Defence of Poesie (6)

And euen Historiographers, although their lippes sound of things done, and veritie be written in their forehead, haue bene glad to borrow both fashion and perchance weight of the Poets. So Herodotus entituled his Historie, by the name of the nine Muses, and both he and all the rest that followed him, either stale, or vsurped of Poetrie, their passionate describing of passions, the many particularities of battels which no man could affirme, or if that be denied me, long Orations put in the mouthes of great Kings and Captains, which it is certaine they neuer pronounced. So that truly neither Philosopher, nor Historiographer, could at the first haue entered into the gates of populer iudgements, if they had not taken a great pasport of Poetrie, which in all nations at this day where learning flourisheth not, is plaine to be seene: in all which, they haue some feeling of Poetry.