Defence of Poesie (2-4)

Wherin if Pulianos strong affection and weake arguments will not satisfie you, I wil giue you a nearer example of my selfe, who I know not by what mischance in these my not old yeares and idlest times, hauing slipt into the title of a Poet, am prouoked to say somthing vnto you in the defence of that my vnelected vocation, which if I handle with more good will, then good reasons beare with me, since the scholler is to be pardoned that followeth the steps of his maister. And yet I must say, that as I haue more iust cause to make a pittifull defence of poore Poetrie, which from almost the highest estimation of learning, is falne to be the laughing stocke of children, so haue I need to bring some more auaileable proofes, since the former is by no man bard of his deserued credit, the silly later, hath had euen the names of Philosophers, vsed to the defacing of it, with great daunger of ciuill warre among the Muses.

And first truly to all them that professing learning enuey against Poetrie, may iustly be obiected, that they go very neare to vngratefulnesse, to seeke to deface that which in the noblest nations and languages that are knowne, hath bene the first light giuer to ignorance, and first nurse whose milke litle by litle enabled them to feed afterwards of tougher knowledges. And will you play the Hedge-hogge, that being receiued into the den, draue out his host? Or rather the Vipers, that with their birth kill their parents? Let learned Greece in any of his manifold Sciences, be able to shew me one booke before Musæus, Homer, & Hesiod, all three nothing else but Poets. Nay let any Historie bee brought, that can say any writers were there before them, if they were not men of the same skill, as Orpheus, Linus, and some other are named, who hauing bene the first of that country that made pennes deliuerers of their knowledge to the postertie, nay iustly challenge to bee called their Fathers in learning. For not onely in time they had this prioritie, (although in it selfe antiquitie be venerable) but went before them, as causes to draw with their charming sweetnesse the wild vntamed wits to an admiration of knowledge. So as Amphion, was said to mooue stones with his Poetry, to build Thebes, and Orpheus to be listned to by beasts, indeed stonie and beastly people.

So among the Romans, were Liuius Andronicus, and Ennius, so in the Italian language, the first that made it aspire to be a treasure-house of Science, were the Poets Dante, Bocace, and Petrach. So in our English, were Gower, and Chawcer, after whom, encoraged & delighted with their excellent foregoing, others haue folowed to bewtify our mother toong, aswel in the same kind as other arts.