Defence of Poesie (17-19)

Now therfore it shal not be amisse, first to way this latter sort of poetrie by his workes, and then by his parts, and if in neither of these Anatomies hee be condemnable, I hope we shall obteine a more fauourable sentence. This purifying of wit, this enriching of memorie, enabling of iudgement, and enlarging of conceit, which commonly we cal learning, vnder what name so euer it come forth, or to what immediate end soeuer it be directed, the finall end is, to lead and draw vs to as high a perfection, as our degenerate soules made worse by their clay-lodgings, can be capable of. This according to the inclination of man, bred many formed impressions. For some that thought this felicity principally to be gotten by knowledge, and no knowledge to be so high or heauenly, as acquaintance with the stars; gaue themselues to Astronomie: others perswading themselues to be Demygods, if they knew the causes of things, became naturall and supernaturall Philosophers. Some an admirable delight drew to Musicke; and some the certaintie of demonstration to the Mathematicks: but all one and other hauing this scope to know, & by knowledge to lift vp the minde from the dungeon of the bodie, to the enioying his owne diuine essence. But when by the ballance of experience it was found, that the Astronomer looking to the stars might fall in a ditch, that the inquiring Philosopher might be blind in him self, & the Mathematician, might draw forth a straight line with a crooked hart. Then lo did proofe, the ouerruler of opinions make manifest, that all these are but seruing sciences; which as they haue a priuate end in themselues, so yet are they all directed to the highest end of the mistresse knowledge by ye Greeks ἀρχιτεκτονίκη which stands as I thinke, in the knowledge of a mans selfe, in the Ethike and Politique consideration, with the end of well doing, and not of well knowing onely.

Euen as the Sadlers next ende is to make a good Saddle, but his further ende, to serue a nobler facultie, which is horsmanship, so the horsemans to souldiery: and the souldier not onely to haue the skill, but to performe the practise of a souldier. So that the ending end of all earthly learning, being verteous action, those skils that most serue to bring forth that, haue a most iust title to be Princes ouer al the rest: wherin if we can shew, the Poet is worthy to haue it before any other competitors: among whom principally to challenge it, step forth the moral Philosophers, whom me thinkes I see comming towards me, with a sullain grauitie, as though they could not abide vice by day-light, rudely cloathed, for to witnesse outwardly their contempt of outward things, with bookes in their hands against glorie, whereto they set their names: sophistically speaking against subtiltie, and angry with any man in whom they see the foule fault of anger. These men casting larges as they go of definitions, diuitions, and distinctions, with a scornful interrogatiue, do soberly aske, whether it be possible to find any path so ready to lead a man to vertue, as that which teacheth what vertue is, & teacheth it not only by deliuering forth his very being, his causes and effects, but also by making knowne his enemie vice, which must be destroyed, and his combersome seruant passion, which must be mastred: by shewing the generalities that contains it, and the specialities that are deriued from it.

Lastly by plaine setting downe, how it extends it selfe out of the limits of a mans owne little world, to the gouernment of families, and mainteining of publike societies. The Historian scarsely giues leisure to the Moralist to say so much, but that he loaden with old Mouse-eaten Records, authorising himselfe for the most part vpon other Histories, whose greatest authorities are built vppon the notable foundation Heresay, hauing much ado to accord differing writers, & to pick truth out of partiality: better acquainted with a 1000 . yeres ago, then with the present age, and yet better knowing how this world goes, then how his owne wit runnes, curious for Antiquities, and inquisitiue of Nouelties, a wonder to yoong folkes, and a Tyrant in table talke; denieth in a great chafe, that any man for teaching of vertue, and vertues actions, is comparable to him. I am Testis temporum, lux veritatis, vita memoriae, magistra vitae, nuncia vetustatis. The Philosopher saieth he, teacheth a disputatiue vertue, but I do an actiue. His vertue is excellent in the dangerlesse Academy of Plato: but mine sheweth forth her honourable face in the battailes of Marathon, Pharsalia, Poietiers, and Agincourt. Hee teacheth vertue by certaine abstract considerations: but I onely bid you follow the footing of them that haue gone before you. Old aged experience, goeth beyond the fine witted Philosopher: but I giue the experience of many ages.