theodorus, L. Thurneisserus, W. Turner, A. de Villanova, N. Wincklerus, and A. von Zaluzian.

Note 14 in page 1011 As there is nothing to gain by setting forth an extended proof of this hypothesis, I list below the apparent borrowings and inventions of Greene.

Precious Stones

Traditional.—Abeston, iii, 66; v, 60; vii, 71. Adamant, ii, 30–31, 56, 88; iii, 52; iv, 54; vi, 54–55, 81; viii, 91, 182; ix, 61, 131, 138. Crystal, ix, 56. Pyrites, v, 52; vii, 62–63, 107; viii, 68; ix, 139.

Invented.—Adamant, iii, 103. Agat, viii, 183; xi, 170–171. Agathes, ii, 237; iv, 126. Amber, ii, 28; ix, 66. Arabia stones, ii, 49. Armenia stones ii, 109; iv, 96. Astites, iv, 83; xii, 24. Celidony, iv, 26; viii, 71. Celonites, ii, 141; iv, 46. Ceraunon, ii, 263; iii, 99. Chrisolite, ii, 232; iv, 37; v, 66; vii, 123; viii, 60; ix, 28, 196. Crystal, ii, 41. Coral xii, 27. Diamond, ii, 33, 41, 176; iv, 107; vii, 31; viii, 6, 24, 40, 60, 107; ix, 170, 190; xii, 202. Echites, ii, 264; iii, 192; iv, 72, 231. Egypt stones, ii, 64; ix, 76. Emerald, ii, 17, 61, 281; viii, 55, 182. Epistrites, iv, 165. Galactites, iv, 242; vi, 188. Garatides, iv, 73; xii, 33. Jacinth, ii, 88; iii, 39; viii, 141; ix, 56, 85. Lidian stones, v, 42. Lincestis stones, iv, 113, 136; xii, 40. Margaret, ii, 33, 41; iii, 233; vi, 165. Nememphis (Memphites), ii, 192; iv, 185. Onyx, ii, 28; ix, 66; xi, 137; xii, 206. Pyrites, ix, 208. Sapphir, ii, 48, 61; ix, 75. Silex, xii, 68. Silicia stone, iv, 46; xii, 202. Smaragde, ii, 43. Terpistretes, iv, 183. Topaz, vi, 63, viii, 40, 55; ix, 207. Topazon, ii, 293; iii, 234. Thracian stones, xiii, 290.

Names Also Invented.—Polipe, ii, 17, 77, 180, 257, 261; viii, 55, 195; ix, 75, 82, 185. Porphuer, ix, 169. Salamander, ii, 60–61; iv, 54, viii, 22, ix, 75.

Birds

Traditional.—Eagle, iii, 12; iv 61, 202; v, 66; vi, 183; viii, 146, 223; xii, 42; xiii, 206. Halcyon, xi, 156. Ibis, iv, 306; v, 61; vii, 72. Nightingale, ii, 121. Ossifraga, iv, 61. Peacock, iii, 232; v, 229; viii, 194; xi, 215. Raven, iv, 132. Swan, xii, 101. Turtle dove, ix, 79. Vulture, xii, 42.

Invented.—Acanthis, ii, 278; iv, 83; xii, 24. Crow, iii, 153. Eagle, iv, 136; v, 75, 277; vi, 54, 184; vii, 37, 75; xii, 206. Ezalon, iv, 116; xii, 42. Faulcon, iv, 52, 68, 286; vi, 163. Faulcon Pelegrae, iv, 170. Faulcon Tilo, iv, 116. Grifion, ii, 188; iii, 224; v, 55, 60, 86; vii, 67, 71. Halcyon, ii, 30; iii, 205; iv, 36; vi, 45; viii, 78, 136; ix, 129; xii, 206. Hobby, vi, 66; viii, 180. Kistrel, viii, 222. Kite, iv, 61; ix, 96. Lapwing, v, 56. Merlin, iv, 68. Niesse, ii, 25, 129; ix, 64. Nightingale, xiii, 79. Ossifraga, iii, 82, 198. Phoenix, iii, 52; iv, 36, 231; ix, 129, 207; xi, 156. Quail, iii, 54. Raven, ix, 63. Swallow, viii, 77. Turtle dove, vi, 47. Vulture, xii, 115.

