Class ?N/05 1 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 /&? 
 
Cdyvv-^^.v<v\ ^w I Xc 
 
 GEORGE PUTTENHAM. 
 
 €he Qxtz of (English $0£0k 
 
 [June ?] 1589. 
 
 
 CAREFULLY EDITED BY 
 
 EDWARD ARBER, 
 
 AJjTociate, King's College, London, F.R.G.S., &»c. 
 
 1ZX H. 
 
 k -O- \ * * 
 
 (' 
 
 LONDON : 
 ALEX. MURRAY & SON, 30, QUEEN SQUARE, W.C 
 
 Ent. Stat. Hall.} IO April, 1 869. [All Rights referved. 
 
- M^pi i 
 
 PNi^i 
 
 CONTENTS. P* 
 
 Introduction 3 
 
 Personal Recollections, &c, of the Author in the 
 
 prefent work 10 
 
 Evidence in favour of George Puttenham being the 
 
 Author of this book 14 
 
 Bibliography 16 
 
 THE ARTE OF ENGLISH POESIE . 17 
 
 1. The Printer's [Richard Field] dedication to Lord 
 
 Burghley . . . . .... . . 18 
 
 The First Booke. Of Poets and Poesie . . 19 
 
 In thirty- one Chapters 
 
 The Second Booke. Of Proportion Poetical . 78 
 In eighteen Chapters 
 
 The Third Booke. Of Ornament .... 149 
 In twenty-five Chapters 
 
 The Conclusion .313 
 
 A Table of the Chapters in this book, and every thing 
 
 in them contained . . . . . . 315 
 
 to* 
 
 ■©"-Jr. ?a. ( \°\3\ 
 
The Arte of English Poesie. 
 
 INTR OD UCTION. 
 
 ' muft ever be remembered that this 
 Ladies' book was firfl publilhed anony- 
 moufly ; that the printer was or feigned 
 to be in ignorance of its Author; that 
 fimilarly Sir John Harington, in 1591, 
 only refers to him as ' that vnknowne Godfather, that 
 this laft yeare faue on, viz. 1589, fet forth a booke 
 called the Arte of Englifh Poefie,' and again as that 
 ' fame Ignoto ;' and laflly, that the authorfhip of the 
 work was never openly claimed by any of Elizabeth's 
 contemporaries. 
 
 The treatife appears to have been written between 
 June 1584, and November 1588 when it was firfl en- 
 tered at Stationers' Hall. This is proved not only by 
 the general tenour of contemporary allufion, as by the 
 following particulars, among other. 
 
 1. John Soowthern's 'Pandora. The Mufyque of the beautie of 
 his miftreffe Diana, 1 has on its title page the date 20. June 1584. 
 Mr. J. P^ Collier— in Bib/. Cat. ii. 367, ed. 1865— gives the refult 
 of his examination — while it was. in the poffeffion of the late Mr. 
 Heber — of the only perfect copy of this intrinficly worthlefs 
 work. He quotes paiTages to fhow that Puttenham meant, 
 though he does not name, Soowthern in his defcription, at p. 259, 
 of ' our minion ' with his vice of Mingle-Mangle. That being 
 the cafe; the prefent work was written after June 1584. 
 
 2. There is at/. 206 of fome of the copies of the original edition, 
 a remarkable fubftitution of one paffage for another, refpecling 
 the Netherlanders. We have reprinted both paffages 2X. p. 254. 
 This fubftitution tells this tale. The work was compofed at a 
 time when the Xetherlanders were in bad odour; when indeci- 
 fion marked the Queen's counfel, as to whether the long peace 
 mould be broken and they mould be affifted in the war againft 
 Spain. The firfl paffage is, therefore, ftrongly anti-Dutch. This 
 would accord with the hiftory of 1585. 
 
 But the work came to the prefs about March- April 1589. 
 Meanwhile, the Armada had been defeated — the Dutch had 
 proved themfelves worthy confederates, and had helped much 
 in the victory. So a more friendly though fomewhat patronizing 
 paffage is fubflituted for the former one — but not before fome 
 
4 Introduction. 
 
 fheets had been printed. Thus, we obtain from this diverfity, 
 evidence as to the original compofition in 1585, or later. 
 
 3. In one of the cancelled pages, fee p. 116, is an account of 
 the King of Spain's efcutcheon and its legend, Nonfufficit orais, 
 in the Governor's palace at St. Domingo. This city was taken 
 by Drake, on New Year's Day 1586 ; and his great Expedition 
 returned to Portfmouth on the 20th July 1586. Subfequent to 
 which date, we muft place our Author's knowledge of the fact. 
 
 4. Sidney is called Sir Philip Sidney (he was knighted 8th 
 Jan. 1583). The abfence of all allufion to his death (17 Oct. 
 1586) or magnificent public funeral (16 Feb. 1587), accords with 
 an anterior compofition of this work. 
 
 5. The correction on publication in 1589, as to events and 
 time, is fometimes perfect ; as in bringing up the Queen's rule to 
 ' this one and thirty yeares fpace of your glorious raigne ;' * fome- 
 times imperfect as * We ourfelues haue heretofore giuen fome ex- 
 ample by our Triumphals written in honour of her Maiefties long 
 peace ;' + a paffage evidently written in the time of that peace. 
 
 A minute and exhauflive analyfis of the work, tracing 
 every contemporary allufion to its date, would probably 
 but confirm this general refult — that it was written 
 about 1585, and then as, with but few corrections and 
 additions, it was printed in 1589. 
 
 The occafion of the work appears in language, which, 
 confidering that great Age, and the great Worthies 
 and Poets then living, is fomewhat extraordinary. 
 
 But in thefe dayes (although fome learned Princes may take 
 delight in Poets) yet vniuerfally it is not fo. For as well Poets 
 as Poefie are defpifed, and the name become, of honorable in- 
 famous, fubiecl; to fcorne and derifion, and rather a reproch than 
 a prayfe to any that vfeth it : for commonly who fo is ftudious 
 in th'Arte or fhewes him felfe excellent in it, they call him in dis- 
 dayne a phantafticall : and a light headed or phantafticall man 
 (by conuerfion) they call a Poet. J 
 
 Peraduenture in this iron and malitious age of ours, Princes are 
 leffe delighted in it [the Arte of Poefie] being ouer earneftly bent 
 and affected, to the affaires of Empire and ambition. ... So 
 as, it is hard to find in thefe dayes of noblemen or gentlemen 
 any good Mathematician, or excellent Mufttian, or notable Philo- 
 fopher, or els a cunning Poet : becaufe we find few great Princes 
 much delighted in the fame ftudies. Now alfo of fuch among 
 the Nobilitie or gentrie as be very well feene in many laudable 
 fciences, and efpecially in making or Poefie, it is fo come to paffe 
 that they haue no courage to write and if they haue, yet are they 
 
 * p. 60. t/. 61. %p. 33. 
 
l?itrodu£lio7i. 5 
 
 loath to be a knowen of their skill. So as I know very many 
 notable Gentlemen in the Court that haue written commendably 
 and fuppreffed it agayne, or els fuffred it to be publifht with- 
 out their names to it : as if it were a difcredit for a Gentleman, 
 to feeme learned, and to fhew him felfe amorous of any good Art.* 
 
 And in her Maiefties time that now is are fprong vp an other 
 crew of Courtly makers Noble men and Gentlemen of her Ma- 
 iefties owne feruauntes, who haue written excellently well as it 
 would appeare if their doings could be found out and made pub- 
 licke with the reft.i* 
 
 Which chiding, flrangely coming from an anony- 
 mous author, — containing as it does an important 
 teftimony, both as to an anterior literary fecundity, and 
 to the mafs of contemporary literature which never 
 reached the printing-prefs — is always to be eftimated, in 
 confidering the earlier Elizabethan literature of Eng- 
 land. 
 
 Such being the occafion, the Author tells us of the 
 perfons he had in view in writing this, the largeil piece 
 of Poetical Criticifm in Elizabeth's reign. 
 
 Firft and above all : he writes for the Queen's own 
 perfonal information and pleafure : whofe portrait, in 
 all her glorious attire, adorns the original edition, and 
 fpecimens of whofe poefie will be found at/. 256. 
 
 You (Madame) my molt Honored and Gracious : if I mould 
 feeme to offer you this my deuife for a difcipline and not a de- 
 light. % 
 
 So haue we remembred and fet forth to your Maieflie very 
 briefly, all the commended formes of the auncient Poefie . . . 
 And we haue purpofely omitted all nice or fcholaftical curiofities 
 not meete for your Maiefties contemplation in this our vulgar 
 arte.§ 
 
 Alfo that I write to the pleafure of a Lady and a moft gratious 
 Queene, and neither to Prieftes nor to Prophetes or Philofo- 
 phers. || 
 
 Next he wrote for the Court. 
 
 I trull they will beare with me writing in the vulgar fpeach 
 and feeking by my nouelties to fatisfie not the fchoole but the 
 Court. H' 
 
 Courtiers for whofe inftruclion this trauaile is taken. . . . The 
 authors owne purpofe, which is to make of a rude rimer, a learned 
 and a Courtly Poet.** 
 
 * P- 37- t p. 75- + P- 21. § p. 72. II P- 3 I 4- 1 P- 172. ** p. 170- 
 
6 Introduction. 
 
 Becaufe our chiefe purpofe herein is for the learning of Ladies 
 and young Gentlewomen or idle Courtiers, defirous to become 
 skilful in their owne mother tongue, and for their priuate recrea- 
 tion to make now and then ditties of pleafure. . . .* 
 
 Specially for your Ladies and pretie miftreffes in Court, for 
 whofe learning I write. + 
 
 Neuertheleffe becaufe we are to teache Ladies and Gentlemen 
 to know their fchoole points and termes appertaining to the Art. % 
 
 [Proportion in figure] alfo fit.teft for the pretie amourets in 
 Court to entertaine their feruants and the time withall, their deli- 
 cate wits requiring fome commendable exercife to keepe them 
 from idleneffe.§ 
 
 So as euery furplufage or prepofterous placing or vndue itera- 
 tion or darke word, or doubtfull fpeach are not fo narrowly to be 
 looked vpon in a large poeme, nor fpecially in the pretie Poefies 
 and deuifes of Ladies, and gentlewoman makers, whom we would 
 not haue too precife Poets leaft with their fhrewd wits, when they 
 were maried they might become a little too phantafticall wiues.=|j 
 
 Laftly, he tells us. 
 
 Our intent is to make this Art vulgar for all Englifh mens vfe. *y 
 
 Thus, Queen, Court, Educated if it might not be the 
 Learned as well, are thofe for whofe inftruction and 
 delight in The Arte of Engli/Ji Poefie this work was 
 undertaken. 
 
 What was then his purpofe and plan? He gives us 
 his own summary of it ? 
 
 Now (moft excellent Queene) hauing largely faid of Poets and 
 Poefie, and about what matters they be employed : then of all 
 the commended fourmes of Poemes, thirdly of metricall propor- 
 tions, fuch as do appertaine to our vulgar arte : and laft of all 
 fet forth the poeticall ornament confifting chiefly in the beautie and 
 gallantneffe of his language and ftile, and fo haue apparelled him 
 to our feeming, in all his gorgious habilliments, and pulling him 
 firft from the carte to the fchoole, and from thence to the Court, 
 and preferred him to your Maiefties feruice, in that place of great 
 honour and magnificence to geue enterteinment to Princes, Ladies 
 of honour, Gentlewomen and Gentlemen, and by his many 
 moodes of skill, to ferae the many humors of men thither haunt- 
 ing and reforting, fome by way of folace, fome of ferious aduife, 
 and in matters afwell profitable as pleafant and honeft.** 
 
 Hitherto we have dealt with the intention of the 
 book, its execution is too large a fubject for confider- 
 ation here. A few points may be fimply glanced at. 
 
 v A 170. t p. 1S4. \ p. 180. § p. 104. || p. 256. 
 
 1 p. 246. ** p. 304- 
 
Introduction. 7 
 
 The work is not exclufively confined to E?igliOi 
 Poefie. The Firft of the three bookes gives alfo the theory 
 of the origin of the various forms of Poetrier The Second 
 defcribes the ancient Claffic Poetry ; reports, and ap- 
 parently introduces into our literature, the Tartarian 
 and Perfian forrns of verfe, afterwards fo fafhionable ; 
 and difcuffes the application of Greek and Latin meetri- 
 cal ' numerofitie ' to Englifh poetry. The Third book 
 explains the then theory of Punctuation ; has a long 
 chapter on Language ; deals with the figures of Rhetoric 
 as well as thofe of Poetry proper : and has fome forty 
 pages on a feemingly foreign fubjecl, Decorum \ by 
 which we are to underfland not only Courtly manners, 
 but alfo apt and felicitous expreffion of thought, and ap- 
 propriatenefs of drefs and conduct to our condition in life. 
 
 That chapter Of Language, and the many criticifms on 
 ' words' fcattered through the book are moil interefting. 
 Our Author was the Archbifhop Trench of his age. It 
 is important in the hiftory of the growth of our Tongue, 
 to fee him fixing Englifh, as ' the vfuall fpeach of the 
 Court, and the fhires lying about London within fixty 
 miles, and not much above;' defending the introduction 
 by himfelf or others, into our language, of fuch words 
 as Impreffton, Scientific, Major-domo, Politician, Co?iducl, 
 Idiom, Significative •* to liften to his explanations of fuch 
 words as Pelf, Moppe or of fuch proverbs as Totneffe is 
 tur?ied Fi'ench, Skarborow warning, and the like. A man 
 who could patiently tranfpofe a fingle fentence five 
 hundred times in fearch of an Anagram on his Sove- 
 reign's name; would eafily delight in the refined fubtilty 
 of meanings which are enfhrined in words. 
 
 A word of common occurrence in the book — vulgar, 
 muft oftentimes be ftripped of its modern acceptation. 
 Sometimes it is ufed as we ufe it now, for low, coi?imon : 
 but often it refers to the then current theory of lan- 
 guages. People fuppofed that from the three ancient 
 and dead languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin, all 
 modern Continental languages were derived. They 
 
 * The words quoted in his self-criticism will be found in the opening 
 chapters of the first Book. 
 
8 Introduction* 
 
 gave to thefe national living languages the common 
 name of ' vulgar tongues.' So in many inftances herein, 
 vulgar ftands for native or national : e. g. our vulgar art, 
 may be read our national art, or fometimes fimply, our 
 vulgar is equivalent to our native tongue. 
 
 It would be great injuftice to overpays the clear ftyle 
 of the book. Confidering the nature of the fubject, 
 and that the Author was writing for Ladies : great fkill is 
 mown in the breaking up of the book into many chap- 
 ters : in his perfect affluence of example, illuftration, 
 and anecdote to folace their ' minds with mirth after all 
 thefe fcholaflical preceptes which can not but bring 
 with them (fpecially to Courtiers) much tedioufneffe ;' 
 and in the merry twinkling wit fo conftantly peeping 
 out, as in his debating ' I cannot well fay whether a 
 man vfe to kiffe before hee take his leaue, or take his 
 leaue before he kiffe, or that it be all one bufmefs.' 
 
 Another characleriftic is his difpaffionate judgement. 
 His condemnation of his own productions is without a 
 qualm ; and his praife of others' poetry is equally un- 
 qualified : juft as either appear to him to neglect or 
 conform to the principles of his Arte. 
 
 There yet remains a great queftion. Who was the 
 Author? 
 
 A large number of tantalizing felf-allufions occur in 
 the book. No lefs than twelve of the writer's previous 
 works, not counting flighter pieces, are either referred 
 to, defcribed, or quoted in it ; and fome of them in a 
 way, only confident with their antecedent circulation in 
 MS. Of all thefe works, there has come down to us, 
 but a late and imperfect copy of one, — Parthe?iiades : 
 and that copy, in accordance with the perfectly fuc- 
 cefsful reticence, has not the author's name on it. 
 
 We learn from The Arte of EngliJJi Poefie that it was 
 written by an Englifhman, born about 1530; that he 
 was one of children in the Nurfery, and he calls his 
 nurfe, 'the old gentlewoman'; that in due time he 
 became a Scholar at Oxford ; that in his younger days 
 
Introduction. 9 
 
 he gave himfelf up to Poeiie ; that at eighteen he 
 'made an Eglogue entitled Elpine to Edward VI;' 
 that yet in his youth he was brought up in Foreign 
 Courts and knew them better than he did the Englifh 
 one ; that he could fay * I my felfe hailing feene the 
 Courts of Fraunce, Spaine, Italie, and that of the Em- 
 pire, with many inferiour Courts ;' that by early fludies, 
 riper training, and foreign fociety he was at home in 
 Greek and Latin ; well skilled in French, Italian, and 
 Spanilh ; well read in hiftory, efpecially that of his own 
 time 1 of great acquaintance with our national litera- 
 ture ; and taking an efpecial delight in Englifh poefy. 
 
 Further he was fome time on the Continent between 
 1 560-1 5 70: and in 1579 prefented his Partheniades as 
 a Xew Year's gift to Queen Elizabeth. 
 
 Finally, approaching fixty years of age, he wrote the 
 prefent work for his Souereign's delight and inftruction. 
 Who is this high-born, high bred, highly cultivated, 
 courtly Crichton? 
 
 Can he be George Puttenham, of whofe exiftence 
 there is no doubt, but whofe name is firft affociated in 
 print with this work fo late as 16 14, in William Carew's 
 paper On the exeelkncie of the EngliJJi tongue, in the 
 fecond edition of Camden's Remaines. It is an aggra- 
 vation, that gleaning as much as we do of our Author, 
 we know fo little otherwife of Puttenham' s life : that 
 we have no elements to combine with the above facts. 
 
 Our purpofe is not to diipoffefs Puttenham of the 
 authorfhip, as to contrail the abundant felf-allufhon in 
 the work, with the weak external evidence in his fa- 
 vour. It is to be hoped in the exhumation of old 
 documents fo conftantly going on, all or at leaf! fome 
 of our Authors works may be discovered : or if that 
 be too great a hope, that evidence, deciiive and final, 
 may turn up, as to whether among the good writers, 
 either in profe or verfe, of our Country can be en- 
 roiled the name of George Puttenham : whether it is 
 to him that we are indebted for this original and clever 
 book on Poetry, Rhetoric, and Good Manners. 
 
Personal Recollections, &c. 
 
 of the 
 
 AUTHOR 
 
 in the present work. 
 
 * Probable or approximate dates. 
 
 The indications of time are so rarely given, that the order is often simply- 
 haphazard : and the whole collection is but tentative. 
 
 1509. &pr. 22. p?cnrrj EUHL success to tfjc tfjnm*. 
 
 [^1529. With reference to the story at/. 277, Professor J. S. Brewer, 
 
 a great authority as to this period, writes to me : "The Ambas- 
 sador referred to can be no other than Dr. Lee, afterwards 
 Archbp. of York, the celebrated opponent of Erasmus. He 
 was ambassador in Spain from 1525 until the Emperor left for 
 Italy at the commencement of 1530. During the year 1529, 
 he was called upon to remonstrate with the Emperor for the 
 part he took in supporting Catherine, and practising with the 
 Pope to prevent the king's divorce. It was apparently on one 
 of these occasions that the circumstances mentioned in the 
 anecdote occurred. It is clear from various indications in 
 Lee's letter, that he was not an exact Spanish or French scho- 
 lar. In general the interviews between Charles and the Eng- 
 lish ambassadors were carried on in French."] 
 *i532. Probable date of birth. 
 
 ' My mother had an old woman in her nurserie, who in the 
 winter nights would put vs forth many prety ridles. . . The 
 good gentlewoman would tell vs that were children . . . .' 
 PP- I 98, 199- 
 
 ' When I was a scholler at Oxford.' p. 219. 
 
 1 It [Poesie] was but the studie of my yonger yeares in which 
 vanitie raigned.' p. 314. 
 
 ' I haue set you down two little ditties which our selues in 
 our younger yeares played vpon the [figure of the] Antistrophe. 
 Vpon the mutable lone of a Lady. 
 Vpon the meritoriotis loue of Christ our Sauiour.' 
 pp. 208, 209. 
 
 John Everaerts, also called Secundus Nicolaius [b. 
 10 Nov. 1511, at the Hague ; d. 8 Oct. 1536, at Tournay] was 
 one of the great poets of the Renaissance. His works, all of 
 them in Latin, were not published till after his death. His 19 
 poems, called ' Kisses,' Basia, were first published at Leyden 
 in 1539. A collection of his works appeared at Utrecht in 
 1541, and again at Paris in 1582 : in which among his book of 
 poems, entituled Sylvce are the Epithalamium referred to at 
 p. 68 ; and ' The Palace of Money,' Regia Pecuniar, the 
 autographic copy of which is in Harl. MS. 4935, in the British 
 Museum. Secundus wrote Elegies, Odes, Epigrams, &c. ; 
 and among other ' A Monody on the death of Sir Thomas 
 More. '] 
 
Personal Recollections of the Author. ii 
 
 1547. San. 28. 3£otao FE romcs to tfje throne. 
 
 *i55o. set. 18. ' Also in our Eglogue intituled Elplne, which we made being 
 but eighteene yeares old, to King Edward the sixt a Prince 
 of great hope.' p. 180. [This fixes the author's birth between 
 1529-1535. Taking a mean date, he may be assumed to have 
 been born within a year, either way, of 1532.] 
 
 ' Specially in the Courtiers of forraine countreyes, where in 
 my youth I was brought vp, and very well obserued their 
 maner of life and conuersation, for of mine owne country I 
 haue not made so great experience.' p. 308. 
 
 ' I my selfe hauing seene the Courts of Fraunce, Spaine, 
 Italie, and that of the Empire, with many inferior Courts.' 
 
 • $' ^7\ . . 
 
 ' Being in Italy conuersant with a certain gentleman, who 
 
 had long trauailed the Orientall parts of the world, and seene 
 
 the Courts of the great Princes of China and Tartarie.' p. 104. 
 
 His foreign travels are referred to zXpp. 216, 278, 279, 306. 
 
 1553. 3ulg 6. iHarg sttroxos to the crobon. 
 
 J 553- O ct - 5- Parliament meets. By the first Motion and Nomination of 
 
 (Thursday.) Mr. Treasurer of the Queen's House, the Worshipful Mr. 
 John Pollard, Esq. [who sat for Oxfordshire not Yorkshire. 
 Willis's Notitia Pari. P. 11. iii. 29, Ed. 1750] excellent in the 
 Laws of this Realm, was elected speaker. Commons Journals. 
 i. 27. 
 
 1553. Oct. 9. On Monday afternoon, Mr. Speaker made an excellent 
 
 Oration before the Queen's Highness sitting in the Royal 
 Seat in the Parliament Chamber; all the Nobles and Com- 
 mons assembled. Idem. See p. 145. 
 
 1558. £ob- 17. fElfcafcctfj fagms to rn'gn- 
 
 1559-1567. Margaret, Duchess of Parma, Regent of the Netherlands 
 
 [ ? ] Our author ' is a beholder of the feast ' given by the Regent 
 
 at Brussels to Henry, Earl of Arundel, ' passing from England 
 towards Italie by her Maiesties licence.' p. 278. 
 1560-1574. Charles IX. King of France. 
 
 [ ? ] 'In the time of Charles the ninth French king, I being at the 
 
 Spaw waters, there lay a Marshall of Fraunce called Monsieur 
 de Sipier [who apparently dies there], p. 285. 
 [ ? ] 'Or else be locked into the Church by the Sexten as I my 
 
 selfe was once serued reading an Epitaph in a certain cathe- 
 drall Church of England.' p. 71. 
 [ ? ] The Golden Knight and the Knight called Saint Sunday ; 
 
 both living when our author wrote, p. 291. 
 [ ? ] ' Quoth the Iudge [apparently dead at the time of writing] 
 
 what neede of such eloquent termes [as violent persuasions} in 
 this place V p. 153. 
 
 [At pp. 169-178 of Cott. MS. Vespasian E. viii., written in 
 ' a small hand, is a copy of 17 poems, which were printed by 
 Mr. Haslewood in his edition of the present work in 1811. 
 The first is headed — 
 
 The principall addresse in nature of a new years gifte, 
 seemi?ige therebye the autJwr inte7ided not to have his name 
 knowue. 
 
 These poems are the Partheniades of our author. The 
 somewhat modern copy is apparently imperfect : as the 15th 
 in its order is quoted as the 20th, and the 16th as the 18th. 
 The following are also quoted — the 2d, 6th, 7th, 8th, and 
 12th. Three poems at least are therefore omitted, besides 
 
12 Personal Recollections of the Author. 
 
 some transposition of the order in the copy. In the last 
 poem are these lines, which fix the date at i Jan. 1579 : — 
 
 ' But O, nowe twentye yeare agon, 
 Forsakinge Greece for Albion, 
 Where thow alone doost rule and raygne, 
 Empresse and Queene of great brittrayne.'] 
 
 I 579- J an « x - O ur author presented these Partheniades to the Queen. 
 
 1558-1579, Authorities differ as to Sir J. Throgmorton's tenure of the 
 
 or office of the Justice of the County Palatine of Chester. G. 
 
 1 559- 1 5^>4- Ormerod, Hist, of Chester,^ i. 59, 1819, states it to be from 
 
 1558-1579. In Chetham Misc. ii. 30, 1856, it is stated to be 
 only from 1559-1564. Probably the former is more correct. 
 Our author wrote the Knight's Epitaph. See p. 189. 
 [ ? ] 'I haue seene forraine Embassadours in the Queenes pres- 
 
 ence, laugh so dissolutely at some rare pastime or sport that 
 hath been made there. . . .' p. 297. 
 [ ? ] Serjeant Bendlowes saying on the Queen's progress in 
 
 Huntingdonshire.' p. 266. 
 
 1579. Feb. 28. Sir Nicholas Bacon dies. See p. 152. 
 
 1580. Feb. 25. Henry, Earl of Arundel, dies. See p. 278. 
 1584. June 20. Date of John Soowthern's Pandora. See p. 3. 
 
 The author's other works anterior to the composition of this one : — 
 Prose. 
 
 ' And whereof it first proceeded and grew, . . . appeareth more at large 
 in our bookes of Ierotekni.'' p. 45. 
 
 ' We our seines who compiled this treatise haue written for pleasure a litle 
 brief Romance or historicall ditty in the English tong of the Isle of great 
 Britaine in short and long meetres ' p. 57. 
 
 ' Of all which matters, we haue more largely spoken in our bookes of the 
 originals and pedigree of the English tong.' p. 156. 
 
 ' Our booke which we haue written de Decoro. ' p. 283. 
 
 Poetry. 
 
 ' Our Comedie entitu tied Ginecocratia.' Described,/. 146. 
 ' Our Enterlude entitutled Ltistie London.'' Quoted.//. 183, 208. 
 ' Our Enterlude called The tVo[o]er.' Quoted, pp. 212, 233. 
 ' In a worke of ours entitutled Philo Calia, where we entreat of the loues 
 betwene prince Philo and Lady Calia. p. 256. Quoted at p. no. 
 
 ' Our Triumphals written in honour of her Maiesties long peace.' /. 61. 
 
 The following entry appears in the Register of the Sta- 
 tioners' Company : — 
 T588. Nov. 9. ix. of No. Tho. Orwyn. Allowed unto him to prynte etc. 
 The A rte of Englishe Poesie in Three Bookes, the first of 
 Poets and Poesye, the second of Proportion, and the third 
 of Omamente. vjd. 
 
 [This important work appeared in 1859, " Printed by 
 Richard Field, dwelling in the Black-Friars, neere Ludgate," 
 where he was then carrying on the business, to which he had 
 succeeded from marrying Vautrollier's daughter. The 
 authorship of the volume is doubtful, no name appearing in any 
 part of the more than 250 quarto pages, although the writer 
 over and over again mentions and quotes his own poems, 
 and treats of the compositions of nearly all the writers of the 
 day. — J. P. Collier in ' Notes and 'Queries ,' 2d S., xii. 143.] 
 A second entry occurs in the Stationers' Co.'s Registers : 
 1589. Feb. 3. Rich. Feild. Thart of Engliih Poesie, beinge before 
 
Personal Recollections of the Author. 13 
 
 entred for Tho. Orwin's copie, and is by his consent now- 
 put over to Rich. Field. vjd. 
 [See for the entry to Orwin, (above' : the imprint of the 
 edition, 4to, 1589, is "At London, printed by Richard 
 Field, dwelling in the Blaek-Friais, neere Ludgate ;" and 
 Orwin does not appear to have had any interest in the work. 
 Field, as already stated, was from Stratford-on-Avon, and 
 was the typographer, employed by Shakespeare for his 
 V ernes and Adonis, 1593, and Lucrece, 1594 ; and by Spen- 
 ser for the edit, of The Faerie Q2tee?i, in 1596. J. P. Collier. 
 Idem p. 243.] 
 
 May 28. Date of the printer's dedication of the book to Lord 
 
 Burghley, seep. 18. 
 
 *June. The book published. 
 
 1 Sir John Harington, in his Preface to Orlando Furioso, in English 
 Heriocal verses. London, fol. 1591 : thus refers to our Author ; and contro- 
 verts his opinion as to translators being no Poets. 
 
 Neither do I suppose it to be greatly behoofull for this purpose, to trouble 
 you with the ciirious definitions of a Poet and Poesie, and with the subtill 
 distinctions of their sundrie kinds ; nor to dispute how high and supernatural 
 the name of a maker is, so christened in English by that vnknowne Godfather, 
 that this last yeare saue one, viz. 15S9. set forth a booke called the Arte of 
 English Poetrie : and least of all do I purpose to bestow any long time to 
 argue, whether Plato, Zenophofi, and Erasmus, writing fictions and Dia- 
 logues in prose, may iustly be called Poets, or whether Lucan writing a story 
 in verse be an historiographer, or whether Mayster Faire translating Virgil, 
 Mayster Golding translating Ouids metamorphosis, and my selfe in this worke 
 that you see, be any more then versifiers, as the same Iguoto termeth all 
 translators : for as for all, or the most part of such questions, I will refer you 
 to Sir Philip Sidneys Apologie [in MS. but not /' Harington 
 
 thus quotes it. It was first published in 1595], who doth handle them right 
 learnedly, or to the forenamed treatise where they are discoursed more 
 largely, and where, as it were a whole receit of Poetrie is prescribed, with so 
 manie new figures, as would put me in great hope in this age to come, would 
 breed manie excellent Poets ; saue for one obseruation that I gather out of 
 the verie same book. For though the poore gentleman laboreth greatly to 
 proue, or rather to make Poetrie an art, and reciteth as you may see in the 
 plural number, some pluralities of patterns, and parcels of his owne Poetrie, 
 with diuers pieces of Partheniads and hymnes in praise of the most prais- 
 worthy ; yet whatsoeuer he would proue by all these, sure in my poore opinion 
 he doth proue nothing more plainly, then that which 3ET Sidney and all the 
 learneder sort that haue written of it, do pronounce, namely that it is a gift 
 and not an arc, I say he proueth it, because making himselfe and so manie 
 others so cunning in the art, yet he sheweth himselfe so slender a gift in it : - 
 deseruing to be commended as JMartiall praiseth one that he compares to 
 Tully. 
 
 Carmina quod so ibis et Apolline nullo 
 Laudari debes, hoc Ciceronis habes. 
 
 2 Mr. Haslewood [Ccns. Lit. ii. 40. Ed. 1809] was of opinion, that Francis 
 Meres, M.A., derived from the present work and especially Bk. I. Chap. 
 31 the greater portion of his Comparative discourse of our English Poets, 
 with the Greeke, Latine and Italian Poets, at pp. 279-287 of his ' Palladis 
 Tamia, Wits Treasury,' 1598: and that W. Vaughax, M.A., in The Golden 
 '. 2d Ed. i5oS ; in Chap. 44. Book III. Of Poetry, and the excelle?icie 
 thereof: and Henry Peacham, M.A., in The Compleat Gentlema7i, 1622; - 
 in Chap. 10 Of Poe:rie, pp. 78-96; also borrowed unacknowledged informa- 
 tion from the present work. 
 
Evidence in favour of 
 GEORGE PUTTENHAM 
 
 being the Author of this book. 
 
 * i53 2 - Approximate date of birth of the Author. 
 
 [* x 534 or *i535. Sir T. Elyot, in his dedication of The Education or 
 bringinge vfi of children, printed in 1535 'to his only entirely 
 beloued syster Margaret Puttenham,' writes, ' I therefore 
 in tymes vacant from busynes and other more serious 
 study, as it were for my solace and recreation, have trans- 
 lated for you this lytell treatise entitled the Education of 
 chyldren, and made by Plutarch the excellent philosopher 
 and mayster of Traiane, moost vertuous and noble of all Em- 
 perours. . . . And it shall only suffice me, if I by this littel 
 labour I may cause you myn entirely beloued syster to folowe 
 theintente of Plutarche, in bryngingeand inducynge my litell 
 neuewes into the trayne and rule of vertue, whereby they 
 shall fynallye attayne to honour (god so disposynge) to the in- 
 estimable comforte of theyr naturall parents, and other 
 theyr louynge friendes : and moste specially to the high 
 pleasure of god, commoditye and profite of theyr countray. 
 Thus hartily fare ye well, and kepe with you this token of 
 my tender loue to you, which with the vertue and toward- 
 nes of your children shall be continually augmented. From 
 London the. xxvii. day of Novembre' [?i534 or 1535.] 
 
 Can George and Richard Puttenham be these ' neuewes' 
 of Sir T. Elyot, for whom he wrote this book : and the chil- 
 dren of Sir Thomas' 'only' entirely beloued syster Margaret, 
 
 married to Puttenham ?] 
 
 The following entry occurs in the Register of the Sta- 
 tioner's Company : 
 1588, Nov. 9. ix. of No. Tho. Orwyn. Allowed unto him to prynte etc. 
 
 The A rte of Englishe Poesie in Three Bookes, the frst oj 
 Poets and Poesye, the second of Proportion, and the third 
 ofOmamente. "vjd. 
 
 [The most plausible claim [to the authorship] is that of George Puttenham, 
 who had a brother one of the Queen's Yeomen of the Guard, named Richard 
 Puttenham, who was buried at St. Clement Danes, on 2d July 1601. There is 
 extant, under the date of 8 Feb. 1504-5, an order from the Lords of the Queen's 
 Council in the following form, which we give because it has hitherto been 
 passed over, and because it refers to a man of so much literary distinction : — 
 " The Order of the Lords. —Whereas George Puttenham, gent., hath been 
 a long sutor to her Ma tie and us to be recompensed to the value of one thou- 
 sand pounds, as well in respect that he did incurre so much loss in obeying her 
 Ma tes commaundement, as for other causes conteyned in a scedule and order 
 wherunto wee have sett to our hands. Now, at his humble sute and request 
 we (having: considered the equitie of the cause, and being desirouse to doe the 
 said suppliant good aid and furtherance in his said sute in respect of his obedi- 
 ence) have ordered (and so require) that Mr. Secretarie in our name (and for 
 the causes above said) doe prefer to her Ma tie the humble sute of the said sup- 
 pliant with this recommendation from us ; and that her Ma tie may be pleased 
 to rest satisfied with our opinion in the equitie of the cause. 
 
 'Tho. Brumley, cane, Robert Leycester, 
 H. Hunsden, William Burley, C. Howard, 
 James Croftes.' 
 By a long explanatory paper annexed, it appears that the dispute was be- 
 tween George Puttenham and his brother Richard. From the Book of Decrees 
 of the Court of Requests, we learn that in 28 Eliz., Richard Puttenham was 
 in most distressed circumstances, having been four years in prison, and having 
 had to maintain ' a proud stubborn woman, his wife, in unbridled liberty : ' 
 he was thus worth no more than ' the simple garment on his back. ' These 
 particulars are as new as they are curious, and are derived from the original 
 documents. —Mr. J. P. Collier, in Notes and Queries, 2nd S. xii. 143.] 
 
Evidence in favour of George Puttenham. 15 
 
 [Mr. Haslewood in Ancient Critical Essays, i. i Ed. 180.9, gives the fol- 
 lowing information : — "In the prerogative court of Canterbury there is a 
 nuncupative will dated the first of September, 1590, of George Putenham, of 
 London, Esquire, and piobably our author, whereby, " First and principallie 
 he bequathed his soull vnto Almighte God, and his bodie to be buried in 
 christian buriall. Item, hegaue and bequeathed vnto Marye Symes, wydowe, 
 his servant, as well for the good service she did him as alsoe for the money 
 which she had laid forth for him, all and singular, his goods, chattels, leases, 
 plate, redie money, lynnen, wollen, brasse, peuter, stuff of houshold, bills, 
 bonds, obligations, and all his goodes moueable or vnmoueable, of what kind 
 nature qualitie or condicion, and in whose hands custodye or possession theye 
 then were in, or remained, as well within his dwellinge howse as in anie other 
 place or places within the realme of England. In the presence of Sebastian 
 Archibould, scrivener : James Clerke, William Johnson, and diuers others." 
 The probate act describes the defunct of Saint Bridgett's, in Fleet Street, 
 London, Esq. There was also a Richard Puttenham, Esquire, whose will 
 accords with the above as a scrivener's form, dated 16 Oct. 1597, he being 
 " prisoner in her Majesty's Bench: " bequeaths all his property to his " verily 
 reported and reputed daughter Katherine Puttenham." Considering the 
 tenor of both Wills, the want of descendants of the name of Puttenham is no 
 longer extraordinary."] 
 
 [Harl. MS. 831 is a clearly written copy, apparently of the seventeenth 
 century, entitled — 
 
 An apologie, or true defens of her Maiesties honorable and good renowne 
 against all such who haue sought or shall seek to blemish the same, with 
 any iniustice, crueltie, or other unprincely behaviour in any partes of her 
 Maiesties proceedings against the late Scotish Queene, Be it for her first 
 surprince, imprisonment, process attayneder or death. 
 
 By very firme reasons, authorities and examples, proveing that her Maiestie 
 hath done nothing in the said action against the rules of honor or amies or 
 otherwise, not warrantable by the law of God and of man. 
 
 Written by George Puttenham to the seruice of her Maiestie and for large 
 satisfaction of all such persons both princely and private, who by ignorance 
 of the case, or partiallitie of mind shall happen to be irresolute and not well 
 satisfyed in the said cause.] 
 
 1. William Camden, in his Remaines of a Greater Worke, concerning 
 Britaine, &=c, London, 1605, thus commences the section of Poems: — 
 
 * Of the dignity of Poetry much hath beene said by the worthy Sir Phi- 
 lipp Sidney, and by the gentleman which proued that Poets were the first 
 Politicians, the first Philosophers, the first Historiographers.' Apparently 
 Camden did not know who that gentleman was. 
 
