[1] "The Arte of English Poesie, contrived in three bookes--the first
of Poets and Poesie, the second of Proportion, the third of
Ornament," 1589, 4to.
[2] Ames appears first to have called him _Webster_ Puttenham.
Possibly Ames might have noted down the name from Carew, as Master
Puttenham, which by an error of the pen, or the printer, was
transformed into the remarkable Christian name of _Webster_. I cannot
otherwise account for this misnomer. Steevens, in an indistinct
reference to a manuscript, revealed it to be _George_; and probably
was led to that opinion by the knowledge of a manuscript work in the
Harleian Collection by a George Puttenham. It is a defence of
Elizabeth in the matter of the Scottish Queen. Ellis, our poetic
antiquary, has distinguished our author as "Webster, _alias_ George."
All this taken for granted, the last editor, probably in the course
of his professional pursuits, falls on a nuncupative will, dated
1590, of a _George_ Puttenham; already persuaded that such a name
appertained to the author of the "Art of English Poetry," he ventured
to corroborate what yet remained to be ascertained. All that he could
draw from the nuncupative will of this _George_ Puttenham is, that he
"left all his goods, movable and immovable, moneys, and bonds," to
Mary Symes, a favourite female servant; but he infers that "he
probably was our author." Yet, at the same time, there turned up
another will of one _Richard_ Puttenham, "a prisoner in her Majesty's
Bench." _Richard_, therefore, may have as valid pretensions to "The
Arte of English Poesie," as _George_, and neither may be the author.
This matter is trivial, and hardly worth an inquiry.
Haslewood, laborious but unfortunately uneducated, is the editor of
an elegant reprint of this "Arte of English Poesie." A modern reader
may therefore find an easy access to a valuable volume which had been
long locked up in the antiquary's closet.
[3] See page 157 of "The Arte of English Poesie."
[4] The following letter is an evidence of the uncertain accounts
respecting this author among the most knowing literary historians.
Here, too, we find that Webster, or George, or Richard, is changed
into Jo!--
"What authority Mr. Wood has for Jo. Puttenham's being the author of
the 'Art of English Poetry' I do not know. Mr. Wanley, in his
'Catalogue of the Harley Library,' says that _he had been told that
Edmund Spenser was the author of that book, which came out
anonymous_. But Sir John Harrington, in his preface to 'Orlando
Furioso,' gives so hard a censure of that book, that Spenser could
not possibly be the author."--"Letter from THOMAS BAKER to the Hon.
James West," printed in the "European Magazine," April, 1788.