“Trembling Leaves”: Manuscript and Print in the Amoretti

Abstract

JEMCS 1.2 (Fall/Winter 2001) "TremblingLeaves": Manuscriptand Print in theAmoretti Eva Gold Critics whosharemypresent interest inmanuscript and print inthelatesixteenth century haveseemingly little towork with in Spenser'ssonnetsequence theAmorettL We knowvirtually nothing ofthemanuscript circulation ofSpenser'spoemsapart from thetantalizing reference inLodowick Biyskett's Discourseof Civill Life(1606) to thecirculation amonga smallreadership of "someparcels"(28) ofTheFaerieQueene,thecitationofpartof Book 2 ofTheFaerie Queene in AbrahamFraunce'sArcadian Rhetorike (1588),comments madeintheFamiliar Letters published bySpenserand GabrielHarvey(1580) thatsuggestthatHarvey readpartsofTheFaerieQueene(Spenserwrites"I wilin hande forthwith withmyFaeryQueene,whyche I praye youhartily send mewithal expedition"), and somecomments in prefatory material .1 FortheAmoretti, evidenceis likewisesparse: variantsof AmorettL 8 appearinsomemanuscript collections thatpredateits 1595publication; a variant ofAmoretti 1appearsona copyofthe 1590FaerieQueene.2Although theAmorettL has beendiscussed in recentcriticalworksbyWendyWall and Arthur Marotti on print inthesixteenth century, therelative plainnessoftheAmorettL volumehas notinspired extended treatment bythosewishing to assess Spenser'srelation totheemerging print culture ofthesixteenth century.3 Itis a smallvolume(octavo); thetitle pagelacks illustrations; thededication isfrom thestationer William Ponsonby toSirRobert Needham, whoservedinIrelandbutwhoseconnectionwithSpenserremains unknown; there areonlytwocommendatory sonnets;thepoemsareprinted onetoa pagewithsimple borderdecoration above and below. It is notsurprising, then, thattheAmorettL hasbeenrelatively neglected bytheorists ofprint, infavor of,say,TheShepheardes Calender, with itselaborate print 2 TheJournal forEkwty Modem Cultured Studies apparatusofgloss,multiple dedications, emblems, and woodcut illustrations (seeLuborsky, Heninger, Tribble 72-87). Nevertheless, theAmorettL does revealSpenser'sawarenessof theconceptual bases ofmanuscript andprint. Theopening sonnet oftheAmorettL introduces a contest between poetandbeloved that willbe playedout through thesequencein partas a contestof handsand handwriting. Theprefatory matter oftheprinted volume ,consisting ofthetitle page(fig. 1),Ponsonby's dedication (figs. 2-4),andthecommendatory sonnets(figs. 5-6),introduces yetanother contest - between theauthority ofprint and print poetand themore vulnerable statusofthemanuscript poem.Itiswith this doublecontest thatI am concerned here. Eventhemostcursory attention tothesequence'stwobeginnings suggests a doublecontextforinterpretation thatcan be alignedgenerally withmanuscript andprint, technologies that were bothcompeting andcomplementary in thelatesixteenth century.Evokedare twokindsof physical object (manuscript andprint), two setsofreaders (the single female belovedand a larger groupofmalereaders), twoconceptionsofpoeticauthority (vulnerable andpowerful). Myaimis toexamineSpenser'sdoublecontestintermsofa doubleargument: toexplore howthecompeting claimsofmanuscriptand printare presented bothwithin thepoemsofthesequence and in the printapparatus ofthevolumeas a whole. Bothwithin thesonnetsequenceandwithin theframing volume ofwhichthesonnetsare a part,Spenserpresentshis relationshipwiththebelovedintermsofmanuscript and print. Writing ina timewhentheimplications ofbothmediawere evolving, Spenserthroughout hiscareerwas surelyawareofthe different claimsandauthority resident inmanuscript andinprint. WhatRichardRambusshas calledSpenser's"doublecareer"as poetand as secretary suggestsa heightened awarenessofthe powerofthehand- and ofhandwriting - ina complex socialnetworkofpowerand authority.4Spenser'sawarenessofprint is no less acute; althoughJoseph Loewensteinacknowledges Spenser is an "unlikely representative ofTypographical Man" because he does notovertly theorize aboutthemediaavailable to him,an authoremergeswhois wellawareofthecompeting claimsand values ofmanuscript and print("Retrography" 100). 1: Spenser's Two Beginnings Thefirst poemofSpenser'sAmoretti presentsitself in terms ofa contest-familiar toreadersofRenaissancesonnetsequences - between thepoet(whohas thepowertowrite thebeloved)and Gold 3 Figure1:Title-page, EdmundSpenser,AmorettiandEpithalamion (London,1595). Henry E. Huntington Library. AMORETTI AND Epithalamton. Written not longfince byEdmundc Sfenfir* 4 TheJournal forEarluModern Cultured Studies Figures2-4: WilliamPonsonby'sdedication,EdmundSpenser, Amoretti and Epithalamion (London,1595). HenryE. HuntingtonLibrary . Tothe TZjghtW'orfhij)'' foil Sir RobartNeedbamKtffghf £^^^^^© fafc return 1 thing forea die,northought anything {o mcctty as thefe fwcetc conceited 5onctSjthe deeds ofthat weldcferuing gentle- , man,rnafftcrEdmonaSpeti-:, fer :whole name fufficiend^ •r war- Gold 5 warranting ;Jbe^ortWnA% ofthe work ;Idomore confidently prcfume topublifh itinhis abfencc, vnderyour name towhom(in my poors opinion)the patronage ther , of,doth infome refpeaes properly appertainc. For, befidesyouriudgement and? delightc inlearned poefie : Thisgentle Mufefor her' former perfedionlong wifh edfor inEnglande, nowc at the length croffing the Seas inyour happy companyc, ( though toyourfclfe vnknowne ) feemedHo make choy fe of y ou,asmcetcft to giue 6 TheJournal forEarlyModernCulturalStudies * Dedicatory. giueherdeferued countc* Haiincc, after her rctournc: cptertaine her, then, (Right worfhipfiiU) infortebeft bejiemiagyour gentleminde, apdher merite ,andtake in worth my goodwill herein, who feckc nomore, but tofoew my felfe yours • inalldutifullaffe ^ion. ■ Gold 7 Figures5-6:Commendatory sonnets,EdmundSpenser,Amoretti andEpithalamion (London,1595). Henry E. Huntington Library. G:W.f€nior,tothei^£uthor f) Arke isdieday, when Vhaebut face isCrowded, and weaker fights may wander fqone aft ray: but whed they fee his glorious raies vnclowded, with fteddy ileps thev Kcepe the perfea way, Sowhile this Mufe infbrraine landes doth ftay, inuention weepes, and pens are caft afide, thetimelikemght,depriuddfcliearefiiUday, >-v and gew dowrite,but (ah)too foone majrflide. . M Then^ie diec home, that art our perfect gaide, •"• andwiththywitilluftrateEnglandslfi^e, dawntingthereby our neighoures auttcientpr. ; that dofor poefie, challendge cheefdtflaine. SowethatiiueandagesthStruccee^s, n Withgreat applaufe thy learned worte (haflre^ n . • '•■ '. ^*; 8...

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