 2. Edmund Boltox left behind him a MS. entitled Hypercritica, a Rule 
 of J2idgemcnt for writing or reading our history 's •, in four addresses : the 
 last of which is entitled Prime Gardens for gathering English : according 
 to the true gage or standard of the Tongue, about 15 or 16 years ago. This 
 address — though not published till 1722 by A. Hall — was undoubtedly written 
 in the reign of James I., probably about 1620, not 1610, as A. a Wood thought. 
 The year 1605 should probably be associated with the following remark : — 
 
 ' Q. Elizabeth's verses, those which I have seen and read, some exstant in 
 the elegant, witty and artificial Book of the Art 0/" English Poetry, (the Work 
 as the Fame is' of one of her Gentlemen Pensioners, Putteuhajn, are Princely, 
 as her prose.' — Sect iv.,p. 236, ed. 1722. 
 
 This is the earliest trace at present of Puttenham's name being associated 
 with The A rte of English Poesie. 
 
 3. In 1614, the second edition of Camden's ' 'Remaines, Reviewed, corrected 
 and increased,' appeared. It contained a paper of ten pages on The Excel- 
 lencie of the English tongiie, by ii[ichard] C[arew] of [St.] AntJw?iy, Es- 
 quire, to JF[illiam C[amden], 
 
 Carew, at p. 42, sa} r s, ' And in a word, to close vp these proofs of our copi- 
 ousnesse, looke into our Imitations of all sorts of verses affoorded by any 
 other language, and you shall finde that Sir Philip Sydney, Master Putten- 
 ham, Maister Staiuhurst and diuers more haue made vse how farre wee are 
 
1 6 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
 
 within compasse of a fare imagined possibilitie in that behalfe' — an allusion 
 to Puttenham more as a versifier than a poetical critic. 
 
 This is all the evidence, by any contemporary of either Elizabeth or Tames. 
 
 A. a Wood gives the following very short account of Puttenham : — A worthy 
 
 gentleman, his [Dyer's] contemporary, called Puttenham, one of the 
 
 gentlemen pensioners to qu. Elizabeth, who according to fame, was author of 
 The Art of English Poesie, accounted in its time an elegant witty* and arti- 
 ficial book, in which are some of the verses, made by qu. Elizabeth extant ; 
 but whether this Puttenham was bred in Oxon I cannot yet tell. A th. Oxon. : 
 742. Ed. 1813. 
 
 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 
 
 Stye $crte of eJttgii*!) Poegte. 
 
 (a) Issues in frje gutter's lifetime. 
 I. As a separate publication. 
 
 1 1589. London. Editio princeps: see title on opposite page. This edition 
 
 1 vol. 4to. has become very scarce. Messrs. Willis and Sotheran, in 
 
 Bibliotheca Curiosa, 1867, offered a copy at ,£5, 5s. Mr. 
 Joseph Lilly, in his Bibliotheca Anglo-Curiosa, is now offer- 
 ing a copy at £4, 14s. 6d. He states that copies of this 
 edition sold at Col. Stanley's sale for ^21, at Hibbert's for 
 ^13, 13s., and at the Roxburghe sale for £16, 5s. 6d. 
 
 Three copies of the original edition have been used in 
 preparing the present reprint — Ben Jonson's copy in the 
 Grenville Collection, and another also in the British Museum, 
 (Press-mark 1077. f.) : together with a third kindly lent me 
 by J. P. Collier, Esq., F.S.A. 
 
 This last copy formerly belonged to Dr. Farmer. Inside 
 its cover, are noted the following prices paid for it, long ago: 
 which strongly contrast with the more recent figures quoted 
 above : — 
 
 Sold at Mr. West's auction, No. 1815, for £1, 13s. 
 
 Egerton, 1788, £2, 2s. While Mr. Collier bought it at 
 
 Dr. Farmer's sale for £2, 14s. 
 
 (fj) Issues since tfje &utf)or's tteaffj* 
 
 I. As a separate publication. 
 3 10 April 1869. 1 vol. 8vo. English Reprints : see title at_^. 1. 
 London. 
 
 II. With other works. 
 
 2 1811-16. Lond. Ancient Critical Essays: Ed. by Joseph Haslewood. 
 
 2 vols. 4to. Puttenham occupies the whole of the first volume published 
 
 in 1 81 1. In addition to The Arte of English Poesie is re- 
 printed the Partheniades. 
 
 Mr. Lilly, in offering in his Bibliotheca Anglo-Curiosa, 
 a copy of this edition at £2, 12s. 6d., states, 'Only 200 
 copies were printed, which were published at £■$, 3s. each ; 
 but the greater part of them were destroyed at the fire at 
 Mr. Bensley's printing office.' 
 
 It may be therefore fairly assumed that there are hardly more than three 
 hundred copies of the present work in existence in any form, anterior to the 
 present edition. 
 
THE ARTE 
 
 OF ENGLISH 
 
 P O E S I E. 
 
 Contriued into three Bookes : The firft of 
 Poets and Poefie, the fecond of Pro- 
 portion, the third of Ornament. 
 
 
 
 AT LONDON 
 
 Printed by Richard Field, dwelling in the 
 black-Friers, neere Ludgate. 
 
 1 5 8 9- , . , 
 
 Y^<^)^ 
 
TOTHE RIGHT HONO- 
 RABLE SIR WILLIAM CECILL 
 
 KNIGHT, LORD OF BVRGHLEY, LORD 
 
 HIGH TREASVRER OF ENGL AND, R. F. 
 
 Printer wifheth health and profperitie, with 
 
 the commandement and vfe of his 
 
 continuall feruice. 
 
 His Booke (right Honorable) comming to my - 
 handes, with his bare title without any Authours 
 
 name or a??y other ordinarie addreff e. I doubted how 
 well it might become me to make y 'ou aprefent thereof, 
 feemingbymany expreffe paffages in the fame at large, 
 that it was by the Authour intended to our Soueraigne 
 Lady the Queene, and for her recreation and feruice chiefly deuifed* 
 in which cafe to make any other p erf on her highnes partener in the 
 honour of his guiftit could notfland with my dutie, nor be without 
 fome preiudice to her Male Hies interest and his merrite. Pe?reyuing 
 b'efdes the title to purport fo flender a fubiecl, as nothing almoft could 
 be more difcrepant from the grauitie of your yeeres and Honorable 
 funclion, zvhofe conte?nplations are euery houre more ferioufly etn- 
 ployedvpon the publicize adminiflration and feruices : 1 thought it 
 no condigne gratification, norfcaixe any good fatisfaclion for fuch 
 a p erf on as you. Yet when I confidered, that bejlowyng zpon your 
 Lordf]iip the firfl vezve of this mine ifnpreffion (a feat of 'mine ozone 
 fimple facultie ) it could not f cypher her Alaiesties honour or prero-- 
 gatiue in the guift, nor yet the Authoicr of his thanks : and feeing 
 the thing it felfe to be a deuice of fome noueltie (which cominonly 
 giueth euery good thing a fpeciall grace) and a noueltie fo highly 
 tendirig to the moft worthy prayfes of her Maiesties mofl excellent . 
 na7?ie (deerer to you I dare conceiue them any worldly thing be/Ides J - 
 mee thought I could not deuife to haue prefented your Lord/Jiip any 
 gift more agreeable to your appetite, or fitter for my vocation and - 
 abilitie to beflow, your LordfJifp bey Jig learned and a loner of learn- 
 ing, my prefent a Booke and my felfe a printer alwaies ready and 
 defirous to be at your Honourable commaundement. And 
 thus 1 hitmbly take my leaue from the Black- 
 friers, this xxviij. of May. 1589. 
 
 Your Honours moft humble 
 at commaundement, 
 R. F. 
 
THE FIRST BOOKE, 
 
 Of Poets and Poefie. 
 
 CHAP. i. 
 
 What a Poet and Poefie is, and who may be worthily - - 
 faydJhe moft excellent Poet of our time. 
 
 Poet is as much to fay as a maker. 
 And our Englifh name well con- 
 formes with the Greeke word: for 
 of rrcnh to make, they call a maker 
 Poeia. Such as (by way of refem- 
 blance and reuerently) we may fay 
 of God: who without any trauell to 
 his diuine imagination, made all the 
 world of nought, nor alfo by any paterne or mould as the . 
 Platonicks with their Idees do phantaftically fuppofe. 
 Euen fo the. very Poet makes and contriues out of his 
 owne braine, both the verfe and matter of his poeme, 
 -and not by any fpreine copie or example, as doth the 
 tranilator, who therefore may well be fayd a verfifier, 
 but not a Poet. The premifes confidered, it giueth to 
 . the name and profeffion no fmal dignitie and prehemi- 
 -nence, aboue all other artificers, Scientificke or Me- 
 
20 OF POETS 
 
 Achanicall. And neuertheleffe without any repugnancie - 
 at all, a Poet may in fome fort be faid, a follower or 
 imitator, becaufe he can expreffe the true and liuely of - 
 eueiy thing is fet before him, and which he taketh in hand 
 to defcribe : and fo in that refpect is both a maker and a 
 counterfaitor : and Poefie an art not only of making, - - 
 
 - but alfo of imitation. And this fcience in his perfec- 
 tion, cannot grow, but by fome diuine inflinct, the 
 Platonicks call \t furor: or by excellencie of nature and - - 
 complexion : or by great fubtiltie of the fpirits and wit, 
 
 or by much experience and obferuation of the world, 
 and courfe of kinde, or peraduenture by all or moil ' 
 part of them. Other wife how was it poffible that 
 Homer being but a poore priuate man, and as fome fay, 
 in his later age blind, mould fo exactly fet foorth and - 
 defcribe, as if he had bene a mofl excellent Captaine 
 or General!, the order and array of battels, the conduct - 
 of whole armies, the fieges and affaults of cities and 
 townes ? or as fome great Princes maiordome and per- - • 
 feci: Surueyour in Court, the order, fumptuoufneffe and - 
 magnificence of royal bankets, feafts, weddings, and 
 enteruewes? or as a Politician very prudent, and much - 
 inured with the priuat and publique affaires, fo grauely 
 examine the lawes and ordinances Ciuill, or fo pro- . 
 foundly difcourfe in matters of eftate, and formes of all 
 politique regiment? Finally how could he fo naturally 
 paint out the fpeeches, countenance and maners of 
 
 - Princely perfons and priuate, to wit, the wrath of Achilles, 
 , - the magnanimitie of 'Agamemnon, the prudence oiMene- 
 
 laus, the proweffe of Heclor, the maieftie of king Pria- 
 mus, the grauitie of Neflor, the pollicies and eloquence 
 of Vlyjfes, the calamities of the diftreffed Queenes, and 
 valiance of all the Captaines and aduenturous knights 
 in thofe lamentable warres of Troy ? It is therefore of 
 Poets thus to be concerned, that if they be able to de- 
 uife and make all thefe things of them femes, without 
 any fubiedl of veritie, that they be (by maner of fpeech) 
 as creating gods. If they do it by inflincT: diuine or 
 naturall, then finely much fauoured from aboue. If by 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 21 
 
 their experience, then no doubt very wife men. If by 
 -any prefident or paterne layd before them, then truly 
 - the moft excellent imitators and counterfaitors of all 
 others. But you (Madame) my moft Honored and 
 « Gracious : if I mould feeme to offer you this my deuife 
 for a difcipline and not a delight, I might well be re- 
 puted, of all others the moft arrogant and iniurious : 
 
 • your felfe being alreadie, of any that I know in our time, 
 the moft excellent Poet. Forfooth by your Princely 
 
 • purfe fauours and countenance, making in rnaner what 
 ye lift, the poore man rich, the lewd well learned, the 
 
 • coward couragious, and vile both noble and valiant. 
 -Then for i mitatio n no leffe, your perfon as a moft cun- ■ 
 
 ning counterfaitor liuely reprefenting Venus in counte- 
 
 • nance, in life Diana, Pallas for gouernement, and Iuno 
 ■ in all honour and regall magnificence. 
 
 CHAP. II 
 
 That there may he an Art of our EnglifJi Poefie, afwell 
 as there is of the Latine and Greeke. 
 
 [Hen as there was no art in the world till by ex- 
 perience.found out : fo if Poefie be now an 
 Art, and of al anjricmitie hath bene among 
 the Greeks and Latines, and yet were none, 
 vntill by ftudious perfons fafhioned and re- 
 duced into a method of rules and precepts, then no doubt 
 may there be the like with vs. And if th'art of Poefie 
 be but a skill appertaining to vtterance, why may not the 
 fame be with vs afwel as with them, our language being 
 
 - - no leffe copious pithie and fignificatiue then theirs, our 
 
 conceipts the fame, and our wits no leffe apt to deuife 
 
 - and imitate then theirs were? If agame Art be but a 
 
 - certaine order of rules prefcribed by reafon, and gath- 
 
 • ered by- experience, why fhould not Poefie be a vulgar 
 ■ -Art with vs afwel as with the Greeks and Latines, our 
 ---language admitting no fewer rules and nice diuerfities 
 
 then theirs? but peraduenture moe by a peculiar, which 
 our fpeech hath in many things differing from theirs: 
 
 - and yet in the generall points of that Art, allowed to 
 
22 O F J P O E T S 
 
 go in common with them : fo as if one point perchance 
 which is their fe.ete whereupon their meafures ftand, 
 • •■and in deede is all the beautie of their Poefie, and--- 
 which feete we haue not, nor as yet neuer went about - 
 to frame (the nature of our language and wordes not 
 ^permitting it) we haue in ftead thereof twentie other 
 curious points in that skill more then they euer had, by 
 ^ - * ' <. reafon of our rime and tunable concords or fimphonie. 
 which they neuer obferued. Poefie therefore may be 
 an Art in our vulgar, and that verie methodicall and 
 commendable. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 How Poets were the firft pr lefts, the firft prophets, thefirji 
 Legislators and polititians in the world. 
 
 IHeprofeffion andvfe of Poefie is moft ancient - - 
 from the beginning, and not as manie er- 
 roniouflyfuppofe, after, but before any ciuil 
 fociety was among men. For it is written, 
 that Poefie was th'originall caufe and oc- 
 cafion of their firft affemblies, when:before\the people 
 remained in the woods and mountains, vagarant and dif- 
 perfed like the wild beafts, lawleffe and naked, or verie - - 
 ill clad, and of ail good and neceffarie prouifion for har- - 
 bour or fuftenance vtterly vnfurnifhed: fo as they litle 
 diffred for their maner of life, from the very brute beafts- - 
 of the field. Whereupon it is fayned that Amphion and - - 
 07pheus, two Poets of the firft ages, one of them, to wit - 
 Amphion, builded vp cities, and reared walles with the - 
 ftones that came in heapes to the found of his harpe, 
 figuring thereby the mollifying of hard and ftonie hearts - j 
 by his fweete and eloquent perfwafion. And .Orpheus . 
 affembled the wilde beafts to come in heards to har- 
 ken to his muficke,and by that meanes made them tame, 
 implying thereby, how by his difcreete and wholfome le- 
 fons vttered in harmonie and with melodious inftru- 
 ments, he brought the rude and fauage people to a more 
 ciuill and orderly life, nothing, as it feemeth, more pre- , 
 trailing or fit to redreffe and edifie the cruell and flurdie 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 23 
 
 courage of man then it. And as thefe two Poets and 
 Linus before them, and Mufens alfo and Hefiodus in 
 
 - - Greece and Archadia : fo by all likelihood had mo 
 , Poets done in other places, and in other ages before 
 
 them, though there be no remembrance left of them, 
 
 by reafon of the Recordes by fome accident of time per- 
 
 -ifhed and failing. Poets therfore are of great antiqui- 
 
 > - tie. Then forafmuch as they were the firfl that enten- 
 
 ded to the obferuation of nature and her works, and 
 
 - - fpecially of the Celeftiall courfes, by reafon of the con- 
 
 - tinuall motion of the heauens, fearching after the firfl 
 -mouer, and from thence by degrees comming to. know 
 
 and confider of the fubilances feparate and abftract, 
 - which we call the diuine intelligences or good Angels 
 
 - - (Demo??es) they were the firft that inftituted facrifices of 
 
 - placation, with inuocations and worfhip to them, as to 
 . Gods : and inuented and flabliihed all the reft of the 
 
 - obferuances and ceremonies of religion, and fo were 
 
 - the firft Priefts and minifters of the holy mifteries. And 
 becaufe for the better execution of that high charge and 
 function, it behoued them to liue chaft, and in all holi 
 
 . • nes of life, and in cqntinuall ftudie and contemplation : 
 i ' they came by inftin6i diuine, and by deepe meditation, 
 
 - and much abftinence (the fame affub tiling and refining 
 -their fpirits) to be made apt to receaue vifioiis, both 
 
 . waking and ileeping, which made them vtter prophe- 
 fies, and foretell things to come. So alfo were they the 
 
 - - firft Prophetes or feears, Videntes, for fo the Scripture 
 
 tearmeth them in Latine after the Hebrue word, and 
 all the oracles and anfwers of the gods were giuen in 
 meeter or verfe, and publifhed to the people by their 
 direction. And for that they were aged and graue men, 
 
 - - and of much wifedome and experience in th'affaires of 
 
 the world, they were the firft lawmakers to the people, ; 
 
 - and the firft polititiens, deuifing all expedient meanes 
 . for th'eftablifhment of Common wealth, to hold and 
 
 . - contain e the people in order and duety by force and 
 
 - * venue of good and wholefome lawes, made for the pre- 
 r -feruation of the publique peace and tranquillitie. The 
 
_ 
 
 24 OFPOETS 
 
 fame peraduenture not purpofely intended, but greatly 
 furthered by the aw of their gods, and fuch fcruple of 
 confcience, as the terrors of their late inuented religion - 
 had led them into. 
 
 CHAP. IIIL 
 
 How Poets were the firjl Philofofihers, the ft7jl AJlrono- 
 
 mers and Hifigriographers and Oratours and 
 
 Mufitiens of the world. 
 
 Pterance alfo and language is giuen by nature 
 to man for perfwafion of others, and aide of - 
 them femes, I meane the firft abilite to ■ 
 fpeake. For fpeech it felfe is artificiall and - 
 made by man, and the more pleafmg it is, 
 the more it preuaileth to fuch purpofe as it is intended 
 ~ for: but fpeech by meeter is a kind of vtterance, more - 
 cleanly couched and more delicate to the eare than profe 
 is,becaufe it is more currant and flipper vpon the tongue, - 
 and withal tunable and melodious, as a kind of Muficke, _ 
 and therfore may be tearmed a muficall fpeech or vtter- - 
 ance, which cannot but pleafe the hearer very well. An- 
 other caufe is, for that^is briefer and more compendious, 
 and eafier to beare .away and be retained in.memorie, 
 then that which is contained in multitude of words and - 
 full of tedious ambage and long periods. It is befide a 
 maner of vtterance more eloquent and rethoricall then 
 the ordinarie profe, which we vfe in our daily talke : be- 
 caufe it is decked and fet out with all maner of frefh 
 colours and figures, which maketh that it fooner inueg- 
 leth the iudgement of man, and carieth his opinion this 
 way and that, whither foeuer the heart by impreffion of 
 the eare fhalbe moil affeclionatly bent and direcled. 
 -The vtterance in profe is not of fo great efncacie, be- 
 caufe not only it is dayly vfed, and by that occafion the 
 eare is ouerglutted with it, but,is alfo not fo voluble and 
 flipper vpon the tong, being wide and lofe, and nothing 
 numerous, nor contriued into meafures, and founded 
 with fo gallant and harmonical accents, nor in fine al- 
 owed that figuratiue conueyance, nor fo great licence in 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 25 
 
 - choife of words and phrafes as meeter is. So as the Poets . 
 ■ were alfo from the beginning the bell perfwaders and 
 
 . their eloquence the firft Rethoricke of the world. Euen 
 fo it became that thehigh myfteries of the gods Ihould ■ 
 be reuealed and taught, by a maner of vtterance and 
 language of extraordinarie phrafe, and briefe and com- 
 pendious, and aboue ai others fweet and ciuill as the 
 Metricall is. The fame alfo was meeteft to regiller the - 
 
 . Hues and noble gefts of Princes, and of the great Mon- 
 
 - arkes of the world, and all other the memorable acci- 
 dents of time : fo as the Poet was alfo the nrfl hiflorio- 
 grapher. Then forafmuch as they were the nrfl obfer- 
 uers of all naturall caufes and effects in the things gen- 
 erable and corruptible, and from thence mounted vp to 
 
 -fearch after the celeiliall courfes and influences, and yet 
 penetrated further to know the diuine effences and fub- 
 ilances feparate, as is fayd before, they were the nrfl - 
 
 -Aflronomers and Philofophifls and Metaphificks. Fin- 
 
 - ally, becaufe they did altogether endeuor them felues to 
 reduce the life of man to a certaine method of good 
 maners, and made the nrfl differences betweene vertue 
 
 - and vice, and then tempered all thefe knowledges and 
 skilles with the exercife of a delectable Muficke by me- 
 lodious inflruments, which withall ferued them to delight 
 their hearers, and to call the people together by admir- 
 
 - ation, to a plaufibie and vertuous conuerfation, therefore 
 were they the nrfl Philofophers Ethick, and the nrfl 
 artificial Muficiens of the world. Such was Limts, Or- 
 pheus, Amphion and Mvfeus the mofl ancient Poets and 
 
 . Philofophers, of whom there is left any memprie by the 
 prophane writers. King Dauid alfo and Salomon his 
 fonne and many other of the holy Prophets wrate in 
 meeters, and vfed to fing them to the harpe, although 
 
 -to many of vs ignorant of the Hebrue language and 
 
 - phrafe, and not obferuing it, the fame feeme but a profe. 
 
 - It can not bee therefore that anie fcorne or indignitie 
 . Ihould iuflly be offired to fo noble, profitable, ancient 
 
 and diuine a fcience as Poefie is. 
 
26 OFPOETS 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 How the wilde and fauage people vfed a natar all Poefie in 
 verficle and rime as our vulgar is. 
 
 |Nd the Greeke and Latine Poefie was by verfe 
 numerous and metricall, running vpon pleaf- 
 ant feete, fometimes fwift, fometime flow 
 (their words very aptly feruing that purpofe) 
 but without any rime or tunable concord in - 
 th'end of their verfes, as we and all other nations now 
 vfe. But the Hebrues and Chaldees who were more an- 
 cient then the Greekes, did not only vfe ametricall Poefie, 
 but alfo with the fame a maner of rime, as hath bene of . 
 late obferued by learned men. Wherby it appeareth, that 
 our vulgar running Poefie was common to all the nations 
 of the world befides, whom the Latines and Greekes in 
 fpeciall called barbarous. So as it was notwithstanding 
 the nrft and moft ancient Poefie, and .the molt vniuer- 
 fall, which two points do otherwife giue to all humane 
 inuentions and affaires no fmall credit. This is proued 
 by certificate of marchants and trauellers, who by late 
 nauigations haue furueyed the whole world, and dif- 
 couered large countries and ftrange peoples wild and 
 faaage, affirming that the American, the Perufme and 
 the very Canniball, do iing and alfo fay, their higheft - 
 and holieft matters in certaine riming verficles and not 
 in profe, which proues alfo that our maner of vulgar 
 Poefie is more ancient then the artinciall of the Greeks 
 and Latines, ours comming by inftinct of nature, which 
 was before Art or obferuation, and vfed with the fauage 
 and vnciuill, who were before all fcience or ciuilitie, 
 euen as the naked by prioritie of time is before the 
 clothed, and the ignorant before the learned. The 
 naturall Poefie therefore being aided and amended by 
 Art, and not vtterly altered or obfcured, but fome figne 
 left of it, (as the Greekes and Latines haue left none) 
 is no leffe to be allowed and commended then theirs. 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 27 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 How the riming Poefie camefirfl to the Grecians and * 
 Latines, and had altered and ahnofl jjnlt 
 their matter of Poefie. 
 
 ?Vt it_ came to paffe, when fortune fled farre 
 from the G reeke s and Latines, and that their 
 townes floriihed no more in traficke, nor 
 their Vniuerfities in learning as they had 
 done continuing thofe Monarchies : the 
 barbarous conquerers inuading them with innumerable 
 fwarmes of ftrange nations, the Poefie metrical! of the 
 
 - Grecians and L a tin es came to be much corrupted and 
 . altered, in fo much as there were times that t he ver y 
 
 - Greekes and Latines themfelues tgoke pleafure in Riming 
 
 - verfes, and vfed it as a rare and gallant thing : Yea their 
 -Oratours profes nor the Doctors Sermons were accept- 
 
 - able to Princes nor yet to the common people vnleffe 
 it went in manner of tunable rime or m etrical} fentences, 
 
 -as appeares by many of the auncient writers, about that 
 time and fmce. And the great Princes, and Popes, and 
 
 ■ Sultans would one falute and greet an other fometime 
 in frendfhip and fport, fometime in earneft and enmitie 
 
 - by ryming verfes, and nothing feemed clerkly done, 
 
 - but muft be done in ryme : Whereof we fin.de diuers 
 examples from the time of th'Emperours Gracian and 
 Valentinian downwardes : For then aboutes began the 
 
 • declination of the Romain Empire, by the notable in- 
 undations of the Hunnes and Vandalles in Europe, . 
 vnder the conduicl of Totila and Atila and other their - 
 generalles. This brought the ryming Poefie in grace, 
 and made it preuaile in Italie and Greece (their owne 
 long time cafl afide, and almofl neglected) till after 
 
 ^many yea.res that the peace of Italie and of th' Empire 
 Occidentall reuiued new clerkes, who recouering and 
 perufmg the bookes and fludies of the ciuiler ages, re- 
 flored all maner of arts, and that of the Greeke and 
 Latine Poefie withall into their former puritie and netnes. 
 
 -Which neuertheleffe did not fo preuaile, but that the 
 
28 OF POETS 
 
 ryming Poefie of the Barbarians remained (lill in his re- 
 putation/ that one in the fchole, this other in Courts of 
 Princes more ordinary and allowable. 
 
 CHAP. VII. 
 
 p » How in the time of Charlemaine and many yeares after 
 him the latine Poetes wrote in ryme. 
 
 jjNd this appeareth euidently by the workes of 
 many learned men, who wrote about the 
 time of Charlemaines raigne in the Empire - 
 Occidental^ where the Chriftian Religion, 
 became through the exceffme authoritie of . 
 Popes, and deepe deuotion of Princes flrongly fortified - 
 and eilablifhed by erection of orders Monasticai, in which . 
 many fimple clerks for deuotion fake and fanctitie were - 
 receiued more then for any learning, by which occafion - 
 and the folitarineffe of their life, waxing ftudious with- - 
 out difcipline or inftruction by any good methode, fome - 
 of them grew to be hiftoriographers, fome Poets, and . 
 following either the barbarous rudenes of the time, or 
 els their own idle inuentions, all that they wrote to the - 
 fauor or prayfe of Princes, they did it in fuch maner of 
 minftreme, and thought themfelues no fmall fooles, . 
 when they could make their verfes goe all in ryme as 
 did the fchoole of Salerne, dedicating their bpoke of 
 medicinail rules vnto our king of England, with this 
 "beginning. 
 
 Amrforum Rege fcripftt tot a fchola Salerni 
 Si vis incohtmem, ft vis te redder e fa nam 
 Cur as to lie graues, irafci crede prophannm 
 Nee retine ventrem nee finngas for titer annum. 
 And all the reft that follow throughout the whole booke 
 more curioufly then clean ely, neuertheleffe very well to 
 the purpofe of their arte. In the tame time king Ed- 
 ward the iij . him felfe quartering the Armes of England 
 and France, did difcouer his pretence and clayme to 
 the Crowne of Fraunce, in thefe ryming verfes. 
 Rex fum regnorum bina ratione duorum 
 Anglorum regno fum rex ego iure pate?mo 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 29 
 
 Matris iure quidem Francorum nuncafior idem 
 Hinc eft armor 'urn variatio facia meorum. 
 
 - Which verfes Phillip de Valois then poffeffmg the Crowne - 
 
 - as next hejre male by pretexte of the law Salique, and * 
 
 - holding out Edward the third, a_unfwered in thefe other 
 
 - of as good ftufife. 
 
 Prcedo regnorum qui diceris effe dnoriim 
 Regno materno priuaberis at que pater no 
 Prolis ins nullu77i vbi matris nonfuit vllum 
 Hinc efl armorum variatio filulta tuontm. 
 It is found written of Pope Lucius, for his great auarice - 
 
 - and tyranny vfed ouer the Clergy thus in ryming verfes. 
 
 Lucius efl pifcis rex et tyr annus aquarum 
 A quo difcordat Lucius ifle parum 
 Deuorat hie homines, his pifcibus infidiatur 
 Efurit hie femper hie aliquando fatur 
 Amborum vita?nfi laus cequata notaret 
 Plus rationis habet qui ratione caret. 
 
 - And as this was vfed in the greatefl and gayeft matters 
 
 - of Princes and Popes by the idle inuentionof Monaflicall 
 ^ menthenraigningalintheirfuperlatiue. Sodideueryfcho- 
 
 - ler andfecular clerEe or verfrner, when he wrote any fhort 
 . poeme or matter of good leffon put it in ryrne, whereby 
 
 it came to paffe that all your old Prouerbes and com- 
 mon fayinges, which they would haue plaufible to the 
 -reader and eafie to remember and beare away, were of 
 
 - that forte as tKefe. 
 
 L11 mundo mira faciunt duo nummus et ira 
 Mollificant dura peruerhmt o??i?iia iura. 
 ~ And this verfe in difprayfe of the Courtiers life follow- 
 ing the Court of Rome. 
 
 Vita palatina dura efl animceque ruina. 
 And thefe written by a noble learned man. 
 Lre redire fequi regu?n fublimia caflra 
 Eximius fatus efl, fed 71071 fie itur ad a sir a. 
 
 - And this other which to the great iniurie of all women 
 
 - was written (no doubt by fome forlorne louer, or els 
 -. fome old malicious Monke) for one womans fake ble- 
 -mifhing the whole iexe. 
 
30 0FP0ETS 
 
 Fallereflere nere mentiri nilque tacere 
 Hcec quinque vere Jlatuit Dens in muliere. 
 If I might' haue bene his Iudge, I would haue had 
 him for his labour, ferued as Orpheus was by the 
 women of Thrace. His eyes to be picket out with 
 pinnes, for his fo deadly belying of them, or worfe 
 handled if worfe could be deuifed. But will ye fee 
 how God raifed a reuenger for the filly innocent women, 
 for about the fame ryming age came an honeft ciuill 
 Courtier fomewhat bookifh, and wrate thefe verfes ■ 
 againfl the whole rable of Monkes. 
 
 Monachi vejlri Jiomachi funt amphora Bacchi 
 Vos eft is Dens eft teftis turpijjima peftis. 
 Anon after came your fecular Prieftes as iolly rymers 
 as the reft, who being fore agreeued with their Pope 
 Ca/ixtus, for that he had enioyned them from their - 
 wiues, and railed as fail againfl him. 
 
 O bo7ie Calixte tot us mundus perodit te 
 Quondam Presbiteri, poterant vxoribns vti 
 Hoc deftruxifti, poftquam tu Papa fuijli. 
 Thus what in writing of rymes and regiftring of lyes 
 was the Clergy of that fabulous age wholly occupied. 
 
 We finde fome but very few of thefe ryming verfes 
 among the Latines of the emitter ages, and thofe rather • 
 hapning by chaunce then of any purpofe in the writer, * 
 as this Diftick among the difportes of Ouid. 
 Qnot cozlum ftellas tot habet tua Roma puellas 
 Pafcua quotque hcedos tot habet tua Roma Cyncedos, 
 The pofteritie taking pleafure in this manner of 
 Simphonie had leafure as it feemes to deuife many 
 other knackes in their verfifying that the auncient and , 
 ciuill Poets had not vfed before, whereof one was to 
 make euery word of a verfe to begin with the fame 
 letter, as did Hugobald the Monke who made a large * 
 poeme to the honour of Carolus Caluus, euery word - 
 beginning with C. which was the firft letter of the king 
 name thus. 
 
 Carmina clarifonce Caluis cant ate camence. 
 And this was thought no fmall peece of cunning, 
 being in deed a matter of fome difficultie to finde cut 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 31 
 
 fo many wordes beginning with one letter as might 
 make a iufl volume, though in truth it were but _a 
 phantaflicall deuife and to no purppfe at all more t hen 
 to make them harmonicall to the rude eares of thofe 
 barbarous ages. 
 
 Another of their_^retie indentions was to make a 
 verfe of fuch wordes as by their nature and manner 
 of contraction and fituation might be turned back- 
 ward word by word, and make another perfit verfe, but 
 of quite contrary fence as t he gi bing _ Mpnke that wrote 
 of Pope Alexander thefe two verfes. 
 
 La us tua 11011 tuafraus, virtus 11011 copia rerum, 
 Scandere te faciunt hoc decus eximium. 
 
 Which if ye will turne backwards they make two other 
 good verfes, but of a contrary fence, thus. 
 
 Eximium decus hoc faciunt te fcandere, rerum 
 Copia, 11011 virtus, fraus tua 11011 tua laus. 
 
 And they called it Veife_Lyqn. 
 
 Thus you may fee the humors and appetites of men 
 how diuers and chaungeable they be in liking new 
 fafhions, though many tymes worfe then the old, and 
 not onely in the manner of their life and vfe of their gar- 
 ments, but alfo in their learninges and arts and fpecially 
 of their languages. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 In what reputation Poefie and Poets were in old time with 
 
 Princes and other wife generally, and how they be 
 
 now become contemptible and for what caufes. 
 
