Defence of Poesie (50-52)

For I will not denie, but that mans wit may make Poesie, which should be εἰκαστική which some learned haue defined figuring foorth good things to be θαναστική which doth contrariwise infect the fancie with vnwoorthie obiects, as the Painter should giue to the eye either some excellent perspectiue, or some fine Picture fit for building or fortification, or containing in it some notable example, as Abraham sacrificing his sonne Isaack, Iudith killing Holofernes, Dauid fighting with Golias, may leaue those, and please an ill pleased eye with wanton shewes of better hidden matters. But what, shal the abuse of a thing, make the right vse odious? Nay truly though I yeeld, that Poesie may not onely be abused, but that being abused by the reason of his sweete charming force, it can do more hurt then anie other armie of words: yet shall it be so farre from concluding, that the abuse should giue reproach to the abused, that contrariwise, it is a good reason, that whatsoeuer being abused, doth most harme, being rightly vsed (and vpon the right vse, ech thing receiues his title) doth most good.

Do we not see skill of Phisicke the best ramper to our often assaulted bodies, being abused, teach poyson the most violent destroyer ? Doth not knowledge of Law, whose end is, to euen & right all things, being abused, grow the crooked fosterer of horrible iniuries? Doth not (to go to the highest) Gods word abused, breede heresie, and his name abused, become blasphemie? Truly a Needle cannot do much hurt, and as truly (with leaue of Ladies be it spoken) it cannot do much good. With a swoord thou maist kill thy Father, and with a swoord thou maist defende thy Prince and Countrey: so that, as in their calling Poets, fathers of lies, they said nothing, so in this their argument of abuse, they prooue the commendation. They alledge herewith, that before Poets began to be in price, our Nation had set their hearts delight vppon action, and not imagination, rather doing things worthie to be written, then writing things fit to be done. What that before time was, I think scarcely Spinx can tell: since no memerie is so ancient, that hath not the precedens of Poetrie. And certain it is, that in our plainest homelines, yet neuer was the Albion Nation without Poetrie. Marry this Argument, thou it be leuiled against Poetrie, yet is it indeed a chain-shot against all learning or bookishnes, as they commonly terme it. Of such mind were certaine Gothes, of whom it is written, that hauing in the spoile of a famous Cittie, taken a faire Librarie, one hangman belike fit to execute the frutes of their wits, who had murthered a great number of bodies, would haue set fire in it. No said an other verie grauely, take heed what you do, for while they are busie about those toyes, wee shall with more leisure conquere their Countries. This indeed is the ordinarie doctrine of ignorance, and many words sometimes I haue heard spent in it: but bicause this reason is generally against al learning, as wel as Poetrie, or rather all learning but Poetrie, because it were too large a digression to handle it, or at least too superfluous, since it is manifest that all gouernment of action is to be gotten by knowledge, and knowledge best, by gathering manie knowledges, which is reading; I onely with Horace, to him that is of that opinion, Iubio stultum esse libenter: for as for Poetrie it selfe, it is the freest from this obiection, for Poetrie is the Companion of Camps. I dare vndertake, Orlando Furioso, or honest king Arthure, will neuer displease a souldier: but the quidditie of Ens et Prima materia, will hardly agree with a Corcelet.

And therefore as I said in the beginning, euen Turkes and Tartars, are delighted with Poets. Homer a Greeke, flourished, before Greece flourished: and if to a slight coniecture, a coniecture may bee apposed, truly it may seem, that as by him their learned men tooke almost their first light of knowledge, so their actiue men, receiued their first motions of courage. Onely Alexanders example may serue, who by Plutarche is accounted of such vertue, that fortune was not his guide, but his footestoole, whose Acts speake for him, though Plutarche did not: indeede the Phoenix of warlike Princes. This Alexander, left his Schoolemaister liuing Aristotle behinde him, but tooke dead Homer with him. Hee put the Philosopher Callisthenes to death, for his seeming Philosophicall, indeed mutinous stubbornnesse, but the chiefe thing hee was euer heard to wish for, was, that Homer had bene aliue. Hee well founde hee receiued more brauerie of minde by paterne of Achilles, then by hearing the definition of fortitude. And therefore if Cato misliked Fuluius for carrying Ennius with him to the field, It may be answered, that if Cato misliked it, the Noble Fuluius liked it, or else he had not done it ; for it was not the excellent Cato Vticencis, whose authoritie I would much more haue reuerenced: But it was the former, in truth a bitter punisher of faultes, but else a man that had neuer sacrificed to the Graces. Hee misliked and cried out against all Greeke learning, and yet being foure score yeares olde beganne to learne it, belike fearing that Pluto vnderstood not Latine. Indeed the Romane lawes allowed no person to bee carried to the warres, but hee that was in the souldiers Role. And therefore though Cato misliked his vnmustred person, he misliked not his worke. And if hee had, Scipio Nasica (iudged by common consent the best Romane) loued him: both the other Scipio brothers, who had by their vertues no lesse surnames then of Asia and Affricke, so loued him, that they caused his bodie to be buried in their Sepulture. So as Catoes authoritie beeing but against his person, and that answered with so farre greater then himselfe, is herein of no validitie.