His Life and Genius 139 



nourished and ruled by realities, they are futile 

 and ridiculous When they degenerate into nervous 

 over-strains counted spiritual, or into mere eccen- 

 tricities out of tune and proportion with realities. 

 Were they meritorious by themselves the lunatic 

 who carries eccentric originality and overweening 

 individuality to the highest pitch might claim the 

 palm of merit, as he, superbly self-satisfied with 

 himself, often quite confidently does. 



Steadily gaining increase of influence and pro- 

 perty in the theatre by his prudent conduct and 

 diligent industry after he had got his footing there, 

 he also grew steadily in poetical power and repu- 

 tation. Although in dedicating Venus and Adonis 

 (published in 1593) to the Earl of Southampton, 

 from whom he received large pecuniary favours 

 and to whom he was otherwise indebted, he calls 

 it the first heir of his invention, he had contri- 

 buted plays to the theatre, five of which had then 

 been printed. This poem he might think right 

 so to describe since it was original, whereas his 

 previously printed plays were no doubt in great 

 part adaptations and improvements of material 

 which he found ready to hand, or perhaps written 

 in collaboration, and his sonnets were then only 

 circulated privately. However that be, Venus and 

 Adonis, followed as it was in the year following 

 by the Rape of Lucrece, proved at once to all the 

 world that, far from being only an adapter and 

 imitator of other men's works, he was an original 

 poet of rare genius. Even Greene, penitent on 