 'Or the rel^ecles a forefayd in all former ages 
 and in the moil ciuillcountreys and commons 
 wealthes, good Poets and Poefie were highly 
 . efleemed and much fauoured of the greater! 
 Princes. For proofe whereof^we read how 
 much Amy nt as king of Macedonia made of the Tragicall 
 Poet Euripides. And the Athenians of Sophocles. In what 
 price the noble poemes of Homer were holden with 
 Alexander the great, in fo much as euery night they 
 were layd vnder his pillow, and by day were carried in 
 
32 OF POETS 
 
 the rich iewell cofer of Darius lately before vanquifhed 
 by him in battail^. And not onely Homer the father 
 and Prince of the Poets was fo honored by him, but 
 for his fake all other meaner Poets, in fo much as 
 
 - Cherillus one no very great good Poet had for euery 
 verfe well made a Phillips noble of gold, amounting in 
 value to an angell Englifh, and fo for euery hundreth 
 verfes (which a cleanely pen could fpeedely difpatch) 
 he had a hundred angels. And fmce Alexander the 
 great how Theocritus the Greeke poet was fauored by 
 
 - Tholomee king of Egipt and Queene Berenice his wife, 
 Ennius likewife by Scipio Prince of the Rojnaines, Vir- 
 
 ^ gill alfo by th'Emperour Augujlus. And in later times 
 v- how much were Iehan de Mehune and Guillaume de 
 v Loris made of by the French kinges, and Geffrey 
 
 - Chaucer father of our Englifh Poets by Richard the 
 fecond, who as it was fuppofed gaue him the^maner of 
 new Holme in Oxfordshire. And Govver to Henry the 
 
 * - fourth, and Harding to Edward the fourth. Alio how 
 
 - Francis the Frenche king made Sangelais, Salmonius, 
 . Macrinus, and Clement Marot of his priuy Chamber for 
 
 their excellent fkill in vulgare and Latine Poefie. And 
 ~ king Henry the 8. her Maiejlies father for a few Pfalmes 
 
 - of Dauid turned into Englifh meetre by Sternhold, 
 made him groome of his priuy chamber, and gaue him 
 
 -many other good gifts. And one Gray what good 
 eflimation did he grow vnto with the fame king Henry, 
 
 , and afterward with the Duke of Sommerfet Proteclour, 
 for making certain e merry Ballades, whereof one chiefly 
 was The hunte it [is?] vp, the hunte is vp. And Queene 
 Mary his daughter for one Epithalamie or nuptiall 
 
 r fong made by Vargas a Spanifh Poet at her manage 
 with king Phillip in Winchefter gaue him during his 
 life two hundred Crownes penfion : nor this reputation 
 was giuen them in auncient times altogether in refpecl 
 that Poefie was a delicate arte, and the Poets them 
 felues cunning Princepleafers, but for that alfo they 
 were thought for their vniuerfall knowledge to be very 
 fufricient men for the greater! charges in their common 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 33 
 
 wealth es, were it for counfell or for conduct, whereby 
 n6 man neecle to doubt but that both fkilles may very 
 well concurre and be moil excellent in one perfon. 
 For we fmde that Iidius Ccefar the firfl Emperour - 
 and a mod noble Carjtaine, was not onely the mod 
 eloquent Orator of his time, but alfo a very good Poet, 
 though none of his_doings therein be now extant. And 
 Quintus Cat 11 1 us a good Poet, and Cornelius Gallus - - 
 treafurer of Egigt, and Horace the moll delicate of all . 
 the RomahiLyrickes, was thought meete and by many 
 letters~~of great inflance p rouoked to be Secretarie of 
 eftate to Augujius th'Emperour, which neuertheleffe 
 he refufed for his vnhealthiulnene fake, and being a 
 quiet mynded man and nothing ambitious of glory : non 
 voluit accedere ad Rempublicam, as it is reported. And 
 Ennius the Latine Poet was not as fome perchaunce - 
 thinke, onely fauored by Scipio the Africans for his good » 
 making of verfes, but vfed as his familiar and Counfel- 
 lor in the warres for his great knowledge and amiable 
 conuerfation. And long before \haX\Antimenides and «■ 
 other Greek e Poets, as Arijlotle report es in his Poli- 
 ticmes, had charge in the warres. " And Firtceus the - 
 Poet being alfo a lame man and halting vpon one 
 legge, was chofen by the Oracle of the gods from the 
 Athenians to be generall of the Lacedemonians armie, 
 not for his Poetrie, but for his wiiedome and graueper- 
 fwafions, and fubtile Stratagemes whereby he had the 
 victory ouer his enemies. So as the Poets feemed to 
 haue fkill not onely in the fubtilties of their arte, but 
 alfo to be meete for all maner of functions quill and 
 martiall, euen as they found fauour of the times they 
 liuecTIh, infomuch as their credit and eflimation gene- 
 rally was not fmall. But in thefe dayes (although fome 
 learned Princes may take delight in them) yet vniuer- 
 fally it is not fo. For as well Poets as Poefie are de- 
 fpifed, and the name become, of honorable infamous, - 
 fubiedl to fcorne and derifion, and rather a reproch 
 than a prayfe to any that vfeth it : for commonly who 
 fo is fludious in th'Arte or fhewes him felfe excellent 
 
34 OF POETS 
 
 in it, they call him in difdayne a phantafticall: and a 
 light headed or phantafticall man (by conuerfion) they 
 call a Poet. And this pjoceedes through the barbar- 
 ous ignoraunce of the time, and pride of many Gentle- 
 men, and others, whofe groffe heads not being brought 
 vp or acquainted with any excellent Arte, nor able to 
 contriue, or in manner conceiue any matter of fubtiltie 
 in any bufmeffe or fcience, they doe deride and fcorne 
 it in all others as fuperffuous knowledges and vayne 
 fciences, and whatfoeuer deuife be of rare inuention 
 they terme it phantafticall, conftruing it to the worft 
 fide: and among men fuch as be modeft and graue, and 
 of litle conuerfation, nor delighted in the bufie life and 
 vayne ridiculous actions of the popular, they call him 
 in fcorne a JPhilofopher or Poet, as much to fay as a 
 phantaflicall man, very iniuriouily (God wot) and to the 
 manifeftation of their own ignoraunce, not making dif- 
 ference betwixt termes. For as the euill and vicious 
 difpofition of the braine hinders the founde iudgement 
 and difcourfe of man with bufie and difordered phan- 
 tafies, for which caufe the Greekes call him (pavr&Gixog, 
 fo is that part being well affected, not onely nothing 
 diforderly or confufed with any monftruous imagina- 
 tions or conceits, but very formal}, and in his much 
 multiformitie v?iiforme, that is well proportioned, and 
 To paffmg cleare, that by it as by a glaffe or mirrour, 
 are reprefented vnto the foule all nianer of bewtifull 
 vifions, whereby the inuentiue parte of the mynde is fo 
 much holpen, as without it no man could deuife any 
 new or rare thing: and where it is not excellent in his 
 kind, there could be no politique Captaine, nor any 
 witty enginer or cunning artificer, nor yet any law 
 maker or counfelior of deepe difcourfe, yea the Prince 
 of Philofophers ftickes not to fay animam non intelligere 
 abfque phantafmate which text to another purpofe 
 . - Alexander Aphrodifcus well noteth, as learned men 
 know. And this phantafie may be refembled to a 
 glaffe as hath bene fayd, whereof there be many tem- 
 pers and manner of makinges, as t\\z perfpecliues doe 
 
AND P-OESIE. LIB. I. 35 
 
 acknowledge, for fome be falfe glaffes and fhew thinges 
 otherwife than they be in deede, and others right as 
 they be in deede, neither fairer nor fouler, nor greater 
 nor fmairerTThere be againe of thefe glaffes that fhew 
 thinges exceeding faire~ancl comely, others that fhew 
 figures very monflruous and illfauored. Euen fo is the 
 phantaflicall part of man (if it be not difordered) a re- 
 prefenter of the bell, mofl comely and bewtifull images 
 or apparances of thing es to the fbule and according 
 to their very truth. If otherwife, then doth it breede 
 Ch: :d monfters in mans imaginations, and not 
 
 onejy in his imaginations, but alio in all his ordinarie 
 actions and life which enfues. Wherefore fiicfi perfons 
 as be illuminated with the brighteft irradiations of 
 knowledge and of the veritie and due proportion of 
 thin g s ^ they are called by the learned men not phan- 
 
 Hci but euphantafiote, and of this forte of phantafie 
 are all good Poets, notable Captaines ftratagematique, 
 all cunning artificers and enginers, all Legiilitors Poli- 
 r'::rns and Counfellours of eftate. in whofe exercifes ' 
 the inuentiue part is mofl employed and is to the found 
 
 1 true Judgement of man moil needful. This diuer- 
 fitie in the termes perchance euery man hath not noted, 
 and thus much be laid in defence of the Poets honour, 
 to the end no noble and generous minde be difcom- 
 forted in the fludie thereof, the rather for that worthy 
 and honorable memorial! of that noble woman twife 
 French > Anne of Britaine, wife firfl to 
 
 j the \-\y\. and after to Lewes the xij. who 
 paffing one day from her lodging toward the ki:: 
 fide, faw in a gallerie Mai/ier Atta int Chartier the 
 kings Secretarie, an excellent maker or Poet leaning on 
 a tables end a ileepe, and flooped downe to kifle him. 
 
 ing thus in all their hearings, we may not of Princely 
 : j. afle by and not honor with our kifle the 
 from whence fo many iweete ditties and golden 
 poems haue ifiued. But me thinks at thefe words I 
 heare fome fmilingly fay, I would be loath to lacke lin- 
 ing of my own till the Prince gaue me a maner of new 
 
36 OFPOETS 
 
 JElme for my riming. And another to fay I haue read 
 that the Lady Cynthia came once downe out of her 
 skye to kiffe the faire yong lad Endimion as he lay a 
 fleep: and many "noble 'Queenes that haue bellowed 
 kiffes vpon their Princes paramours, but neuer vpon 
 any Poets. The third me thinks fhruggingly faith, I 
 kept not to fit fleeping with my Poefie till a Queene 
 came and killed me. But what of all this ? Princes 
 may giue a good Poet fuch conuenient countenaunce 
 and alfo benefite as are due to an excellent artificer, 
 though they neither kiffe nor cokes them, and the dis- 
 cret Poet lookes for no fuch extraordinarie fauours, and 
 afwell doth he honour by his pen the iufl, liberall, or 
 magnanimous Prince, as the valiaunt, amiable or bew- 
 tifull though they be euery one of them the good giftes 
 of God. So it feemes not altogether the (come and 
 ordinarie difgrace offered vnto Poets at thefe dayes, is 
 caufe why few Gentlemen do delight in the Art, but 
 for that hberalitie, is come to fayle in Princes, who for 
 their krgeffe were wont to be accompted th'onely 
 patrons of learning, and firfl founders of all excellent 
 artificers. Befides it is not perceiued, that Princes 
 them felues do take any pleafure In this fcience, by 
 whofe example the fubiect is commonly led, and allured 
 to all delights and exercifes be they good or bad, ac- 
 cording to the graue faying of the hiftorian. Rex mul- 
 titudinem religione implenit. quce femper regent i ftniilis efi. 
 And peraduenture in this iron and malitious age of ours, 
 Princes are leffe delighted in it, being ouer earneflly 
 bent and affected to the affaires of Empire and ambi- 
 tion, whereby they are as it were inforced to indeuour 
 them felues to armes and praclifes of hofliiitie, or to 
 entend to the right pollicing of their flates, and haue 
 not one houre to beftow vpon any other ciuill or de- 
 lectable Art of naturall or morall doctrine: nor fcarce 
 any leifure to Jhincke one good thought in perfect and 
 godly contemplation, whereby their troubled mindes 
 might be moderated and brought to tranquillitie. So 
 as, it is hard to find in thefe dayes of noblemen or 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 37 
 
 gentlemen any good Mathematician, or excellent Mufi- 
 lian , or notable Philofopher, or els a cunning Poet : be- 
 caufe we find few great Princes much delighted in the 
 fame fludies. Now alfo of fuch among the Nobilitie 
 or gentrie as be very well feene in many laudable fci- 
 ences, and especially in making or Poefie, itj_s fo come 
 to paffe that they haue no courage to write and if they 
 Haue, yet are they loath to be a knowen. of their skill. 
 So as I know very many notable Gentlemen in the 
 Court that haue written commendably and fuppreffed 
 it agayne, or els fuffred it to be publilht without their 
 owne names to it : as if it were a difcredit for a Gentle- 
 man, to feeme learned, and to mew him felfe amorous 
 of any good Art. In other, ages it was not fo, for we 
 read that Kinges and Princes haue written great 
 volumes and publifht them vnder their owne regall 
 titles. As to begin with Salomon the wifeft of Kings, 
 Julius Ccefar the greater! of Emperours, Hermes Jris- 
 megiftus the holier! of Prieftes and Prophet es, Euax 
 king of Arabia wrote a T Sboke of precious ftones in 
 verfe, Prince Auicenna of Phificke "and Philofophie, 
 AlpJwnfus king of Spaine his Aflronomicall Tables, 
 Almanfor a king oVMarrocco diuerfe Philofophicall 
 workeSj and by their regall example our late fouer- 
 aigne Lord king Henry the eight wra.te a booke in de- 
 fence of his faith, then perfwaded that it was the true 
 and Apoflolicall doctrine, though it hath appeared other- 
 wife fmce, yet his honour and learned zeaie was noth- 
 ing leffe to be allowed. Queenes alfo haue bene knowen 
 ftudfous, and to write large volumes, as Lady Margaret 
 of Fraunce Queene of Nauarre in our time. But of all 
 others the Em perour Nero was fo well learned in 
 Mufique and Poefie, as when he was taken by order of 
 the Senate ancPappointed to dye, he offered violence 
 to him felfe and fayd, O quant us artifex pei'eo I as much 
 as to fay, as, how is it poffible a man of fuch fcience 
 and learning as my felfe, mould come to this fhame- 
 full death ? X!^25pe_rour Oclauian being made exe- 
 cutor to Virgill? who had left by his lafl will and tefta- 
 
38 OF POETS 
 
 ment, that his bookes of the sEneidos fhould be com- 
 mitted to the fire as things not perfited by him, made 
 his excufe for infringing the deads will, by a nomber of 
 1 verfes moll excellently written, whereof thefe are part. 
 Frangatur ftotius leguvi veiieranda poteflas, 
 Quam tot congeflos ?ioclefque diefque labores 
 Hauferit vna dies. And put his name to them. 
 ^And before him his vncle and father adoptiue Iidius 
 Ccefar, was not afhamed to publifh vnder his owne 
 name, his Commentaries of the French and Britaine 
 warres. Since therefore fo many noble Emperours, 
 ^ Kings and Princes haue bene fludious of Poefie and 
 other ciuill arts, and not afhamed to bewray their skils 
 in the fame, let none other meaner perfon defpife 
 learning, nor (whether it be in profe or in Poefie, if 
 they them femes be able to write, or haue written any 
 thing well or of rare inuention) be any whit fqueimifh to 
 let it be publifht vnder their names, for reafon ferues 
 it, and modefiie doth not repugne. 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 Hotv Poefie JJtould not be imployed vpon vayne conceits 
 or vicious or infamous. 
 
 |Herefore the Nobilitie and dignitie o. the 
 Art confidered afwell by vhiuerfalitie as 
 antiquitie and the naturall excellence of 
 it felfe, Poefie ought not to be abafed 
 and imployed vpon any vnworthy matter 
 and fubiecl;, nor vfed to yaine purpofes, which neuer- 
 theleffe is dayly fcene, and that is to vtter conceits in- 
 famous and vicious or ridiculous and foolifh, or of no 
 good example and dodlrine. Albeit in merry matters 
 (not vnhonefl) being vfed for mans folace and recrea- 
 * tion it may be well allowed, for as I faid before, Poefie 
 is a pleafant maner of vtteraunce varying from the 
 ordinarie of purpofe to refrefh the mynde by the eares 
 delight. Poefie alfo is not only laudable, becaufe I 
 faid it was a metricall fpeach vfed by the firft men, but 
 
AND POESTE. LIB. I. 39 
 
 becaufe it is a metricall fpeach corrected and reformed 
 by difcreet iudgements, and with no leffe cunning and 
 curiofitie then the Greeke and Latine Poefie, and by 
 Art bewtified and adorned, and brought far from the 
 primitiue rudeneffe of the firfl inuentors, otherwife it 
 may be fayd to me that Adavi and Eues apernes were 
 the gayeft garmentes, becaufe they were the firfl, and the 
 fhepheardes tente or pauillion, the befl houfmg, becaufe 
 it was the mofl auncient and mofl vniuerfall : which 
 I would not haue fo taken, for it is not my meaning 
 but that Art and cunning concurring with nature, an- 
 tiquitie and vniuerfalitie, in things indifferent, and not 
 euill, doe make them more laudable. And right fo our 
 vulgar riming Poefie, being by good wittes brought to 
 that perfection we fee, is worthily to be preferred be- 
 fore any other maner of vtterance in profe, for fuch 
 vfe and to fuch purpofe as it is ordained, and mail 
 hereafter be fet downe more particularly. 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 The fubiecl or matter of Poefie. 
 
 fAuing fufhciently fayd of the dignitie of 
 Poets and Poefie, now it is tyme to fpeake 
 of the matter or fubiecl; of Poefie, which 
 to myne intent is, what foeuer wittie and 
 delicate conceit of man meet or worthy 
 to be put in written verfe, for any neceffary vfe of the 
 prefent time, or good inftruclion of the pofleritie. But 
 the chief and principal!, is : the laud honour and 
 glory of the immortall gods (I fpeake now in phrafe of 
 the Gentiles.) Secondly the worthy gefts of noble 
 Princes : the memoriall and regiftry of all great for- 
 tunes, the praife of vertue and reproofe of vice, the in- 
 ftruclion of mora l! doctrines, the reuealing of fciences 
 naturall and other profitable Arts, the redreffe of bois- 
 trous and fturdie courages by perfwaiion, the confola- 
 tion and repofe of temperate myndes, finally the com- 
 mon folace of mankind in all his trauails and cares of 
 this tranfitorie life. And in this laft fort being vfed 
 

 40 0FP0ETS 
 
 for recreation onely, may allowably beare matter not 
 alwayes of the graueft, or of any great commoditie or 
 profit, but rather in fome fort, vaine, diffolute, or wan- 
 ton, fo it be not very fcandalous and of euill example. 
 But as our intent is to make this Art vulgar for all 
 Englifh mens vfe, and therefore are of neceffitie to fet 
 downe the principal rules therein to be obfemed: foin 
 mine opinion it is no leffe expedient to touch briefly 
 all the chief points of this auncient Poefie of the 
 Greeks and Latines, fo far forth as it conformeth with 
 ours. So as it may be knowen what we hold of them 
 as borrowed, and what as of our owne peculiar. 
 Wherefore now that we haue faid, what is the matter 
 of Poefie, we will declare the manner and formes of 
 poemes vfed by the auncients. 
 
 CHAP. XL 
 
 Of poemes and their fundry formes and how thereby the 
 
 auncient Poets receaned fumames. 
 
 S the matter of Poefie is diuers, fo was the 
 forme of their poemes and maner of writ- 
 ing, for all of them wrote not in one fort, 
 euen as all of them wrote not vpon one 
 matter. Neither was euery Poet alike 
 cunning in all as in fome one kinde of Poefie, nor 
 vttered with like felicitie. But wherein any one moil 
 excelled, thereof he tooke a furname, as to be called a 
 Poet Heroick, Lyriek, Elegiack, Epigrammatift or other- 
 wife. Such therefore as gaue themfelues to write long 
 hiftories of the noble gefts of kings and great Princes 
 entermedling the dealings of the gods, halfe gods or 
 Heroes of the gentiles, and the great and waighty con- 
 fluences of peace and warre, they called Poets Hero- 
 ick, whereof Homer was chief and moil auncient 
 among the Greeks, Virgill among the Latines : Others 
 who more delighted to write fongs or ballads of plea- 
 fure, to be fong with the voice, and to the harpe, lute, or 
 citheron and fuch other mufical, inftruments, they were 
 called melodious Poets \jnelici\ or by a more common 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 41 
 
 name Liriqiiej Poejs, of which fort was Pindarus, Ana- 
 creon and Callimachu s with others among the Greeks : „ 
 Horace and Catullus among the Latines. There were - - 
 an other fort, who fought the fauor of faire Ladies, 
 and coueted to bemone their eftates at large, and the 
 perplexities of lone in a certain pitious verfe called 
 Elegie, and thence were called Eligiack : fuch among 
 the Latines were Ouid, Tibullus, and Propertius. 
 There were alfo Poets that wrote onely for the ftage, 
 I meane playes and interludes, to rec[r]eate the people 
 witE matters of difporte, and to that intent did fet forth 
 in fhewes pageants, accompanied with fpeach the com- 
 mon behauiours and maner of life of priuate perfons, 
 and fuch as were the meaner fort of men, and they 
 were called Comicall Poets, of whom among the 
 Greekes Menander and Arijlophanes were moil excel- - - 
 lent, with the Latines Terence and Plautns. Befides 
 thofe Poets Comick there were other who ferued alfo 
 the ftage, hut medled not with fo bafe matters : For 
 they fet forth the dolefull falles of in fortunate and 
 aniicled Prince s,~"~and were called Poets Tragical!. 
 Such were Euripides and Sop hocles with the Greeks, 
 Seneca among the Latines. There were yet others - 
 who mounted nothing fo high as any of them both, but 
 in bafe and humble flile by maner of Dialogue, vttered 
 the priuate and familiar talke of the meaneft fort of 
 men, as fhepheards, heywards and fuch like, fuch was 
 among the Greekes Theocritus : and Virgill among the 
 Latines, their poems were named Eglogues or fhep- .*• 
 heardly talke. There was yet another kind of Poet, 
 who intended to taxe the common abufes and vice of 
 the people in rough and bitter fpeaches, and their in- 
 uectiues were called Satyres, and them felues Satyr- 
 icques. Such were Lucilius, luuenall and Perfius among 
 the Latines, and with vs he that wrote the booke called 
 Piers plowman. Others of a more fine and pleafant 
 head were giuen wholly to taunting and fcoffing at 
 vndecent things, and in fhort poemes vttered pretie 
 merry conceits, and thefe men were called Epigram- 
 
42 OF POETS 
 
 matifles. There were others that for the peoples good 
 inftruction, and triall of their owne witts vfed in 
 places of great affembly, to fay by rote nombers of 
 fhort and fententious meetres, very pithie and of good 
 edification, and thereupon were called Poets Mimifles: 
 as who would fay, imitable and meet to be followed 
 for their wife and graue leffons. There was another 
 kind of poeme, inuented onely to make fport, and to 
 refrefh the company with a maner of buffonry or coun- 
 terfaiting of merry fpeaches, conuerting all that which 
 they had hard fpoken before, to a certaine derifion by 
 a quite contrary fence, and this was done, when Co- 
 medies or Tragedies were a playing, and that betweene 
 the acles when the players went to make ready for 
 another, there was great filence, and the people waxt 
 weary, then came in thefe maner of conterfaite vices, 
 they were called Pantomimic and all that had before 
 bene fayd, or great part of it, they gaue a croffe con- 
 ftru6tion to it very ridiculoufly. Thus haue you how 
 the names of the Poets were giuen them by the formes 
 of their poerries and maner of writing. 
 
 CHAP. XII 
 
 Pi what forme of Poefie the gods of the Gentiles 
 " were fray fed and honored. 
 
 |He gods of the Gentiles were honoured by 
 their Poetes in hymnes, which is an extra- 
 ordinarie and diuine praife, extolling and 
 magnifying them for their great powers 
 and excellencie of nature in the higheft 
 degree of laude, and yet therein their Poets were after 
 a fort retrained : fo as they could not with their credit 
 vntruly praife their owjie gods, or vfe in their lauds 
 any maner of groffe adulation or vnueritable report. 
 For in any writer vntruth and flatterie are counted 
 moft great reproches. Wherfore to praife the gods of 
 the Gentiles, for that by authoritie of their owne fabul- 
 ous records, they had fathers and mothers, and kinred 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 43 
 
 and allies, and wiues and concubines : the Poets firft 
 commended them by their genealogies or p_edegrees. 
 their manages and _aliances, their notable exploits in 
 the world for the behoofe of mankind, and yet as I 
 fayd before, none other wife then the truth of their owne 
 memorials might beare, and in fuch fort as it might be 
 well auouched by their old written reports, though in 
 very deede they were not from the beginning all his- 
 torically true, and many of them yerie fictions, and 
 fuch of them as were true, were grounded vpon fome 
 part of an hiftorie or matter of yeritie , the reft alto- 
 gether figuratiue and mifticall, couertly applied to fome 
 morall or natural fenfe, as Cicero fetteth it foorth in 
 his bppkes de natura deorum. For to fay that Inpiter 
 was fpnne to Satunie, and that he maried his owne 
 filler Iinw, might be true, for fuch was the guife of all 
 great Princes in the Orientall part of the world both at 
 thofe dayes and how is. Againe that he loued JDanae, 
 Eicropa, Xeda, Califto and other faire Ladies daughters 
 to kings, befides many meaner women, it is likely 
 enough, becaufe he was reported to be a very incon- 
 tinent perfon, and giuen ouer to his luftes, as are for 
 the moil part all the great eft Princes, but that he 
 mould be the higheft god in heauen, or that he fhould 
 thunder and lighten, and do manie other things very 
 vnnaturally and abfurdly : alfo that Saturnus fhould 
 geld his father Celius, to th'intent to make him vnable 
 to get any moe children, and other fuch matters as are 
 reported by them, it feemeth to be fome syittie deuiie 
 and fiction made lor a purpofe, or a very noble and 
 impudent lye, which could not be reafonably fufpecled 
 by the Poets, who were otherwife difcreete and graue 
 men, and teachers of wifedome to others. Therefore 
 either to tranfgrefie the rules of their primitiue records, 
 or to feeke to giue their gods honour by belying them 
 (otherwife then in that fence which I haue alledged) had 
 bene a figne not onely of an vnskilfull Poet, but alfo of 
 a very impudent and leude man. For yntrue praife 
 neuer giueth any true reputation. But with vs Chrift- 
 
I~ 
 
 44 OF POETS 
 
 jans, who be better difciplined,, and do acknowledge 
 but one God Almightie, euerlafting, and in euery re- 
 fpect felfe fuffizant \autharcos\ repofed in all perfedl 
 reft and foueraigne bliffe, not needing or exacting any 
 forreine helpe or good. To him we can not exhibit 
 ouermuch praife, nor belye him any wayes, vnleffe it 
 be in abating his exceilencie by fcarfitie of praife, or 
 by mifconceauing his diuine nature, weening to praife 
 him, if we impute to him fuch vaine delights and pee- 
 uifh affections, as commonly the fraileft men are re- 
 proued for. Namely to make him ambitious of honour, 
 iealous and difficult in his worfhips, terrible, angrie, 
 vindicatiue, a louer, a hater, a pitier, and indigent of 
 mans worfhips : finally fo paffionate as in effect he 
 mold be altogether Anthropopathis. To the gods of 
 the Gentiles they might well attribute thefe Infirmities, 
 for they were but the children of men, great Princes 
 and famous in the world, and not for any other refpecT 
 diuine, then by fome refemblance of vertue they had 
 to do good, and to benente many. So as to the God 
 of the Chriftians, fuch diuine praife might be verified : 
 to th'other gods none, but figuratiuely or in mifticall 
 fenfe as hath bene (aid. In which fort the ancient 
 Poets did in deede giue theni" great honors and praifes^ 
 and made to them facrifices, and offred them oblations 
 of fundry fortes, euen as the people were taught and 
 perfwaded by fuch placatipns and worfhips to receaue 
 any helpe, comfort or benefite to them felues, their 
 wiues, children, poffeffions or goods. For if that opin- 
 ion were not, who would acknowledge any God ? the 
 verie Etimologie of the name with vs of the North 
 partes of the world declaring plainely the nature of the 
 attribute, which is all one as if we fayd good, \bonus\ 
 or a giuer of good things. Therfore the Gentiles 
 prayed for peace to the goddeffe Pallas: for wane (fuch 
 as thriued by it) to the god Mars : for honor and em- 
 pire to the god Jupiter: for riches and wealth to Pluto: 
 for eloquence and gayne to Met -curie : for fafe nauiga- 
 tion to Neptune: for faire weather and profperous 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 45 
 
 windes to Eolus : for skill in mufick and leechcraft to 
 Apollo: for free life and challitie to Diana: for bewtie 
 and good grace, as alfo for ifiiie and profperitie in 
 loue to Venus : for plenty of crop and come to Ceres: 
 for feafonable vintage to Bacchus : and for other things 
 to others. So many things as they could imagine 
 good and defirable, and to fo many gods as they fup- 
 pofed to be authors thereof, in fo much as Fortime 
 Was made a goddeffe, and the feuer quartaine had her 
 aulters, fuch blindnes and ignorance raigned in the 
 harts of men at that time, and whereof it nrft proceeded 
 and grew, befides t h' opinio n hath bene giuen, appear- 
 eth more at large in our bookes of Ierotekni, the matter 
 being of another confideration _then to be treated of 
 in this worke. And thefe hyrnnes to the gods was the ' 
 firfl forme of Poefie and the highefl and the fLateliefl, 
 and they were fong by the Poets as priefts, and by the 
 people or whole congregation as we fmg in our Churchs 
 the Pfalmes of Daiiid, but they did it commonly in 
 fome fhadie groues of tall tymber trees : In which 
 places they reared aulters of green turie, and beftrewed 
 them all ouer with flowers, and vpon them offred 
 their oblations and made their blqudy facrifices, (for 
 no kinde of gift can be dearer then life) of fuch quick 
 cattaille, as euery god was in their conceit mod de- 
 lighted in, or in fome other refpedl mod fit for the 
 miflerie : temples or churches or other chappels then 
 thefe they had none at thofe dayes. 
 
 CHAP. XIII. 
 
 In what for me. of Poefie vice and the common abufes 
 of mans life was reprehended. 
 
 |Ome perchance would thinke that next after 
 the praife and honoring of their gods, 
 mould commence the worfhippings and 
 praife of good men, and fpecially of great 
 Princes and gouernours of the earth in 
 foueraignety and function next vnto the gods. But it 
 
4 5 OFPOETS 
 
 is not fo, for before that came to pane. 
 
 lied the rebuke of vice, and to 
 carpe at the common abufes, fuch as were mofl offen- 
 Gue to the publique and priuate, for as yet for lac 
 good ciuility and wholefome doctrines, there was gi i 
 [lore of lewde lourdaines then of wife and learned 
 Lords, or of noble and v d d gouemo urs. 
 
 So as next after the hor ihibited to their gods, 
 
 the Poets finding in man generally much to reproue 
 and litie to praife, made certaine poems in plaine 
 meelres, more like to fermons or preachings then 
 otherwife, and when the people were aflembled togi- 
 th.er in thofe hallowed place s iedic ite to their gods, 
 ufe they had yet no large haUes or places of con- 
 lenticle, nor had any other correction of their faults, 
 but fuch as relied onely in rebukes o£ wife and graue 
 men. fuch as at thefe dayes make the people afhamed 
 rather then afeared, the faid a uncient Poets vfed for 
 that purpofe, three kinds of poems reprehenfiue r to wit, 
 the S .::;.".". the Cr::.:ie. and the Tragtdie: and the 
 ni"fl and moft bitter inuectiue againil vie e icious 
 
 men. was the Sat . : which to di'ii iteat :"-:err bitter^ 
 neile mould breede none ill will, either to the Poets, 
 r : th e recitours (wliich could not haue bene chofen 
 if they had bene openly knowen) and be: 
 their admonitions and reproofs fegmje grauer and of 
 more erricacie. they made wife as if the gods of the 
 woods, whom they called 5 :: Juanes^ mould 
 
 appea re and recite their venes of rebuke, whereas jn 
 . the}* were but difguifed perfons Girder the fhape 
 as who would fay, thefe terrene and bafe 
 gods being conuerfant with mans afiaheSj and fpiers 
 out of all their fecret faults : had fome great care ouer 
 man, and defrred by good admonitions to reforme the 
 euill of their life, and to bring the bad to amendment 
 by thofe f preachings, whereupon the Poets 
 
 inuentours of the deuife were calle : ikf. 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 47 
 
 CHAP. XIIIL 
 How vice 7£ ( as afterward reproued by two other matte r of 
 better reformed then the Satyr e^ whereof the 
 firft was Comedy, the fecond Tr age die. 
 
 jVt when thefe maner of folitary fpeaches and 
 recitals of rebuke, vttered by the rurall 
 gods out of bullies and briers, feemednot 
 to the finer heads fufficiently perfwafme, 
 nor fo popular as if it were reduced into 
 aclion of many perfons, or by many voyces liuely re- 
 prefented to the eare and eye, fo as a man might 
 thinke it were euen now a doing. The Poets deuifed 
 to haue many parts played at once by two or three or 
 foure perfons, that debated the matters of the world, 
 fometimes of their owne priuate affaires, fometimes of 
 their neighbours, but neuer medling with any Princes 
 matters nor fuch high perfonages, but commonly of 
 marchants, fouldiers, artificers, good honefl houfhol- 
 ders, and alfo of vnthrifty youthes, yong damfels, old 
 nurfes, bawds, brokers, ruffians and parafites, with fuch 
 like, in whofe behauiors, lyeth in effect the whole 
 courfe and trade' of mans life, and therefore tended .al- 
 togither to the good amendment of man by difcipline 
 and example. It was alfo much for the folace and re- 
 creation of the common people by reafon of the page- 
 ants and fhewes. And this kind of jDoeme was called 
 Comedy, and followed next after the Satyre, and by that 
 occafion was fomwhat fharpe and bitter after the nature 
 of the Satyre, openly and by expreffe names taxing 
 men more malicioufly and impudently then became, fo 
 as they were enforced for feare of quarell and blame to 
 difguife their players with ftrange apparell, and by 
 colouring their faces and carying hatts and capps of 
 diuerfe fafhions to make them felues leffe knpwen. But 
 as time and experience do reforme euery thing that is 
 amiffe, fo this bitter poeme called the old Comedy, being 
 difufed and taken away, the new Comedy came in place, 
 more ciuill and pleafant a great deale and not touch- 
 
48 OFPOETS 
 
 ing any man by name, but in a certaine generalitie 
 glancing at euery abufe, fo as from t henceforth tearing 
 
 none ill will or enmitie at any bodies hands, they left 
 afide their difguifmgs and played bare face, till one 
 Rojc'ms Gallus the moil excellent player among the 
 Romanies brought vp thefe vizards , which we fee at 
 this day vfed, partly to fupply the want of players, when 
 there were mpe parts than there were perlons, or that 
 it was not thought meet to trouble and peiler princes 
 chambers with too many folkes. Now by the chaunge 
 of a vizard one man might play the king and the carter, 
 the old nurfe and the yong damlell, the marchant and 
 thefouldier or any other part he lifted very conueniently. 
 There be that fay Rofcius did it for another purpofe, 
 for being him felfe the belt Hiflrien or buffon that was 
 in his dayes to be found, inlomuch as Cicero laid Rofcius 
 contended with him by varietie of liuely geftures, to 
 furmount the copy of his fpeach, yet becaufe he was 
 fquint eyed and had a very vnpleafant countenance, 
 and lookes which made him ridiculous or rather odious 
 to the prefence,he deuifed thefe vizards to hide his owne 
 ilfauored face. And thus much touching the Comedy. 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 In what fgrnie of Poefie the euill and outragious 
 behauiours of Princes were rep-ehended. 
 
 jjVt becaufe in thofe dayes when the Poets 
 firfl taxed by Satyre and Comedy, there 
 was no great ftore of Kings or Emperors 
 or fuch high eflats (al men being yet for 
 the moil part rude, and in a maner popu- 
 larly egall) they could not fay of them or of their 
 behauiours any thing to the purpofe, which cafes of 
 Princes are fithens taken for the high ell and greateil 
 matters of all. But after that fome men among the 
 moe became mighty and famous in the world, fouer- 
 aignetie and dominion hauing learned them all maner 
 of lulls and licentioufnes of life, by which occafions 
 alfo their high eilates and felicities fell many times into 
 
AND PO ESI E. LIB. I. 49 
 
 moil lowe and lamentable fortunes : whereas before in 
 their great profperities they were both feared and re- 
 uerenced in the higheft degree, after their deathes when 
 the pofleritie flood no more in dread of them, their in- 
 famous life and tyrannies were layd open to all the 
 world, their wickednes reproched, their follies and ex- 
 treme infqlencies derided, and their miferable ends 
 painted out in playes and pageants, to mew the muta- 
 bilitie of fortune, and the iuft punifhment of God in 
 reuenge of a vicious and euill life. Thefe matters were 
 alfo handled by the Poets, and reprefented by aclion 
 as that of the Comedies-, but becaufe the matter was 
 higher then that of the Comedies the Poets ftile was alfo 
 higher and more loftie, the prouifion greater, the place 
 more magnificent : for which purpofe alfo the players 
 garments were made more rich and coftly and folemne, 
 and euery other thing apperteining, according to that 
 rate : So as where the Saiyre was pronounced by rufti- 
 call and naked Syluanes fpeaking out of a bum, and the 
 common players of interludes called Pkunpedes, played 
 barefoot e vpon the floore : the later Comedies vpon 
 fcagblds, and by men well and cleanely hofed and {hod. 
 Thefe matters of great Princes were played vpon lofty 
 itages, and the ac~lors thereof ware vpon their legges 
 buskins of leather called Cothurni, and other folemne 
 habits, and for a fpeciall preheminence did walke vpon 
 thofe high corkecTThoes or pantofles, which now they 
 call in Spaine and Italy Shopfiini. And becaufe thofe 
 bufkins and high fhoes were commonly made of goats 
 fkinnes very finely tanned, and dyed into colours : or 
 for that as fome fay 7 the beft players reward, was a 
 goate to be giuen him, or for that as other thinke, a 
 goate was the peculiar facrifice of the god jPan, king 
 of all the gods of the woodes : forafmuch as agoate 
 in Greeke is called Iragos, therfore thefe {lately playes 
 were called Tragedies. And thus haue ye foure fundry 
 formes of Poefie Drammatick reprehenfme, and put in 
 execution by the feate and dexteritie of mans body, to 
 wit, the Satyre, old Comedie, new Comedie, and Tragedie, 
 
 D 
 
50 OFPOETS 
 
 whereas all other kinde of poems except Eglogue whereof 
 frialbe entreated hereafter, were onely recited by mouth 
 or fong with the voyce to fome melodious inftrument. 
 
 CHAP. XVI. 
 
 In what forme of Poefe the great Princes and domina- 
 tors of the world were honored. 
 
 iVt as the bad and illawdable parts of all 
 eftates and degrees were taxed by the 
 Poets in one fort or an other, and thofe 
 of great Princes by Tragedie in efpecial, 
 (and not till after their deaths) as hath 
 bene before remembred, to th'intent that fuch exem- 
 plifying (as it were) of their blames and aduerfities, 
 being now dead, might worke for a fecret reprehenfion 
 to others that were aliue, liuing in the fame or like 
 abufes. So was it great reafon that all good and ygir 
 tuous perfons mould for their well doings be rewarded 
 with commendation, and the great Princes aboue all 
 others with honors and praifes, being for many refpedls 
 of greater moment, to haue them good and vertuous 
 then any inferior fort of men. Wherfore the Poets 
 being in deede the trumpetters of all praife and alfo of 
 flaunder (not flaunder, but well deferued reproch) were 
 in confcience and credit bound next after the diuine 
 praifes of the immortall gods, to yeeld a like ratable 
 honour to all fuch amongft men, as moil refembled the 
 gods by excellencie of function, and had a certaine 
 afhnitie with them, by more then humane and ordinarie 
 vertues fhewed in their actions here vpon earth. They 
 were therfore praifed by a fecond degree of laude : 
 (hewing their high eftates, their Princely genealogies 
 and pedegrees, manages, aliances, and fuch noble ex- 
 plores, as they had done in th' affaires of peace ancfof 
 warre to the benefit of their" people and countries, by 
 inuention of any noble fcience, or profitable Art, or by 
 making wholfome lawes or enlarging of their dominions 
 by honorable and iuft conquefts, and many other wayes. 
 SucK" perfonages among the Gentiles were Bacchus, 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 51 
 
 Ceres, Perfeus, Hercules, Thcfeus and many other, who 
 trlereby came to be accompted gods and halfe gods or 
 gpddeffes [Heroes'] and had their commendations giuen 
 by Hymne accordingly or by fuch other poems as their 
 memorie was therby made famous to the pofleritie for 
 ~euer after, as Jhal be more at large fayd in place con- 
 uenient. But firft we will fpeake fomewhat of the play- 
 ing places, and prouifions which were made for their 
 "pageants and pomps reprefentatiue before remembred. 
 
 CHAP. XVII. 
 
 Of the places where their enterl udes or poemes dramma- 
 ticke were reprefented to the people. 
 
 jjS it hath bene declared, the Satyres were 
 firft vttered in their hallowed places within 
 the woods where they honoured their gods 
 vnder the open heauen, becaufe they had 
 no other hpufmg fit for great affemblies. 
 The old comedies were plaid in the broad ftreets vpon 
 wagons or carts vncouered, which carts were floored 
 with bords and made for remouable ftages to paffe 
 from one flreete of their towries to another, where all 
 the people might ftand at their eafe to gaze vpon the 
 lights. Their new comedies or ciuill enterludes were 
 played in 0£en pauilions or tents of linnen cloth or 
 lether, halfe difplayed that the people might fee. 
 Afterward when Tragidies came vp they deuifed to 
 prefent them upon fcaffoldes or ftages of timber, - 
 fhadowed with linen or lether as the other, and thefe 
 ftages were made in the forme of a Semicircle, wherof 
 the bow ferued for the beholders to fit in, and the 
 itring or forepart was appointed for the floore or place 
 where the players vttered, and had in it fundrie little 
 diuifions by curteins as trauerfes to feme for feueral 
 roomes where they might repaire vnto and change 
 their garments and come in againe, as their fneaches 
 and parts were to be renewed. Alfo there was place 
 appointed for muficiens to fing or to play vpon their 
 inflrumentes at "the "end of euery fcene, to the intent 
 
52 OFPOETS 
 
 the people might be refrefhed, and kept occupied. 
 This maner of ftage in halfe circle, the Greekes called 
 theatrum, as much to fay as a beholding place, which 
 was alfo in fuch fort contriued by benches and greeces ' 
 to (land or fit vpon, as no man mould empeach anothers 
 fight. But as ciuilitie and withall wealth encreafed, fo 
 did the_minde*of man growe dayly more haultie and 
 fuperfluous in all his deuifes, fo as for their theaters in 
 halfe circle, they came to be by the great magnificence 
 of the Romain princes and people fonmtLioully built 
 with marble and fquare ftone in forme all round, and 
 were called Amphitheaters, whereof as yet appears one 
 among the ancient mines of Rome, built by Pompeius 
 Magnus, for capafitie able to receiue at eafe fourfcore 
 thoufand peribns as it is left written, and fo curioufly 
 contriued as euery man might depart at his pleafure, 
 without any annoyance to other. It is alfo to be knowne . 
 that in thole great A mp hi 'theaters, were exhibited all ma- 
 ner of other mewes and difports for the people, as their 
 fence piayes, or digladiations of naked men, their wraft- 
 lings, runnings, leapings and other praclifes of acliuitie 
 and fir ength, alfo their baitings ofwildbeafls,as Elephants, 
 Rhinoceros [es], Tigers, Leopards and others, which 
 fights much delighted the common people, and there- 
 fore the places required to be large and of great content. 
 
 CHAP. XVIIL 
 
 Of the Shepheards or pajlorall Poefie called Eglogue, and 
 to vvliat purpofe it was fi}'ft inuenied and vfed. 
 