Names Also Invented.—Apis India, iv, 136, 165. Bohemian birds, ii, 41. Colchos birds, ii, 292. Egyptian birds, ii, 225. Hawks of India, ix, 200.

Fish

Traditional.—Crab, ii, 30, 264; iii, 192; v, 115; ix, 32, 60–61; xii, 75. Fish, ii, 62; ix, 43. Mugil, iv, 113 (in part). Polypus, iii, 79, 179, 184; ii, 257. Porpoise, viii, 127. Torpedo, ii, 175; iv, 21.

Invented—Dolphin, ii, 131, 293; iv, 74; viii, 210. Herring, vii, 230. Mugil, iii, 57, 196; viii, 47; ix, 39. Palerna, iv, 26. Pickerel, ii, 76. Remora, iv, 82; xii, 23. Sea star, ii, 176; iii, 12; viii, 146. Torpedo, iv, 20. Tortoise, ii, 292; iv, 72. Uranoscopus, iv, 143. Whale, iv, 125.

Animals

Traditional.—Ape, x, 238. Bear, iv, 170. Deer, iv, 82; v, 72. Dormouse, iii, 190. Elephant, iii, 220; v, 61; vii, 201. Hyaena, ii, 263; v, 53; vii, 63; x, 199. Lamb, ii, 167. Lion, iii, 39; viii, 141; ix, 79. Mole, ii, 62; iv, 103; ix, 43. Mouse, iv, 113. Unicorn, ii, 49, 263.

Invented.—Ape, ii, 190; iv, 18, 36. Bear, ii, 190. Boar, ii, 55; iii, 182; iv, 96. Bull iv, 127; v, 61; vii, 72. Camel, iv, 127; ix, 200. Deer, iii, 162, 190, 201; viii, 166; ix, 31, 189–190; xii, 11. Echinus, xiii, 374. Elephant, ii, 74; iii, 72; iv, 36, 71; vii, 72; viii, 166; ix, 104, 190; xii, 28, 31. Ermine, ii, 59, 263; iv, 72, viii, 67. Evet, ii, 280. Fawn, ii, 112, 167, 278. Fox, iv, 136. Goat, iii, 162; iv, 143. Hare, ii, 62; iv, 170; ix, 43. Hart, iv, 68. Hyaena, iii, 204; v, 61; vii, 72; viii, 138; ix, 191, 200; xii, 114. Hind, iv, 125. Leopard, ii, 263; iv, 36, 82, 125; xii, 23. Lion, ii, 49, 98, 112, 278; iv, 52, 58, 68, 116, 125, 136, 145, 170, 286; vi, 47; xii, 42. Mouse, ii, 55, 114. Ounce, iv, 115; xii, 42. Porcupine, iv, 51, 82; v, 97; ix, 275; xii, 23. Rat, iv, 127. Roebuck, iv, 36; xii, 28. Tiger, ii, 28, 167; iii, 72; iv, 57; viii, 138; ix, 66. Unicorn, ii, 208; iv, 58, 125, 230; viii, 166, 223. Wolf, ii, 65; iv, 170; vi, 211; vii, 75; ix, 42.

Reptiles

Traditional.—Adder, ix, 273, 310; xi, 169. Asp, ii, 236; ix, 47. Basilisk, ii, 262; vi, 45; viii, 26; ix, 189, 200; xi, 152; xii, 130, 174. Crocodile, v, 71, 94, 155; viii, 138, 142; ix, 47, 191, 199, 297; xi, 35. Dipsas, iii, 36; viii, 140. Dragon, iii, 220.

Invented.—Adder, iv, 51. Amphisbena, iii, 208. Asp, iv, 242; vi, 188. Basilisk, ii, 74; iii, 239; iv, 72; viii, 71; x, 235; xiv, 290. Boa, ii, 129. Crocodile, ii, 257, 259; x, 199, 235. Dipsas, xi, 217. Serpent of Epidaurus, iv, 202. Hydra, viii, 107. Lemster, xii, 253. Porphirius, ix, 47. Serapie, ii, 280. Serpent, ii, 190, 222, 284; iii, 209; iv, 115; v, 143; xii, 202, 219–220. Viper, ii, 74; iv, 46, 65, 231; viii, 210; ix, 48–49.

