Patron Politics
Edward de Vere as patron (unfinished)
Geoffrey Hamilton
March, 1996
He is intimately connected with half the writers whom we see from
the Elizabethan age. He not only paid their bills for years at a time, but
he inspired, encouraged and lead them until virtual bankruptcy and court
intrigue ended that period of his life. The name of that patron was Edward
de Vere.
Before the creation of large theatres and a literate public the only way to
survive as a common writer during Elizabeth's reign was to find a patron.
A patron invariably in this period would be of royalty or nobility who would
often be an amateur artist in his or her own right.
Various ways of finding one would include attending the universities at Oxford or Cambridge,
approaching a well known patron with a request, or asking if you could
dedicate a finished literary work to him or her.
As in any time, the politics of your patron could land you into trouble.
His enemies become your enemies. His strengths become your strengths.
In the Elizabethan seventies and eighties two main factions at court
offered two visions of renaissance literature. The two leaders were Edward
de Vere, who was the Earl of Oxford, and sir Philip Sydney. They paralleled
the political divisions at court in that de Vere was protected by the Earl
of Sussex's party, while Sydney was supported by his uncle the Earl of
Leicester, who was the Queen's husband in every way but in name.
de Vere's literary camp included at various times many writers who
are today considered leaders of the age Lyly, Kyd, Nashe, Greene, Marlowe,
Dekker, Lodge, Peele, Chapman, and Gascoigne.
The other camp, Sydney's, I'm not so concerned with except to say
that it included Spenser, and later Harvey. Both of whom eventually praise de Vere to the top degree.
During this period of rivalry lasting roughly fifteen years, de Vere
survived his enemies and their assassins, a turn in the tower, being capture by
pirates, the battle against the Armada, a crippling wound in a duel,
accusations of catholicism, homosexuality and treason, and of being a
singularly odd man.
In order to understand him as patron I want to show first what a
dynamic and important individual he was to the time
. At age 22 he was a lover of the queen. Regarding this Queen Mary Stuart
wrote to Elizabeth, "...the count of Oxford dared not reconcile himself
with his wife for fear of losing the favour which he hoped to receive by
becoming your lover...". He performed together with his players in various
productions Elizabeth and even wrote poetry for her, which later was mistakenly
attributed to her. He had a famous song named after him as well as a
style of clothing and a perfume.
In Italy where he lived for a year at age 25, an Englishman named Webbe
who was visiting Palermo, Sicily saw, "a thing worthy of memory,...the Right
Honourable Earl of Oxford, a famous man of chivalry, .... made their a
challenge against all manor of persons whatsoever .... Tournaments... with
horse and armour, to fight a combat with any ...in defense of Prince and
Country. For which he was very highly commended, and yet no man durst be so
hardy to encounter with him, so that all over Italy he is acknowledged the
only Chevalier and Nobleman of England. This title they give unto him as worthily
deserved."
one hundred and twenty five years later his fame in Italy was still so great he was a regular figure
in the
Commedia Del'Arte.
A passage by a Seneora Al-tro-cchi in 1699 says. "...Milord of Oxford goes by
the name of..."Beyond the Sea"...Edward carries for a device a motto taken from
Terence "Valour, proceeds to arduous undertakings". In this (story) Oxford,
amusingly enough tilted against Alvida, countess of Edenburg, ...(she was)
armed with a Frankish lance and robed in lemon colour. In the end, Edward and
Alvida, alas, threw one another, both landing face down in the dust.
Nevertheless Emperor Polidor awarded to all knights and amazons gifts out of
the cupboard of antiquity. To Edward was given the horn of Astolf, paladin of
Charlemagne, the magic horn to rout armies - a spear of sorts to shake
with enchanted consequences." . This shows how extraordinary a personality he
was to the time.
To see who he was, is to see what kind of patron he was. Here is a
letter he sent in 1573 at the age 23. It patronizes a translator. Keep in
mind it will take a few minutes to read, so I want you to try to get a sense
of what kind of man he was, as this is one of his rare surviving letters.
" To my loving friend Thomas Bedingfield Esquire...
After I had perused you letters finding in them your request far differing
from the desert of your labour, I could not choose whether it were better
for me to yield to your desire, or execute my own intentions towards the
publishing of your book. For I do confess the affections that I have always
bourne towards you could move me not a little. But when I had thoroughly
considered in my mind .whether it best to obey mine affections, or the merits
of your studies; at the length I determined it were better to deny your
request than to grant or condescend to the concealment of so worthy a work...
Better I thought it were to displease one than to displease many. ...I am
forced like a good and politic captain, oftentimes (is) to spoil and burn the
corn of his own country, lest his enemies do thereof take advantage. For
rather than so many of your countrymen should be deluded through my sinister
means of your industry in studies (whereof you are bound in conscience to
yield them an account) I am content to make spoil and havoc of your
request...And when you examine yourself, -what doth avail a mass of gold to
be continually employed in your bags, and never to be employed to their use?
Why should this tree be accounted better than that tree but for the goodness
of his fruit?
...You amongst men, I do not doubt, but will aspire to follow the virtuous
path, to illuster yourself with the ornaments of virtue. And in mine opinion,
as it beautifieth a fair woman to be decked with pearls and precious stones,
so much more it ornifieth a gentleman to be furnished with glittering virtues.
...I may seem to you to play the part of the cunning mediciner...who, although
his patient in the extemity of his burning fever is desirous of cold liquor
to qualify his sore thirst, or rather (to) kill his languishing body; yet for
the danger (the mediciner) doth evidently know by his science to ensue, (he)
denieth him the same.
You are desireous to bury your works in the grave of oblivion, .yet, I,
knowing the discommodities that shall rebound to yourself thereby,...am
nothing dainty to deny your request.
Again we see, if our friends be dead we cannot show or declare our affection
more than by erecting them tombs...yet make we them live, as it were, again
through their monument. ...With me behold it happeneth far better;
for in your lifetime I shall erect you such a monument that,
as I say, in your lifetime you shall see how noble a shadow of your
virtuous life whereby I may declare my good will....
From your loving and assured friend, E Oxenford
."
This passionate letter at the age of 23 falls into his mature years
as a patron and yet he is only at the start of the period we're concerned
with.
A second element was his renown as an exemplar of writing.
From the age of 12 works were being dedicated to him. By 28 his
soon-to-be enemy Gabriel Harvey said in the presence of the Queen,
"Thy Splendid fame demands even more than in the case of others, the
services of a poet possessing lofty eloquence. They merit...reaches as
far as the heavenly orbs. O great hearted one, strong in thy mind and
thy fiery will, thou wilt conquer thyself, though wilt conquer other,
thy glory will spread...beyond the Arctic Ocean. For a long time past
Phoebus Apollo ha(s) cultivated thy mind in the arts....witness how
greatly thou doest excel in letters. I have seen many Latin Verses,
even more English Verses are extent..."
The praise of his writing continued in like veins.
In 1586 Will Webbe said, "...In the rare devices of poetry...
the Earl of Oxford may challenge himself to be the best amongst the
rest... ( of the court poets)" .
(unfinished)
GRH
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