 I Ome be of opinion, and the clnefe of thofe 
 who haue written in this Art among the 
 Latines, that the paflorall Poefie which 
 we commonly call by the name of Eglogue 
 and Biicolick, a tearme brought in by the 
 Sicilian Poets, mould be the firft of any other, and 
 before the Satyre comedie or tragedie, becaufe, fay 
 they, the fhepheards and haywards affemblies and 
 meetings when they kept their cattell and heards in the 
 common fields and forefts, was the firft familiar con- 
 
AXD POESIE. LIB. I. 53 
 
 uerfation, and their babbl e and talk vnder birihes and 
 JJiarlie trees, the firfl difputation and contentious 
 reafoning, and their flefhly heates growing of eafe, the 
 firfl idle wooings, and their fongs made to their mates 
 or paramours either vpon forrow or iolity of courage, 
 the firfl amorous muficks, fometime alio they fang and 
 played on their pipes for wagers, firming who mould 
 get the befl game, and be counted cunningeft. All 
 this I do agree vnto, for no doubt the fhephearcls life 
 was the firfl example of honefl felpj^flnp, their trade 
 the firfl art of lawfull acquiiition or purchafe, for at 
 thefe daies robbery was a manner of purchafe. So faith 
 Aristotle in his bppkes of the Politiques, and that~paT- 
 turage was before tillage, or liming or fowling, or any 
 other predatory art or cheuifance. And all this may 
 be true, for before there was a fhepheard keeper of his 
 qwne, or of fome other bodies flocte, there was none 
 owner in the world, quick cattefT being the firfl pro- 
 perty of any forreme poffeffion. I fay forreine, becaufe 
 alway men claimed property in their apparell and 
 armour, and other like things made by their owne 
 trau el and induflry, not thereby was there yet any 
 good towne or city or Kings palace, where pageants 
 and pompes might be fhewed by Comedies or Trage- 
 dies." But for all this. I do deny that the Eglogue fhould 
 be the firfl and mofl aimcient forme of artificial! Poefie, 
 being perl waded that the Poet deuifed the Eglogue long 
 after the other drammatick poems, not of purpoie to 
 counterfa it or reprefent the ruflicall manner of loues 
 and communication : but vnder the yaile of homely per- 
 fons, and in rude fpeeches to infmuate and glaunce at 
 greater matters, and fuch as perchance had not bene 
 iafe to haue beene difclofed in any other fort, which 
 may be perceiued by the Eglogues of Virgil/, in which 
 are treated by figure matters of greater importance 
 then the loues of Titirus and Cory don. Thefe Eglogues 
 came after to containe and enfprrne morall discipline, 
 for the amendment of mans behauiour, as be thofe of 
 Mantnan and other moderne Poets. 
 
54 OFPOETS 
 
 CHAP, XIX. 
 
 Of ' historicall Poefie, by which the famous ac~ls of Princes 
 
 and the vert uo7 is and worthy Hues of our foi'e- 
 
 fathers were rep07'ted. 
 
 Here is nothing in man of all the potential 
 parts of his mind (reafon and will except) 
 more noble or more neceffary to the acliue 
 life then memory : becaufe it maketh moil 
 to a found iudgement and perfecl worldly 
 wifedome, examining and comparing the times paft 
 with the prefent, and by them both confidering the 
 time to come, coneludeth with a ftedfaft refolution, 
 what is the beft courfe to be taken m all his adlions 
 and aduices in this world : it came vpon this reafon, 
 experience to be fo highly commended in all confulta- 
 tions of importance, and preferred before any learning 
 or fcience, and yet experience is no more than a maffe 
 of memories affembled, that is, fuch trials as manliath 
 made in time before. Right fo no kinde of argument 
 in all the Oratorie craft, 'doth better perfwade and more 
 vniuerfally fatisne then example, which is but the re- 
 prefentatiorTof old memories, and like fucceffes hap- 
 pened in times paft. For thefe regards the Poefie iiif- 
 toricall is of all other next the diuine moil honorable 
 and worthy, as well for the common benefit as for the 
 fpeciall comfort euery man receiueth by it. No one 
 thing in the world with more delectation reuiuing our 
 fpirits then to behold as it were in a glaffe the liuely 
 image of our deare forefathers, their noble and yer- 
 tuous maner of life, with other things autentike, which 
 becaufe we are not able otherwife to attaine to the 
 knowledge of, by any of our fences, we apprehend 
 them by memory, whereas the prefent time and things 
 fo fwiftly paffe away, as they giue vs no leafure almoft to 
 looke into them, and much leffe to know and confider 
 of them throughly. The things future, being alfo euents 
 very vncertaine, and fuch as can not poflibly be knoAvre 
 becaufe they be not yet, can not be vfed for example 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 55 
 
 nor for delight otherwife then by hope. Though many 
 promife the contrary, by vaine and deceitfull arts 
 taking vpon them to reueale trie truth of accidents to 
 come, which if it were fo as they furmife, are yet but 
 fciences meerely conieclurall, and not of any benefit to 
 man or to the common wealth, where they be vfed or 
 profeffed. Therefore the good and exemplarie things 
 and actions of the former ages, were referued only to 
 the hifloricall reportes of wife and graue men : thofe 
 of the prefent time left to the fruition and iudgement 
 of our fences : the future as hazards and incertaine 
 euentes vtterly neglected and layd afide for Magicians 
 and mockers to get their liuings by : fuch manner of 
 men as by negligence of Magiftrates and remiffes of 
 lawes euery countrie breedeth great flore of. Thefe 
 hiflorical men neLiertheleffe vfed not the matter fo pre- 
 cifely to wifh that al they wrote mould be accounted true, 
 for that was not needefull nor expedient to the pur- 
 pofe, namely to be vfed either for example or for plea- 
 fure : confidering that many times it is feene a fained 
 matter or altogether fabulous, befides that it maketh 
 more mirth than any other, works no leffe good con- 
 clufions for example then the mofl true and veritable : 
 but often times more,~becaufe the Poet hath the hand- 
 ling of them to fafhion at his pleafure, but not fo of th' 
 other which muft go according to their veritie and 
 none otherwife without the writers great blame. Againe 
 asj£ knovv r mo and more excellent examples may be 
 fained in one day by a good wit, then many ages 
 TErough mans frailtie are able to put in vre, which 
 made the learned and wittie men of thofe times to 
 deuife many hifloricall matters of no veritie at all, but 
 with purpofe to do good and no hurt, as vfing them for 
 a maner of difcipline and prefident of commendable 
 life. Such was the common wealth of Plato, and Sir 
 Thomas Moores Vtofiia, refting all in deuife, but neuer 
 put in execution, and eafier to be wiflied then to be 
 performed. And you fhall p erceiu e that hiflories were 
 of three fortes, wholly true and wholly falfe, and a 
 
56 OF POETS 
 
 third holding part of either, but for honefl recreation, 
 and good example they were all of them. And this 
 may be apparant to vs not onely by the Poeticall 
 hiftories, but alfo by thofe that be written in profe : 
 for as Homer wrate a fabulous or mixt report of the 
 fiege of Troy, and another of Uliffes errors or wandrings, 
 fo did Mujeus compile a true treatife of the life and 
 loues of Leander and Herd, both of them Heroick, and 
 to none ill edification. Alfo as Theucidides wrate a 
 worthy and veritable hiflorie, of the "wanes betwixt the. 
 Athenians and the Pelofionefes : fo did Zenophon, a moil 
 graue Philofopher, and well trained courtier and cpunfel- 
 lour make another (but fained and vntrue) of the child- 
 hood of Cyrus king of Perfia, neuertheles both to one 
 effect, that is for example and good information of the 
 ijofleritie. Now becaufe the actions of meane and 
 bafe perfonages, tend in very few cafes to any great 
 good example : for who paffeth to follow the fleps, and 
 maner of life of a craftes man, fhepheard or failer, 
 though he were his father or deareft frend ? yea how 
 almofl is it poffible that fuch maner of men mould be 
 of any vertue other then their profeffion requireth? 
 Therefore was nothing committed to hiflorie, but mat- 
 ters of great and excellent perfons and things that the 
 fame by irritation of good courages (fuch as emulation 
 caufeth) might worke more effectually, which occafioned 
 the ftory writer to chufe an higher flile fit for his fub- 
 iect, the Profaicke in profe, the Poet in meetre, and 
 the Poets was by verfe exameter for his grauitie and 
 flatelineffe mofl allowable : neither would they inter- 
 mingle him with any other fhorter meafure, vnleffe it 
 were in matters of fuch qualitie, as became befl to be 
 fong with the voyce, and to fome muficall inflrument, 
 as were with the Greeks, all your Hymnes and En- 
 comia of Pindamis and Callimachus, not very hiftories 
 but a maner of hifloricall reportes in which cafes they 
 made thofe poemes in variable meafures, and coupled 
 a fhort verfe with a long to feme that purpofe the 
 better, and we our femes who compiled this treatife 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. 1. 57 
 
 haue written for pleafure a litle brief Romance or hif- 
 toricall ditty in the Englifh tong of the File of great 
 Tiritaine in fhort and long meetres, and by breaches or 
 diuifions to be more commodiouily fong to the harpe 
 in places of affembly, where the company fhalbe de- 
 firous to heare of old aduentures and valiaunces of 
 noble kniglrTs in times pad, as are thofe of king Arthur 
 and his knights o" the round table, Sir Beuys of 
 Southampton, Guy of Warwicke and others like. Such 
 as haue not premonition hereof, and confideration of 
 the caufes ailedged, would peraduenture reproue and 
 difgrace euery Romance, or fhort liiftoricall ditty for that 
 they be not written in long meeters or verfes Alexan- 
 drins, according to the nature and ftile of large hiilories, 
 wherjn they mould do wrong for they be lundry 
 /nes of poems and not all one. /iC$ / ^ CA ^ AA A 
 
 CHAP. XX. 
 In what forme o f Poefie vertue in the infer iour 
 
 fort was commended. 
 
 65^p|lN euerie degree and fort of men vertue is 
 Ell (fall commendable, but not egally : not onely 
 I HUll becaufe m ens eftates £re ynegall. but for 
 ra^J|2§ that alio vertue it felfe is not in euery re- 
 fpect of egall value and eftimation. For 
 continence in a king is of greater merit, then in a car- 
 ter, th'one hauing all opportunities to allure him to 
 lufts,"and~abilirie to feme his appetites, th'other partly, 
 for the bafeneffe of his eflate wanting fuch rneanes and 
 occafions, partly by dread of lawes more inhibited, and 
 not fo vehemently caried away with vnbridled affec- 
 tions, and therfore deferae not in th'one and th'other 
 like praife nor ^equall reward, by the very ordinarie 
 courfe of diilributme iuftice. Euen fo paiiimonie and 
 illiberalitie are greater vices in a Prince then in a pri- 
 r p erf on, and puiillanimitie and iniuftice likewife : 
 for to jhjonej fortune hath fupplied inough to main- 
 taine them in the contrarie vermes, I meane, fortitude, 
 iuftice. liberalitie, and magnanimitie : the Prince hauing 
 
5S OFPOETS 
 
 all plentie to vfe largefle by, and no want or neede to 
 driueTiim to do wrong. Alfo all the aides that m 
 be to lift vp his courage, and to make him flout and 
 fearelel Yc :' cuiimos fortume) faith the MimiJI. and 
 
 very truly, for nothing pulleth downe a mans he 
 fo much as aduerlitie and lacke . Againe in a meane 
 man pre ligalitie and pride are more reprehen- 
 
 sible then in Princes, whofe higB eflates do require in 
 the:: snance, fpeech and expence, a certaine ex- 
 
 traordinaiy. and their functions enforce them fometime 
 to exceede the limites of mediocritie not excufable in a 
 priuat perfon, whofe maimer of life and calling hath 
 no fuch exigence. B elides the good and bad of Princes 
 is more exempla rie. and thereby of greater moment 
 then the pnuate perfons. Therfore it is that the in- 
 feriour perfons. with their inferiour venues haue a cer- 
 taine inferiour praife, to guerdon their good with, and 
 to comfort them to continue a laudable courfe in the 
 modeft and honefl life and behauiour. But this lyetli, 
 not in written laudes fo much as ordinary reward and 
 commendation to be giuen them by the mouth of the 
 mperiour magiilrate. For hiftpries were not intended 
 to fo generall and i»afe a purr :'z. ?,Y: eit many a meane 
 fouldier and other obfeure perfons were fpoken of a: 
 made famous in (lories, as we finde of Irus the begge 
 and Therfttes the glorious noddie. whom Homer maketh 
 mention of. But that happened (and fo did many like 
 memories of meane men) by reafon of fome greater 
 perfonage or matter that it was long of, which there- 
 fore could not bejm vniuerfall cafe nor chaunce to 
 euery other good and vertuous perfon of the meaner 
 fort. Wherefore the Poet in praif:: aner :: ':.it 
 
 or death of anie meane perfon. did it by fome 1: 
 a or Epitaph in fewe verfes and me: 
 ftile conformable to his fubiecl. So haue you how the 
 immortall gods were praifed by hymnes . the great Princes 
 and heroicke perfona : praife called E 
 
 ccniia. both of them by hilioricall reports of great grau: 
 and maie ftie, the inferiour perfons by other flight poemes. 
 

 AND POESIE. LIB. I. 59 
 
 CHAP. XXI 
 
 The forme wherein honeft and profitable Artes 
 and fciences were treated. 
 
 |He profitable fciences were no jeffe meete 
 to be imported to the greater number of 
 ciuill men for inftruction of the people 
 and increafe of knowledge, then to be re- 
 ferued and kept for clerke s and great men 
 onely . So as next vnto the things hift orica ll fuch 
 doctrines and arts as the common wealth fared the 
 better by, were efteemed and allowed. And the fame 
 were treated by Poets in verfe Exameter fauouring the 
 Heroical ly and for the grauitie and comelineffe of the 
 meetre moil vfed with the Greekes and Latines to fad 
 purpofes. Such were the Philqfophicall works of 
 Lucretius Car us among the Romaines, the Aftronomi- 
 call of Aratus and Manilius, one Greeke th'other 
 Latine, the Medicinall of Nicander, and that of Opri- 
 anus of hunting and fifties, and many moe that were 
 too long to recite in this place. 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 In what forme of Poefie the amorous ajfeclions and 
 
 allureme7its were vttered. 
 
 ^He firft founder of all good affections is 1 ~ 
 honeft loue, as the mother of all the vici- 
 ous is hatred. It was not therefore with- 
 out reafon that fo commendable, y_ea hon- 
 ourable a thing as loue well meant, were 
 it in Princely eftate or priuate, might in all ciuil com- 
 mon wealths be vttered in good forme and order as 
 other laudable things are. And becaufe loue is of all 
 other humane affections the moft puiffant and paffion- 
 ate, and moft generall to all fortes and ages of men 
 and women, fo as whether it be of the yong or old or 
 wife or holy, or high eftate or low, none" euer could 
 truly J^ragge of any exemption in that cafe: it requireth 
 a forme of Poefie variable, inconftant, affected, curi- 
 
60 OFPOETS 
 
 ous and moil witty of any others, whereof the ioyes 
 were to be vttered in one forte, the forrowes in an other, 
 and by the many formes of Poefie, the many moodes 
 and pangs of louers, throughly to be difcouerecl : the 
 poore foules fometimes praying, befeeching, fometime 
 honouring, auancing, praifmg : an other while railing, 
 reuiling, and curfing : then forrowlhgTweeping, lament- 
 ing : in the ende laughing, reioyfmg and folacing the 
 beloued agaihe, with a thoufand delicate deuifes, odes, 
 fongs, elegies, ballads, fonets and other ditties, moouing 
 one way and another to great compaffion. 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 The forme of Poeticall reioyfings. 
 
 |Leafure is the chiefe parte of mans felicity 
 in this world, and alfo (as our Theologians 
 fay) in the world to come. Therefore 
 while we may (yea alwaies if it coulde be) 
 to reioyce and take our pleafures in ver- 
 tuous and honefl fort, it is not only allowable, but alfo 
 neceffary and very naturall to man. And many be the 
 ioyes and confolations of the hart : but none greater, 
 than fuch as he may vtter and difcouer by fome con- 
 uenient meanes : euen as to fugpreffe and hide a 
 mans mirth, and not to haue therein a partaker, or at 
 lead wife a witnes, is no little griefe and infelicity. 
 Therfore nature and ciuility haue ordained (beiides 
 the priuate folaces) publike reioifmgs for the comfort 
 and recreation of many. And they be of diuerfe forts 
 and vpon diuerfe occafions growne : one and the chiefe 
 was for the" publike peace of" a countrie the greateft of 
 any other ciuill good. And wherein your Maieftie 
 (my molt gracious Soueraigne) haue mewed your felfe 
 to all the world for this one and thirty yearesYpace of 
 your glorious raigne, aboue all other Princes of Chriften- 
 dome, not onely fortunate, but alfo moft fufhcient ver- 
 tuous and worthy of Empire. An. other is for iuft and 
 honourable victory atchieued againft the forraine enemy. 
 A third at folemne feafts and pompes of coronations 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 61 
 
 and enltallments of honourable orders. An other for 
 iollity at weddings a"nd marriages. An other at the 
 births of Princes children. An other for priuate 
 entertainements in Court, or other fecret difports 
 in cham ber, and fuch folitary places. And as thefe 
 reioyfmgs tend to diuers effects, fo do they alfo 
 
 rry diuerfe formes and nominations : for thofe of 
 victorie and peace are called Triumphal^ whereof we 
 
 it felues haue heretofore giuen fome example by our 
 Trhi?np}ials written in honour of her Maieflies long 
 peace. And they were vfed by the auncients in like 
 manner, as we do our generall proceffions or Letanies 
 with bari id bonefires and all manner of ioyes . 
 
 Thofe that were to honour the perfons of great Princes 
 or to folemnife the" pompes of any inftallment were 
 called Encomia, we may call them carols of honour. 
 Thofe to celebrate marriages were called fongs nup- 
 tiall or Efithala?nies, but in a certain e miflicall fenfe 
 as fhall be faid hereafter. Others for magnificence at 
 the natalities of Princes children, or by cuflo me vied 
 yearely vpon the fame dayes, are called fongs nata ll or 
 Gen Others for fecret recreation and paftime 
 
 in chambers with company or alone were the ordinary 
 morous, fuch as might be fong with voice 
 or to the Lute, Chheron or Harpe, or daunced by 
 meafures as the Italian Pauan and gal ; at thefe 
 
 daies in Princes Courts and other places of honour- 
 able or quill affembly, and of all thefe we will f peake 
 in order and very briefly. 
 
 CHAP. XXIIIL 
 The forme of Poetical I lamentations. 
 
 I Amenting is altogether contrary to reioifmg, 
 euery man faith fo, and yet is it a peece 
 of ioy to be able to lament with eafe, and 
 freely to poure forth a mans inward for- 
 rowes and the greets wherewith his minde 
 is furcharged. This was a very neceffary deuife of 
 the Poet and a fine, befides his poetrie to play alfo 
 
62 OF POETS 
 
 the Phifitian, and not onely by applying a medicine to 
 the ordinary fickngs of mankind, but by making the 
 very greef it felfe (in part) cure of the difeafe. Nowe 
 are the caufes of mans fprrowes many : the death of 
 his parents, frends, allies, and children : (though many 
 of the barbarous nations do reioyce at their burials 
 and forrow at their birthes) the ouerthrowes and dif- 
 comforts in battell, the fubuerfions of townes and cities, 
 the defolations of countreis, the loffe of goods and 
 worldly promotions, honour and good renowne : fin- 
 ally the trauails and torments of loue forlorn e or ill_ 
 beftowed, either by difgrace, deniall, delay, and twenty 
 other wayes, that well experienced louers could recite. 
 Such of thefe greefs as might be refrained or holpen 
 by wifedome, and the parties owne good endeuour, 
 the toet gaue none order to forrow them : for nrft 
 as to the good renowne it is loll, for the more part by 
 fome default of the owner, and may be by his well 
 doings recouered againe. And if it be vniullly taken 
 away, as by vntrue and famous libels, the offenders 
 recantation may fuffife for his amends : fo did the 
 Poet Stefichorus, as it is written of him in his PaUinodie 
 vpon the difprayfe of Helena, and recouered his eye 
 fight. Alfo for worldly goods they come and go, as 
 things not long proprietary to any body, and are not 
 yet fubiecl vnto fortunes dominion fo, but that we our 
 felues are in great part acceffarie to our own loffes 
 and hinderaunces, by ouerfight and mifguiding of our 
 felues and our things, therefore why mould we bewaile 
 our fuch voluntary detriment? But death the irre- 
 couerable loffe, death the dolefull departure of frendes, 
 that can neuer be recontinued by any other meeting 
 or new acquaintance. Befides our vncertaintie and 
 fufpition of their eftates and welfare in the places of 
 their new abode, feemeth to carry a reafonable pre- 
 text of iufi forrow. Likewife the great ouerthrowes in 
 battell and defolations of countreys by warres, afwell 
 for the loffe of many Hues and much libertie as for 
 that it toucheth the whole Hate, and euery priuate 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 63 
 
 man hath his portion in the damage: Finally for loue, 
 there is no frailtie in flefh and bloud fo excufable as 
 it, no comfort or difcomfort greater then the good and 
 bad fucceffe thereof, nothing more natural! to man, 
 nothing of more force to vanquifh his will and to in- 
 uegle his iudgement. Therefore of death and burials, 
 of th'aduerfities by wanes, and of true loue loft or ill 
 bellowed, are tlVonely forrowes that the noble Poets 
 fought by their arte to remoue or appeafe, not with 
 any medicament of a contrary temper, as the Galenijles 
 vfe to" cure \corifraria contrarijs\ but as the Paracelfians, 
 who cure \Jimilia Jlmilibus] making one dolour to ex- 
 pell another, and in this cafe, one fhort forrowing the 
 remedie of a long and grieuous forrow. And the 
 lamenting of deathes was chiefly at the very burial] s 
 of the dead, alio at monethes mindes and longer times, 
 by cuftqme continued yearely, when as they vfed 
 many offices of feruice and loue towardes the dead, 
 a.nd thereupon are called Obfeqtdes in our vulgare, 
 which was done not onely by cladding the mourners 
 their friendes and feruauntes in blacke veftures, of 
 fhape dolefull and fad, but alio by wofull counten- 
 aunces and yoyces, and befides by Poeticall mourn- 
 ings in verfe. Such funerall fongs were called Efiicedia 
 if they were fong by many, and Monodia if they were 
 vttered by one alone, and this was vfed at the inter- 
 ment of Princes and others of great accompt, and it 
 was reckoned a great ciuilitie to vfe fuch ceremonies, 
 as at this day is alfo in fome cojmtrey vfed. In Rome 
 they accuflomed to make orations funerall and com- 
 mendatorie of the dead parties in the publique place 
 called TProco Jlris : and our Theologians, in Head thereof 
 vfe to make fermons, both teaching theTpeople fome 
 good learning, and alfo faying well of the departed. 
 Thofe fongs of the dolorous difcomfits in battaile, and 
 other defolations in wane, or of townes faccaged and 
 fubuerted, were fong by the remnant of the army ouer- 
 throwen, with great fkrikings and outcries, holding the 
 wrong end 01 their weapon vp wards in figne of forrow 
 
64 OFPOETS 
 
 and difpaire. The cities alfo made generall mournings 
 and offred facrifices with Poeticall longs to appeafe 
 the wrath of the martiall gods and goddeffes. The 
 third forrowing was of loues, by long lamentation in 
 Elegie : fo was their fong called, and it was in a pitious 
 maner of meetre, placing a limping Pentameter, after 
 a lufty Exameter, which made it go dolouroufly more 
 then any other meeter. 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 Of the folemne reioyfings at the natiuitie of 
 Princes children. 
 
 |0 returne from forrow to reioyfmg it is a 
 very good hap and no vnwife part for him 
 that can do it, I fay therefore, that the 
 comfort of iffue and procreation of child- 
 ren is fo naturall and fo great, not onely 
 to all men but fpecially to Princes, as duetie and ciuil- 
 itie haue made it a common cuftome to reioyfe at the 
 birth of their noble children, and to keepe thofe dayes 
 hallowed and feftiuall for euer once in the yeare, dur- 
 ing the parentes or childrens Hues : and that by pub- 
 lique order and confent. Of which reioyfings and 
 mirthes the Poet miniftred the firft occafion honor- 
 able, by prefenting of ioyfull fongs and ballades, prayf- 
 ing the parentes by proofe, the child by hope, the 
 whole kinred by report, and the day it felfe with 
 wifhes of all good fucceffe, long life, health and prof- 
 peritie for euer to the new borne. Thefe poemes were 
 called in Greeke Genetliaca, with vs they may be 
 called natall or birth fongs. 
 
 CHAP. XXVI. 
 The maner of reioyfings at mariages and weddings. 
 
 IS the confolation of children well begotten 
 is great, no leffe but rather greater ought 
 to be that which is occafion of children, 
 that is honorable matrimonie, a loue by 
 al lawes allowed, not mutable nor encomb- 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 65 
 
 redwith fuch vaine cares andpaffions, as that other loue, 
 whereof there is no affurance, but loofe and fickle 
 affection occasioned Tor the moil part by fodaine fights 
 and acquaintance of no long triall or experience, nor 
 vpon any other good ground wherein any furetie may 
 be concerned : wherefore the Ciuill Poet could do no 
 lege in conscience and credit, then as he had before 
 done to the ballade of birth : now with much better 
 deuotion to celebrate by his poeme the chearefull day 
 of manages afwell Princely as others, for that hath 
 al waves bene accompted with euery countrey and 
 nation of neuerfo barbarous people, the higheft and 
 holiefl, of any ceremonie apperteining to man : a match 
 forfooth made for euer and not for a day, a folace pro- 
 uided for youth, a comfort for age, a knot of alliance 
 and amitie indiffoluble : great reioyfmg was therefore 
 due to fuch a matter and to fo gladfome a time. 
 This was done in ballade wife as thenatall fong, and 
 was long very fweetely 5y "Mufitians at the chamber 
 dore of the Bridegroome and Bride at fuch times as 
 fhalbe hereafter declared and they were called Epitha- 
 Jamies as^ much to fay as ballades at the bedding of 
 the bride flbr fuch as were fong at the borde at dinner 
 or fupper were other Mufickes and not properly Epitha- 
 lamies. Here, if I mail fay that which apperteineth 
 to th'arte, and difclofe the miflerie of the whole matter, 
 I mufl and doe with all humble reuerence befpeake 
 pardon of the chafte and honorable eares, leaft I mould 
 either offend them with licentious fpeach, or leaue them 
 ignorant of the ancient guile in old times vfed at wed- 
 dings (in my fimple opinion) nothing reproueable. 
 This Epiihalamie was deuided by breaches into three 
 partes to feme for three feuerall fits or times to be fong. 
 The firfl breach was fong at the firft parte of the night 
 when the fpoufe and her husband were brought to their 
 bed and at the very chamber dore, where m a large 
 vtter roome vfed to be (befides the mufitiens) good 
 llore of ladies or gentlewomen of their kinfefolkes, and 
 others who came to honor the mariage, and the tunes 
 
 E 
 
66 OFPOETS 
 
 of the fongs were very loude and fhrill, to the intent 
 there might no noife be hard out of the bed chamber 
 by the skreeking and outcry of the young damofell 
 feeling the "firft forces of her ftijje and rigorous young 
 man, fhe being as all virgins tender and weake, and 
 vn expert in thofe maner of affaires. For which purpofe 
 alfo they vfed by old nurfes (appointed to that feruice) 
 to fuppreffe the noife by calling of pottes full of nuttes 
 round about the chamber vpon the hard floore or 
 pauement, for they vfed no mattes nor rufhes as we 
 doe now. So as the Ladies and genHe.women mould 
 haue their eares fo occupied what with Muhcke, and 
 what with their handes wantonly f Gambling and catch- 
 ing after the nuttes, that they could not intend to 
 harken after any other thing. This was as I faid to 
 diminifh the noife of the laughing lamenting fpoufe. 
 The tenour of that part of the fong was to congratulate 
 the firft acquaintance and meeting of the young couple, 
 allowing of their parents good dilcretions in making the 
 match, then afterward to found cherfully to the onfet 
 and firft encounters of that amorous battaile, to declare 
 the comfort of children, and encreaie of loue by that 
 meane cheifly caufed : the bride mewing her felf euery 
 waies well difpofed and ftill fupplying occafions of new 
 luftes and loue to her husband, by her obedience and 
 amorous embracings and all other allurementes. About 
 midnight or one of the clocke, the Muficians came 
 again to the chamber dore (all the Ladies and other 
 women as they were of degree, hauing taken their 
 leaue, and being gone to their reft.) This part of the 
 ballade was to refrefh the faint and weried bodies and 
 fpirits, and to animate new appetites with cherefull 
 wordes, encoraging them to the recontinuance of the 
 fame entertainments, praifmg and commending (by 
 fuppofall) the good conformities of them both, and 
 their defire one to vanquifh the other by fuch frendly 
 conflictes : alledging that the firft embracementes 
 neuer bred barnes, by reafon of their overmuch affection 
 and heate, but onely made paffage for children and en- 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 67 
 
 forced greater liking to the late made match. That 
 the fecond affaultes, were lefle rigorous, but more 
 vigorous and apt to auance the purpofe of procreation, 
 that therefore they iliould perhft in all good appetite 
 with an inuincible courage to the end. This was the 
 fecond part of the Epithalamie. In the morning when 
 it was faire broad day, and that by liklyhood all tournes 
 were fufficiently ferued, the laft acles of the enterlude 
 being ended, and that the bride muft within few hours 
 arife and apparrell her felfe, no more as a virgine, but 
 as a wife, and about dinner time muft by order come 
 forth Sicut fponfa de thalamo, very demurely and ftately 
 to be fene and acknowledged of her parents and kins- 
 folkes whether fire were the fame woman or a change- 
 ling, or dead or aliue, or maimed by any accident 
 noclurnall. The fame Muficians came againe with this 
 laft part, and greeted them both with a Pfalme of new 
 applaufions, for that they had either of them fo well 
 behaued them felues that night, the husband to rob his 
 fpoufe of her maidenhead and faue her life, the bride 
 fo luftely to fatisfie her husbandes loue and fcape with 
 io litle daunger of her perfon, for which good chaunce 
 that they fhould make a louely truce and abflinence of 
 that warre till next night fealing the placard of that 
 louelyTeague, with twentie* maner of fweet kiffes, then 
 by good admonitions enformed them to the frugall and 
 thriftie life all the reft of their dayes. The good man 
 getting and bringing home, the wife fauing that which 
 Tier nufband mould gtt, therewith to be the better able 
 to keepe good hofpitalitie, according to their eftates, 
 and to bring vp their children, (if God fent any) vertu- 
 qufly, and the better by their owne good example. 
 Finally to perfeuer all the reft of their life in true and 
 inuiolable wedlocke. This ceremony was omitted 
 when men maried ^widowes or fuch as had tafted the 
 frutes of loue before, (we call them well experienced 
 young women) in whom there was no feare of daunger 
 to their perfons, or of any outcry at all, at the time of 
 thofe terrible appro ches. Thus much touching the 
 
6S OFPOETS 
 
 vfage of Epithalamie or bedding ballad of the ancient 
 times, in which if there were any wanton or lafciuious 
 matter more then ordinarie which they called Ficenina 
 licentia it was borne withal for that time becaufe of the 
 matter no leffe requiring. Catullus hath made of them 
 one or two very artinciall and ciuil : but none more 
 excellent then of late yeares a young noble man of 
 Geraianie as I take it Johannes fecundus who in that 
 and in his poeme De bafts, paffeth any of the auncient 
 or moderne Poetes in my iudgment. 
 
 CHAP. XXVII. 
 
 The manner of Poefie by which they vttered their bitter 
 
 taunts, and priuy nips, or witty feoff es and other 
 
 merry conceits. 
 
 |Vt all the world could not keepe, nor any 
 ciuill ordinance to the contrary fo preuaile, 
 but that men w r ould and mull needs vtter 
 their fplenes in all ordinarie matters alfo : 
 or elfe it feemed their bowels would burft, 
 therefore the poet deuifed a prety fafhioned poeme 
 fhort and fweete (as we are wont to fay) and called it 
 Epigramma in which euery mery conceited man might 
 without any long ftudie or tedious ambage, make his 
 frend fport, and anger Jtiis foe, and giue a prettie nip, or 
 mew a fharpe conceit in few verfes : for this Epigramme 
 is but an infeription or writting made as it were vpon a 
 table, or in a windowe, or vpon the wall or mantell of 
 a chimney in ibme place of common refort, where it 
 was allowed euery man might come, or be fitting to 
 chat and prate, as now in our tauernes and common 
 tabling houfes, where many merry heades meete, and 
 fcrible with ynke, with chalke, or with a cole fuch mat- 
 ters as they would euery man mould know, and def- 
 cant vpon. Afterward the fame came to be put in 
 paper and inbookes, and vfed as ordinarie miffiues, fome 
 of frendfhip, fome of denaunce, or as other meffages of 
 mirth : Martiall was the cheife of this skil among the 
 Latines, and at thefe days the bell Epigrammes we 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 69 
 
 finde, and of the fharpeft conceit are thofe that haue 
 Fene gathered among the reliques of the two muet 
 Satyres in Rome, Pafquill and " Marp horir, which in 
 time of Scde vacante, when merry conceited men lifted 
 to gibe and left at the dead Pope, or any of his Cardi- 
 nales, they faftened them vpon thofe Images which now 
 lie in the open ftreets, and were tollerated, but after 
 that terme expired they were inhibited againe. Thefe 
 infcriptiohs or Epigrammes at their begining had no 
 certaine author that would auouch them, fome for feare 
 of blame, if they were ouer faucy or fharpe, others for 
 modeftie of the writer as was that difticke of Virgil 
 wHich he fet vpon the pallace gate of the emperour 
 Auguftus, which I will recite for" the breifnes and quick- 
 ness of it, and alfo for another euente that fell out vpon the 
 mater worthy to be remembred. Thefe were the verfes. 
 , Node pluit tola, redeunt fpeclacula mane 
 
 Diuifum imperium cum lone Ccefar habet. 
 Which I haue thus Englifhed, 
 
 It raines all night, early thejheives returne 
 
 God and Ccefar, do rajgne and rule by turne. 
 As much to fay, God fheweth his power by the night 
 raines. Caefar his magnificence by the poinpes of the 
 day. 
 
 Thefe two verfes were very well liked, and brought 
 to th'Emperours ^laieftie, who t ooke great pleafure in 
 them, and willed the author mould be knowen. A 
 faufie courtier profered him felfe to be the man, and 
 had a good reward giuen him: for the Emperour him 
 felf was not only learned, but of much munificence to- 
 ward all learned men: whereupon Virgill feing him 
 felf by his ouermuch modeftie defrauded of the reward, 
 that an impudent had gotten by abufe of his merit, 
 came the next night, and faftened vpon the fame place 
 this halfe metre, fonre times iterated. Thus. 
 
 Sic z'os non vobis 
 
 Sic vos non vobis 
 
 Sic vos non vobis 
 
 Sic vos non vobis 
 
7o OFPOETS 
 
 And there it remained a great while becaufe no man 
 will what it meant, till Virgill opened the whole fraude 
 by this deuife. He wrote aboue the fame halfe metres 
 this whole verfe Exameter. 
 
 Hos ego verfuulos feci tulit alter honor es. 
 And then finifhed the foure half metres, thus. 
 Sic vos non vobis Fertis aratra bones 
 
 Sic vos non vobis Vellera fertis oues 
 
 Sic vos non vobis Mellificatis apes 
 
 Sic vos non vobis Lidiftcatis aues. 
 
 And put to his name Publius Virgilius Maro. This 
 matter came by and by to Th'emperours eare, who 
 taking great pleafure in the deuife called for Virgill, and 
 gaue him not onely a prefent reward, with a good 
 allowance of dyet a bonche in court as we vfe to call 
 it: but alfo held him for euer after vp on larger triall 
 he had made of his learning and yertue in fo great re- 
 putation, as he vouchfafed to giue him the name of a 
 jrend (amicus) which among the Romanes was fo great 
 an honour and fpeciall fauour, as all fuch perfons were 
 allowed to the Emperours table, or to the Saiatqurs 
 who had receiued them (as frendes) and they were the 
 only men that came ordinarily to their boords, and 
 iblaced with them in their chambers, and gardins when 
 none other could be admitted. 
 
 CHAP. XXVIII. 
 
 Of the poeme called Epitaph v fed for me- 
 ntor iall of the dead. 
 
 N Epitaph is but a kind of Epigram only 
 applied to the report of the dead perfons 
 eftate and degree, or of his other good or 
 bad partes, to his commendation or re- 
 proch : and is an infcription fuch as a man 
 may commodioufly write or engraue vpon a tombe in 
 few verfes, githie, quicke and fententious for the paffer 
 by to perufe, and iudge vpon without any long tariaunce : 
 So as if it exceede the meafure of an Epigram, it is 
 then (if the verfe be cprrefpondent) rather an Elegie 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 71 
 
 then an Epitaph which errour many of thefe baftard 
 rimers commit, becaufe they be not learned, nor (as we 
 are wont to fay) catftes mailers, for they make long and 
 tedious difcourfes, and write them in large tables to be 
 hanged vp in Churches and chauncells ouer the tombes 
 of great men and others, which be fo exceeding long 
 as one mull haue halfe a dayes leafure to reade one of 
 them, and mull be called away before he come halfe to 
 the end, or elfe be locked into the Church by the Sex- 
 ten as I my felfe was once ferued reading an Epitaph 
 in a certain cathedrall Church of England. They be 
 ignorant of poefie that call fuch long tales by the name 
 of Epitaphes',they might better call them Elegies, as I 
 faidbefore, and then ought neither to be engrauen nor 
 hanged vp in tables. I haue feene them neuertheles 
 vpon many honorable tombes of thefe late times erect- 
 ed, which doe rather difgrace^ then honour either the 
 matter or maker. 
 
 CHAP. XXIX. 
 
 A certain e auncient forme of poefie by which men 
 
 did vfe to reproch their enemies. 
 
 S frendes be a rich and ioyfull poffeffion, fo be 
 foes a continuall torment and canker to the 
 minde of man, and yet there is no poffible 
 meane to auoide this inconuenience, for 
 the bell of vs all, and he that thinketh he 
 Hues moll blameleffe, liues not without enemies, that 
 enuy him for his good parts, or hate him for his euill. 
 There be wife men, and of them the great learned man 
 Plutarch tooke vpon them to perfwade the benente 
 that men receiue by their enemies, which though it 
 may be true in manner of Paradoxe, yet I finde mans 
 frailtie to be naturally fuch, and ahvayes hath beene, 
 that he cannot conceiue it in his owne cafe, nor Ihew 
 that patience and moderation in fuch greifs, as becom- 
 meth the man pernte and accomplilht in all vertue : 
 but either in deede or by word, he will feeke reuenge 
 againft them that malice him, or graclife his harmes, 
 
72 OFPOETS 
 
 fpecially fuch foes as oppofe themfelues to a mans 
 loues. This made the auncient Poetes to inuent a 
 meane to rid the gall of all fuch Vindicative men : fo as 
 they might be a wrecked of their wrong, and neuer bely 
 their enemie with flaunderous vntruthes. And this was 
 done by a maner of imprecation, or as we call it by 
 curling and banning of the parties, and wifhing all euill 
 to a light vpon them, and though it neuer thefooner hap- 
 pened, yet was it great eafment to the boiling ftomacke : 
 They were called Dircz, fuch as Virgill made ag[a]infl 
 B attar us, and Ouide againfl Ibis: we Chriftians are for 
 bidden to vfe fuch vncharitable famions, and willed to 
 referre all our reuenges to God alone. 
 
