See the Introduction to this presentation of early poems by Edward de Vere. Click here to go to the next poem or the previous poem in the series. All the poems, and a printable pdf version of the entire presentation, may also be accessed from the Introduction. See also Note on Sources, Titles, and Presentation of Parallels, Key to Abbreviations, and Bibliography of Works Cited.
Poem No. 16: “Were I a King”
1 Were I a king I could command content;
2 Were I obscure unknown should be my cares,
3 And were I dead no thought should me torment,
4 Nor words, nor wrongs, nor loves, nor hopes, nor fears;
5 A doubtful choice of these things one to crave,
6 A kingdom or a cottage or a grave.
Textual sources: No. 16 was first published in John Mundy’s collection, Songs and Psalms (1594), and is also preserved in various manuscripts, including British Library MS 22583 and Harleian MS 6910 (also in the British Library). See Hannah (147); Grosart (426-27); Looney (1921, 38, Miller ed. 1975, 1: 596); May (#16) (1980, 37, 79, 121; 1991, 281).
No. 16’s date of composition is uncertain, but very probably no later than the mid-1580s, when the relevant MSS began to be transcribed. Sir Philip Sidney, who died in 1586, is thought to have composed one of several replies (see, e.g., Hannah, 147-48). No. 16 could easily have been written well before then. May (1991, 270) commented generally that “[t]here is little reason” to date any of these de Vere poems “later than the 1580s.”
Structure: Six-line epigram rhyming ABABCC.
Looney’s title: same as above
Past commentaries on parallels: Sobran (258-59); Goldstein (2016, 51-52; 2017, 23).
No. 16 and No. 18 express several related thoughts. Compare No. 18, line 1 (My mind to me a kingdom is) and lines 23-24 (thus I triumph like a king, Content).
Strongest parallels to No. 16:
(1) Were I a king I could command content
‘Was ever king that joyed an earthly throne, And could command no more content than I?’ (2 Hen. VI, 4.9.2); cf. ‘a king crowned with content’ (3 Hen. VI, 3.1.66); ‘Were the world mine’ (Dream, 1.1.190).
(1-2, 6) content … obscure … A kingdom or a cottage or a grave
‘The king shall be contented … I’ll give … My gorgeous palace for a hermitage … And my large kingdom for a little grave, A little little grave, an obscure grave’ (Rich. II, 3.3.145).
Additional parallels to No. 16:
(3) no thought should me torment
‘the torture of the mind’ (Mac., 3.2.21); ‘the thought whereof Doth like a poisonous mineral gnaw my inwards’ (Oth., 2.1.296); ‘But ah, thought kills me’ (Sonnets, 44.9).
Here is another characteristic topic in Shakespeare’s theory of the mind, found first in de Vere’s lyric: the idea that the mind can make itself sick with too much worry. Shakespeare’s Richard II, Henry IV, Henry V, and Henry VI all lament the woes of kings.
Continue to Poem No. 17, return to Poem No. 15, or return to the Introduction.
[published June 22, 2018, updated 2021]
