Arcadia
is the literary dreamland created by Philip Sidney for his sister Mary Sidney.
It follows the rules of Sidney anagram in naming, especially the first and last
paragraph.
The earliest
manuscript of The Countess of Pembroke’s Arcadia was in handwritten form around 1585 (the Old
Arcadia) with 151,000 words, a book by Philip
Sidney to entertain his sister Mary Sidney.
After
Philip’s death in 1586, under the supervision of Mary Sidney, the first printed
version was published in 1593 (the New Arcadia) with 299,000 words, double of the Old
Arcadia. Its 1598 version added other
works by Philip Sidney, including The Defence of Poesie, Astrophel
and Stella, The Lady of May, etc.
Pembroke’s Arcadia tells the venture
of two princes, Pyrocles and Musidorus, in Arcadia (a peninsula in southern
Greece); how they pursue princess Philoclea and Pamela. It has a happy ending
with their heirs named Pyrophilus and Melidora by
combining the name of each’s father and mother.
Philisides and Mira are two characters in
Philip Sidney’s Song. They appear also in Pembroke’s
Arcadia, where Philisides is still “in the pursuit of his affections” for
Mira.
The naming of Philisides and Mira shows that
Philip Sidney used anagrams to seal real names and their features into characters.
His sister Mary Sidney and poets supported by Wilton House followed Sidney’s
naming art.
Philoclea and Cleophila
In the Old Arcadia, Philip Sidney
expressed explicitly how he made an anagram from a character’s name. In the
story, Pyrocles the prince of Macedon renames himself Cleophila, a name “transformed”
directly from his lover Philoclea via her perfect anagram.
Pyrocles.
As for my name it shall be Cleophila, turning Philoclea to myself,
as my mind is wholly turned and transformed into her.
This paragraph is removed from the New
Arcadia. Pyrocles’ alias is set to Zelmane instead of Cleophila, except at
the end the name “Cleofila” appeared once, likely a miss. Though removed,
Sidney’s naming art still can be derived from many other names in the book.
Musidorus and Pyrocles
Daiphantus is the alias of Zelmane, an
Amazon warrioress. After Zelmane’s death, Pyrocles uses Daiphantus as his male
alias, and Zelmane his female alias. Pyrocles Daiphantus can spell Philip Sidney. His female alias Zelmane is reserved for
Musidorus as a hint that female Musidorus reflects Philips’s sister Mary
Sidney.
Musidorus is the prince of Thessalia and
cousin of Pyrocles. Musidorus and Pyrocles’ female alias Zelmane can spell Mary Sidney. Philip Sidney transformed himself to Pyrocles
as his substitute in the literary dreamland Arcadia; Mary Sidney to Musidorus via
Pyrocles’ female alias to connect with her brother. The first and last letter
of Musidorus can match the
initials of Mary Sidney,
the same for Pyrocles and Philip Sidney.
Pyrocles can be a perfect anagram of pry-close; Musidorus of Mus’-is-dour. Pry has the usage of to look curiously or to search by observing narrowly; dour of severe or rigorous; Mus’ of Muse. The two names together can be a hint for readers, to pry closely for Muse is severe in this literary world.
Pyrocles’ lover Philoclea can be a perfect
anagram of philo-lace; philo has the usage of
love; lace of to entangle or fasten. Two pairs of lovers entangled in
love is the theme of this book.
Musidorus’ love Pamela can be a perfect
anagram of ap’-male or a both-way anagram of ape-male; ape has the usage of an imitator or to
imitate. Musidorus reflects Mary Sidney who imitates a male in the fictional Arcadia.
Last Paragraph of the Old and New Arcadia
Melidura
is the daughter of Musidorus and Pamela. Her name appears in the last paragraph
of the Old Arcadia, where the son of Pyrocles is unnamed.
Lastly
the Son of Pyrocles, and Melidura
the fair Daughter of Pamela by Musidorus: who even at their birth
entered into admirable Fortunes may awake some other Spirit to exercise his pen
in that, wherewith mine is already dulled.
The New
Arcadia adds the name of Pyrocles’ son as Pyrophilus, and changes
Melidura to Melidora.
Lastly,
the son of Pyrocles, named Pyrophilus,
and Melidora, the fair daughter of Pamela
by Musidorus, who even at their birth entered into admirable fortunes;
may awake some other spirit to exercise his pen in that wherewith mine is
already dulled.
The name Pyrophilus combines the front part of his parents Pyrocles and Philoclea. Melidora combines the rear part of her parents Pamela and Musidorus.