 CHAP. XXX. 
 
 OfJJiort Epigrames called Pofies. 
 
 IHere be alfo other like Epigrammes that 
 I were fent vfually for new yeares giftes or 
 to be Printed or put vpon their banketting 
 dimes of fuger plate, or of march paines, 
 and fuch other dainty meates as by the 
 curtefie and cuftome euery geft might carry from a com- 
 mon feaft home with him to his owne houfe, and were 
 made for the nonce, they were called Nenia or apopho- 
 reta^ and neuer contained aboue one verfe, or two at 
 the moft, but the fhorter the better, we call them Po- 
 fies, and do paint them now a dayes vpon the backe 
 fides of our fruite trenchers of wood, or vfe them as de- 
 uifes in rings and amies and about fuch courtly pur- 
 pofes. So haue we remembred and fet forth to your 
 Maieftie very briefly, all the commended fourmes of the 
 auncient Poefie, which we in our vulgare makings do 
 imitate and vfe vnder thefe common names : enterlude, 
 fong, ballade, carroll and ditty : borrowing them alfo 
 from the French al fauing this word (fong) which is our 
 naturall Saxon Englifh word. The reft, fuch as time 
 and vfurpation by cuftome haue allowed vs out of the 
 primitiue Greeke and Latine, as Comedie, Tragedie, 
 Ode, Epitaphe, Elegie, Epigramme, and other moe. 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 73 
 
 And we haue purpofely omitted all nice or fcholafticall 
 curiofities not meete for your Maiefties contemplation 
 in this our vulgare arte, and what we haue written of 
 the auncient formes of Poemes, we haue taken from the 
 befl clerks writing in the fame arte. The part that 
 next followeth to wit of proportion, becaufe the Greeks 
 nor Latines neuer had it in vfe nor made any obfer- 
 uatioh, no more then we doe of their feete, we may 
 truly affirme, to haue bene the firfl deuifers thereof 
 our femes, as avrodtdaxrot, and not to haue borrowed 
 it of any other by learning or imitation, and thereby 
 trufting to be holden the more excufable if any thing in 
 this our labours happen either to millike, or to come 
 fhort of th'authors purpofe, becaufe commonly the firfl 
 attempt in any arte or engine artificiall is amendable, 
 and in time by often experiences reformed. And fono 
 doubt may this deuife of ours be, by others that ihall 
 take the penne in hand after vs. 
 
 CHAP. XXXI. 
 
 Who in any age haue bene the moft commended writers 
 
 in our EngHJh Poefte, and the \Authors 
 
 cenfure giuen vpon them. 
 
 |T appeareth by fundry records of bookes 
 both printed and written, that many of 
 our countreymen haue painfully trauelled 
 in this part : of whofe works fome appeare 
 to be but bare tranflations, other fome 
 matters of their owne inuention and very commend- 
 able, whereof fome recitall Ihall be made in this place, 
 to th'intent chiefly that their names mould not be de- 
 frauded of fuch honour as feemeth due to them for 
 hauing by their thankefull ftudies fo much beautified 
 our Englifh tong, as at this day it will be found our 
 nation is in nothing inferiour to the French or Italian 
 for copie of language, fubtiltie of deuice, good method 
 and proportion in any forme of poeme, but that they 
 may compare with the moft, and perchance paffe a 
 great many of them. And I will not reach aboue the ' 
 
74 OFPOETS 
 
 time of king Edward the third, and Richard 'the fecond 
 for any that wrote in Englifh meeter : becaufe before 
 their times by reafon of the late Normane conqueft, 
 which had brought into this Realme much alteration 
 both of our langage and lawes, and there withall a 
 certain martiall barbaroufnes, whereby the ftudy of all 
 good learning was fo much decayd, as long time after 
 no man or very few; en tended to write in any laudable 
 fcience : fo as beyond that time there is litle or nothing 
 worth commendation to be founde written in this arte. 
 
 ' And thofe of the firft age were Chaucer and Gower both 
 of them as I fuppofe Knightes. After whom followed 
 
 * John Lydgate the monke of Bury, and that nameles, who 
 wrote the Satyre called Piers Plowman, next him fol- 
 
 - lowed Harding the Chronicler, then in king He?iry th' 
 eight times Ske.lton, (I wot not for what great worthines) 
 furnamed the Poet Laureat. In the latter end of the 
 fame kings raigne fprong vp a new company of courtly 
 makers, of whom Sir Thomas Wyat th'elder and Henry 
 Earle of Surrey were the two chieftaines, who hauing 
 trauailed into Italie, and there tailed the fweete and 
 flately meafures andftile of the Italian Poefie as nouices 
 newly crept out of the fchooles of Dante Ariofte and 
 Petrarch, they greatly pollifhed our rude and homely 
 rrianer of vulgar Poefie, from that it had bene before, 
 and for that caufe may iuflly be fayd the firft reformers 
 of our Englifh meetre and flile. In the fame time or 
 not long after\was the Lord Nicholas Vaux, a man of 
 much facilitie in vulgar makings. Afterward in king 
 Edward the fixths time came to be in reputation for 
 
 - the fame facultie Thomas Sternehold, who firft tranflated 
 
 - into Englifh certaine Pfalmes of Dauid, and John Hoy- 
 wood the Epigrammatift who for the myrth and quick- 
 neffe of his conceits more then for any good learning 
 was in him came to be well benefited by the king. 
 But the principall man in this profeffion at the fame 
 time was Maifler Edward Ferrys a man of no leffe 
 mirth and felicitie that way, but of much more skil, 
 and magnificence in his meeter, and therefore wrate 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 75 
 
 for the moil part to the flage, in Tragedie and fome- 
 times in Comedie or Enterlude, wherein he gaue the 
 king fo much good recreation, as he had thereby many 
 good rewardes. In Queenes Maries time florifhed 
 aboue any other IDoclour Phaer one that was well - 
 learned and excellently well tranflated into . Engliih 
 verfe Heroicall certaine bookes of Virgils Alneidos. 
 Since him followed Maifter Arthure Go/ding, who with 
 no leffe commendation turned into Englifh meetre the 
 Metamorphofis of Ouide, and that other Doctour, who 
 made the fupplement to thofe bookes of Virgils SEnei- 
 dos, which Maifter Phaer left vndone. And in her 
 Maiefties time that now is are fprong vp an other crew 
 of Courtly makers Noble men and Gentlemen of her 
 Maiefties owne feruanntes, who haue written excellently 
 well as it would appeare if their doings could be found 
 out and made publicke with the reft, of which number 
 is firfl that noble Gentleman Edward Earle of Oxford. 
 Thomas Lord of Bukhurfl, when he was young, Henry ~ - 
 Lord Paget, Sir Philip Sydney, Sir Walter PawTetgh, - - 
 Mailer TZdwurd Dyar, Maifter Fulke Greuell, Gafcon, - - 
 Britton, Turberuille and a great many other learned — 
 Gentlemen, whofe names I do not omit for enuie, but 
 to auoyde tedioufneffe, and who haue deferued no 
 little commendation. But of them all [particularly this 
 is myne opinion, that Chaucer, with Gozcer, Lidgat and - - 
 Harding for their antiquitie ought to haue the firfl - 
 place, and Chaucer as the moll renowmed of them all, - 
 for the much learning appeareth' to be in him aboue 
 any of the reft. And though many of his bookes be 
 but bare tranflations out of the Latin and French, yet 
 are they wel handled, as his bookes of Troilus and 
 Creffeid, and the Roman t of the Rofe, whereof he tran- 
 flated but one halfe, the deuice was Iohn de Mehunes 
 a French Poet, the Canterbury tales were Chancers 
 owne inuention as I fuppofe, and where he fheweth 
 more the naturall of his pleafant wit, then in any other 
 of his workes, his fimilitudes comparifons and all other 
 defcriptions are fuch as can not be amended. His 
 
76 OFPOETS 
 
 meetre Heroicall of Troilus and Creffeid is very graue 
 and flately, keeping the flaffe of feu en, and. the verfe 
 of ten, his other verfes of the Canterbury tales be but 
 riding ryme, neuertheleffe very well becomming the 
 matter of that pleafaunt pilgrimage in which euery 
 mans part is playd with much decency. Gower fau- 
 ing for his go"od and graue moralities, had nothing in 
 him highly to be commended, for his verfe was homely 
 and without good meafure, his wordes ftrained much 
 deale out of the French writers, his ryme wrefted, and 
 in his indentions fmall fubtillitie : the applications of 
 his moralities are the b eft in him, and yet thofe many 
 times very groffely beftowed, neither c\oth the fubflance 
 of his workes fufficiently aunfwere the fubtilitie of his 
 
 * titles. Lydgat a tranflatour onely and no deuifer of 
 that which he wrate, but one that wrate in good verfe. 
 
 - Harding a Poet Epick or Hiftoricall, handled himfelfe 
 well according to the time and maner of his fubiect. 
 He that wrote the Satyr of Piers Ploughman, feemed to 
 haue bene a malcontent of that time, and therefore bent 
 himfelfe wholy to taxe the diforders of that age, and 
 fpecially the pride of the Romane Clergy, of whofe fall 
 he feemeth to be a very true Prophet, his verfe is but 
 loofe meetre, and his termes hard and obfcure, fo 
 as in them is litre pleafure to be taken. Skelton a 
 iharpe Satirift, but with more rayling and fcoffery then 
 became a Poet Lawreat, fuch among the Greekes were 
 called Pantomimi, with vs Buffons, altogether applying 
 their wits to Scurrillities and other ridiculous matters. 
 Henry Earle of Surrey and Sir Thomas Wyat, betweene 
 whom I fmde very litle difference, I repute them (as 
 before) for the two chief lanternes of light to all others 
 that haue fmce employed their gennes vpon Englifh 
 Poefie, their conceits were loftie, their ITiles ftately, 
 their conueyance cleanely, their termes proper, their 
 meetre fweete and well proportioned, in all, imitating 
 very naturally and ftudioufly their Maifter F?-ancis Pe- 
 trarcha. The Lord Vaux his commendation lyeth 
 chiefly in the facillitie of his meetre, and the aptneffe 
 
AND POESIE. LIB. I. 77 
 
 of his defcriptions fuch as he taketh vpon him to make, 
 namely in fundry of his Songs, wherein he fheweth the 
 counterfait action very liuely and pleafantly. Of the 
 latter fort I thinke thus. That for Tragedie, the Lord of 
 Buckhuril, and Maiiler Edward Ferrys for fuch doings • 
 as I haue fene of theirs do deferue the hyeft price : 
 Th'Earle of Oxford and Maifter Edward es of her 
 Maiefties Chappell for Comedy and Enterlude . For 
 Eglogue and paflorall Poefie, Sir Philip Sydney and « 
 Maifter Challeiiner, and that other Gentleman who - 
 wrate the late fhepheardes Callender. For dittie and 
 amourous Ode I finde Sir Walter Rawleyghs vayne moil ■ 
 loftie, infolent, and paffionate. Maiiler Edivard Dyar, 
 for Elegie moil fweete, folempne and of high conceit. 
 Gafcou for a good meeter and for a plentifull vayne. 
 Phaer and Golding for a learned and well corrected - 
 verfe, fpecially in tranilation cleare and very faithfully 
 anfwering their authours intent. Others haue alfo 
 written with much facillitie, but more commendably 
 perchance if they had not written fo much nor fo 
 popularly. But lail in recital 1 and firil in degree is the 
 Queene our foueraigne Lady, whofe learned, delicate, 
 noble Mufe, eafily furmounteth all the reft that haue 
 written before her time or iince, for fence, fweetneffe 
 and fubtillitie, be it in Ode, Elegie, Epigram, or any 
 other kinde of poeme Heroick or Lyricke, wherein it 
 fhall pleafe her Maieilie to employ her penne, euen by 
 as much oddes as her owne excellent eilate and degree 
 exceedeth all the reft of her moil humble vaffalls. 
 
THE SECOND BOOKE, 
 
 OF PROPORTION POETICAL, 
 
 CHAP. L 
 
 Of Proportion Poeticall. 
 
 T is faid by fuch as prpfeffe the 
 Mathematicall fciences, that all 
 things fland by proportion, and 
 that without it nothing could Hand 
 to be good or beautiful. The 
 Doctors of our Theologie to the 
 fame effect, but in other termes, 
 fay : that God made the world by 
 number, meafure and weight : fome for weight fay 
 tune, and peraduenture better. For weight is a kind 
 of meafure or of much conueniencie with it : and there- 
 fore in their defcriptions be alwayes coupled together 
 ( ftatica et metrica) weight and meafures. Hereupon 
 it feemeth the Philofopher gathers a triple proportion, 
 to wit, the Arithmeticall, the Geometricall, and the 
 Muficall. And by one of thefe three is euery other 
 proportion guided of the things that haue conueniencie 
 by relation, as the vifible by light colour and fhadow : 
 the audible by ftirres, times and accents : the pdorable 
 by fmelles of fundry temperaments : the taftible by 
 fauours to the rate : the tangible by his obiectes in this 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 79 
 
 or that regard. Of all which we leaue to fpeake, 
 returning to our poeticall proportion, which holdeth 
 of the Mufical, becaufe as we fayd before Poefie is a 
 skill to fpeake and write harmonically: and verfes or 
 rime be a kind of MuficafT vtterance, by reafon of a 
 certaine congruitie in founds pleafmg the eare, though 
 not perchance fo exquifitely as the harmonica!! con- 
 cents of the artificial Muficke, confifling in flrained 
 tunes, as is the vocall Mufike, or that of melodious in- 
 ftruments, as Lutes, Harpes, Regals, Records and fuch 
 like. And this our proportion Poeticall refleth in fiue 
 points : Stage, Meafure, Concord, Scituation and figure 
 all which mail be fpoken of in their places. 
 
 CHAP. II 
 
 Of firoportiofi in Staffe. 
 
 ITaffe in our vulgar e Poefie I know not why 
 it mould be fo called, vnleffe it be for that 
 we vnderfland it for a bearer or fupporter 
 of a fong or ballad, not vnlike the old 
 weake bodie, that is flayed vp by his ftaffe, 
 and were not otherwife able to walke or to (land vp- 
 right. The Italian called it Stanza, as if we mould 
 fay a refting place : and if we confider well the forme 
 of this Poeticall ftaffe, we mail finde it to be a certaine 
 number of verfes allowed to go altogether and ioyne 
 without any intermiflion, and doe or mould fmifh vp 
 all the fentences of the fame with a full period, vnleffe 
 it be in fom fpecial cafes, and there to flay till 
 another ftaffe follow of like fort : and the fhorteft 
 ftaffe conteineth not vnder foure verfes, nor the long- 
 ed aboue ten, if it paffe that number it is rather a 
 whole ditty then properly a^ftaffe. Alfo for the more 
 part the flaues fland rather vpon the euen nomber of 
 verfes then the odde, though there be of both forts. 
 The firft proportion then of a ftaffe is by quadrien or 
 foure verfes. The fecond of hue verfes, and is feldome 
 vfed. The third by fizeine or fixe verfes, and is not 
 only moil vfual, but alfo very pleafant to th'eare. 
 
80 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 The fourth is in feuen verfes, and is the chiefe of our 
 ancient proportions vfed by any rimer writing any thing 
 of hiftorical or graue poeme, as ye may fee in Chancer 
 and Lidgate th'one writing the loues of Tray his and 
 Creffeida, th' other of the fall of Princes : both by them 
 tranilated not deuifed. The firft [fifth?] proportion is of 
 eight verfes very ftately and Heroicke, and which I like 
 better then that of feuen, becaufe it receaueth better 
 band. The fixt is of nine verfes, rare but very graue. 
 The feuenth proportion is of tenne verfes, very ftately, 
 but in many mens opinion too long : neuertheleffe of 
 very good grace and much grauitie. Of eleuen and 
 twelue I find none ordinary ftaues vfed in any vulgar 
 language, neither doth it feme well to continue any 
 hiftoricall report and ballade, or other fong : but is 
 a dittie of it felf, and no flaffe, yet fome moderne writers 
 haue vfed it but very feldome. Then laft of all haue 
 ye a proportion to be vfed in the number of your ftaues, 
 as to a caroll and a ballade, to a fong, and a round, or 
 virelay. For to an hiftoricall poeme no certain num- 
 ber is limited, but as the matter fals out : alfo a diftick 
 or couple of verfes is not to be accompted a flaffe, but 
 femes for a continuance as we fee in Elegie, Epitaph, 
 Epigramme or fuch meetres, of plaine concord not har- 
 monically entertangled, as fome other fongs of more 
 delicate mufick be. 
 
 A ftarTe of foure verfes containeth in it felfe matter 
 fufficient to make a full periode or complement of 
 fence, though it doe not always fo, and therefore may 
 go by diuifions. 
 
 A flaffe of fiue verfes, is not much vfed becaufe he 
 that can not comprehend his periode in foure verfes, 
 will rather driue it into fix then leaue it in fiue, for 
 that the euen number is more agreable to the eare 
 then the odde is. 
 
 A flaffe of fixe verfes, is very pleafant to the eare, 
 and alfo ferueth for a greater complement then the in- 
 feriour ftaues, which maketh him more commonly to 
 be vfed. 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 81 
 
 A ftaffe of feuen verfes, moft vfuall with our auncient 
 makers, alfo the ftaffe of eight, nine and ten of larger 
 complement then the reft, are onely vfed by the later 
 makers, and vnleffe they go with very good bande, do 
 not fo well as the inferiour ftaues. Therefore if ye 
 make your ftaffe of eight, by two fowers not enter- 
 tangled, it is not a huitaine or a ftaffe of eight, but two 
 quadreins, fo is it in ten verfes, not being entertangled 
 they be but two ftaues of hue. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Of proportion in meafure. 
 
 [Eeter and meafure is all one, for what the 
 Greekes called fisrgov, the Latines call 
 -fur a, and is but the quantitie of a 
 verfe, either long or fhort. This quantitie 
 with them confifteth in the number of their 
 feete : and with vs in the number of fillables, which are 
 comprehended in euery verfe, not regarding his feete, 
 otherwife then that we allow in fcanning our verfe, two 
 fillables to make one fhort portion (fuppofe it a foote) 
 in euery verfe. And after that fort ye may fay, we tiaue 
 feete in our vulgare rymes, but that is improperly : for a 
 foote by his fence naturall is a member of office and 
 function, and ferueth to three purpofes, that is to fay, 
 to go. to runne, and to ftand ftift : fo as he muft be 
 fometimes fwift, fometimes flow, fometime vnegally 
 marching or peraduenture fteddy. And if our feete 
 Poeticall want thefe qualities it can not be fayd a foote 
 in fence tranflatiue as here. And this commeth to 
 paffe, by reafon of the euident motion and ftirre, which 
 is perceiued in the founding of our wordes not alwayes 
 egall : for fome aske longer, fome fhorter time to be 
 vttered in, and fo by the Philofophers definition, ftirre 
 is the true meafure of time. The Greekes and Latines 
 becaufe their wordes hapned to be of many fillables, and 
 very few of one finable, it fell out right with them to 
 conceiue and alfo to perceiue, a notable diuerfitie of 
 motion and times in the pronuntiation of their wordes, 
 
 F 
 
82 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 and therefore to euery biffillable they allowed two times, 
 and to a tr iffillabl e three times, and to euery polifillable 
 more, according to his quantitie, and their times were 
 fome long, fome Ihort according as their motions were 
 flow or fwift. For the found of fome tillable flayd the 
 eare a great while, and others Aid away fo quickly, as 
 if they had not bene pronounced, then euery tillable 
 being allowed one time, either fhort or long, it fell out 
 that euery tretrafillable had foure times, euery triffillable 
 three, and the biffillable two, by which obferuat.ion 
 euery word, not vnder that fife, as he ranne or flood in 
 a verfe, was called by them a foote of fuch and fo many 
 times, namely the biffillable was either of two long 
 times as the fpondeus, or two fhort, as the pirchius, or 
 of a long and a Ihort as the trocheus, or of a fhort and 
 a long as the iambus : the like rule did they let vpon 
 the word triffillable, calling him a foote of three times : 
 as the daclilits of a long and two fhort : the molloffus 
 of three long, the tribracchus of three fhort, the amphi- 
 bracchus of two long and a fhort, the amphimacer of two 
 fhort and a long. The word of foure tillables they 
 called a foote of foure times, fome or all of them, either 
 long or fhort : and yet rfot fo content they mounted 
 higher, and becaufe their wordes ferued well thereto, 
 they made feete of fixe times : but this proceeded more 
 of curiotitie, then otherwife : for whatfoeuer foote paffe 
 the triffillable is compounded of his inferiour as euery 
 number Arithmeticall aboue three, is compounded of 
 the inferiour number as twife two make foure, but the 
 three is made of one number, videl. of two and an 
 vnitie. Now becaufe our naturall and primitiue lan- 
 guage of the Saxon EngliJJi, beares not any wordes (at 
 leaft very few) of moe tillables then one (for whatfoeuer 
 we fee exceede, commeth to vs by the alterations of our 
 language growen vpon many conqueftes and otherwife) 
 there could be no fuch obferuation of times in the found 
 of our wordes, and for that caufe we could not haue the 
 feete which the Greeks and Latines haue in their 
 meetres : but of this ftirre and motion of their deuifed 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. S3 
 
 feete, nothing can better fljgw the qualitie then thefe 
 runners at common games, who fetting forth from the 
 firft goale, one giueth the flart fpeedely and perhaps 
 before he come half way to th' other goale, decayeth 
 his pace, as a man weary and fainting : another is flow 
 at the flart, but by amending his pace keepes euen with 
 his fellow or perchance gets before him : another one 
 while gets ground, another while lofeth it again, either 
 in the beginning, or middle of his race, and fo proceedes 
 vnegally fometimes fwift fomtimes flow as his breath 
 or forces feme him : another fort there be that plod on, 
 and will neuer change their pace, whether they win or 
 lofe the game : in this maner doth the Greeke daftilus 
 begin flowly and keepe on fwift er till th'end, for his 
 race being deuided into three parts, he fpends one, and 
 that is the firft flowly, the other twain e fwiftly : the 
 anapejlus his two firfl parts fwiftly, his laft flowly : the 
 ~Moioffus fpends all three parts of his race flowly and 
 egally. Bacchius his firfl part fwiftly, and two laft parts 
 flowly. The tribrachus ail his three parts fwiftly : the 
 antibacchius his two firft partes flowly, his laft and third 
 fwiftly : the amphimacer, his firft and laft part flowly 
 and his middle part fwiftly : the amphibracus his firfl 
 and laft parts fwiftly but his midle part flowly, and fo 
 of others by like proportion. This was a pretie phan- 
 taflicall obferuation of them, and yet brought their 
 meetres to haue a maruelous good grace, which was in 
 Greeke called gvfaog: whence we hauederiued this word 
 ryme, but improperly and not wel becaufe we haue no 
 men feete or times or ftirres in our meeters, by whofe 
 fim patTiTe , or pleafant conueniencie with th'eare, we 
 could take any delight : this rithmus of theirs, is not 
 therfore our rime, but a certaine muficall numerofitie in 
 vtterance, and not a bare number as that of the Arith- 
 meticall computation is, which therfore is not called 
 rithmus but arithmus. Take this away from them, I 
 meane the running of their feete, there is nothing of 
 curiofitie among them more then with vs nor yet fo 
 much. 
 
8 4 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 CHAP. III. [IV.] 
 How many forts of meafures we vfe i?i our vulg ar. 
 
 |0 retume from rime to our meafure againe, 
 it hath bene faycl that according to the 
 number of the fillables contained in eueiy 
 verfe, the fame is fayd a long or fhort 
 meeter, and his fhorteil proportion is of 
 foure fillables, and his longeft of twelue,;they that vfe 
 it aboue, paffe the bounds of good proportion. And 
 euery meeter may be afwel in the odde as in the euen 
 tillable,* but better in the euen^ and one verfe may be- 
 gin in the euen, and another follow in the odde, and 
 fo keepe a commendable proportion. The verfe that 
 containeth but two filables, which maybe in one word, 
 is not vfuall : therefore many do deny him to be a 
 verfe, jfaying that it is but a foot, and that a meeter 
 can haue no leffe then two feete at the leaft, but I 
 find it otherwise afwell among the beft Italian Poets, 
 as alfo with our vulgar makers, and that two fillables 
 feme wel for a fhort meafure in the firft place, and 
 niidle, and end of a ftaffe : and alfo in diuerfe Situa- 
 tions and by fundry diftances, and is very paffionate 
 and of good grace, as fhalbe declared more at large 
 in the Chapter of proportion by fcituation. 
 
 The next meafure is of two feete or of foure fillables, 
 and then one word tet?'afillable diuided in the middeft 
 makes vp the whole" meeter, as thus : 
 
 Rate rentlie 
 Or a triffillable and one monofillable thus. : Souer- 
 aine God, or two biffillables and that is plefant thus,- 
 Reflore againe, or with foure monoffillables, and that 
 is beft of all thus, When I doe thinke, I finde no fauour 
 in a meetre of three fillables nor in effect in any odde, 
 but they may be vfed for varietie fake, and fpecially 
 being enterlaced with others the meetre of fix fillables 
 is very fweete and delicate as thus. 
 O God when I behold 
 This bright heauen fo hye 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 85 
 
 By thine ovvne hands of old 
 
 Contriudfo cunningly^ 
 The meter of feuen fillables is not vfual, no more is 
 that of nine and eleuenTjyet if they be well compofed, 
 that is, their Cefure well appointed, and their lafl 
 accent which makes the concord, they are commendable 
 inough, as in this ditty where one verfe is of eight an 
 other is of feuen, and in the one the accent vpon the 
 lafl, in the other vpon the lafl faue on[e]. 
 
 The fmoakie fghes, the bitter teares 
 
 That I in vaine haue wafted 
 
 The broken fleeces, the woe and feares 
 
 That long in me haue lofted 
 
 Will be my death, \ all by thy guilt 
 
 And not by my deferuing 
 
 Since fo inconflantly thou wilt 
 
 Not loue but ftill be fweruing. 
 And all the reafon why thefe meeters in all fill able 
 are alowable is, for that the fharpe accent falles vpon 
 the penultima or lafl faue one fillable of the verfe, 
 which doth fo drowne the lafl, as he feemeth to paffe 
 away in maner vnpronounced, and fo make the verfe 
 feeme euen : but if the accent fall vpon the lafl and 
 leaue two flat to fmifh the verfe, it will not feeme fo : 
 for the odnes will more notorioufly arjp_eare,( as for ex- 
 ample in the lafl verfe before recited Not loue but 
 ftill be fzveriting, fay thus Loue it is a maruelous thing. 
 Both verfes be of egall quantitie, vidz. feauen fillables 
 a peece, and yet the firfl feemes fhorter then the later, 
 who fhewes a more odnefle then the former^ by reafon 
 of his fharpe accent which is vpon the lafl fillable, and 
 makes him more audible then if he had flid away with 
 a flat accent, as the word Jweruing . 
 
 Your ordinarie rimers vfe very much their meafures 
 in the odde as nine and eleuen, and the fharpe accent 
 vpon the lafl fillable, which therefore makes him go 
 ill fauouredly and like , a minflrels mufi.cke. Thus 
 fayd (one in a meeter of eleuen wery harfhly in mine 
 eare, whether it Eefbr lack e of good rime or of good 
 reafon, or of both I wot not 
 
--1 
 
 86 OF PRO PORT I OX. LIB. II. 
 
 Now fucke c hild e and fleece child e* thy mothers owjie ioy 
 
 Her only fweete comfort, to drowne all annoy 
 
 For beauty furpajjing the azured skie 
 
 I lone thee my darling, as ball of mine eye. 
 
 This fort of compofition in the odde I like 
 leffe it be holpen by the Cefwe or by the accent as I 
 fayd before. 
 
 The meeter of eight is no leffe pleafant then that of 
 fixe, and the Cefure fals iuft in the middle, as this of 
 the Earle of Surreyes. 
 
 When raging lone, with extreme pay ne. 
 
 The meeter of ten fillables is very ftately and Heroi- 
 call, ancl mufl haue his Cefure fall vpon the fourth 
 tillable, and leaue fixe behinde him thus. 
 
 I fence at eafe, and go u erne all with woe. 
 
 This meeter of twelue fillables the French man 
 calleth a verfe Alexandrine, and is with our modern e 
 rimers mofl vfuall : with the auncient makers it was 
 not fo. For before Sir Thomas Wiats time they were 
 not vfed in our. vulgar, they be for graue and ftately 
 matters fitter than for any other ditty of pleafure. 
 Some makers write in verfes of foureteene fillables, 
 giuing the Cefure at the firft eight, which proportion 
 is tedious, for the length of the verfe kepeth the gaze, 
 too long from his delight, which is to heare the cadence 
 or thejuneable accent in the ende of the verfe. Neuer- 
 theleffe that of twelue if his Cefure be iufl in the 
 middle, and that ye furTer him to runne at full length, 
 and do not as the common rimers do, or their Printer 
 for fparing of paper, cut them of in the middeft, 
 wherin they make in two verfes but halfe rime. They 
 do very wel as wrote the Earle of Surrey tranflating the 
 booke of the preacher. 
 
 Salomon Daidds fonne, king of Tent fed an \ 
 
 This verfe is very good Alexandrine, but perchaunce 
 woulde haue founded more mutically, if the firft word 
 had bene a diffillable, or two monotillables and not a 
 triftiliabie : hauing this fharpe accent vppon the Ante- 
 pemdtima as it hath, by which occafion it runnes like a 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 87 
 
 Daclill, and carries the two later iilkbles away fo 
 fpeedily as it feemes but one foote in our vulgar mea- 
 fure, and by that meanes makes the verfe feeme but 
 of eleuen fillables, which odneffe is nothing pleafant 
 to the eare] Tudgelfome body'^whether it would haue 
 done Better (if it might) haue bene fayd thus, 
 
 Robbham Daniels fo?ine king of Ierufalem. 
 Letting the iharpe accent fall vpon bo, or thus 
 
 Rejlbre king Daiiids fbnne vntb Ieritfalem 
 For now the iharpe accent falles vpon bo, and fo doth 
 it vpon the lafl in reflbre, which was not in th'other 
 verfe. But becaufe we haue feemed to make mention 
 of Qfure , and to appoint his place in euery meafure, 
 it mall not be amiffe to fay fomewhat more of it, and 
 alfo of fuch paufes as are vfed in vtterance, and what 
 commoditie or delectation they bring ■ either to the 
 fpeakers or to the hearers. 
 
 CHAP. IIII [V.] 
 Of Cefure . 
 
 IHere is no greater difference betwixt a ciuill 
 and brutifh vtteraunce then cleare diftinc- 
 tion of voices : and the moil laudable lan- 
 guages are alwaies moft plaine and dif- 
 tincl, and the barbarous moil confufe and 
 indiftinct : it is therefore requiht that leafure be taken 
 in pronuntiation, fuch as may make our wordes plaine 
 and moil audible and agreable to the eare: alfo the 
 breath afketh to be now and then releeued with fome 
 paufe or ilay more or leffe : befides that the very nature 
 of ipeach (becaufe it goeth by claufes of feuerall con- 
 ilruclion and fence) requireth fome fpace betwixt them 
 with intermifrion of found, to th'end they may not 
 huddle one vpon another fo rudly and fo fail that th' 
 eare may not perceiue their difference. For thefe re- 
 fpe6l es the aimcient refonners of language, inuented, 
 three maner of paufes, one of leffe leafure then another, 
 and fuch feuerall intermiffions of found to feme (befides 
 
88 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 eafment to the breath) for a treble diflinclion of fent- 
 ences or parts of fp^each, as they happened to be more 
 or leffe perfect in fence. The fhorteft paufe or inter- 
 miffion they called comma as who would fay a peece of 
 a fpeach cut of. The fecond they called co/on,\not a 
 peece but as it were a member for his larger length, 
 becaufe it occupied twife as much time as the comma. 
 The third they called periodus, for a complement or 
 full paufe, and as a refting place and perfection of fo 
 much former fpeach as had bene vttered, and irom 
 whence they needed not to paffe any further vnles it 
 were to renew more matter to enlarge the tale. This 
 cannot be better reprefented then by example of thefe 
 common trauailers by the hie ways, where they feeme 
 to allow themfelues three maner of ftaies or eafements : 
 one a horfebacke calling perchaunce for a cup of beere 
 or wine, and hauing dronken it vp rides away and 
 neuer lights :\ about noone he commeth to his Inne, 
 and there baites him felfe and hishorfe an h our e or more: 
 at night when he can conueniently trauaile* no further, 
 he t aketh vp his lodging, and refls him felfe till the 
 moiTOw : from whence he fplloweth the courfe of a 
 fether voyage, if his bufinejje be fuch. Euen fo our 
 Poet when he hath made one verfe, hath as it were 
 fmifhed one dayes iourney, and thejvhile eafeth him 
 felfe with one baite at the leaft, which is a Comma or 
 Cefitre in the mid way. if the verfe be euen and not 
 odde, otherwife in fohie other place, and not iufl in the 
 middle. If there be no Cefure at^all, and the verfe 
 long, the leffe is the makers skill and hearers delight. 
 Therefore in a verfe of tweluefillables the Cefure ought 
 to fall right vpon the fixt tillable : in a verfe of eleuen 
 vpon the fixt alfo leauing hue to follow. In a verfe of 
 ten vpon the fourth, leauing fixe to follow. In a verfe 
 of nine vpon the fourth, leauing hue to follow. In a 
 verfe of eightj iufl in the middefl, that is,. vpon the 
 fourth. In a verfe of feauen, either vpon the fourth or 
 none at,all, the meeter very ill brooking any paufe. In 
 a verfe of fixe fillables and vnder 1 is needefull no Cefure 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 89 
 
 at all, becaufe the breath asketh no reliefe : yet if ye 
 giue any Comma, it is to make diflinction of fenfe more 
 then for any thing elfe : and fuch Cefwe muft neuer be 
 made in the middeil of any word, if it be well appointed. 
 So may you fee that the vfe of thefe pawfes or diilinc- 
 Hqns is not generally with the vulgar Poet as it is with 
 the Profe writer becaufe the Poetes cheife Muficke 
 lying in his rime or concorde to heare the Simphonie, 
 he maketh aH" the haft he can to be at an end of his 
 verfe, and delights not in many ftayes by the way, and 
 therefore giueth but one Cefiire to any verfe : and thus 
 much for the founding of a meetre. Neuert heleffe he 
 may vfe in any verfe both his comma. nd inter- 
 
 rogatiue_ point, as well as in profe. But our auncient 
 rymers, as Chaucer, Lydgate and others, | vfed thefe 
 Cefures either very feldome, or not at all, or elfe very 
 licentioufly, and many times made their meetres (they 
 called them riding ryme) of fuch vnfhapely wordes as 
 would allow no conuehient Cejjtre, and therefore did 
 let their rymes runne out at length, and neuer flayd 
 till they came to the end : which maner though it were 
 not to be mifliked in fome fort of meetre. yet in eueiy 
 long verfe the Cejiire ought to be kept\precife^v^if it 
 were but to feme as a law to correct the licentiouf- 
 neffe of rymers, befides thaj it pleaieth the eare better, 
 and fheweth more cunning in the maker by following 
 the rule of his reflraint. For a r} r mer that will be Jyed 
 to no rules at ail, but range as he ljjl, may eafily vtter 
 what he will : but fuch maner of Poefie is called in our 
 vulgar, ryme dogrell, with which rebuke we will in no 
 cafe our maker mould be touched. Therfore 'before 
 all other things let his ryme and Concordes be true, 
 clea re and audible with no leffe delight, then aim oil 
 the ftrayned note of a Muficians mouth, and not darke 
 or wrenched by wrong writing as many doe to patch 
 vp their meetres, and fo follow in their arte neither 
 rule, reafon nor ryme. -Much more might be fayd for 
 the vfe of your three paufes, coiruna, colon, and pericde, 
 for perchance it be not alXAjflatter to vfe many com- 
 
90 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 mas, and few, J nor colons like wife, \ or long or fhort peri- 
 odes, for it is diuerfly vfed, by diuers good writers. But 
 becaufe it apperteineth more to the oratour or writer in 
 profe then in verfe, I will fay no more in it, then thus, i 
 that they be vfed for a commodious and fenfible dif- 
 tinclion of claufes in profe, fmce eueiy verfe is as it 
 were a claufe of it felfe, and limited with a Cefure 
 howfoeuer the fence beare, perfect or imperfect, which 
 difference is obfemable betwixt the profe and the 
 meeter. 
 