Insects

Traditional.—Cantharides, ii, 107. Ephemera, viii, 125; xiii, 74. Phalanga, iii, 112.

Pyrallis, v, 60; vii, 72. Scorpion, ii, 74, 188, 228; ix, 60. Tarantula, ix, 42; xi, 175; xii, 9.

Teredines, ix, 19.

Invented.—Bee, ix, 190. Beetle, iv, 132–133. Flies of Cantabria, ii, 114. Locust, iv, 37. Naplitia, iii, 233. Scarab, iii, 52; v, 16. Scorpion, iv, 96; xi, 203. Snail, iv, 36. Tarantula, v, 57; vii, 69; ix, 185. Tyryma, vi, 68.

Trees

Traditional.—Sethin, viii, 40; ix, 75.

Invented.—Almond, xiii, 74. Alpyna, iii, 216, 239–240; iv, 273. Bay, ii, 48, 276; v, 75,199; vi, 54; vii, 75. Beech, viii, 137. Box, iii, 237. Cabash, iii, 237. Cedar, ii, 48; iii, 54; vii, 125; viii, 78. Cistus, v, 62. Citron, viii, 166. Elder, ii, 65; vii, 157; ix, 76. Heban, viii, 85. Hemlock, ii, 190; v, 57; vii, 69; viii, 195; ix, 190; xi, 146. Juniper, iv, 127; viii, 97. Lemon, ix, 333. Myrrh, ix, 207. Myrtle, ii, 28; ix, 66, 75. Oak, ii, 61, 276. Pala, v, 56; vii, 64. Palm, ii, 207; iii, 54; iv, 58; viii, 28, 126; ix, 296; xii, 11. Sethin, xi, 163. Tamarisk, iii, 201; viii, 166; ix, 31, 189.

Names Also Invented.—Africa shrubs, vi, 38. Arabia shrubs, ix, 17. Arabia apple, ii, 66; iv, 146. Colchos tree, ii, 280. India apple, ix, 218. Trees of Africa, iv, 26. Trees of India, xii, 202. Trees of Mt. Vermise, ii, 176. 291.

Herbs

Traditional.—Basil, iii, 251 (in part). Coloquintida, ii, 17. Dictamnus, iv, 58. Heliotrope, vi, 82; viii, 91; ix, 326. Nemiphar, ix, 61.

Invented.—Adiaton, ii, 291. Agnus Castus, x, 252. Alisaunder, xi, 119. Amyta, ix, 333. Angelica, iii, 58, 187; xi, 128. Anita, iv, 279. Baran, ii, 174, 260; iii, 86, 192; v, 93, 156; ix, 27. Basil, iii, 235. Bachelor button, xi, 218. Brian, iv, 50. Carisiam, ii, 279; iii, 224. Diagredium, iv, 52. Dictamnus, viii, 47. Eglantine, iii, 235. Fennel, xi, 214. Flos salis, ii, 264. Garlick, ii, 190. Germander, iv, 73; xii, 33. Goord, ii, 265; iii, 237; iv, 71. Guaiacum, iv, 83; xii, 24. Hartshorn, iv, 115. Heliotrope, iv, 71; Hyacinth, iv, 126. Hyssop, xi, 146. Jillyflower, vi, 61. Larix, xi, 118. Liquorice, iv, 230; v, 57; vii, 69. Lotos, v, 174. Lupinus, ii, 31. Mandrake v, 42. Marigold, ii, 77; vi, 94; ix, 84, 326. Marjoram, viii, 100. Melissophyllon, iv, 185. Mirabolans, ii, 200, 229; x, 6. Mistletoe, viii, 174. Moly, iii, 190. Narcissus, viii, 78. Nemiphar, iv, 20. Nepenthes, ii, 293. Nettles, xi, 220. Olive, iv, 165; iii, 39; v, 66; viii, 141, 183; ix, 261. Panace, ii, 25. Phanaros, ix, 63. Polopodium, iv, 143. Primrose, xi, 218. Rue, iii, 12; viii, 146; xi, 216. Rhubarb, v, 57; vii, 69. Sisimbrium, ii, 23. Sinamon, ix, 129, 207. Synara, vi, 48. Thyme, xi, 214. Tragion, vi, 188, 242. Violet, iv, 26. Names Also Invented.—Asuatis, xii, 252. Aurifolium, ix, 175. Bacan, viii, 6. Basco, ii, 208. Egypt leaves, viii, 77. Ephemeron, iv, 289. Flowers of Egypt, xii, 203. Grass of India, ii, 32. Herbs of India, ii, 265. Herbs of Syria, vi, 68. Helchorons, xi, 119. Isiphilon, iv, 46. Sea hulver, ii, 209, 288. Spattania, Spattarmia, Sputania, ii, 23; iv, 30; v, 55; vi, 131; vii, 64; ix, 47, 79.

