Defence of Poesie (6-10)

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.

In Turkey, besides their lawgiuing Diuines, they haue no other writers but Poets. In our neighbour Countrey Ireland, where truly learning goes verie bare, yet are their Poets held in a deuout reuerence. Euen among the most barbarous and simple Indians, where no writing is, yet haue they their Poets who make & sing songs which they call Arentos, both of their Auncestors deeds, and praises of their Gods. A sufficient probability, that if euer learning come among them, it must be by hauing their hard dull wittes softened and sharpened with the sweete delights of Poetrie, for vntill they finde a pleasure in the exercise of the minde, great promises of much knowledge, wil little persuade them that know not the frutes of knowledge. In Wales, the true remnant of the auncient Brittons, as there are good authorities to shew, the long time they had Poets which they called Bardes: so thorow all the conquests of Romans, Saxons, Danes, and Normans, some of whom, did seeke to ruine all memory of learning from among them, yet do their Poets euen to this day last: so as it is not more notable in the soone beginning, then in long continuing.

But since the Authors of most of our Sciences, were the Romanes, and before them the Greekes, let vs a litle stand vpon their authorities, but euen so farre as to see what names they haue giuen vnto this now scorned skill. Among the Romanes a Poet was called Vates, which is as much as a diuiner, foreseer, or Prophet, as by his conioyned words Vaticinium, and Vaticinari, is manifest, so heauenly a title did that excellent people bestowe vppon this hart-rauishing knowledge, and so farre were they carried into the admiration thereof, that they thought in the chanceable hitting vppon any of such verses, great foretokens of their following fortunes, were placed. Whereupon grew the world of Sortes Vergilianae, when by suddaine opening Virgils booke, they lighted vppon some verse of his, as it is reported by many, whereof the Histories of the Emperours liues are full. As of Albinus the Gouernour of our Iland, who in his childhood met with this verse Arma amens capio, nec sat rationis in armis: and in his age performed it, although it were a verie vaine and godlesse superstition, as also it was, to thinke spirits were commaunded by such verses, whereupon this word Charmes deriued of Carmina, commeth: so yet serueth it to shew the great reuerence those wittes were held in, and altogither not without ground, since both by the Oracles of Delphos and Sybillas prophesies, were wholly deliuered in verses, for that same exquisite obseruing of number and measure in the words, and that high flying libertie of conceit propper to the Poet, did seeme to haue some diuine force in it.

And may not I presume a little farther, to shewe the reasonablenesse of this word Vatis, and say that the holy Dauids Psalms are a diuine Poeme? If I do, I shal not do it without the testimony of great learned men both auncient and moderne. But euen the name of Psalmes wil speak for me, which being interpreted, is nothing but Songs: then that it is fully written in meeter as all learned Hebritians agree, although the rules be not yet fully found. Lastly and principally, his handling his prophecie, which is meerly Poeticall. For what else is the awaking his musical Instruments, the often and free chaunging of persons, his notable Prosopopeias, when he maketh you as it were see God comming in his maiestie, his telling of the beasts ioyfulnesse, and hils leaping, but a heauenly poesie, wherin almost he sheweth himselfe a passionate louer of that vnspeakable and euerlasting bewtie, to be seene by the eyes of the mind, onely cleared by faith? But truly now hauing named him, I feare I seeme to prophane that holy name, applying it to Poetry, which is among vs throwne downe to so ridiculous an estimation. But they that with quiet iudgements wil looke a litle deeper into it, shal find the end & working of it such, as being rightly applied, deserueth not to be scourged out of the Church of God.

But now let vs see how the Greekes haue named it, and how they deemed of it. The Greekes named him ποιήτην which name, hath as the most excellent, gone through other languages, it commeth of this word ποιεῖν which is to make: wherin I know not whether by luck or wisedome, we Englishmen haue met with the Greekes in calling him Maker. Which name, how high and incomparable a title it is, I had rather were knowne by marking the scope of other sciences, then by any partial allegation. There is no Art deliuered vnto mankind that hath not the workes of nature for his principall obiect, without which they could not consist, and on which they so depend, as they become Actors & Plaiers, as it were of what nature will haue set forth. So doth the Astronomer looke vpon the starres, and by that he seeth set downe what order nature hath taken therein. So doth the Geometritian & Arithmititian, in their diuers sorts of quantities. So doth the Musitians in times tel you, which by nature agree, which not. The natural Philosopher thereon hath his name, and the morall Philosopher standeth vppon the naturall vertues, vices, or passions of man: and follow nature saith he therein, and thou shalt not erre. The Lawier saith, what men haue determined. The Historian, what men haue done. The Gramarian, speaketh onely of the rules of speech, and the Rhetoritian and Logitian, considering what in nature wil soonest prooue, and perswade thereon, giue artificiall rules, which still are compassed within the circle of a question, according to the proposed matter. The Phisitian wayeth the nature of mans bodie, & the nature of things helpfull, or hurtfull vnto it. And the Metaphisicke though it be in the second & abstract Notions, and therefore be counted supernaturall, yet doth hee indeed build vpon the depth of nature.