 CHAP. V. [VI.] 
 Of Proportion in Concord, called Symphonie or rime . 
 
 lEcaufe we vfe the word rime (though by 
 maner of abufion) yet to helpe that fault 
 againe we apply it in our vulgar Poefie 
 another way very commendably and curi- 
 ouily. For wanting the currantneffe of 
 the Greeke and Latine feete, in ftead thereof we make 
 in th' ends of our verfes a certaine tunable found : 
 which anon after with another verfe reafonably diftant 
 we accord together in the laft fall or cadence : the 
 eare taking pleafure to heare the like tune reported, 
 and to feele his returne. And for this purpofe feme 
 the monofdlables of our Englifh Saxons excellently well, 
 becaufe they do naturally and indifferently receiue any 
 accent, and in them if they fmifh the verfe, refteth the 
 thrill accent of neceffitie, and fo doth it not in the laft 
 of euery bijjillable, nor of euery polifdlable word : but 
 to the purpofe, ryme is a borrowed word from the 
 Greeks by the Latines and French, | from them by vs 
 Saxon angles, and by abufion as hath bene fayd, and 
 therefore it fhall not do amiffe to tell what this rithmos 
 was with the Greekes, for what is it with vs hath bene 
 alreadyfayd. There is an accomptable number which we 
 call arithmeticall ( arithmos ) as one, two, three. There is 
 alfo a muficall or audible number, fafhioned by ftirrin g 
 of tunes and their fundry times in the vtterance of our 
 wordes, as when the voice goeth high or low, or fharpe or 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 91 
 
 flat, or fwift or flow : and this is called rithmos or 
 numerpfitie, that is to fay, a certain e flowing ytteraunce 
 
 ilipper words and fillables, fucfi as the toung eaiily 
 vtters, and the eare with pleafure receiueth, and which 
 flowing of wordes with much volubilitie fmoothly pro- 
 ceeding from the mouth is in fome fort harmonicall and 
 breedeth to th'eare a great compaffion. This point 
 
 v by the fmooth and delicate running of their 
 feete, which we haue not in our vulgare, though we vfe 
 a"s much as may be the moft flowing words and flippery 
 fiUables, that we can picke out : yet do not we call 
 that by the name of ryme , as the Greekes did: but do 
 giue the name of ryme onely to our Concordes, or 
 [able confentes in the latter end of our verfes, and 
 which Concordes the Greekes nor Latines neuer vfed 
 in their Poefie till by the barbarous fouldier s out of the 
 campe, it was brought into the Court and thence to the 
 fchoole, as hath bene before remembred : and yet the 
 Greekes and Latines both vfed a maner of fpeach, by 
 claufesof like termination, which they called opoioreXsuTov, 
 and was the neareil that they approched to our ryme : 
 but is not our right concord : fo as we in abufmg 
 this terme {ryme) be neuertheleffe excufable applying 
 it to another point in Poefie no leffe curious then their 
 :r numeroiitie which in cleede palled the whole 
 verfe throughout, whereas our Concordes keepe but the 
 latter end of euery verfe, or perchaunce the middle 
 and the end in meetres that be long. 
 
 x a' 
 
 CHAP. VI. [VII.] 
 Of accent, time an d llir fierceiue d evidently in the 
 
 distinction of mans voice, and which makes 
 the flowing of a meeter. 
 [Owe becaufe we haue fpoken of accent, 
 time and ftirre or motion in wordes , we 
 willfet you downe more at large what they 
 be. The auncient Greekes and Latines 
 by reafon their fpeech fell out originally 
 to be fafhioned with words of many fillables for the 
 
92 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 moil part, it was of neceffity that they could not vtter 
 euery Tillable with one like and egall founde, nor in like 
 fpace of time, nor with like motion or agility: but that 
 one muft be more fuddenly and quickely forfaken, or 
 longer pawfed vpon then another : or founded with a 
 higher note and clearer voyce then another, and of 
 neceffitie this diuerfitie of found, muft fall either vpon 
 the laft tillable, or vpon the laft faue one, or vpon the 
 third 'land could not reach higher to make any notable 
 difference, it caufed them to giue vnto three different 
 founds, three ieuerall names :|to that which was high eft 
 lift vp and moft eleuate or fhrilleft in the eare, they 
 gaue the name of the fharpe accent, to the loweft and 
 moil bafe becaufe it feemed to fall downe rather then 
 to rife vp, they gaue the name of the heauy accent, 
 and that other which feemed in part to lift vp and in 
 part to fall downe, they called the circumflex, or corn- 
 pail accent : and if new termes were not odious, Ave 
 might very properly call him the (windabout) for fo is 
 the Greek word. Then bycauie euery thing that by 
 nature fals down is faid. heauy, and whatfoeuer natur- 
 ally mounts vpwarol'is faid light, it gaue occafion to 
 fay that there were diuerfities in the motion of the 
 voice, as fwift and flow, which motion alfo prefuppofes 
 time, bycaufe time is menfura motus, by the Philofo- 
 pher : fo haue you the caufes of their primitiue inuen- 
 tion and vfe in our arte of Poefie, all this by good ob- 
 feruation we may perceiue in our vulgar wordes if they 
 be of mo tillables then one, but fpecially if they be 
 trijjillables, as for example in thefe wordes [altitude] and 
 [ heauineff e] the fharpe accent falles vpon [at] and [he] 
 which be the antefienultimaes : the other two fall away 
 fpeedily as if they were fcarfe founded in this trijfdable 
 [forfakeri] the fharp accent fals vpon [fa] which is the 
 pemdtima, and in the other two is heauie and obfcure. 
 Again e in thefe biffdlables, endiire, vnfure, demure: af 
 pire, defire, retire, your fharpe accent fall.es vpon the 
 lafl fillable : but in words monqfillable which be for the 
 more part our naturall Saxon Englifh, the accent is in- 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 93 
 
 different, and may be vfed for fharp or flat and heauy 
 at our pleafure. I fay Saxon Englifh, for our Normane 
 Englifh alloweth vs very many bijjillables, and alfo 
 triflil lables as, reiterence, diligence, amorous, defirous, and 
 fuch like. 
 
 CHAP. VII. [VIII] 
 
 Of your Cadences by which your meeter is made Sym- 
 
 phonicail when they be fweetejl and mojl 
 
 folemjje in a verfe. 
 
 IS the fmoothneffe of your words and fillables 
 running vpon feete of fundrie quantities, 
 make with the Greekes and Latines the 
 body of their veitTes numerous or Rithmi- 
 call, fo in our vulgar Poefie, and of all 
 other nations at this day, your verfes anfwering eche 
 other by couples, or at larger diftances in good [cad- 
 ence] is it that maketh your meeter fymphonicall. This 
 cadence is the fal of a verfe in euery laft word with a 
 certaine tunable found which being matched with an- 
 other of like found, do make a [concord.] And the 
 whole cadence is contained fometime in one fillable, 
 fometime in two, or in three at the moft : for aboue 
 the antepenidtima there reacheth no accent (which is 
 chiefe caufe of the cadence) ynleffe it be by vfurpation 
 in fome Englifh words, to which we giue a fharpe accent 
 vpon the fourth as, Honorable, mdtrimonie, pati'imonie, 
 miferable, and fuch other as would neither make a 
 fweete cadence, nor eafily find any word of like quan- 
 tise to match them. And the accented tillable with 
 all the reft vnder him make the cadence, and no tillable 
 aboue, as in thefe words, Agillilie, facillitie, fubieclio7i, 
 direclio?i, and thefe bifhlables, Tender, /lender, tricftie, 
 iujiie, but alwayes the cadence which falleth'vpon the 
 laft fillable of a verfe is fweeteft and moft commendable : 
 that vpon the permltima more light, and not fo pleafant : 
 but falling vpon the antepenultima is moft vnpleafant 
 of all, becaufe they make your meeter too light and 
 triuiall, and are fitter for the Epigrammatift or Comicall 
 
94 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 Poet then for the Lyrkxk and Elegiack, which are ac- 
 compted the fweeter Mutickes. But though we haue 
 fayd that (to make good concord) your feuerall verfes 
 fhould haue their cadences like, yet mull there be fome 
 difference in their orthographie, though not in their 
 found, as if one cadence be [conflraine] the next [re- 
 flraine\ or one \_ajpire\ another \rejpire\ this maketh no 
 good concord, becaufe they are all one, but if ye will 
 exchange both thefe confonants of the accented tillable, 
 or voyde but one of them away, then will your cadences 
 be good and your concord to, as to fay, r eflrqin e* re- 
 fraine, remaine : afpire, defire, retire : which rule neuer- 
 tjieleffe is not well obferued by many makers for Jacke 
 of good iudgement and delicate eare. And this may 
 fuffife to {hew the vfe and nature of your cadences, 
 which are in effect all the fweetnefTe and cunning in 
 our vulgar Poetie. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. [IX.] 
 
 How the good maker will not wrench his word to helpe 
 
 his rime, either by falfifying his accent, or by vntrue 
 
 orthographie. 
 
 jj"0 w there can not be in a maker a fowler 
 fault, then to faltitie his accent to ferue his 
 cadence, or by vntrue orthographie to 
 wrench his words to helpe his rime, for it 
 is a tigne that fuch a maker is not copious 
 in his owne language, or (as they are wont to fay) not 
 halfe his crafts maifler: as for example, if one fhould 
 rime to this word \_ReJiore\ he may not match him with 
 [Doore] or \Poore\ for neither of both are of like ter- 
 minant, either by good orthography or in naturall 
 found, therfore fuch rime is {trained, fo is it to this 
 word \_Rani\ to fay \came\ or to \Beane\ \Deii\ for they 
 found not nor be written a like, and many other like 
 cadences which were fuperfluous to recite, and are 
 vfuall with rude rimers who obferue not precifely the 
 rules of \profodie~\ neuertheleffe in all fuch cafes (if 
 neceftitie cdnflrained) it is fomewhat more tollerable 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. IT. 95 
 
 to help the rime by falfe orthographie, then to leaue 
 an vnplefant difibnance to the eare, by keeping trewe 
 orthographie and loofmg the rime, asfor. example it is 
 better to rime [Dare] with [Reftore] then in his truer 
 orthographie. which is [Doore] and to this word [De- 
 fire] to fay [JFief\ then fvre though it be otherwife better 
 written jyx* For fince the cheife grace of our vulgar 
 Poeiie confifleth in theSymphonie, as hath bene already 
 fayd, our maker munTnot be too licentious in his con- 
 cords, but fee that they go euen, iuft and melodious in 
 tn"e~ eare, and right fo in the numerofitie or currant- 
 neffe of the whole body of his verfe, and in euery other 
 of his proportions. For a_ licentious maker is in truth 
 but a bunder and not a Poet. Such men were in effect 
 the moil part of all your old rimers and fpecially Gower, 
 who to make vp his rime would for the moft part write 
 his terminant tillable with falfe orthographie, and many 
 times not fticke to put in a plaine French word for an 
 Englifh, and fo by your leaue do many of our common 
 rimers at this day: as he that by all likelyhood, hauing 
 no word at hand to rime to this word [ioy\ he made his 
 other verfe ende in [-Roy] faying very impudently thus, 
 O niighjfijTLord of ' loue, dame Venus onely toy 
 Who art the higheft God of any heauenly Roy. 
 Which word was neuer yet receiued in our language 
 for an Englifh word. Such extreme licentioufneffe is 
 vtterly to be banimed from our fchoole, and better it 
 might haue bene borne with in old riming writers, by- 
 caufe they liued in a barbarous age, and were graue 
 morall_men but very homely Poets, fuch alfo as made 
 moTTof their workes by tranflation out of the Latine 
 and French toung.and few or none of tlieir_g\vne eiigine 
 as may eafely be knowen to them that lilt to looke vp- 
 011 the Poemes of both languages. 
 
 Finally as ye may ryme with wordes of all fortes, be 
 they of many hjlables or few, fo neuertheleffe is there a 
 choife by which to make your cadence (before remem- 
 bred) mofl commendable, for fome wordes of exceed- 
 ing great length, which haue bene fetched from the 
 
 M 
 
96 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 Latine inkhorne or borrowed of flrangers, the vfe of 
 them in ryme Is nothing pleafant, failing perchaunce to 
 the common people, who reioyfe much to be at playes 
 and enterludes, and befides their naturall ignoraunce, 
 haue at all fuch times their eares fo attentiue to the 
 matter, and their eyes vpon the fhewes of the ftage, 
 that they take little heede to the cunning of the rime, 
 and therefore be as well fatisned with that which is 
 groffe, as with any other finer and more delicate. 
 
 CHAP. IX. [X.] 
 
 Of concordc in long and Jhort meafures^ and by neare or 
 farredijiawices, and which of them is mojl commendable. 
 
 I Vt this ye muft obferue withall, that bycaufe 
 your Concordes containe the chief part of 
 Muficke in your meetre, their diilaunces 
 may not be too wide or farre a hinder, left 
 th'eare mould Ipofe the tune, and be de- 
 frauded of his delight, and whenfoeuer ye fee any maker 
 vfe large and extraordinary diilaunces, ye muft thinke 
 he doth intende to fhew himfelfe more artificiall then 
 popular, and yet therein is not ^to be difcommended, 
 for refpecls that fhalbe remembred in fome other place 
 of this booke. 
 
 Note alfo that rime or concorde is not commendably 
 vfed both in the end and middle of a verfe, vnleffe it 
 be in toyes and trifling Poefies, for it flieweth a certaine 
 lightneffe either of the matter or of the makers head, 
 albeit thefe common rimers vfe it much, for as I fayd 
 before, like as the Symphonie in a verfe of great length, 
 is (as it were) loft by looking after him, and yet may 
 the meetre be very graue and ftately : fo on the other 
 fide doth the ouer bufie and too fpeedy return e of one 
 maner of tune, too much annoy and as it were glut the 
 eare, vnleffe it be in fmall and popular Mufickes fong 
 by thefe Cantabanqui vpon benches and barrels heads 
 where they haue none other audience then boys or 
 countrey fellowes that paffe by them in the ftreete, or 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 97 
 
 elfe by blind harpers or fuch like tauerne minftrels that 
 giue a fit of mirth for a groat, and their matters being 
 for the mofl part flories of old time, as the tale of Sir 
 Topas, the reporters of Beuis of Southampton, Guy of 
 Warwicke^ Adam Bell, and Clymme of the Clough and 
 fuch other old Romances or hifloricall rimes, made 
 purpofely for recreation of the common people at 
 Chriflniaffe diners and brideales, and in tauernes and 
 alehoufes and fuch other places of bafe refort, alfo they 
 be vfed in Carols and rounds and fuch light or lafciui- 
 ous Poemes, which are commonly more commodioufly 
 vttered by thefe buffons or vices in playes then by any 
 other perfon. Such were the rimes of Skelton (vfurping 
 the name of a Poet Laureat) being in deede but a rude 
 rayling rimer and all his doings ridiculous, he vfed both 
 fhort diflaunces and" fhort meafures pleafmg onely the 
 popular eare: in our courtly maker we banlfh them 
 vtterly. Now alfo haue ye in euery fong or ditty Con- 
 corde by compaffe and concorde entertangled and a 
 mixt of both, what that is and how they be vfed fhalbe 
 declared in the chapter of proportion by fa 'tuation. 
 
 CHAP. X. [XI.] 
 Of proportion by f it u at ion. 
 
 His proportion confifleth in placing of euery 
 verfe in a ftaffe or ditty by fuch reafonable 
 diilaunces, as may bell feme the eare for 
 delight, and alfo to mew the Poets art and 
 variety of Mufick , and the proportion is 
 double. One by marfhalling the meetres, and limiting 
 their diilaunces hauing regard to the rime or concorde 
 how they go and returne : another by placing euery 
 verfe, hauing a regard to his meafure and quantitie 
 onely. and not to his concorde as to fet one fhort 
 meetre to three long, or foure fhort and two long, or a 
 fhort meafure and a long, or of diuers lengthes with 
 relation one to another, which maner of Situation, euen 
 without refpecl of the rime, doth alter the nature of 
 
 G 
 
98 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 the Poefie, and make it either lighter or grauer, or 
 more merry, or mournfull, and many wayes paffionate 
 to the eare and hart of the hearer, feeming for this 
 point that our maker by his meafures and Concordes 
 of fundry proportions doth counterfait the harmonicall 
 tunes of the vocall and inflrum entail Mufi ckes . As 
 the Dorien becaufe his falls, fallyes and compaffe be 
 diuers from thofe of the Phrigien, the Phrigien likewife 
 from the Lydien, and all three from the Eolien, Mioli- 
 dien and Ionien, mounting and falling from note to 
 note fuch as be to them peculiar, and with more or 
 leffe leafure or precipation. Euen fo by diuerfitie of 
 placing and fcituation of your meafures and concords, 
 a fhort with a long, and by narrow or wide diftances, or 
 thicker or thinner beftowing of them your proportions 
 differ, and breedeth a variable and ftrange harmonie 
 not onely in the eare, but alfo in the conceit of them 
 thatheare it : whereof this may be an ocular example. 
 
 fcituation in 
 (Concord Meafure 
 
 Where ye fee the concord or rime in the third dif- 
 tance, and the meafure in the fourth, fixth or fecond 
 diftaunces, whereof ye may deuife as many other as ye. 
 lift, fo the ftaffe be able to beare it. And I fet you 
 downe an occular example : becaufe ye may the 
 better conceiue it. Likewife it fo falleth out moft 
 times your occular proportion doeth declare the nature 
 of the audible : for if it pleafe the eare well, the fame 
 reprefented by delineation to the view pleafeth the eye 
 well and e cornier fo : and this is by a naturall funpathie, 
 betweene the eare and the eye, and betweene tunes 
 and colours, euen as there is the like betweene the 
 other fences and their obiecls of which it apperteineth 
 not here to fpeake. Now for the diftances vfually 
 fboerued in our vulgar Poefie, they be in the firft fecond 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 99 
 
 third and fourth verfe, or if the verfe be very fhort in 
 the fift and fixt and in fome maner of Mufickes farre 
 aboue. 
 
 And the firft diftance for the mofl part goeth all by 
 diftick or couples of verfes agreeing in one cadence, and 
 do paffe fo fpeedily away and fo often returne agayne, 
 as their tunes are neuer loft, nor out of the eare, one 
 couple fupplying another fo nye and fo fuddenly, and 
 this is the mofl vulgar proportion of diftance 
 
 or fituation, fuch asvfed Chaucer in his Can- * ^ 
 
 terbury tales, and Goyver in all his workes . ~ _^ j 
 
 Second diftance is, when ye paffe ouer one verfe,and 
 
 joyne the firft and the third, and fo continue ' 
 
 on till an other like diftance fall in, and this "* 
 is alfo vfuall and common, as — w- 
 
 Thir d dift aunce is, when your rime falleth vpon the 
 
 firft and fourth verfe ouerieaping two, this 
 
 ier is not fo common but pleafant and j • 
 
 allowable inough . ' 
 
 In which cafe the two verfes ye leaue out are ready 
 to receiue their Concordes by the fame diftaunce or any x 
 other ye like better. The fourth diftaunce is by ouer- 
 skipping three verfes and lighting vpon the fift, this 
 maner is rare and more artificial], then popular, vnleffe 
 
 it be in fome fpeciall cafe, as when 
 
 the meetres be fo little and fhort -^ 
 
 as they make no fliew of any great ^ J 
 
 delay before they returne, ye fhall S ZZZ 
 
 haue example of both. 
 
 And thefe ten Htle meeters make but one Exameter 
 at length. 
 
 There be larger diftances alfo, as when 
 the firft concord falleth vpon the fixt verfe, 
 and is very pleafant if they be ioynedwith 
 other diftances not fo large, as 
 
 m 
 
 There be alfo, of the feuenth, eight, tenth, and 
 twe[l]ftb diftance, but then they may not go thicke, 
 but two or three fuch diftances feme to proportion a 
 
ioo OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 whole fong, and all betweene 
 muft be of other lege diftances, 
 and thefe wide diilaunces feme 
 for coupling of ftaues, or for 
 to declare high and paffionate 
 or graue matter, and alfo for 
 art : Petrarch hath giuen vs 
 examples hereof in his Can- 
 zonij and we by lines" of fun- 
 dry lengths and diftances as fbl- 
 loweth, 
 
 And all that can be obiecled againft this wide dif- 
 tance is to fay that the eare by loofmg Ins concord is 
 not fatisfied. So is in deede the rude and popular eare 
 but not the learned, and therefore the Poet muft know 
 towhofe eare he makethhis rime, and accommodate him- 
 felfe thereto, and not giue fuch muficke to the rude and 
 barbarous, as he would to the learned and delicate eare. 
 "There is another fort of proportion vfed by Petrarche 
 called the Seizino, not riming as other fongs do, but 
 by chufmg fixe wordes out of which all the whole 
 
 dittie is made, euery of thofe fixe com- .^ 
 
 mencing and ending his verfe by C 3 
 
 courfe, which reftraint to make the dittie ^ ' ^ 
 
 fenfible will try the makers cunning, as c -■ ~~ 3 
 
 thus. » 
 
 Befides all this' there is in Situation of the concords 
 two other points, one that it go by plaine and cleere 
 compaffe not intangled : another by enterweauing one 
 with another by knots, or as it were by band, which 
 is more or leffe bufie and curious, all as the maker will 
 double or redouble his rime or concords, and fet his 
 diftances farre or nigh, of all which I will giue you 
 ocular examples, as thus. 
 
 Concord in 
 
 Entertaii2fle. 
 
 Plaine compaffe ZZZI >j ; * 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 101 
 
 And firft in a Qiiadreine there are but two propor- 
 
 ^ . . * tions, for foure verfes in 
 
 y *j ^ this lafl fort coupled, are 
 
 -•* but two Difticks * and not 
 
 a flaffe qiiadreine or of foure. 
 
 The flaffe of flue hath feuen proportions as, 
 
 whereof fome of them be harfher and vnpl eafaunter to 
 the eare then other fomelbe. 
 
 The Sixaine or flaffe of fixe hath ten proportions, 
 wherof fome be vfuall, fome not vfuall, and not fo 
 fweet one as another. 
 
 The flaffe of feuen verfes hath feuen proportions, 
 whereof one onely is the vfuall of our vulgar, and 
 kept by our old Poets Chaucer and other in their 
 hifloricall reports and other ditties : as in the laftpart 
 of them that follow next. 
 
 The huitain or flaffe of eight verfes, hath eight pro- 
 portions fuch as the former flaffe, and becaufe he is 
 longer, he^hath one more than the fettctine. 
 
 The flaffe of nine verfes hath yet moe then the 
 eight, and the flaffe of ten more then the ninth and 
 the twelfth, if Tuch were allowable in ditties, more 
 
102 of Proportion, lib. ii. 
 
 then any of them all, by reafon of his largeneffe re- 
 ceiuing moe compaffes and enterweauings, alwayes 
 confidered that the very large diflances be more arti- 
 ficiall, then popularly pleafant, and yet do giiie great 
 grace and grauitie, and moue paffion and affections 
 more vehemently, as it is well to be obferued by 
 Petrarcha his Canzoni. 
 
 Now ye may perceiue by thefe proportions before 
 defcribed, that there is a band to be giuen euery verfe 
 in a ftaffe, fo as none fall out alone or vncoupled, and 
 this band maketh that the ftaffe is fayd fail and not 
 loofe : euen as ye fee in buildings of ft one or bricke 
 the mafon giueth a band, that is^a length to two 
 breadths, and vpon neceftitie diuers other forts of 
 bands to hold in the~worke faft and maintaine the 
 perpendicularitie of the wall : fo in any ftaffe of feuen 
 or eight or more verfes, the coupling of the moe 
 meeters by rime or concord, is the fafter band : the 
 fewer the loofer band, and therfore in a huiteine he 
 that putteth foure verfes in one concord and foure in 
 another concord, and in a dizaine fiue, fheweth him 
 felfe more cunning, and alfo more copious in his owne 
 language. For he that can find two words of con- 
 cord, can not find foure or fiue or fixe, vnleffe he haue 
 his owne language at will. Sometime alfo ye are 
 driuen of neceffitie to clofe and make band more 
 then ye would, left otherwife the ftaffe fhould fall 
 afunder and feeme two ftaues : and this is in a ftaffe 
 of eight and ten verfes : whereas without a band in 
 the middle, it would feeme two quadriejis or two quin- 
 taines, which is an error that many makers Hide away 
 with. Yet Chaucer and others in the ftaffe of feuen 
 and fixe do almoft as much a miffe, for they fhut vp 
 the ftaffe with a di/iicke, concording with none other 
 verfe that went before, and maketh but a loofe rime, 
 and yet bycaufe of the double cadence in the laft two 
 verfes ferue the eare well inough. And as there is in 
 euery ftaffe, band, giuen to the verfes by concord 
 more or leffe bufie : fo is there in fome cafes a band 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 103 
 
 giuen to euery ftaffe, and that is by one whole verfe 
 running alone throughout th e ditty or ballade, either 
 in the middle or end of euery ftaffe. The Greekes 
 called fuch vncoupled verfe Egimonie, the Latines 
 Verfus ijitercalaris. . Now touching the fituation of 
 meafures, there are as rnanie or more proportions of 
 them which I referre to the makers phantafie and 
 choife, contented with two or three ocular examples 
 and no moe. 
 
 Which maner of proportion by fituation of meafures 
 giueth more efficacie to the matter oftentimes then 
 die concords them _ jellies, and both proportions con- 
 curring together as they needes muft, it is of much 
 more beautie and force to the hearers mind. 
 
 To finifh the learning of this dilution, I will fet you 
 downe one example of a dittie written extempore with 
 this deuife, mewing not onely much promptneffe of 
 wit in the maker, but alfo great arte and a notable 
 memorie. Make me v faith this writer to one of the 
 companiej fo many ftrokes or lines with your pen as 
 yje would haue your fong containe verfes : and let 
 euery line beare his feuerall length, euen as ye would 
 haue your verfe of meafure. Suppofe of foure, hue, 
 fixe or eight or more tillable s, and fet a figure of 
 euerie number at th'end "of the line, whereby ye may 
 knowe his meafure. Then where you will haue your 
 rime or concord to fall, marke it with a compaft ftroke 
 or femicircle pafting ouer thofe lines, be they farre or 
 neare.in diftance, as ye haue feene before defcribed. 
 And bycaufe ye fhall not thinke the maker hath pre- 
 meditated beforehand any fuch fafhioned ditty, do ye 
 your felfe make one verfe whether it be of perfect or 
 imperfect fenfe, and giue it him for a theame to 
 
104 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 make all the reft vpon : if ye mall perceiue the maker 
 do keepe the meafures and rime as ye haue appointed 
 him, and b elides do make his dittie fenfible and en- 
 fuant to the fiift verfe in good reafon, then may ye 
 lay he is his crafts maifter. For if he were not of a 
 plentiful difcourfe, he could not vpon the hidden 
 fhape an entire dittie vpon your imperfect theame or 
 propofition in one verfe. And if he were not copious 
 in his language, he could not haue fuch ftore of wordes 
 at commaundement, as mould fupply your concords. 
 And if he were not of a maruelous good memory he 
 could not obferue the rime and meafures after the 
 diftances of your limitation, keeping with all grauitie 
 and good fenfe in the whole dittie. 
 
 CHAP. XL [XIL] 
 Of Proportion i?i fig lire. 
 
 jjOur laft proportion is that of figure, fo called 
 for that it yelds an ocular reprefentation, 
 your meeters being by good fymmetrie ' 
 reduced into certaine Geometricall figures, 
 whereby the maker is reftrained to keepe 
 him within his bounds, and fheweth not onely more 
 art, but ferueth alfo much better for briefeneffe and 
 fubtiltie of deuice. And for the fame refpecl are alfo 
 fitteft for the pretie amourets in Court to entertaine 
 their feruants and the time withall, their delicate wits 
 requiring fome commendable exercife to keepe them 
 from idleneffe. I find not of this proportion vfed by 
 any of the Greeke or Latine Poets, or in any vulgar 
 writer, fauing of that one forme which they cal Ana- 
 creens egge. But being in Italie conuerfant with a cer- 
 taine gentleman, who had long trauailed the Orientall 
 parts of the world, and feene the Courts of the great 
 Princes of China and Tartaric I being very inquifi- 
 tiue to know of the fubtillities of thofe countreyes, 
 and efpecially in matter of learning and of their vulgar 
 Poefie, he told me that they are in all their inuentions 
 moft wittie, and haue the vfe of Poefie or riming, but 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 do not delight fo much as we do in long tedious de- 
 fcriptions, and therefore when they will vtter any pretie 
 conceit, they reduce it into metricall feet, and put it 
 in forme of a Lozange or fquare. or fuch other figure, 
 and fo engrauen in gold, filuer or iuorie, and fome- 
 times with letters of ametift, rubie, emeralde or topas 
 curioufely cemented and peeced together, they fende 
 them in chaines, bracelets, collars and girdles to their 
 miftreffes to weare for a remembrance. Some fewe 
 meafures compofed in this fort this gentleman gaue 
 me, which I tranflated word for word and as neere as 
 I could followed both the phrafe and the figure, which 
 is fomewhat hard to performe^ becaufe of the reftraint 
 of the figure from which ye may not digreffe. At the 
 beginning they wil feeme nothing pleafant to an Englifh 
 eare, but time and vfage wil make them acceptable 
 inough, as it doth in all other new guifes, be it for wear- 
 ing of apparell or otherwife. The formes of your Geo- 
 metrical! figures be hereunder reprefented. 
 
 The Fuzie or The Tri- 
 The Lozange fpindle, called angle, or 
 called Rombus Romboides Tricquet 
 
 The Square or 
 quadrangle 
 
 The Pfflafter, 
 
 or Cillinder 
 
 The Spire or 
 taper, called 
 piramis 
 
 The Rondel 
 or Sphere 
 
 The egge or 
 figure ouall 
 
io6 
 
 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 The Tricquet 
 reuerft 
 
 The Tricquet 
 difplayed 
 
 The Taper The Rondel 
 reuerfed difplayed 
 
 The Lozange 
 reuerfed 
 
 The Lozange 
 rabbated 
 
 ^ 
 ^ 
 
 Of the Lozange. 
 
 The Lozange is a moll beautifull figure, and fit for 
 this purpofe, being in his kind a quadrangle reuerft, 
 with his point vpward like to a quarrell of glaffe the 
 Greekes and Latines both call it Rombus which may 
 be the caufe as I fuppofe why they alfo gaue that 
 name to the nih commonly called the Turbot, who 
 beareth iuftly that figure, it ought not to containe 
 aboue thirteene or fifteene or one and twentie meetres, 
 and the longeft furnilheth the middle angle, the reft 
 paffe vpward and downward, flill abating their lengthes 
 by one or two fillables till they come to the point : ■ 
 the Fuzie is of the fame nature but that he is Iharper 
 and ilenderer. I will giue you an example or two of thofe 
 which my Italian friend bellowed vpon me, which as 
 neare as I could I tranllated into the fame figure ob- 
 feruing the phrafe of the Orientall fpeach word for 
 word. 
 
 A great Emperor in Tartary whom they cal Can, 
 for his good fortune in the wars and many notable 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 107 
 
 conquefts he had made, was fin-named Teinir Ctitzdewe, 
 this man loued the Lady Kermefine, who prefented 
 him returning from the conqueft of Co?'afoo?i (a great 
 kingdom adioyning) with this Lozange made in letters 
 of rubies and diamants entermingled thus 
 
 Sound 
 
 O Harpe 
 
 SJiril- lie out 
 
 Temir the stout 
 
 Rider ivho with sharj>e 
 
 Trenchingblade of bright Steele 
 
 Hath made his fiercest foes tofeele 
 
 A II such as wrought him shame or harme 
 
 The strength of his braue right armc, 
 
 Cleauing hard downe vnto the eyes 
 
 The raw sktilles of his eyiemics. \ 
 
 Much honor hath he woime 
 
 By do ugh tie deedes done 
 
 In Cora soon 
 
 And all the 
 
 World e 
 
 Round. 
 
 To which Can Temir answered in Fuzie, with letters of Emeralds a?id 
 A metists artificially cut and entervmiglcd , thus \ 
 
 Fiue 
 
 Sorebciiailes 
 
 M anfully fotight 
 
 In blo7(ddy fielde 
 
 With bright blade in hand 
 
 Hath Tei7iirwon&>forst to yeld 
 
 Many a Captai?ie stronger 3 stoute 
 
 A nd many a king his Crowne to vayle, 
 
 Conquering large counireys and layid. 
 
 Yet ue ■ uer wanne I vi cto rie. V~~-C 
 
 / speake it ' to my greate glo rie, 
 
 So deare and toy ~ full z'u - to me, 
 
 As when I did first con quere thee 
 
 O Kerme sine, of all myne foes 
 
 The most cruell, of all myne, woes 
 
 TJj£ smartest , tji£ sweet es: 
 
 My firoude Con quest 
 
 ■ My ri chest pray 
 
 O once a daye 
 
 Lend me thy sight 
 
 Whose only light 
 
 Keepes me 
 
 Aliue. 
 
 Of the Iriangle or Triquet. 
 
 The Triangle is an halfe fquare, Lozange or Fuzie 
 parted vpon the croffe angles : and fo his bafe being 
 brode and his top narrow, it receaueth meetres of 
 
108 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 many fizes one morter then another : and ye may vfe 
 this figure Handing or reuerfed, as thus, 
 
 A certaine great Sultan of Perfia called Ribuska, en- 
 tertaynes in loue the Lady Selamour, fent her this tri- 
 quet reueft pitioufly bemoning his eftate, all fet in 
 merquetry with letters of blew Saphire and Topas 
 artificially cut and entermingled. 
 
 Selamoiir dearer than his owne life, 
 
 To thy di tressed wretch captiue, 
 
 Ri buska whome late ly erst ' 
 
 Most cnc el ly thou fierst 
 
 With thy dead ly dart, 
 
 That ftaire of starres 
 
 Shi ning a farre 
 
 Turne from me, to vie 
 
 That 1 'may andmay not see 
 
 The smile, the loicre 
 
 That lead and driue 
 
 Me to die to liice 
 
 Twiseyea thrise 
 
 In one 
 
 hotcre. "o V 
 
 To which Selamour to make the match egall, and 
 the figure entire, anfwered in a {landing Triquet richly 
 engrauen with letters of like ftuffe. 
 
 Power 
 
 Of death 
 
 Nor of life 
 
 Hath Selamonr, 
 
 With Gods it is rife 
 
 Tn gene and bereue breathy 
 
 I may for pi tie perchauuee 
 
 Thy lost liber tie re store, 
 
 Vfion thine othe with this fienaunce, 
 
 That while thou Incest thozc neuer lone no more. 
 
 % 
 
 This condition feeming to Sultan Ribitska very hard 
 to performe, and cruell to be enioyned him, doeth by 
 another figure in Taper, fignifying hope, anfwere the 
 Lady Selamour ; which dittie for lack of time 1 tran- 
 flated not. 
 
 Of the Spire or Taper called Pyr amis. 
 
 The Taper is the longefl and fharpefl triangle that 
 is, and while he mounts vpward he waxeth continually 
 more flender, taking both his figure and name of the 
 fire, whofe flame if ye marke it, is alwaies pointed, and 
 naturally by his forme couets to clymbe : the Greekes 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 109 
 
 nature of the deuice 
 
 Skie. 
 
 call him Pvramis of irup. The Latin es in vfe of 
 Architecture called him Obelifcus, it holdeth the alti- 
 tude of fix ordinary triangles, and in metrifying his 
 bafe can not well be larger then a me err e of fix, there- 
 fore in his altitude he wil require diuers rabates to 
 hold fo many fizes of meetres as mail feme for his 
 compofition, for neare the toppe there wilbe roome 
 litle inough for a meetre of two fillables, and fome- 
 times of one to fmifh the point. I haue fet you downe 
 one or two examples to try how ye can difgeft the 
 maner of the deuife. 
 
 From God the fount aine of all good, 
 Her Maiestie,for many parts in her are deriued into the world all good 
 most noble and. vertuous nature to be things: andvpoji her tnaiestie all the 
 found, resembled" to the spire. Ye good fortwies any worldly creature 
 must begin beneath according to the can be fnmisht with. Reade down- 
 ward according to the nature of the 
 deuice. 
 
 1 God 
 
 On 
 
 Hie 
 
 2 From 
 
 Aboue 
 
 Sendsloue, 
 
 Wisedome, 
 
 [3] Iu slice 
 
 Cou rage, 
 
 B 'pun tie, 
 
 \-$\ Anddothgeue 
 
 A I that Hue, 
 
 Life and breath 
 
 Harts ese helth 
 
 Children, : 
 
 Beauty strength 
 
 Rest fell age, 
 
 And at length 
 
 A mild death, 
 
 4 He doeth bestow 
 
 A II mens fortunes 
 
 Both high a?id low 
 
 And the best things 
 
 That earth ca?i haue 
 
 Or mankind craue, 
 
 __ Good queens and kings 
 
 Fi nally is the same 
 
 WJiogaueyou inadayi 
 
 Seysou of this Crowne 
 
 With poure soiceraigne 
 
 Impitg naile right. 
 
 Redoubtable might, 
 
 Most prosperous raigne 
 
 Eternall re nowme, 
 
 A 7id that your chief est is 
 
 Sure hope of heauens blis. 
 
 Ed.] 
 
 Azurd 2 
 i?i the 
 assurde, 
 
 And better, 
 And richer, 
 Much s^reier, 
 
 Crown a?idempir 
 After an ~nier ' 
 For to aspire 4 
 L ike fame offre 
 I71 forme of spire 
 
 To mounUpn hie, r- 
 Con ti nu a I ly 
 With trauel and teen 
 Mos t gra tio lis q ueen 
 Ye haue made a vow 5 
 Shews vs plainly how 
 Not fained but true, 
 To 'Zuery matis vew, 
 Shining cleere in you 
 Of so bright an he we, 
 Eue?i thus vert ewe 
 
 Vanish out of our sight 
 Till his fine top be quite 
 To Taper i?i the ayre 6 
 Endeuors soft and faire 
 By his kindly nature 
 Of tall comely stature 
 Like as this faire figure 
 
 [The figures at the side, represent the number of syllables, 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 The Filler, Pillafter or C Minder. 
 
 The Piller is a figure among all the reft of the Geo- 
 metrical! moil beawtifull, in refpect that he is tall and 
 vpright and of one bigneffe from the bottom to the 
 toppe. In Architecture he is confidered with two 
 acceffarie parts, a pedeftall or bafe, and a chapter or 
 head, the body is the ihaft. By this figure is fignified 
 ftay, fupport, reft, ftate and magnificence, your dittie 
 then being reduced into the forme of the Piller, his 
 bafe will require to beare the brea.th of a meetre of 
 fix or feuen or eight fillables : the ihaft of foure : the 
 chapter egall with the bafe, 'of this proportion I will 
 giue you one or two examples which may fuffife. 
 
 Her Maiestie resembled to the crown- 
 ed piller. Ye must read vpward. 
 
 Is blisse with immortalitie . 
 Hertrymest top of all ye see, 
 Garnish the crowne 
 Her lust renowne 
 Chapter and Jiead, - 
 Part that maintain 
 A nd ivomanhead 
 Her viayden raigne 
 In te gri tie : 
 In ho nour and 
 With ve ri tie : 
 Her rouudnes stand 
 Strengthen the state. 
 By their increase 
 With out de bate 
 Co7icord and, peace 
 Of her siip port, 
 TJiey be the base 
 With stedfastnesse 
 Vertue and grace 
 Stay and comfort • 
 Of Albi ons rest, 
 The sounde Pillar 
 And scene a farre 
 Is plainely exprest 
 Tall stately and stray t 
 
 By this no ble pour t?-ayt 
 
 Philo to the Lady Calia, sendeth this 
 Odolet of her pray se in forme of a Pil- 
 ler, which ye must read dowueward. 
 
 Thy Princely port and Maiestie 
 Is my ter reiie dei tie, 
 Thy wit and sence 
 The streame &> source 
 Of e lo que j ice 
 And deepe discours, \ 
 The faire eyes are 
 My bright loadstarre, 
 Thy speache a darte 
 Percing my harte, I 
 Thy face a las. 
 My loo king glasse, 
 Thy loue ly lookes 
 My prayer bookes, 
 Thy pleasant cJieare 
 My sunshine clea?-e, 
 Thy ru full sight 
 My darke midnight, 
 Thy will the steiit 
 Of my con teiit, 
 Thy glo rye flour 
 Of myhe Jio nour, 
 Thy loue doth giue 
 The lyfe I lyue, 
 Thy lyfe it is 
 Mine ea rthly blisse : 
 
 But grace dffauourin thine eies 
 My bodies soule &> souls paradise. 
 
