In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

APPENDIX The Text In  two editions of the Apology were published. Although Henry Olney ’s edition, An Apologie for Poetrie, appeared first, William Ponsonby had entered his edition, The Defence of Poesie, in the Stationers’ Register on  November , four months before Olney. The entry for Olney, on  April , bears the annotation “This belongeth to Master Ponsonby by a former Entrance and an agrement is made between them wherby Master Ponsonby is to enjoy the copie according to the former Entrance.”1 As well as printing his own edition, Ponsonby took over the copies already printed by Olney, selling them after substituting his own title page. Having previously printed the Arcadia and Mary Sidney’s A Discourse of Life and Death (a translation of a work by Philip Mornay), Ponsonby was already connected with the Sidneys. And it was Ponsonby who published the folio of Sidney’s works in . Since the folio includes Ponsonby’s original version of the Defence, this text is presumed to have been preferred by Mary Sidney. Giving it added authority is the close resemblance it bears to the Penshurst manuscript, which was Robert Sidney’s copy. Although Ponsonby’s edition apparently has greater authority, Olney’s edition is far more polished. It was clearly prepared with far greater care, and for this reason it has been favored by many modern editors (including Geoffrey Shepherd) despite its inferior claim to authority. The only critical edition of the text is that of Katherine Duncan-Jones and Jan van Dorsten in Miscellaneous Prose of Sir Philip Sidney (Oxford, U.K.: Clarendon Press, ). Their introduction should be consulted, especially for its discussions of the authority of the Penshurst MS and of the lack of authority of the Norwich MS. Whereas Duncan-Jones and van Dorsten follow Ponsonby (checking it against the Penshurst MS) for their edition, I have followed Olney, except where Ponsonby’s text is obviously superior. Although I rarely  . See Sidney, Prose Works, .. decide in favor of Ponsonby’s text, I record all variants. Except for silently substituting v’s and u’s and s’s for f’s, I have retained the original spelling, capitalization , and punctuation. Both the Olney and Ponsonby editions are available in facsimile for those wishing to investigate. For the Olney edition, An Apologie for Poetrie, see volume  in The English Experience, Its Record in Early Printed Books Published in Facsimile (Amsterdam: Theatrum Orbis Terrarum; New York: Da Capo Press, ); for the Ponsonby edition, see The Defence of Poesie (London: Noel Douglas, ). From An Apologie for Poetrie / The Defence of Poesie  Appendix But now, let us see how the Greekes named it, and howe they deemed of it. The Greekes called him a Poet, which name, hath as the most excellent, gone thorough other Languages. It commeth of this word Poiein, which is, to make: wherein I know not, whether by lucke or wisedome, wee Englishmen have mette with the Greekes, in calling him a maker: which name, how high and incomparable a title it is, I had rather were knowne by marking the scope of other Sciences, then by my partiall allegation. There is no Arte delivered unto mankinde, that hath not the workes of Nature for his principall object, without which they could not consist, & on which they so depend, as they become Actors and Players as it were, of what Nature will have set foorth. So doth the Astronomer looke upon the starres, and by that hee seeth, setteth downe what order Nature hath taken therein. So doe the Geometrician, & Arithmetician, in their diverse sorts of quantities. So doth the Musitian in times, tel you which by nature agree, which not. The naturall Philosopher thereon hath his name, and the Morrall Philosopher standeth   P = Ponsonby’s edition, The Defence of Poesie O = Olney’s edition, An Apologie for Poetrie  named] have named P; howe] how P  called] named P; a Poet] poihthvn P  Languages] languages P; Poiein] poie'in P; is,] is P; wherein] wherin P; not,] not P  lucke] luck P; wee] we P; mette] met P; Greekes,] Greekes P  maker:] Maker. P; which] Which P;  Sciences] sciences P; my] any P, partiall] partial P  Arte] Art P; unto] to O; mankinde,] mankind P; Nature] nature P  &] and P  and Players] & Plaiers, P; Nature] nature P; foorth] forth P  Astronomer] Astronomer P; hee] he P; setteth] set P  Nature] nature P; doe] doth P; Geometrician, & Arithmetician] Geometritian & Arithmititian P; diverse] divers  Musitian] Musitians P; times,] times P, you] you, P  naturall...

Share