Note 15 in page 1014 Opera Omnia (Venetiis, 1518–19), ii, 168–171. This fact was first noticed by S. L. Wolff, “Robert Greene and the Italian Renaissance,” Englische Stadien, xxxvii, 333, note 1. Greene substitutes his name for that of Pardus and that of his friend, Francis Hand, for Pudericus. The variations between Greene's dialogue and the original indicate hasty copying by a person none too sure of his Latin genders.

Note 16 in page 1014 Op. cit., v, 25.

Note 17 in page 1014 Ibid., v, 45.

Note 18 in page 1014 Ibid., v, 17.

Note 19 in page 1014 Ibid., iv, 904–908.

Note 20 in page 1015 Sphœrœ Tractatus (Venetia, 1531), p. A8r.

Note 21 in page 1015 Op. cit., ii, 40–41.

Note 22 in page 1015 Ibid., ii, 122.

Note 23 in page 1015 Ibid., ii, 176.

Note 24 in page 1015 Ibid., v, 177.

Note 25 in page 1016 Ibid., v, 40.

Note 26 in page 1016 Ibid., v, 42.

Note 27 in page 1016 Ibid., v, 51. In the tale told by Venus, Valdracko, the Saturn doniinated duke, is represented as a clear melancholic. The taint of Saturn is mentioned elsewhere in Greene's prose; cf. vi, 46; viii, 58; ix, 324.

Note 28 in page 1016 Op. cit., p. 28.

Note 29 in page 1016 Ibid., p. 184.

Note 30 in page 1016 Ibid., p. 98. This material is rather conventional, and similar matter can be found in C. Dariotus, Ad Astrorum Indicia, (Lugduni, 1557), p. 7; A. diFonte, Summa della Natural Filosofia (A. di Ulloa: Venetia, 1557), pp. 67–68. Pontanus devotes a large section to Saturn and the black bile in “De Rebus Cœlestibus,” op. cit., iii, 158v–161v.

Note 31 in page 1016 Greene, op. cit., v, 39–40.

Note 32 in page 1016 “Ibid., v, 41.

Note 33 in page 1016 Ibid., v, 101–104.

Note 34 in page 1016 Ptolemaeus, op. cit., p. 29.

Note 35 in page 1017 Ibid., pp. 101–102; cf. also p. 190.

Note 36 in page 1017 Greene, op. cit., v, 43.

Note 37 in page 1017 Op. cit., p. 102.

Note 38 in page 1017 Greene, op. cit., v, 43.

Note 39 in page 1017 Op. cit., pp. 29, 100.

Note 40 in page 1017 Greene, op. cit., v, 42, 43, 99; Ptolemaeus, op. cit., p. 29.

Note 41 in page 1017 Ibid., vi, 38. See G. Marstallerus, Artis divinatricis (Parisiis, 1549), pp. 32–33 for a typical statement of this attitude.

Note 42 in page 1017 C. Leovitius, De Coniunctionibus Magnis (Lauginage ad Danubium, 1554), pp. Bivr, Giiiv, Givr, Kir-v.

Note 43 in page 1017 Op. cit., ii, 150; v, 189; vi, 35.

Note 44 in page 1017 C. Peucer, de Praecipuis Divinationum Generibus (Wittebergae, 1553), pp. 82r–v; G. Marstallerus, op. cit., p. 16.

Note 45 in page 1018 Op. cit., vii, 139.

Note 46 in page 1018 Ibid., iii, 68.

Note 47 in page 1018 Ibid., iv, 217.