 The Rowidell or Spheare. 
 
 The moil excellent of all the figures Geometrical is 
 the round for his many perfections. Firft becaufe he 
 is euen and fmooth, without any angle, or inter- 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. LI. in 
 
 ruption, moil voluble and apt to turne, and to continue 
 motion, which is the author of life : he conteyneth in 
 him the commodious defcription of euery other figure, 
 and for his ample capacitie doth refemble the world or 
 vniuers, and for his indefmiteneffe hauing no fpeciall 
 place of beginning nor end, beareth a fimilitude with 
 God and eternitie. This figure hath three principall 
 partes in his nature and vfe much confiderable '. the 
 circle, the beame, and the center. The circle is his 
 largefl compaffe or circumference : the center is his 
 middle and indiuifible point : the beame is a line 
 flretching directly from the circle to the center, and 
 contrariwife from the center to the circle. By this de- 
 fcription our maker may fafhion his meetre in Roundel,, 
 either with the circumference, and that is circlewife, or 
 from the circumference, that is, like a beame, or by the 
 circumference, and that is ouerthwart and dyametrally 
 from one fide of the circle to the other. 
 
 A generall refemblance of the Roundell to God, the world 
 and the Qtieene. 
 
 All and whole, a?id euer, and Une, 
 Single, fimple, eche where, alone, 
 Thefe be coimted as Clerkes can tell, 
 True properties, of the Roundell. 
 His flill turning by conjequence 
 And change, doe breede both life and fence. 
 Time, meafure offlirre and rest, 
 Is alfo by his courfe exprefl. 
 How fwift the circle flirre aboue, cTo 
 His center point doeth neuer moue : 
 All things that euer were or be, 
 Are clofde in his concauitie. 
 And though he be, flill ticrnde and tofl, 
 No roome there wants nor none is lost. 
 The Roundell hath no bonch nor angle, 
 WhicTTTndy his courfe flay or entangle. 
 The ficrthefl part of all his fpheare, i 
 Is equally both fai're and neare. 
 
U2 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 So doth none other figure fare 
 Where natures chattels clofed are : 
 And beyond his wide compaffe, 
 There is no body nor no place, 
 Nor any wit that comprehends, 
 Where it begins, or where it ends : 
 And therefore all men doe agree, 
 That it purports eternitie. < 
 God aboue the heauens fo hie 
 Is this Roundell, in world the skie, 
 Vp07i earth flze, who beares the bell 
 Of maydes and Queenes, is this Roundell : 
 All and whole and euer alone, 
 Single, fans peer e, fimple, a?ido~ne. &* 
 
 A fpeciall and particular refemblance of her Maieflio 
 to the R oun dell. 
 
 FIrfl her authoritie regall 
 Is the circle comp offing all : 
 The dominioii great and large i 
 
 Which God hath geuen to her charge : 
 Within which tnofil spatious bound 
 She enuirons her people round, , 
 Retaining them by oth and liegeance. 
 Within the pale of true obeyfance: 
 Holding imparked as it were. 
 Her people like to heards of deer e. 
 Sitting among them in the middes 
 Where Jlie allowes and bannes and bids 
 In what fajhion Jhe lift and when, 
 The f entices of all her men. 
 Out of her breaft as from an eye, 
 Ijjue the rayes inceffantly 
 Of her iuftice, bountie and might 
 Spreading abroad their beamesfo bright, 
 And reftecl not, till they attaine 
 The far deft part of her domaine. 
 And makes echefubiecl clearely fee, 
 What he is bowiden for to be 
 
. OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 113 
 
 To God his Prince and commo?i wealth, 
 His neighbour, kinred and to himfelfe. 
 The fame centre and ?niddle pi'icke, 
 Whereto our deedes are drest jo thicke, 
 From all the parts and out mojl fide 
 Of her Monarchic large and wide, 
 Alfo fro whence reflect thefe rayes, 
 Twefitie hundred maner of wayes 
 Where her will is them to conuey 
 Within the circle of her furuey. 
 So is the Queene of Briton groimd, 
 Beame, circle, center of all my roimd. 
 
 Of the fquare or quadrangle equilater. 
 The fquare is of all other accompted the figure of 
 moil folliditie and ftedfaftneffe, and for his owne flay 
 and firmitie requireth none other bafe then himfelfe, 
 and therefore as the roundell or Spheare is appropriat 
 to the heauens, the Spire to the element of the fire : 
 the Triangle to the ayre, and the Lozange to the water: 
 fo is the fquare for his inconcuffable fleadineffe likened 
 to the earth, which perchaunce might be the reafon 
 that the Prince of Philofophers in his firfl booke of the 
 Et hicks, termeth a conflant minded man, euen egal 
 and direct on all fides, and not eafily ouerthrowne by 
 euery litle aduerfitie, hominem quadratu?n, a fquare man. 
 Into this figure may ye reduce your ditties of vfmg no 
 moe verfes then your verfe is of fillables, which will 
 make him fall out fquare, if ye go aboue it will grow 
 into the figure Trapezion, which is fome portion longer 
 then fquare. I neede not giue you any example, by- 
 caufe in good arte all your ditties, Odes and Epigrammes 
 mould keepe and not exceede the nomber of twelue 
 verfes, and the longefl verfe to be of twelue fillables and 
 not aboue, but vnder that number as much as ye will. 
 
 The figure Ouall. 
 This figure taketh his name of an egge, and alfo as 
 it is thought his firfl origine, and is as it were a baflard 
 or imperfect rounde declining toward a longitude, and 
 
 H 
 
ii 4 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 yet keeping within one line for his periferie or compaffe 
 as the rounde, and it feemeth that he receiueth this 
 forme not as an imperfection by any impediment vn- 
 naturally hindring his rotunditie, but by the wifedome 
 and prouidence of nature for the commoditie of gene- 
 ration, in fuch of her creatures as bring not forth a 
 liuely body (as do foure footed beafts) but in Head 
 thereof a certaine quantitie of fhapeleffe matter con- 
 tained in a veffell, which after it is fequeftred from the 
 dames body receiueth life and perfection, as in the 
 egges of birdes, fifhes, and ferpents : for the matter 
 being of fome quantitie, and to iffue out at a narrow 
 place, for the eafie paffage thereof, it muft of neceffitie 
 beare fuch fhape as might not be fharpe and greeuous 
 to paffe as an angle, nor fo large or obtufe as might 
 not effay fome iffue out with one part moe then other 
 as the rounde, therefore it muft be flenderer in fome 
 part, and yet not without a rotunditie and fmoothneffe 
 to giue the reft an eafie deliuerie. Such is the figure 
 Ouall whom for his antiquitie, dignitie and vfe, I 
 place among the reft of the figures to embellifh our 
 proportions : of this fort are diuers of Anacreons ditties, 
 and thofe other of the Grecian Liricks, who wrate 
 wanton amorous deuifes, to folace their witts with all, 
 and many times they would (to giue it right fhape of 
 an egge) deuide a word in the midft, and peece out the 
 next verfe with the other halfe, as ye may fee by per- 
 ufmg their meetres. 
 
 There are two copies of TJie Arte of English Poesie in the British Museum : 
 one in the general library, and the other in the Grenville collection. At the 
 beginning of the Grenville copy is written as follows : — 
 
 This Copy, which had belonged to Ben Jonfon and has his 
 autograph on the Title-Page, is likewife remarkable for containing 
 after p. 84 four cancelled leaves of text which, as far as I am in- 
 formed, are not to be found in any other Copy of the book : yet, 
 thofe leaves being cancelled, the 85th page certainly does not 
 carry on the fentence which terminates p. 84. 
 
 The reason of this last observation is that the cancelled leaves contained 
 exactly 8 pp. ; which however did not begin at the top and so be imposed as 
 so many separate pages, but at 14 lines from the bottom ; the text running on 
 as in other parts of the book. When these pages were withdrawn there were 
 a corresponding number of lines uncancelled, commencing ' When I wrate,' as 
 on/. 124, at the bottom of the last of them ; so that page 84 of ordinary copies 
 was easily completed by the addition of these lines. 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 115 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Ben Jonson's copy, 
 
 in the grenville collection, 
 
 British Museum. 
 
 Of the deuice or embleme, and that other which the Greekes 
 call Anagramma, and we the Pofie iranfpofed. 
 
 |Nd befides all the remembred points of 
 Metrical! proportion, ye haue yet two other 
 forts of fome affinitie with them, which 
 alfo firft iffued out of the Poets head, and 
 whereof the Courtly maker was the prin- 
 cipall artificer, hauing many high conceites and curious 
 imaginations, with leafure inough to attend his idle 
 inuentions : and thefe be the fhort, quicke and fenten- 
 tious propofitions, fuch as be at thefe dayes all your 
 deuices of armes and other amorous infcriptions which 
 courtiers vfe to giue and alfo to weare in liuerie for 
 the honour of their ladies, and commonly containe 
 but two or three words of wittie fentence or fecrete 
 conceit till they vnfolded or explaned by fome inter- 
 pretation. For which caufe they be commonly ac- 
 companied with a figure or purtraicl of ocular repre- 
 fentation, the words fo aptly correfponding to the 
 fubtilitie of the figure, that afwel the eye is therwith 
 recreated as the eare or the mind. The Greekes call 
 it Emblema, the Italiens Imprefa, and we, a Deuice, 
 fuch as a man may put into letters of gold and fende 
 to his miftreffes for a token, or caufe to be embrodered 
 in fcutchions of armes, or in any b ordure of a rich gar- 
 ment to giue by his noueltie maruell to the beholder. 
 Such were the figures and infcriptions the Romane 
 Emperours gaue in their money and coignes of largeffe/ 
 and in other great medailles of filuer and gold, as that 
 of the Emperour Augti/lus, an arrow entangled by the 
 fifh Remora, with thefe words, Fejlina lento, fignifying 
 that celeritie is to be vfed with deliberation : all great 
 enterprifes being for the moll part either ouerthrown 
 with haft or hindred by delay, in which cafe leafure in 
 
u6 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Ben Jonson's copy. 
 
 th'aduice, and fpeed in th'execution, make a very good 
 match for a glorious fucceffe. 
 
 Th'Emperour Heliogabalus by his name alluding to 
 the funne, which in Greeke is Helios, gaue for his de- 
 uice, the coeleftial funne, with thefe words [Soli i/iuiclo] 
 the fubtilitie lyeth in the word [foli] which hath a doubta 
 fence, viz. to the Sunne, and to him onely. 
 
 We our felues attributing that moft excellent figure, 
 for his incomparable beauty and light, to the perfon 
 of our Soueraigne lady altring the mot, made it farre 
 paffe that of Th'Emperour Heliogabalus both for fub- 
 tilitie and multiplicitie of fenfe, thus, [Soli nunqua7n 
 deficienti\ to her onely that neuer failes, viz. in bountie 
 and munificence toward all hers that deferue, or eife 
 thus, To her onely whofe glorie and good fortune may 
 neuer decay or wane. And fo it inureth as a wifh by 
 way of refemblaunce in [Simile diffimile\ which is alfo 
 a fubtillitie, likening her Maieftie to the Sunne for his 
 brightneffe, but not to him for his paffion, which is 
 ordinarily to go to glade, and fometime to fuffer eclypfe. 
 
 King Edvvarde the thirde, her Maieflies moft noble 
 progenitour, firft founder of the famous order of the 
 Garter, gaue this pofie with it. Hony foil qui mal y 
 penfe, commonly thus Englifhed, 111 be to him that 
 thinketh ill, but in mine opinion better thus, Difhonored 
 be he, who meanes vnhonorably. There can not be a 
 more excellent deuife, nor that could containe larger 
 intendment, nor greater fubtilitie, nor (as a man may 
 fay) more vertue or Princely generofitie. For firft he 
 did by it mildly and grauely reproue the peruers con- 
 ftrudlion of fuch noble men in his court, as imputed 
 the kings wearing about his neck the garter of the 
 lady with whom he danced, to fome amorous alliance 
 betwixt them, which was not true. He alfo iuftly de- 
 fended his owne integritie, faued the noble womans 
 good renowme, which by licentious fpeeches might 
 haue bene empaired, and liberally recompenced her in- 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB, II. 117 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Bex Jonson's copy. 
 
 iurie with an honor, fuch as none could haue bin deuifed 
 greater nor more glorious or permanent vpon her and 
 all the pofleritie of her houfe. It inureth alfo as a 
 worthy leffon and difcipline for all Princely perfonages, 
 whofe actions, imaginations, countenances and fpeeches, 
 mould euermore correfpond in all trueth and honorable 
 fimplicitie. 
 
 Charles the firft Emperour, euen in his yong yeares 
 mewing his valour and honorable ambition, gaue for 
 his new order, the golden Fleece, vfurping it vpon 
 Prince Iafon and his Argonauts rich fpoile brought 
 from Cholcos. But for his deuice two pillers with this 
 mot Plus vitrei, as one not content to be rellrained 
 within the limits that Hercules had fet for an vttermoft 
 bound to all his trauailes, viz. two pillers in the mouth 
 of the ftraight Gibraltare, but would go furder : which 
 came fortunately to paffe, and whereof the good fuc- 
 ceffe gaue great commendation to his deuice :- for by 
 the valiancy of his Captaines before he died he con- 
 quered great part of the well Indias, neuer knowen to 
 Hercules or any of our world before. 
 
 In the fame time (feeming that the heauens and 
 ftarres had confpired to replenifh the earth with Princes 
 and gouernours of great courage, and moil famous 
 conquerours) Selim Emperour of Turkie gaue for his 
 deuice a croiffant or new moone, promifmg to himfelf 
 increafe of glory and enlargement of empire, til he had 
 brought all Afia vnder his fubiec~lion, which he reason- 
 ably well accomplifhed. For in leffe then eight yeres 
 which he raigned, he conquered all Syria and Egypt, 
 and layd it to his dominion. This deuice afterward was 
 vfurped by Henry the fecond French king, with this 
 mot Do7iec totum compleat orbe?n, till he be at his full : 
 meaning it not fo largely as did Selim, but onely that 
 his . friendes mould knowe how vnable he was to do 
 them good, and to fhew benificence vntil he attained 
 the crowne of France vnto which he afpired as next 
 fucceffour. 
 
u8 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Ben Jonson's copy. 
 
 King Lewis the twelfth, a valiant and magnanimous 
 prince, who becaufe hee was on euery fide enuironed 
 with mightie neighbours, and moil of them his enemies, 
 to let them perceiue that they ihould not finde him 
 vnable or vnfurniihed (incafe they ihould offer any vn- 
 lawfull hoilillitie) of fufficient forces of his owne, afwell 
 to offende as to defend, and to reuenge an iniurie as 
 to repulfe it. He gaue for his deuice the Porkefpick 
 with this pofie fres et loign, both farre and neare. For 
 the Purpentines nature is, to fuch as Hand aloofe, to 
 dart her prickles from her, and if they come neare her, 
 with the fame as they ilicke fail to wound them that 
 hurt her. 
 
 But of late yeares in the ranfacke of the Cities of 
 Cartagena and S. Dominiw in the Weil Indias, man- 
 fully put in execution by the proweffe of her Maieflies 
 men, there was found a deuice made peraduenture 
 without King Philips knowledge, wrought al in maffme 
 copper, a king fitting on horfebacke vpon a monde or 
 world, the horfe prauncing forward with his forelegges 
 as if he would leape of, with this infcription, Non 
 fufficit orbis, meaning, as it is to be conceaued, that 
 . one whole world could not content him. This im- 
 meafurable ambition of the Spaniards, if her Maieilie 
 by Gods prouidence, had not with her forces, prouid- 
 ently ilayed and retranched, no man knoweth what 
 inconuenience might in time haue infued to all the 
 Princes and common wealthes in Chriilendome, who 
 haue founde them felues long annoyed with his ex- 
 ceffme greatneffe. 
 
 Atila king of the Huns, inuading France with an 
 army of 300000. fighting men, as it is reported, think- 
 ing vtterly to abbafe the glory of the Romane Empire, 
 gaue for his deuice of armes, a fword with a fine point 
 and thefe words, Ferro et flamma, with fword and fire. 
 This very deuice being as ye fee onely accommodate 
 to a king or conquerour and not a coillen or any meane 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 119 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Bex Joxsox's copy. 
 
 fouldier, a certaine bafe man of England being knowen 
 euen at that time a bricklayer or mafon by his fcience, 
 gaue for his creft : whom it had better become to beare 
 a trueli full of morter then a fword and fire, which is 
 onely the reuenge of a Prince, and lieth not in any 
 other mans abilitie to performe, vnleffe ye will allow 
 it to euery poore knaue that is able to fet fire on a thacht 
 houfe. The heraldes ought to vfe great difcretion in 
 fuch matters : for neither any rule of their arte doth 
 warrant fuch abfurdities, nor though fuch a coat or 
 creft were gained by a prifoner taken in the field, or 
 by a flag found in fome ditch and neuer fought for (as 
 many times happens) yet is it no more allowable then 
 it were to beare the deuice of Tamerlan an Emperour 
 in Tartary, who gaue the lightning of heauen, with a 
 poefie in that language purporting thefe words, Ira 
 Dei, which alfo appeared well to anfwer his fortune. 
 For from a flurdie fhepeheard he became a moft 
 mighty Emperour, and with his innumerable great 
 armies defolated fo many countreyes and people, as 
 he might iuitly be called \the wrath of Goo 7 .] It 
 appeared alfo by his ftrange ende : for in the midfl of 
 his greatneffe and profperitie he died fodainly, and 
 left no child or kinred for a fucceffour to fo large an 
 Empire, nor any memory after him more then of his 
 great puiffance and crueltie. 
 
 But that of the king of China in the fardeft part of 
 the Orient, though it be not fo terrible is no leffe ad- 
 mirable, and of much fharpneffe and good implication, 
 worthy for the greateft king and conqueror : and it is, 
 two ftrange ferpents entertangled in their amorous 
 congrefie, the leffer creeping with his head into the 
 greaters mouth, with words purporting \atna et time] 
 loue and feare Which pofie with maruellous much 
 reafon and fubtillity implieth the dutie of euery 
 fubiect to his Prince, and of euery Prince to his 
 fubiect. and that without either of them both, no 
 fubiect could be fayd entirely to performe his liegeance, 
 
120 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Ben Jonson's copy. 
 
 nor the Prince his part of lawfull gouernement. For 
 without feare and loue the foueraigne authority could 
 not be vpholden, nor without iuflice and mercy the 
 Prince be renowmed and honored of his fubiecl. All 
 which parts are difcouered in this figure : loue by the 
 ferpents amorous entertangling : obedience and feare 
 by putting the inferiours head into the others mouth 
 hauing puiffance to deflroy. On th' other fide, iuflice 
 in the greater to prepare and manace death and de- 
 finition to offenders. And if he fpare it, then betoken- 
 eth it mercie, and a grateful recompence of the loue and 
 obedience which the foueraigne receaueth. 
 
 It is alfo worth the telling, how the king vfeth the 
 fame in pollicie, he giueth it in his ordinarie liueries 
 to be worne in euery vpper garment of all his nobleft 
 men and greater! Magiftrats and the reft of his officers 
 and feruants, which are either embrodered vpon the 
 breafl and the back with filuer or gold or pearle or ftone 
 more or leffe richly, according to euery mans dignitie 
 and calling, and they may not prefume to be feene in 
 publick without them : nor alfo in any place where by 
 the kings commiflion they vfe to fit in iuflice, or any 
 other publike affaire, wherby the king is highly both 
 honored and ferued, the common people retained in 
 dutie and admiration of his greatneffe : the noblemen, 
 magiftrats and officers euery one in his degee fo much 
 efleemed and reuerenced, as in their good and loyall 
 feruice they want vnto their perfons litle leffe honour 
 for the kings fake, then can be almoft due or exhibited 
 to the king him felfe. 
 
 I could not forbeare to adde this forraine example 
 to accomplifh our difcourfe touching deuices. For the 
 beauty and gallantneffe of it, befides the fubtillitie of 
 the conceit, and princely pollicy in the vfe, more exact 
 then can be remembred in any other of any Eiu-opean 
 Prince, whofe deuifes I will not fay but many of them 
 be loftie and ingenious, many of them louely and 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 121 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Ben Jonson's copy. 
 
 beautifull, many other ambitious and arrogant, and the 
 chief eft of them terrible and ful of horror to the nature 
 of man, but that any of them be comparable with it, for 
 wit, vertue, grauitie, and if ye lift brauerie, honour and 
 magnificence, not vfurping vpon the peculiars of the 
 gods. In my conceipt there is none to be found. 
 
 This may fuffice for deuices, a terme which includes 
 in his generality all thofe other, viz. liueries, cogniz- 
 ances, emblem es, enfeigns and imprefes. For though 
 the termes be diuers, the vfe and intent is but one 
 whether they reft in colour or figure or both, or in 
 word or in muet fhew, and that is to infinuat fome 
 fecret, wittie, morall and braue purpofe prefented to 
 the beholder, either to recreate his eye, or pleafe his 
 phantafie, or examine his iudgement or occupie his 
 braine or to manage his will either by hope or by 
 dread, euery of which refpecles be of no litle moment 
 to the intereft and ornament of the ciuill life : and 
 therefore give them no little commendation. Then 
 hauing produced fo many and wife founders of thefe 
 deuices, and fo many puiffant patrons and protectours 
 of them, I feare no reproch in this difcourfe, which 
 otherwife the venimous appetite of enuie by detraction 
 or fcorne would peraduenture not fticke to offer me. 
 
 Of the Anagrame, or poefie tranfpofed. 
 
 jNe other pretie conceit we will impart vnto 
 you and then trouble you with no more, 
 and is alfo borrowed primitiuely of the 
 Poet, or courtly maker, we may terme him, 
 the \_poefie tranfpofeol\ or in one word [a 
 tranfpofe\ a thing if it be done for paftime and exercife 
 of the wit without fuperftition commendable inough 
 and a meete ftudy for Ladies, neither bringing them 
 any great gayne nor any great loffe vnleffe it be of idle 
 time. They that vfe it for pleafure is to breed one word 
 
122 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Ben Jonson's copy. 
 
 out of another not altering any letter nor the number 
 of them, but onely tranfpofmg of the fame, wherupon 
 many times is produced fome grateful newes or matter 
 to them for whofe pleafure and feruice it was intended : 
 and bicaufe there is much difficultie in it, and alto- 
 gether ftandeth upon hap hazard, it is compted for a 
 courtly conceit no leffe then the deuice before remem- 
 bred. Lycophron one of the feuen Greeke Lyrickes, 
 who when they met together (as many times they did) 
 for their excellencie and louely Concorde, were called 
 the feuen ftarres \_pkiades~] this man was very perfit 
 and fortunat in thefe tranfpofes, and for his delicate 
 wit an(J other good parts was greatly fauoured by 
 Ptolome king of Egypt and Queene Ai'finoe his wife. 
 He after fuch fort called the king a-Tro^iXirog which is 
 letter for letter Ptolomceus and Queene Arfmoe, he 
 called 7ov r\pag, which is Arfinoe, now the fubtillitie 
 lyeth not in the conuerfion but in the fence in this 
 that Apomelitos, fignifieth in Greek \1ioney fweei] fo was 
 Ptoleme the fweetefl natured man in the world both for 
 countenance and conditions, and loner as, fignifieth the 
 the violet or flower of Iuno a ftile ampng the Greekes 
 for a woman endued with all bewtie and magnificence, 
 which conftruclion falling out grateful and fo truly, exceed- 
 ingly well pleafed the King and the Queene, and got Lyco- 
 phron no litle thanke and benefite at both their hands. 
 The French Gentlemen haue very fharpe witts and 
 withall a delicate language, which may very eafily be 
 wrefted to any alteration of words fententious, and 
 they of late yeares haue taken this paflime vp among 
 them many times gratifying their Ladies, and often 
 times the Princes of the Realme, with fome fuch 
 thankfull noueltie. Whereof one made by Francois 
 de Vallois, thus De facon fuis Roy, who in deede was 
 of fafhion countenance and ftature, befides his regall 
 vertues a very king, for in a world there could not be 
 feene a goodlier man of peifon. Another found this 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 123 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Ben Jonson's copy. 
 
 ■ by Henry de Vallois [Roy de nulz hay'] a king hated of 
 no man, and was apparant in his conditions and nature, 
 for there was not a Prince of greater affabilitie and 
 manfuetude than he. 
 
 I my felfe feeing this conceit fo well allowed of in 
 Fraunce and Italie, and being informed that her Ma- 
 ieftie tooke pleafure fometimes in defciphring of names, 
 and hearing how diuers Gentlemen of her Court had 
 effayed but with no great felicitie to make fome de- 
 lectable tranfpofe of her Maiefties name, I would 
 needs try my luck, for cunning I now not why I mould 
 call it, vnleffe it be for the many and variable applica- 
 tions of fence, which requireth peraduenture fome wit 
 and difcretion more then of euery vnlearned man and 
 for the purpofe I tooke me thefe three wordes (if any 
 other in the world) containing in my conceit greater! 
 myfterie, and mofl importing good to all them that 
 now be aliue, under her noble gouernement. 
 EI iff abet Anglo rum Regina. 
 
 Which orthographie (becaufe ye mail not be abufed) 
 is true and not miilaken, for the letter c-eta, of the 
 Hebrewes and Greeke and of all other toungs is in 
 truth but a double ff hardly vttered, and H. is but a 
 note of afpiration onely and no letter, which therefore 
 is by the Greeks omitted. Ypon the tranfpofition I 
 found this to redound. 
 
 Malta regnabis enfe gloria. 
 
 By thy jword ' JJialt thou raigne ill great renowne. 
 
 Then tranfpofmg the word [enfe] it came to be 
 
 Malta regnabis fene gloria. 
 
 Aged and in much glorieJJiall ye raigne. 
 
 Both which refultes falling out vpon the very firfl marfhal- 
 
 ling of the letters, without any darkneffe or difficultie. 
 
 and fo fenlibly and well appropriat to her Maiefties 
 
 perfon and eflate, and finally fo effectually to mine 
 
 own wifh (which is a matter of much moment in fuch 
 
 cafes) I took them both for a good boding, and very 
 
I2 4 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 Eight cancelled pages, in Ben Jonson's copy. 
 
 fatallitie to her Maieftie appointed by Gods prouidence 
 for all our comfortes. Alfo I imputed it for no litle 
 good luck and glorie to my felfe, to haue pronounced 
 to her fo good and profperous a fortune, and fo thanke- 
 full newes to all England, which though it cannot be 
 faid by this euent any deflinie or fatal neceffitie, yet 
 furely is it by all probabillitie of reafon, fo likely to 
 come to paffe, as any other worldly euent of things 
 that be vncertaine, her Maieftie continuing the courfe 
 of her moil regal proceedings and vertuous life in all 
 earnefl zeale and godly contemplation of his word, 
 and in the fmcere adminiftration of his terrene iuftice, 
 affigned ouer to her execution as his Lieutenant vpon 
 earth within the compaffe of her dominions. 
 
 This alfo is worth the noting, and I will affure you 
 of it, that after the hrft fearch whereupon this tranfpofe 
 was falhioned. The fame letters being by me toffed 
 and tranlaced hue hundreth times, I could neuer make 
 any other, at leafl of fome 'fence and conformitie to 
 her Maiefties eftate and the cafe. If any other man 
 by triall happen vpon a better omination, or what 
 foeuer els ye will call it, I will reioyfe to be ouer- 
 matched in my deuife, and renounce him all the 
 thankes and profite of my trauaile. 
 
 End of the cancelled pages. 
 
 The text then immediately follows on thus : — • 
 
 When I wrate of thefe deuices, I fmiled with my felfe, 
 thinking that the readers would do fo to, and many of 
 them fay, that fuch trifles as thefe might well haue 
 bene fpared, confidering the world is full inough of 
 them, and that it is pitie mens heades mould be fedde 
 with fuch vanities as are to none edification nor in- 
 ftrudlion, either of morall vertue, or otherwife behooffull 
 for the common wealth, to whofe feruice (fay they) we 
 are all borne, and not to fill and replenifh a whole 
 world full of idle toyes. To which fort of reprehen- 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 125 
 
 dours, being either all holy and mortified to the 
 world, and therfore efleeming nothing that fauoureth 
 not of Theologie, or altogether graue and worldly, and 
 therefore caring for nothing but matters of pollicie, 
 and difcourfes of eftate, or all giuen to thrift and 
 paffmg for none art that is not gainefull and lucratiue, 
 as the fciences of the Law, Phificke and merchaundife : 
 to thefe I will giue none other anfwerethen referrethem 
 to the many trifling poemes of Homer, Onid, Virgill, 
 Catullus and other notable writers of former ages, which 
 were not of any grauitie or ferioufneffe, and many of 
 them full of impudicitie and ribaudrie, as are not thefe 
 of ours, nor for any good in the world mould haue 
 bene : and yet thofe trifles are come from many former 
 fiecles vnto our times, vncontrolled or condemned or 
 fupprefl by any Pope or Patriarch or other feuere 
 cenfor of the ciuill maners of men, but haue bene in 
 all ages permitted as the conuenient folaces and recrea- 
 tions of mans wit. And as I can not denie but thefe 
 conceits of mine be trifles : no leffe in very deede Be 
 all the moft ferious ftudies of man, if we fhall meafure 
 grauitie and lightneffe by the wife mans ballance who 
 after he had confidered of all the profoundeft artes 
 and fludies among men, in th'ende cryed out with 
 this Epyphoneme, Vanitas vanitatum et omnia vanitas. 
 Whole authoritie if it were not fufficient to make me 
 beleeue fo, I could be content with De?nocritus rather 
 to condemne the vanities, of our life by derifion, then as 
 Heraclitus with teares, faying with that merrie Greeke 
 thus, 
 
 Omnia funt rifus, funt puluis, et omnia nil f tint. 
 Res hominum cunclce, nam ratione carent. 
 Thus Englifhed, 
 
 All is but a left, all duji, all not worth two peafon : 
 
 For why in mans matters is neither rime nor reafon. 
 
 Now paffmg from thefe courtly trifles, let vs talke 
 
 of our fcholaflical toyes, that is of the Grammaticall 
 
 verifying of the Greeks and Latines and fee whether 
 
 it might be reduced into our Englifh arte or no. 
 
126 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 CHAP. XII [XIII] 
 
 How if all maner of fodaine iimouations were not very 
 
 fcandalous, fpecially in the /awes of any Ian gage or 
 
 ' arte, the vfe of the Greeke and latiiie feete 
 
 might be brought into our vulgar Poefie, 
 
 and with good grace inough. 
 
 jOw neuertheleffe albeit we haue before al- 
 ledged that our vulgar Saxon EngliJJi 
 Handing moft vpon wordes monofillable, 
 and little vpon polyfillables doth hardly 
 admit the vfe of thole fine inuented feete 
 of the Greeks and Latines, and that for the moft part 
 wife and graue men doe naturally miflike with all fod- 
 aine innouations fpecially of lawes (and this the law 
 of our auncient Englifh Poefie) and therefore lately be- 
 fore we imputed it to a nice and fcholafticall curiofitie 
 in fuch makers as haue fought to bring into our vulgar 
 Poefie fome of the auncient feete. to wit the Daclile 
 into verfes exameters, as he that tranflated certaine 
 bookes of Virgils Eneydos in fuch meafures and not vn- 
 commendably : if I mould now fay otherwife it would 
 make me feeme contradictorie to my felfe, yet for the 
 information of our yong makers, and pleafure of all 
 others who be delighted in noueltie, and to th'intent 
 we may not feeme by ignorance or ouerfight to omit 
 any point of fubtillitie, materiall or neceffarie to our 
 vulgar arte, we will in this prefent chapter and by our 
 own idle obferuations fhew how one may eafily and 
 commodioufty lead all thofe feete of the auncients into 
 our vulgar langage. And if mens eares were not per- 
 chaunce to daintie, or their iudgementes ouer partiall, 
 would peraduenture nothing at all misbecome our arte, 
 but make in our meetres a more pleafant numerofitie 
 then now is. Thus farre therefore we will aduenture 
 and not beyond, to th'intent to fhew some fmgularitie 
 in our arte that euery man hath not heretofore obferued, 
 and (her maiefly good liking always had) whether we 
 make the common readers to laugh or to lowre, all is 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 127 
 
 a matter, iince our intent is not fo exactlie to profecute 
 the purpofe, nor fo earneftly, as to think e it mould by 
 authority of our owne iudgement be generally applauded 
 at to the difcredit of our forefathers maner of vulgar 
 Poefie, or to the' alteration or peraduenture totall de- 
 flruction of the fame, which could not Hand with any 
 good difcretion or curtefie in vs to attempt, but thus 
 much I fay, that by fome leafurable trauell it were no 
 hard matter to induce all their auncient feete into vfe 
 with vs, and that it mould proue very agreable to the 
 eare and well according with our ordinary times and 
 pronunciation, which no man could then iuftly miilike, 
 and that is to allow euery word polifiUable one long 
 time of neceflitie, which mould be where his fharpe ac- 
 cent falls in our owne ydiome moil aptly and naturally, 
 wherein we would not follow the licence of the Greeks 
 and Latines, who made not their fharpe accent any 
 neceffary prolongation of their times, but vfed fuch 
 filiable fometimes long fometimes fhort at their plea- 
 fure. The other fillables of any word where the fharpe 
 accent fell not, to be accompted of fucli time and quan- 
 tise as his ortographie would belt beare hauing regard 
 to himfelfe, or to his next neighbour, word, bounding 
 him on either fide, namely to the fmoothnes and hard- 
 neffe of the filiable in his vtterance, which is occafioned 
 altogether by his ortographie and fcituation as in this 
 word \ddyly\ the firft filiable for his vfuall and fharpe 
 accentes fake to be alwayes long, the fecond for his 
 flat accents fake to be alwayes fhort, and the rather 
 for his ortographie, bycaufe if he goe before another 
 word commencing with a vowell not letting him to be 
 eclipfed, his vtterance is eafie and currant, in this trif- 
 fillable [daungerous] the firft to be long, th'other two 
 fhort for the fame caufes. In this word \d anger 011 fneffe] 
 the firft and laft to be both long, bycaufe they receiue 
 both of them the fharpe accent, and the two middle- 
 moft to be fhort, in thefe words [remedie] and [re/nedi- 
 leffe] the time to follow alfo the accent, fo as if it pleafe 
 better to fet the fharpe accent vpon [re] then vpon [dye] 
 
128 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 that Tillable fhould be made long and e cornier jo, but in 
 this word \remedileffe\ bycaufe many like better to accent 
 the Tillable \ine\ then the Tillable [les] therfore I leaue 
 him for a common Tillable to be able to receiue both a 
 long and a fhort time as occaTion mall Terue. The like 
 law I Tet in thefe wordes [renocable] \recouerable\ \irre- 
 uocable~\ \iri'ecouerable\ Tor fometime it founds better to 
 Tay reuo cable then re no cable, recouer able then reed tier able 
 Tor this one thing ye muft alwayes markethat iTyour time 
 Tall either by reafon of his fharpe accent or otherwife 
 vpon the pennltima, ye Thai finde many other words to 
 rime with him, bycaufe fuch terminations are not geazon, 
 but if the long time Tall vpon the antepenultima ye mall 
 not finde many wordes to match him in his termination, 
 which is the cauTe oT his concord or rime, but if you 
 would let your long time by his fbarpe accent Tall aboue 
 the antepenultima as to Tay [cbnerdble] ye mail Teldome 
 or perchance neuer find one to make vp rime with him 
 vnleffe it be badly and by abuTe, and therefore in all 
 Tuch long polifdlables ye doe commonly giue two fharpe 
 accents, and thereby reduce him into two Teete as in 
 this word \remu neratioii\ which makes a couple oTgood 
 Daclils, and in this word \cdntributio?i\ which makes a 
 good fpondeus and a good daclill, and in this word \re- 
 capitiilatib?i\ it makes two daclills and a Tillable ouerplus 
 to annexe to the word precedent to helpe peece vp 
 another foote. But for wordes monofillables (as be 
 moil oT ours) becauTe in pronouncing them they do oT 
 neceTTitie retaine a fharpe accent, ye may iuflly allow 
 them to be all long if they will fo befl Terue your turne, 
 and iT they be tailed one to another, or th'one to a 
 difflllable or polyffillable ye ought to allow them that 
 time that befl ferues your purpofe and pleafeth your 
 eare mofl, and truliefl aunfweres the nature of the orto- 
 graphie in which I would as neare as I could obferue 
 and keepe the lawes oT the Greeke and Latine verfi- 
 fiers, that is to prolong the Tillable which is written 
 with double confonants or by dip thong or with Tingle 
 confonants that run hard and harfhly vpon the toung : 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 129 
 
 and to fhorten all fillables that Hand vpon vowels, if 
 there were no caufe of elifion and fmgle confonants and 
 fuch of them as are moil flowing and flipper vpon the 
 toung as. n.r.t.d.l. and for this purpofe to take away 
 all afpirations, and many times the laft confonant of a 
 word as the Latine Poetes vfed to do, fyecially Lucretius 
 and Ennius as to fay \_finibii\ for [f/iibus] and fo would 
 not I flick to fay thus [delite~] for [delight'] \_hye~\ for [high] 
 and fuch like, and doth nothing at all impugne the rule 
 I gaue before againft the wrefling of wordes by falfe 
 ortographie to make vp rime, which may not be falfified. 
 But this omiffion of letters in the middeft of a meetre 
 to make him the more flipper, herpes the numerofitie 
 and hinders not the rime. But generally the fhortning 
 or prolonging of the monofillables dependes much vpon 
 the nature of their ortographie which the Latin Gram- 
 mariens call the rule of pofition, as for example if I 
 mail fay thus. 
 
 Not manie dayes pafl. Twentie dayes after, 
 This makes a good Daclill and a goodfrondeus, but if 
 ye turne them backward it would not do fo, as. 
 
 Many dayes, not paft. 
 And the diftick made all of monofillables. 
 But none of us true men and free, 
 Could finde fo great good lucke as he. 
 Which words feme well to make the verfe aW. fpondiacke 
 or iambicke, but not in daclil, as other words or the 
 fame otherwife placed would do, for it were an illfauored 
 daclil to fay. 
 
