The Shakespeare Conference: SHK 10.1368  Wednesday 4 August 1999.

[1]     From:   Brian Vickers <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Tuesday, 03 Aug 1999 14:28:35 +0200
        Subj:   Re: SHK 10.1356 Re: "Perusine"

[2]     From:   David Evett <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Tuesday, 03 Aug 1999 12:44:16 -0400
        Subj:   Re: SHK 10.1363 Re: "Perusine"

[3]     From:   Anthony Burton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Tuesday, 3 Aug 1999 12:20:30 -0700
        Subj:   Perusine

[4]     From:   Allan Blackman <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
        Date:   Tuesday, 3 Aug 1999 23:51:01 -0400 (EDT)
        Subj:   More on 'Perusine'



[1]-----------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Brian Vickers <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Tuesday, 03 Aug 1999 14:28:35 +0200
Subject: 10.1356 Re: "Perusine"
Comment:        Re: SHK 10.1356 Re: "Perusine"

>Perusine refers to Perusia (the modern Perugia), the most common usage
>being the Perusine War.  See your Roman history for details.
>
>Allan Blackman

However, in his Arte of English Poesie (1589) Puttenham writes that "the
American, the Perusine & the very Canniball, do sing and also say, their
highest and holiest matters in certaine riming versicles..." (I.v; ed.
Willcock and Walker, p.10) - i.e., Peruvian.

Yours sincerely,
Brian Vickers.
Centre for Renaissance Studies

[2]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           David Evett <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Tuesday, 03 Aug 1999 12:44:16 -0400
Subject: 10.1363 Re: "Perusine"
Comment:        Re: SHK 10.1363 Re: "Perusine"

>May I ask a follow-up question of those who have cited the use of
>"Perusine" as referring to Perugia (as distinguished from Peru)? The
>Puttenham text specifically locates the term in series with "American
>very Cannibal, do sing and also say, their highest and holiest matters in certain
> rhyming versicles . . . .

Frank Whigham's question must give pause to those who gloss Perusine as
referring to Italians.  Anybody know enough about the rules for forming
-ine adjectives in Renaissance Latin, and about the C16 Latin form of
Peru, to tell us whether Perusine could refer to that mountainous South
American place?  Or could be a typo for Peruvine?

Dave Evett

[3]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Anthony Burton <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Tuesday, 3 Aug 1999 12:20:30 -0700
Subject:        Perusine

There is a lovely medieval walled town in France, not far from Lyons,
named (phonetically), Peruge[s?]/Pereuges; it was used for a send-up
movie about the Three Musketeers and, more important, has a great
restaurant where there is an old map on display, giving the former name
as Perugia, the same as the Itallian town.  So, even if "Perusine"
refers to the Italian town and its war, there were once at least two
Perugias and a possibly  expanded geographical reference within which
the "wild and savage"  inhabitants  may be associated.   Happy hunting.

Tony Burton

[4]-------------------------------------------------------------
From:           Allan Blackman <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Date:           Tuesday, 3 Aug 1999 23:51:01 -0400 (EDT)
Subject:        More on 'Perusine'

Perusine refers to ancient Perusia, not to the modern Perugia -- where
the appropriate adjective would be 'Perugian'.

I know virtually nothing about Puttenham, but I did look at his text at
the University of Virginia Website.  It appears that the reference is,
in fact, to Perusia.  The passage, which refers to Latin poesie four
times, reads;

And the Greeke and Latine Poesie was by verse numerous and metricall,
running vpon pleasant feete, sometimes swift, sometime slow (their words
very aptly seruing that purpose) but without any rime or tunable concord
in th'end of their verses, as we and all other nations now vse. But the
Hebrues & Chaldees who were more ancient then the Greekes, did not only
vse a metricall Poesie, but also with the same a maner of rime, as hath
bene of late obserued by learned men. Wherby it appeareth, that our
vulgar running Poesie was common to all the nations of the world
besides, whom the Latines and Greekes in speciall called barbarous. So
as it was notwithstanding the first and most ancient Poesie, and the
most vniuersall, which two points do otherwise giue to all humane
inuentions and affaires no small credit. This is proued by certificate
of marchants & trauellers, who by late nauigations haue surueyed the
whole world, and discouered large countries and strange peoples wild and
sauage, affirming that the American, the Perusine & the very Canniball,
do sing and also say, their highest and holiest matters in certaine
riming versicles and not in prose, which proues also that our maner of
vulgar Poesie is more ancient then the artificiall of the Greeks and
Latines, ours comming by instinct of nature, which was before Art or
obseruation, and vsed with the sauage and vnciuill, who were before all
science or ciuilitie, euen as the naked by prioritie of time is before
the clothed, and the ignorant before the learned. The naturall Poesie
therefore being aided and amended by Art, and not vtterly altered or
obscured, but some signe left of it, (as the Greekes and Latines haue
left none) is no lesse to be allowed and commended then theirs.

Allan Blackman

Subscribe to Our Feeds

Search

Make a Gift to SHAKSPER

Consider making a gift to support SHAKSPER.