Defence of Poesie (41-45)

Their rests the Heroicall, whose verie name I thinke should daunt all backbiters. For by what conceit can a tongue bee directed to speake euil of that which draweth with him no lesse champions then Achilles, Cirus, Aeneas, Turnus, Tideus, Rinaldo, who doeth not onely teache and mooue to a truth, but teacheth and mooueth to the most high and excellent truth: who maketh magnanimitie and iustice, shine through all mistie fearefulnesse foggie desires. Who if the saying of Plato and Tully bee true, that who could see vertue, woulde bee woonderfullie rauished with the loue of her bewtie. This man setteth her out to make her more louely in her holliday apparrell, to the eye of anie that will daine, not to disdaine vntill they vnderstand. But if any thing be alreadie said in the defence of sweete Poetrie, all concurreth to the mainteining the Heroicall, which is not onelie a kinde, but the best and most accomplished kindes of Poetrie. For as the Image of each Action stirreth and instructeth the minde, so the loftie Image of such woorthies, moste enflameth the minde with desire to bee woorthie: and enformes with counsaile how to bee woorthie. Onely let Aeneas bee worne in the Tablet of your memorie, how hee gouerneth himselfe in the ruine of his Countrey, in the preseruing his olde Father, and carrying away his religious Ceremonies, in obeying Gods Commaunment, to leaue Dido , though not onelie all passionate kindnesse, but euen the humane consideration of vertuous gratefulnesse, would haue craued other of him: how in stormes, how in sports, how in warre, how in peace, how a fugitiue, how victorious, how besieged, how besieging, how to straungers, how to Allies, how to enemies, how to his owne. Lastly, how in his inwarde selfe, and howe in his outward gouernment, and I thinke in a minde moste preiudiced with a preiudicating humour, Hee will bee founde in excellencie fruitefull.

Yea as Horace saith, Melius Chrisippo et Crantore: but truly I imagin it falleth out with these Poet-whippers, as with some good women who often are sicke, but in faith they cannot tel where. So the name of Poetrie is odious to them, but neither his cause nor effects, neither the summe that containes him, nor the particularities descending from him, giue any fast handle to their carping dispraise. Since then Poetrie is of al humane learnings the most ancient, and of most fatherly antiquitie, as from whence other learnings haue taken their beginnings ; Since it is so vniuersall, that no learned nation doth despise it, nor barbarous nation is without it; Since both Romane & Greeke gaue such diuine names vnto it, the one of prophesying, the other of making ; and that indeed that name of making is fit for him, considering, that where all other Arts retain themselues within their subiect, and receiue as it were their being from it. The Poet onely, onely bringeth his own stuffe, and doth not learn a Conceit out of a matter, but maketh matter for a Conceit. Since neither his description, nor end, containing any euill, the thing described cannot be euil; since his effects be so good as to teach goodnes, and delight the learners of it; since therein (namely in morall doctrine the chiefe of all knowledges) hee doth not onely farre passe the Historian, but for instructing is well nigh comparable to the Philosopher, for mouing, leaueth him behind him. Since the holy scripture (wherein there is no vncleannesse) hath whole parts in it Poeticall, and that euen our Sauior Christ vouchsafed to vse the flowers of it: since all his kindes are not onely in their vnited formes, but in their seuered dissections fully commendable, I thinke, ( and thinke I thinke rightly ) the Lawrell Crowne appointed for tryumphant Captaines, doth worthily of all other learnings, honour the Poets triumph.

But bicause we haue eares as well as toongs, and that the lightest reasons that may be, will seeme to waigh greatly, if nothing be put in the counterballance, let vs heare, and as well as we can, ponder what obiections be made against this Art, which may be woorthie either of yeelding, or answering. First truly I note, not onely in these μισομοῦσοι, Poet-haters, but in all that kind of people who seek a praise, by dispraising others, that they do prodigally spend a great many wandring words in quips and scoffes, carping and taunting at each thing, which by sturring the spleene, may staie the brain from a through beholding the worthinesse of the subiect. Those kind of obiections, as they are full or a verie idle easinesse, since there is nothing of so sacred a maiestie, but that an itching toong may rub it selfe vpon it, so deserue they no other answer, but in steed of laughing at the ieast, to laugh at the ieaster. We know a playing wit can praise the discretion of an Asse, the comfortablenes of being in debt, and the iolly commodities of being sicke of the plague. So of the contrary side, if we will turne Ouids verse, Vt lateat virtus, prox imitate mali, that good lye hid, in nearnesse of the euill. Agrippa will be as mery in shewing the vanitie of Science, as Erasmus was in the commending of folly: neither shal any man or matter, escape some touch of these smiling Raylers. But for Erasmus and Agrippa, they had an other foundation then the superficiall part would promise. Marry these other pleasaunt fault-finders, who will correct the Verbe, before they vnderstand the Nowne, and confute others knowledge, before they confirme their owne, I would haue them onely remember, that scoffing commeth not of wisedome ; so as the best title in true English they get with their meriments, is to be called good fooles: for so haue our graue forefathers euer tearmed that humorous kinde of iesters.

But that which giueth greatest scope to their scorning humor, is ryming and versing. It is alreadie said (and as I thinke truly said) it is not ryming and versing that maketh Poesie: One may be a Poet without versing, and a versefier without Poetrie. But yet presuppose it were inseperable, as indeed it seemeth Scalliger iudgeth truly, it were an inseperable commendation. For if Oratio, next to Ratio, Speech next to Reason, be the greatest gift bestowed vpon Mortalitie, that cannot bee praiselesse, which doth most polish that blessing of speech ; which considereth each word not onely as a man may say by his forcible qualitie, but by his best measured quantity: carrying euen in themselues a Harmonie, without perchance number, measure, order, proportion, be in our time growne odious. But laie aside the iust praise it hath, by being the onely fit speech for Musicke, (Musicke I say the most diuine striker of the senses). Thus much is vndoubtedly true, that if reading be foolish without remembring, Memorie being the onely treasure of knowledge, those words which are fittest for memory, are likewise most conuenient for knowledge.

Now that Verse far exceedeth Prose, in the knitting vp of the memorie, the reason is manifest, the words (besides their delight, which hath a great affinitie to memorie) being so set as one cannot be lost, but the whole woorke failes: which accusing it selfe, calleth the remembrance back to it selfe, and so most strongly confirmeth it. Besides one word, so as it were begetting an other, as be it in rime or measured verse, by the former a man shall haue a neare gesse to the follower. Lastly euen they that haue taught the Art of memory, haue shewed nothing so apt for it, as a certain roome diuided into many places, well & throughly knowne: Now that hath the verse in effect perfectly, euerie word hauing his natural seat, which seat must needs make the word remembred. But what needes more in a thing so knowne to all men. Who is it that euer was scholler, that doth not carry away som verses of Virgil, Horace, or Cato, which in his youth hee learned, and euen to his old age serue him for hourely lessons; as Percontatorem fugito nam garrulus idem est, Dum tibi quisque placet credula turba sumas. But the fitnes it hath for memorie, is notably prooued by all deliuerie of Arts, wherein for the most part, from Grammer, to Logick, Mathematickes, Phisick, and the rest, the Rules chiefly necessarie to be borne away, are compiled in verses. So that verse being in it selfe sweet and orderly, and being best for memorie, the onely handle of knowledge, it must be in iest that any man can speak against it.