[Sidenote: Asyndeton, or the Loose language.] Ye haue another sort of speach in a maner defectiue because it wants good band or coupling, and is the figure [Asyndeton] we call him [loose language] and doth not a litle alter th'eare as thus. I saw it, I said it, I will sweare it.
Caesar the Dictator vpon the victorie hee obteined against Pharnax king of Bithinia shewing the celeritie of his conquest, wrate home to the Senate in this tenour of speach no lesse swift and speedy then his victorie. Veni, vidi, vici, I came, I saw, I overcame.
Meaning thus I was no sooner come and beheld them but the victorie fell on my side.
The Prince of Orenge for his deuise of Armes in banner displayed against the Duke of Adua and the Spaniards in the Low-countrey vsed the like maner of speach. Pro Rege, pro lege, pro grege, For the king, for the commons, for the countrey lawes.
It is a figure to be vsed when we will seeme to make hast, or to be earnest, and these examples with a number more be spoken by the figure of [lose language.]
[Sidenote: Polisindeton, or the Couple clause.]
Quite contrary to this ye haue another maner of construction which they
called [Polisindeton] we may call him the [couple clause] for that
euery clause is knit and coupled together with a coniunctiue thus,
And I saw it, and I say it and I
Will sweare it to be true.
So might the Poesie of Caesar haue bene altered thus.
I came, and I saw, and I ouercame.
One wrote these verses after the same sort,
For in her mynde no thought there is,
But how she may be true to is:
And tenders thee and all thy heale,
And wisheth both thy health and weale:
And is thine owne, and so she sayes,
And cares for thee ten thousand wayes.
[Sidenote: Irmus, or the Long loose.]
Ye haue another maner of speach drawen out at length and going all after
one tenure and with an imperfit sence till you come to the last word or
verse which concludes the whole premisses with a perfit sence & full
periode, the Greeks call it [Irmus,] I call him the [long loose] thus
appearing in a dittie of Sir Thomas Wyat where he describes the diuers
distempers of his bed.
The restlesse state renuer of my smart,
The labours salue increasing my sorrow:
The bodies ease and troubles of my hart,
Quietour of mynde mine unquiet foe:
Forgetter of paine remembrer of my woe,
The place of sleepe wherein I do but wake:
Besprent with teares my bed I thee forsake.
Ye see here how ye can gather no perfection of sence in all this dittie
till ye come to the last verse in these wordes my bed I thee forsake.
And in another Sonet of Petrarcha which was thus Englished by the same
Sir Thomas Wyat.
If weaker care of sodaine pale collour,
If many sighes with little speach to plaine:
Now ioy now woe, if they my ioyes distaine,
For hope of small, if much to feare therefore,
Be signe of loue then do I loue againe.