Coryat's Crudities - William Hole's Frontispiece
A year before his frontispiece for the Poly-Olbion, engraver William Hole made one for Coryat's Crudities (1611), an account of travels through Europe. Here is the reproduction of the Folger Shakespeare Library copy:
Several scenes from the work are presented, and on the following pages in the book, a key ('An Explication of the Emblemes of the frontispice') is given to the various passages, with verses written by Laurence Whitaker (later MP for Peterborough) and the famous playwright Ben Jonson.
The frontispiece and the verses make much fun of Thomas Coryat, no doubt on instigation of the author himself, who is often described as an eccentric. Thus, on one emblem, the author is presented as the fount of more than wisdom alone. 'Here, like Arion, our Coryate doth draw / All sorts of fish with Musicke of his maw':
But projectiles don't only emit from the author, they are also directed towards him, in abundance. 'A Punke [i.e., a prostitute] here pelts him with egs. How so? / For he did but kisse her, and so let her go':
'Here France, and Italy both to him shed / Their hornes, and Germany pukes on his head':
Among the many dedicatory verses which follow the key to the frontispiece, is also a verse by Michael Drayton (see below).
John Selden, who would around this same time be asked to contribute a prose commentary to Michael Drayton's Poly-Olbion (or be busy preparing it), was reputed to be a drinking buddy of Ben Jonson; thus, through Hole's, Jonson's and Drayton's participation in the publication of Coryat's Crudities we are reminded that London's literary world in the early seventeenth-century was a tightly connected network.
A briefe Prologue to the verses following.
Deare Tom, thy booke was like to come to light,
Ere I could gaine but one halfe howre to write;
They go before whose wits are at their noones,
And I come after bringing Salt and Spoones.
Many there be that write before thy Booke,
For whom (except here) who could euer looke?
Thrice happy are all wee that had the Grace
To haue our names set in this liuing place.
Most worthy man, with thee it is euen thus,
As men take Dottrels, so hast thou ta'n vs.
Which as a man his arme or leg doth set,
So this fond Bird will likewise counterfeit:
Thou art the Fowler, and doest shew vs shapes
And we are all thy Zanies, thy true Apes.
I saw this age (from what it was at first)
Swolne, and so bigge, that it was like to burst,
Growne so prodigious, so quite out of fashion,
That who will thriue, must hazard his damnation:
Sweating in panges, sent such a horrid mist,
As to dim heauen: I looked for Antichrist
Or some new set of Diuels to sway hell,
Worser then those, that in the Chaos fell:
Wondring what fruit it to the world would bring,
At length it brought forth this: O most strange thing;
And with sore throwes, for that the greatest head
Euer is hard'st to be deliuered.
By thee wise Coryate we are taught to know,
Great, with great men which is the way to grow.
For in a new straine thou com'st finely in,
Making thy selfe like those thou mean'st to winne:
Greatnesse to me seem'd euer full of feare,
Which thou found'st false at thy arriuing there,
Of the Bermudos, the example such,
Where not a ship vntill this time durst touch;
Kep't as suppos'd by hels infernall dogs,
Our Fleet found their most honest wyld courteous hogs.
Liue vertuous Coryate, and for euer be
Lik'd of such wise men, as are most like thee.
Explicit Michael Drayton.