 Bid none of, us all trewe. 
 Therefore whenfoeuer your w r ords will not make a 
 fmooth daclil, ye muil alter them or their fituations, or 
 elfe turne them to other feete that may better beare 
 their maner of found and orthographie : or if the word 
 be polyfi 'liable to deuide him, and to make him ferue by 
 peeces, that he could not do whole and entierly. And 
 no doubt by like confideration did the Greeke and 
 Latine verfmers fafhion all their feete at the firft to be 
 of fundry times, and the felfe fame fillable to be fome- 
 
 1 
 
\ 
 
 130 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 time long and fometime fhort for the eares better fatisfac- 
 tion as hath bene before remembred. Now alfo wheras 
 I faid before that our old Saxon Englifh for his many 
 mcnofdlables did not naturally admit the vfe of the 
 ancient feete in our vulgar meafures fo aptly as in thofe 
 languages which flood moil vpon polifdlables, I fayd it 
 in a fort truly, but now I muft recant and confeffe that 
 our Norman e Englifh which hath growen fmce William 
 the Conquerour doth admit any of the auncient feete, 
 by reafon of the many polyfdlables euen to fixe and 
 feauen in one word, which we at this day vfe in our 
 mofl ordinarie language: and which corruption hath 
 bene occafioned chiefly by the peeuifh affectation not 
 of the Normans them felues, but of clerks and scholers 
 or fecretaries long fmce, who not content with the vfual 
 Normane or Saxon word, would conuert the very Latine 
 and Greeke word into vulgar French, as to fay innum- 
 erable for innombrable, reuocable, irreuocable, irradia- 
 tion, depopulation and fuch like, which are not natur- 
 all Normans nor yet French, but altered Latines, and 
 without any imitation at all : which therefore were long 
 time defpifed for inkehorne termes, and now be reputed 
 the befl and mofl delicat of any other. Of which and 
 many other caufes of corruption of our fpeach we haue 
 in another place more amply difcourfed, but by this 
 meane we may at this day very well receiue the aun- 
 cient feete meti-icall of the Greeks and Latines fauing 
 thofe that be fuperflous as be all the feete aboue the 
 triffdlalde, which the old Grammarians idly inuented 
 and diflinguifht by fpeciall names, whereas in deede 
 the fame do fland compounded with the inferiour feete, 
 and therefore fome of them were called by the names 
 of didaclihis, difpondens and difiambas: all which feete 
 as I fay we may be allowed to vfe with good difcretion 
 and precife choife of wordes and with the fauorable 
 approbation of readers, and fo fhall our plat in this one 
 point be larger and much furmount that which Stani- 
 hurft firft tooke in hand by his exameters daclilidze and 
 fpondaicke in the tranflation of Virgdls Eneidos, and 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 131 
 
 fuch as for a great number of them my ftomacke can 
 hardly dig eft for the ill fhapen found of many of his 
 wordes polifdlable and alfo his copulation of monofdl- 
 ables fupplving the quantitie of a triffillable to his in- 
 tent. And right fo in promoting this deuife of ours 
 being (I feare me) much more nyce and affected, and 
 therefore more mifliked then his, we are to befpeake 
 fauour, firft of the delicate eares, then of the rigorous 
 and feuere difpolitions, laftly to craue pardon of the 
 learned and auncient makers in our vulgar, for if we 
 mould feeke in euery point to egall our fpeach with 
 the Greeke and Latin in their metricall obferuations it 
 could not poffible be by vs perfourmed, becaufe their 
 fillables came to be timed fome of them long, fome of 
 them fhort not by reafon of any euident or apparant 
 caufe in writing or founde remaining vpon one more 
 then another, for many times they fhortned the fillable 
 of fharpe accent and made long that of the flat, and 
 therefore we muft needes fay, it was in many of their 
 wordes done by preelection in the firft Poetes, not 
 hauing regard altogether to the ortographie, and hard- 
 neffe or foftneffe of a fillable, confonant, vowell or dip- 
 thong, but at their pleafure, or as it fell out: fo as he 
 that firft put in a verfe this word \_Penelope~\ which 
 might be Homer or fome other of his antiquitie, where 
 he made [pe] in both places long and \jif\ and \lo\ 
 fhort, he might haue made them otherwife and with as 
 good reafon, nothing in the world appearing that might 
 moue them to make fuch (preelection) more in th'one 
 fillable then in the other for pe. ne. and lo. being fill- 
 ables vocals be egally fmoth and currant vpon the 
 toung, and might beare afwel the long as the fhort time, 
 but it pleafed the Poet otherwife : fo he that firft fhort- 
 ned, ca. in this word ca?io, and made long tro, in troia, 
 and 0, in oris, might haue afwell done the contrary, 
 but becaufe he that firft put them into a verfe, found 
 as' it is to be fuppofed a more fweetneffe in his owne 
 eare to haue them fo tymed, therefore all other Poets 
 who followed, were fayne to doe the like, which made 
 
132 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 that Virgill who came many year es after the firfl recep- 
 tion of wordes in their feuerall times, was driuen of 
 neceffitie to accept them in fuch quantities as they were 
 left him and therefore faid. 
 
 drma ui rumque cd no tro ie qui 
 primus db oris. 
 Neither truely doe I fee any other reafon in that 
 lawe (though in other rules of fhortning and prolonging 
 a fillable there may be reafon) but that it flands vpon 
 bare tradition. Such as the Cabalifts auouch in their 
 myfticall conflruclions Theological! and others, faying 
 that they receaued the fame from hand to hand from 
 the firfl parent Adam, Abraham and others, which I 
 will giue them leaue alone both to fay and beleeue 
 for me, thinking rather that they haue bene the idle 
 occupations, or perchaunce the malitious and craftie 
 conftruclions of the Talmudi/ls, and others of the Heb- 
 rue clerks to bring the world inta admiration of their 
 lawes and Religion. Now peraduenture with vs 
 Englifhmen it be fomewhat too late to admit a new in- 
 uention of feete and times that our forefathers neuer 
 vfed nor neuer obferued till this day, either in their 
 meafures or in their pronuntiation, and perchaunce will 
 feeme in vs a prefumptuous part to attempt, confider- 
 ing alfo it would be hard to find many men to like of 
 one mans choife in the limitation of times and quanti- 
 ties of words, with which not one, but euery eare is to 
 be pleafed and made a particular iudge, being moll 
 truly fayd, that a multitude or comminaltie is hard to 
 pleafe and eafie to offend, and therefore I intend not 
 to proceed any further in this curiofitie then to fhew 
 fome fmall fubtillitie that any other hath not yet done, 
 and not by imitation but by obferuation, nor to th'in- 
 tent to haue it put in execution in our vulgar Poefie, 
 but to be pleafantly fcanned vpon, as are all nouelties 
 fo friuolous and ridiculous as it. 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 133 
 
 CHAP. XIII. [XIV.] 
 A more particular declaration of the metrical! feete of 
 ■ the ancient Poets Greeke and latine and chiefly 
 
 of the feet e of two times. 
 
 [Heir Grammarians made a great multitude 
 of feete, I wot not to what huge number, 
 and of fo many fizes as their wordes were 
 of length, namely fixe fizes, whereas in 
 deede, the metricall feete are but twelue 
 in number, wherof foure only be of two times, and 
 eight of three times, the reft compounds of the premifed 
 two forts, euen as the Arithmeticall numbers aboue 
 three are made of two and three. And if ye will know 
 how many of thefe feete will be commodioufly receiued 
 with vs, I fay all the whole twelue, for firft for the foote 
 fpondeus of two long times ye haue thefe Englifh wordes 
 morning, midnight, mlfchaunce, and a number moe whofe 
 ortographie may direct your iudgement in this point : 
 for yovxTrockeus of a long and fhort ye haue thefe words 
 maner, broken, taken, bodie, member, and a great many 
 moe if their laft fillables abut not vpon the confonant 
 in the beginning of another word, and in thefe whether 
 they do abut or no wlttie,dittie, sorrow, morrow, and fuch 
 like, which end in a vowell for your Iambus of a fhort 
 and a long, ye haue thefe wordes [reflore] [remorfe] [de- 
 sire] [endure] and a thoufand befides. For your foote 
 pirrichius or of two fhort filables ye haue thefe words 
 [manie] [money] [penie] [silie] and others of that con- 
 ftitution or the like: for your feete of three times and 
 firft your daclill, ye haue thefe wordes and a number 
 moe patience, temperance, vvomdnhedd, idlitie, daunger- 
 ous, duetifull and others. For your molojfus, of all three 
 long, ye haue a member [number?] of wordes alfo and 
 fpecially moil of your participles acliue, as persifiing, 
 defpoillng, endentlng, and fuch like in ortographie : for 
 your anapeflus of two fhort and a long ye haue thefe 
 words but not many moe, as manifold, monileffe, imma- 
 nent, holine/fe. For your foote tribracchus of all three 
 
134 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 fhort, ye haue very few triffillables ', becaufe the fharpe 
 accent will always make one of them long by pronun- 
 ciation, which els would be by ortographie fhort as, 
 \merily\ \ininio?i\ and fuch like. For your foote bac- 
 chins of a fhort and two long ye haue thefe and the 
 like words triffillables \ldmenting\ \i'equefting\ \rtnouiic- 
 z?!g\ \i'epentance\ \enurzng\. For your foote cuitibaccJiins, 
 of two long and a fhort ye haue thefe wordes [forsaken] 
 \impugned\ and others many: For your amphimacer 
 that is a long a fhort and a long ye haue thefe wordes 
 and many moe [excellent] \iminent~\ and fpecially fuch 
 as be propre names of perfons or townes or other things 
 and namely Welfh wordes : for your foote amphibrac- 
 chus, of a fhort, a long and a ihort, ye haue thefe wordes 
 and many like to thefe [resl/led] [delight full] [repr/fall] 
 [indunter] [enanull] fo as for want of Engiilh wordes if 
 your eare be not to daintie and your rules to precife, 
 ye neede not be without the metricall feete of the an- 
 cient Poets fuch as be moft pertinent and not fuperflu- 
 ous. This is (ye will perchaunce fay) my hngular 
 opinion : then ye fhall fee how well I can maintaine it. 
 Firft the quantitie of a word comes either by (preelec- 
 tion) without reafon or force as hath bene alledged, 
 and as the auncient Greekes and Latines did in many 
 wordes, but not in all, or by (election) with reafon as 
 they did in fome, and not a few. And a found is 
 drawen at length either by the infirmitie of the toung, 
 becaufe the word or tillable is of fuch letters as hangs 
 long in the palate or lippes ere he will come forth, or 
 becaufe he is accented and tuned hier and fharper then 
 another, whereby he fomewhat obfeureth the other fil- 
 lables in the fame word that be not accented fo high, 
 in both thefe cafes we will eflablifh our tillable long, 
 contrariwife the fhortning of a fillable is, when his 
 founde or accent happens to be heauy and flat, that is 
 to fall away fpeedily, and as it were inaudible, or when 
 he is made of fuch letters as be by nature flipper and 
 voluble and fmoothly paffe from the mouth. And the 
 vowell is alwayes more eafily deliuered then the con- 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 135 
 
 fonant: and of confonants, the liquid e more then the- 
 rmite, and a tingle confonant more then a double, and 
 one more then twayne coupled together: all which 
 points were obferued by the Greekes and Latines, and 
 allowed for maximes in vertifying. Now if ye will 
 examine thefe foure biffillables \remnani\ [remaine] 
 \render] \retiei\ for an example by which ye may make 
 a generall rule, and ye mail finde, that they aunfwere 
 our firfl refolution. Firfl in [remnajit] [rem] bearing 
 the fharpe accent and hauing his confonant abbut vpon 
 another, foundes long. The tillable \nani\ being writ- 
 ten with two confonants muft needs be accompted the 
 fame, betides that \nanf\ by his Latin originall is long, 
 viz \remanens.] Take this word [remaine] becaufe the 
 laft tillable beares the fharpe accent, he is long in the 
 eare, and [re] being the firft tillable, pafting obfcurely 
 away with a flat accent is ihort, betides that [re] by his 
 Latine originall and alfo by his ortographie is Ihort. 
 This word [render] bearing the fharpe accent vpon 
 [ren] makes it long, the tillable [der] falling away fwiftly 
 and being alfo written with a tingle confonant or 
 liquide is fhort and makes the trocheus. This word 
 \raiet] hauing both tillables Aiding and flipper make 
 the foote Pirrichius, becaufe if he be truly vttered, he 
 beares in maner no fharper accent vpon the one 
 then the other tillable, but be in effect egall in time 
 and tune, as is alfo the Spo?ideus. And becaufe they 
 be not written with any hard or harfh confonants, I do 
 allow them both for fhort tillables, or to be vfed for 
 common, according as their tituation and place with 
 other words fhall be : and as I haue named to you but 
 onely foure words for an example, fo may ye find out 
 by diligent obferuation foure hundred if ye will. But 
 of all your words biffillables the moll part naturally do 
 make the foote Iambus, many the Trocheus, fewer the 
 Spondeus, feweft of all the Pirrichius, becaufe in him 
 the fharpe accent (if ye follow the rules of your accent, 
 as we haue prefuppofed) doth make a litle oddes: and 
 ye fhall find verfes made all of ?nonoftllables, and do 
 
136 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 •very well, but lightly they be Iambickes, bycaufe for the 
 more part the accent falles fharpe vpon euery fecond 
 word rather then contrariwife, as this of Sir Thomas 
 Wiats. 
 
 I finde no peace and yet mie war re is done, 
 I fear e and hope, and burne and f reef e like ife. 
 And fome verfes where the fharpe accent falles vpon 
 the firft and third, and fo make the verfe wholly Tro- 
 chaicke, as thus, 
 
 Worke not, no nor, wifh thy friend or foes harme 
 Try but, trnfi not, all that fpeake thee fo fair e. 
 And fome verfes made of monofillables and biffillables 
 enterlaced as this of th'Earles, 
 
 When raging loice with extreme paine 
 And this 
 
 A fairer beafl of freJJier hue beheld I neuer none. 
 And fome verfes made all of biffdlables and others 
 all of triffdlables, and others of polifdlables egally in- 
 creafmg and of diuers quantities, and fundry fituations, 
 as in this of our owne, made to daunt the infolence of 
 a beautifull woman. 
 
 Brittle beauty bloffome daily fading 
 Mome, noone, and eue in age and eke in eld 
 Dangerous difdainefull pleafantly perfwadmg 
 Eafie to gripe but combrous to weld 
 For flender bottome hard and heauy lading 
 Gay for a while, but little while durable 
 Sufpicious, incertaine, irreuocable, 
 O fince thou art by triall not to trufl 
 IVifedome it is, and it is alfo iust 
 To found theflemme before the tree be f eld 
 That is, fince death will driue vs all to dujl 
 To leaue thy loue ere that we be compeld. 
 In which ye haue your firft verfe all of biffdlables 
 and of the foot trocheus. The fecond all of mo7iofill- 
 ables, and all of the foote Tambus, the third all of trif- 
 fdlables, and all of the foote daclilus, your fourth of one 
 biffdlable, and two monofillables interlarded, the fift of 
 one monofillable and two biffillables enterlaced, and the 
 
£J 
 
 OF PROPORTION. L I B. 1 1. 137 
 
 reft of other fortes and fcituations, fome by degrees 
 encreafmg, fome diminifhing: which example I haue 
 fet downe to let you perceiue what pleafant numerofity 
 in the meafure and difpofition of your words in a meetre 
 may be contriued by curious wits and thefe with other 
 like were the obferuations of the Greeke and Latine 
 verfmers. 
 
 CHAP. XIIIL [XV.] 
 Of your feet of three times, and fir Ji of the Daclil. 
 
 I Our feete of three times by prefcription of 
 the Latine Grammariens are of eight fun- 
 dry proportions, for fome notable differ- 
 ence appearing in euery Tillable of three 
 falling in a word of that fize : but becaufe 
 aboue the antepenultima there was (among the Latines) 
 none accent audible in any long word, therfore to de- 
 uife any foote of longer meafure then of three times 
 was to them but fuperfluous: becaufe all aboue the 
 number of three are but compounded of their inferi- 
 ours. Omitting therefore to fpeake of thefe larger 
 feete, we fay that of all your feete of three times the 
 Daclill is moll vfuall and fit for our vulgar meeter, 
 and moil agreeable to the eare, fpecially if ye ouerlade 
 not your verfe with too many of them but here and 
 there enterlace a Iambus or fome other foote of two 
 times to giue him grauitie and flay, as in this quadrein 
 Trimeter or of three meafures. 
 
 Render again e mie libertie 
 and set your captiue free 
 G/orioiis Is the vi clone 
 Conquerours ufe with lemtie 
 Where ye fee euery verfe is all of a meafure, and yet 
 vnegall in number of fillables: for the fecond verfe is 
 but of fixe fillables, where the reft are of eight. But 
 the reafon is for that in three of the fame verfes are 
 two Daclils a peece, which abridge two fillables in 
 euery verfe : and fo maketh the longeft euen with the 
 ihorteft. Ye may note befides by the firft verfe, how 
 
138 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 much better fome biffillable becommeth to peece out 
 an other longer foote then another word doth : for in 
 place of [render] if ye had fayd [re/lore] it had marred 
 the Daclil, and of necefhtie driuen him out at length 
 to be a verfe Iambic of foure feete, becaufe [render] is 
 naturally a Trocheus and makes the firft two times of a 
 daclil. [Rejlore] is naturally a Iambus, and in this 
 place could not poffibly haue made a pleafant daclil. 
 
 Now again e if ye will fay to me that thefe two words 
 [libertie] and [conquer ours] be not precife Daclils by the 
 Latine rule. So much will I confeffe to, but fince they 
 go currant inough vpon the tongue, and be fo vfually 
 pronounced, they may paffe wel inough for Daclils in 
 our vulgar meeters, and that is inough for me, feeding 
 but to fafhion an art, and not to finifh it: which time 
 only and cuftom haue authoritie to do, fpecially in all 
 cafes of language as the Poet hath wittily remembred 
 in this verfe -fi volet vjus. 
 
 Quern penes arbitrium est ei vis et norma loquendi. 
 
 The Earle of Surrey vpon the death of Sir Thomas 
 Wiat made among other this verfe Pentameter and of 
 ten fillables, 
 
 What holy graue (alas) what fepulcher 
 
 But if I had the making of him, he mould haue bene 
 of eleuen fillables and kept his meafure of hue ftill, and 
 would fo haue runne more pleafantly a great deale : for 
 as he is now, though he be euen he feemes odde and 
 defedliue, for not well obferuing the natural accent of 
 euery word, and this would haue bene foone holpen by 
 inferting one monofdlable in the middle of the verfe, 
 and drawing another fillable in the beginning into a 
 Daclil, this word [holy] being a. good [Pirrichius] and 
 very well feruing the turne, thus, 
 
 What hoik graue a las what fit sefulcher. 
 Which verfe if ye perufe throughout ye mall finde him 
 after the firft daclil all Trochaick and not Iambic, nor 
 of any other foot of two times. But perchance if ye 
 would feeme yet more curious, in place of thefe foure 
 Trocheus ye might induce other feete of three times, as 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 139 
 
 to make the three fillables next following the daclil, the 
 foote [amphimacer] the lafl word \Sepulcher\ the foote 
 [amphibracns] leauing the other midle word for a [Iam- 
 bus] thus. 
 
 What holte gr due a las what fit sepulcher. 
 If ye aske me further why I make (what) firfl long and 
 after fhort in one verfe, to that I fatisfied you before, 
 that it is by reafon of his accent fharpe in one place 
 and flat in another, being a common monof liable, that 
 is, apt to receiue either accent, and fo in the firfl place 
 receiuing aptly the fharpe accent he is made long: 
 afterward receiuing the flat accent more aptly then 
 the fharpe, becaufe the fillable precedent [/as] vtterly 
 diflaines him, he is made fhort and not long, and that 
 with very good melodie, but to haue giuen him the 
 fharpe accent and plucked it from the fillable [/as] it 
 had bene to any mans eare a great difcord : for euer- 
 more this word [a/as] is accented vpon the lafl, and 
 that lowdly and notorioufly as appeareth by all our ex- 
 clamations vfed vnder that terme. The. fame Earle of 
 Surrey and Sir Thomas Wyat the firfl reformers and 
 polifhers of our vulgar Poefie much affecTing the flile 
 and meafures of the Italian Petrarcha, vfed the foote 
 daclil very often but not many in one verfe, as in thefe, 
 Full manie that in prefence of thy liuelie hed, 
 Shed Ccefars teares vpon Pompeius hed, 
 Th'enemie to life deflroi er of 'all kinde, 
 If amd rotes faith in an hart vnfayned, 
 Myne old deere enemy my froward m after. 
 The fur 1 ous gone in his mofl ra ging ire. 
 And many moe which if ye would not allow for dac- 
 tils the verfe would halt vnleffe ye would feeme to helpe 
 it contracting a fillable by vertue of the figure Synerefis 
 which I thinke was neuer their meaning, nor in deede 
 would haue bred any pleafure to the eare, but hindred 
 the flowing of the verfe. Howfoeuer ye take it the 
 daclil is commendable inough in our vulgar meetres, 
 but mofl plaufible of all when he is founded vpon the 
 flage, as in thefe comicall verfes mewing how well it 
 
140 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 becommeth all noble men and greate perfonages to be 
 temperat and modefl, yea more then any meaner man, 
 thus. 
 
 Let no nobiUtie riches or heritage 
 Honour or empire or earthlie dominion 
 Breed in your head dnie peeuijli dpinio?i 
 That ye may safer duouch dnie outi'dge. 
 And in this diftique taxing the Prelate fymoniake 
 (landing all vpon perfec~l daclils. 
 
 Now manie bie money piiruey promotion 
 For many mooues any hart to deuotion. 
 But this aduertifement I will giue you withall, that 
 if ye vie too many daclils together ye make your 
 mufike too light and of no folemne grauitie fuch as the 
 amorous Elegies in court naturally require, being al- 
 waies either very dolefull or paffionate as the affections 
 of loue enforce, in which bufmes ye mufl make your 
 choife of very few words daclilique, or them that ye 
 can not refufe, to diffolue and breake them into other 
 feete by fuch meanes as it mail be taught hereafter : 
 but chiefly in your courtly ditties take heede ye vfe not 
 thefe maner of long poliftllables and fpecially that ye 
 finifh not your verfe with them as [retribution'] reflitu- 
 tion] remuneration [recapitulation 1 ] and fuch like : for 
 they fmatch more the fchoole of common players than 
 of any delicate Poet Lyricke or Elegiacke. 
 
 CHAP. XV. [XVI.] 
 
 Of all your other feete of three times and how well they 
 
 would faJJiion a meeti'e in our vulgar. 
 
 LI your other feete of three times I find no 
 vfe of them in our vulgar meeters nor no 
 fweetenes at all, and yet words inough to 
 ferue their proportions. So as though 
 they haue not hitherto bene made arti- 
 ficiall, yet nowe by more curious obferuation they 
 might be. Since all artes grew firfl by obferuation of 
 natures proceedings and cuftome. And firfl your 
 [Molojfus] being of all three long is evidently dif- 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 141 
 
 couered by this word \j>e?4nttting\ The \AnapeJlus\ of 
 two fhort and a long by this word [furwus\ if the next 
 word beginne with a confonant. The foote \Bacchhis\ 
 of a fhort and two long by this word \resistance\ the 
 foote \Amphimacer\ of a long a fhort and a long by 
 this word \conqnering\ the foote of \_A?nphibrachus\ of 
 a fhort a long and a fhort by this word \_remember\ if 
 a vowell follow. The foote \Tribrachus~\ of three fhort 
 times is very hard to be made by any of our t7'ij]illables 
 vnles they be compounded of the fmootheft fort of 
 confonants or fillables vocals, or of three fmooth mono- 
 fdlcibles, or of fome peece of a long polyfillable and 
 after that fort we may with wrefting of words fhape the 
 foot \Tribrachus\ rather by vfurpation then by rule, 
 which neuertheles is allowed in euery primitiue arte 
 and inuention : and fo it was by the Greek es and Latines 
 in their firft verfifying, as if a rule mould be fet downe 
 that from henceforth thefe words fhould be counted al 
 Tribrachus. \enemie\ remedie\ selines\ momles\ pbiiles\ 
 cruellie\ and fuch like, or a peece of this long word 
 \recduerdblt\ innumerable readilie\ and others. Of all 
 which manner of apt wordes to make thefe ftranger 
 feet of three times which go not fo currant with our 
 eare as the daciil, the maker fhould haue a good 
 iudgement to know them by their manner of ortho- 
 graphic and by their accent which feme moil fitly for 
 euery foote, or elfe he fhoulde haue alwaies a little 
 calender of them apart to vfe readily when he fhall 
 neede them. But becaufe in very truth I thinke them 
 but vaine and fuperftitious obferuations nothing at all 
 furthering the pleafant melody of our Englifh meeter, 
 I leaue to fpeake any more of them and rather wifh 
 the continuance of our old maner of Poefie, fcanning 
 our verfe by fillables rather than by feete, and vfmg 
 moft commonly the word Iambique and fometime the 
 Trochaike which ye fhall difcerne by their accents, and 
 now and then a daclill keeping precifely our fymphony 
 or rime without any other mincing meafures, which an 
 idle inuentiue head could eafily deuife, as the former 
 examples teach. 
 

 142 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 CHAP.. XVI. [XVII.] 
 
 Of your verfes per f eft and defeftiue, and that which the 
 
 GrcEcians called the halfe foote. 
 
 pHe Greekes and Latines vfed verfes in the 
 odde Tillable of two fortes, which they 
 called Catalefticke and Acatalefticke, that 
 is odde vnder and odde ouer the mil 
 •meafure of their verfe, and we in our vul- 
 gar finde many of the like, and fpecially in the rimes 
 of Sir Thomas Wiat, {trained perchaunce out of their 
 originall, made firfl by Francis Petrarcha : as thefe 
 Like vnto thefe, immeaf arable mount aines, 
 So is my painefull life the burde?i of ire : 
 For hie be they, and hie is my defer e 
 
 And I of tear es, and they are full of fount aines. 
 Where in your firft fecond and fourth verfe, ye may 
 rind a fillable fuperfluous, and though in the firfl ye 
 will feeme to helpe it, by drawing thefe three fillables, 
 (Jm me su) into a daftil, in the refl it can not be fo ex- 
 cufed, wherefore we mufl thinke he did it of purpofe, 
 by the odde fillable to giue greater grace to his meetre, 
 and we finde in our old rimes, this odde fillable, 
 fometime placed in the beginning and fometimes in the 
 middle of a verfe, and is allowed to go alone and to 
 hang to any other fillable. But this odde fillable in our 
 meetres is not the halfe foote as the Greekes and 
 Latines vfed him in their verfes, and called fuch mea- 
 fure pentimimeris and eptamimeris, but rather is that, 
 which they called the cataleftik or maymed verfe. 
 Their hemimeris or halfe foote ferued not by licence 
 Poeticall or neceffitie of words, but to bewtifie and 
 exornate the verfe by placing one fuch halfe foote in 
 the middle Cefure, and one other in the end of the 
 verfe, as they vfed all their pe7itameters elegiack : 
 and not by coupling them together, but by accompt 
 to make their verfe of a iufl meafure and not defectiue 
 or fuperfious : our odde fillable is not altogether of 
 that nature, but is in a maner drowned and fupprefl 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 143 
 
 by the flat accent, and fhrinks away as it were inaudible 
 and by that meane the odde verfe comes almofl to be 
 an euen in euery mans hearing. The halfe foote of 
 the auncients was referued purpofely to an vfe, and 
 therefore they gaue fuch odde tillable, wmerefoeuer he 
 fell the lharper accent, and made by him a notorious 
 paufe as in this pentameter. 
 
 Nil mi hi refcrlbas attdmen Ipse ve ni. 
 Which in all make hue whole feete, or the verfe 
 Pentameter. We in our vulgar haue not the vfe of the 
 like halfe foote. 
 
 CHAP. XIII. [XVIII] 
 
 Of the breaking your bifflllables and polyfillables and 
 when it is to be vfed. 
 
 |Vt whether ye fuffer your tillable to receiue 
 his quantitie by his accent, or by his orto- 
 graphy, or whether ye keepe your bijfil- 
 lable whole or whether ye breake him, all 
 is one to his quantitie, and his time will 
 appeare the felfe fame flill and ought not to be altered 
 by our makers, vnleffe it be when fuch tillable is al- 
 lowed to be common and to receiue any of both times, 
 as in the dimeter, made of two fillables entier. 
 extreame desire 
 The firfl is a good fpondeus, the fecond a good 
 iambus, and if the fame wordes be broken thus it is 
 not fo pleafant. 
 
 in ex treame de fire 
 And yet the firft makes a iambus, and the fecond a 
 trocheus ech tillable retayning ftill his former quantities. 
 And alwaies ye muft haue regard to the fweetenes of 
 the meetre, fo as if your word polyfdlable would not 
 found pleafantly whole, ye fhould for the nonce 
 breake him, which ye may eafily doo by inferting here 
 and there one monofi 'liable among your polyfdlables, or 
 by chaunging your word into another place then where 
 he foundes vnpleafantly, and by breaking, turne a 
 trocheus to a iambus, or contrariwife : as thu;s : 
 
144 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 Hollow v alias under Jiieft mown l dines 
 Cr aggie cliffes bring foorth the faireft fountaines 
 Thefe verfes be trochaik, and in mine eare not fo 
 fvveete and harmonicall as the iambicque, thus : 
 The hollowft vdls lie under hi eft mountaines 
 The craggifl clifs bring forth the fair eft fountaines. 
 All which verfes bee now become iambicque by 
 breaking the firft biffillables , and yet alters not their 
 quantities though the feete be altered : and thus, 
 Reftleffe is the heart in his defer es 
 Rauing after that reafon doth denie. 
 Which being turned thus makes a new harmonie. 
 The reftleffe heart, renues his old defTres 
 Ay rauing after that reafon doth it deny. 
 And following this obferuation your meetres being 
 builded with polyfillables will fall diuerfly out, that is 
 fome to be fpondaick, fome iambick, others daclilick, 
 others trochaick, and of one mingled with another, as 
 in this verfe. 
 
 Heauie is the burden of Princes ire 
 The verfe is trochaick, but being altered thus, is iam- 
 bicque. 
 
 Full heauie is the fiaife of Princes ire 
 And as Sir Thomas Wiat fong in a verfe wholly 
 trochaick, becaufe the wordes do beft fhape to that 
 foote by their naturall accent, thus, 
 
 Farewell lone and all thie lawes for euer 
 And in this ditty of th'Erle of Surries, paffing fweete 
 and harmonicall, all be Iambick. 
 
 When raging loue with extreme paine 
 So cruelly doth flraine my hart, 
 And that the tear es like finds of raine 
 Beare witneffe of my luofull fmart. 
 Which beyng difpofed otherwise or not broken, would 
 proue all trochaick, but nothing pleafant. 
 
 Now furthermore ye are to note, that al your mono- 
 fyllables may receiue the fharp accent, but not fo aptly 
 one as another, as in this verfe where they ferue well 
 to make him iambicque, but not trochaick. 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 145 
 
 God gr aunt this peace may long endure 
 Where the fharpe accent falles more tunably vpon 
 [graunf] [peace] [long] [dure] then it would by con- 
 uenion, as to accent them thus : 
 
 God graunt-thls peace-may long-endure, 
 And yet if ye will aske me the reafon, I can not tell 
 it, but that it fhapes fo to myne eare, and as I thinke 
 to euery other mans. And in this meeter where ye 
 haue whole words biffillable vnbroken, that maintaine 
 (by reafon of their accent) fundry feete, yet going one 
 with another be very harmonicall. 
 
 Where ye fee one to be a trocheus another the 
 iambus, and fo entermingled not by election but by 
 conftraint of their feuerall accents, which ought not to 
 be altered, yet comes it to paffe that many times ye 
 muft of neceflitie alter the accent of a finable, and put 
 him from his naturall place, and then one fillable, of a 
 word polyfillable, or one word monofdlable, will abide 
 to be made fometimes long, fometimes fhort, as in this 
 quadreyne of ours playd in a mery moode. 
 Gene me mine frame and when I do defire 
 1 Geue others theirs, and nothing that is mine 
 Nor giue me that, wherio all men aspire 
 Then neither gold, nor fair -e women nor wine. 
 Where in your rirfl verfe thefe two words [giue] and 
 [me] are accented one high th'other low, in the third 
 verfe the fame words are accented contrary, and the 
 reafon of this exchange is manifeft, becaufe the maker 
 playes with thefe two claufes of fundry relations [giue 
 me] and [giue others] fo as the monofdlable [me] being 
 refpecliue to the word [others] and inferring a fubtilitie 
 or wittie implication, ought not to haue the fame accent, 
 as when he hath no fuch refpecl, as in this dijiik of 
 ours. 
 
 Proue me [Madame) ere ye reproue 
 Meeke minds JJwuld exciife not accuse. 
 In which verfe ye fee this word [reprooue,] the 
 fillable [prooue] alters his fharpe accent into a flat, for 
 naturally it is long in all his tingles and compoundes 
 
 K 
 
146 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 \i'eproovc\ \approhie~\ \difprooue~\ andfo is the Tillable [cufe] 
 in \excuje~\ \accufe\ \recufe\ yetinthefe verfesbyreafonone 
 of them doth as it were nicke another, and haue a 
 certaine extraordinary fence with all, it behoueth to 
 remoue the fharpe accents from whence they are moft 
 naturall, to place them where the nicke may be more 
 exprefly difcouered, and therefore in this verfe where 
 no fuch implication is, nor no relation it is otherwife, 
 as thus. 
 
 If ye reproue my conftancie 
 
 I will excufe you curte/ly. 
 For in this word \rep7'ooiie\ becaufe there is no extra- 
 ordinary fence to be inferred, he keepeth his fharpe 
 accent vpon the fillable [prooue] but in the former 
 verfes becaufe they feeme to encounter ech other, they 
 do thereby merite an audible and pleafant alteration 
 of their accents in thofe fillables that caufe the fubtiltie. 
 Of thefe maner of nicetees ye fhal finde in many places 
 of our booke, but fpecially where we treate of orna- 
 ment, vnto which we referre you, fauing that we thought 
 good to fet down one example more to folace your 
 mindes with mirth after all thefe fcholafticall preceptes, 
 which can not but bring with them (fpecially to Cour- 
 tiers) much tedioufneffe, and fo to end. In our Come- 
 die intituled Ginecocratia : the king was fuppofed to 
 be a perfon very amorous and effeminate, and therefore 
 moft ruled his ordinary affaires by the aduife of women 
 either for the loue he bare to their perfon s or liking he 
 had to their pleafant ready witts and vtterance. Comes 
 me to the Court one Pole mo n an honeft plaine man of 
 the country, but rich : and hauing a fuite to the king, 
 met by chaunce with one Philino, a louer of wine and 
 a merry companion in Court, and praied him in that 
 he was a ftranger that he would vouchfafe to tell him 
 which way he were beft to worke to get his fuite, and 
 who were moft in credit and fauour about the king, 
 that he might feeke to them to furder his attempt. 
 Philino perceyuing the plainneffe of the man, and that 
 there would be fome good done with him, told Polemo7i 
 
OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 147 
 
 that if he would well confider him for his labor he would 
 bring him where he mould know the truth of all his 
 demaundes by the fentence of the Oracle. Polemon 
 gaue him twentie crownes, Philino brings him into a 
 place where behind an arras cloth hee himfelfe fpake 
 in manner of an Oracle in thefe meeters, for fo did all 
 the Sybils and fothfaiers in old times giue their anfwers. 
 
 Your bejl way to worke - and marke my words well, 
 
 Not money : nor many, 
 
 Nor any : but any, 
 
 Not weemen, but weemen beare the bell. 
 Polemon will not what to make of this doubtful 
 fpeach, and not being lawfull to importune the oracle 
 more then once in one matter, conceyued in his head 
 the pleafanter conftruclion, and ftacke to it : and hau- 
 ing at home a fayre young damfell of eighteene yeares 
 old to his daughter, that could very well behaue her 
 felfe in countenance and alfo in her language, apparelled 
 her as gay as he could, and brought her to the Court, 
 where Philino harkning daily after the euent of this 
 matter, met him, and recommended his daughter to 
 the Lords, who perceiuing her great beauty and other 
 good parts, brought her to the King, to whom me ex- 
 hibited her fathers fupplication, and found fo great 
 fauour in his eye, as without any long delay me obtained 
 her fute at his hands. Polemon by the diligent follicit- 
 ing of his daughter, wanne his purpofe : Phili?io gat a 
 good reward and vfed the matter fo, as howfoeuer the 
 oracle had bene conftrued, he could not haue receiued 
 blame nor difcredit by the fucceffe, for euery waies it 
 would haue proued true, whether Polemons daughter 
 had obtayned the fute, or not obtained it. And the 
 fubtiltie lay in the accent and Ortographie of thefe two 
 wordes \any\ and \wee7neii\ for \_any\ being deuided 
 founds [a nie or neere perfon to the king: and [weemen 
 being diuided foundes wee men, and not \weemen 
 and fo by this meane Philino ferued all turnes anc 
 fhifted himfelfe from blame, not vnlike the tale of the 
 Pvattlemoufe who in the warres proclaimed betweene 
 
148 
 
 OF PROPORTION. LIB. II. 
 
 the foure footed beafts, and the birdes, beyng fent for 
 
 by the Lyon to be at his mufters, excufed himfelfe for 
 
 that he was a foule and flew with winges : and beyng 
 
 fent for by the Eagle to feme him, fayd that he was a 
 
 foure footed beafl, and by that craftie cauill efcaped 
 
 the danger of the wanes, and fhunned the feruice of 
 
 both Princes. And euer fmce fate at home by the 
 
 fires fide, eating vp the poore husbandmans 
 
 baken, halfe loft for lacke of a good 
 
 hufwifes looking too. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
THETHIRDBOOKE, 
 
 OF ORNAMENT. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 Of Ornament PoeticalL 
 
 | S no doubt the good proportion of any- 
 thing doth greatly adorne and com- 
 mend it and right fo our late re- 
 membred proportions doe to our 
 vulgar Poefie : fo is there yet re- 
 quisite to the perfection of this arte, 
 another maner of exornation, which 
 refleth in the fafhioning of our 
 makers language and ftile, to fuch purpofe as it may 
 delight and allure as well the mynde as the eare of the 
 hearers with a certaine noueltie and ftrange maner of 
 conueyance, difguifmg it no litle from the ordinary and 
 accuflomed : neuertheleffe making it nothing the more 
 vnfeemely or misbecomming, but rather decenter and 
 more agreable to any ciuill eare and vnderftanding. 
 And as we fee in thefe great Madames of honour, be 
 they for perfonage or otherwife neuer fo comely and 
 bewtifull, yet if they want their courtly habillements 
 or at leaflwife fuch other apparell as cuftome and ciuil- 
 itie haue ordained to couer their naked bodies, would 
 be halfe afhamed or greatly out of countenaunce to be 
 
150 OF ORNAMENT. LIB; III. 
 
 feen in that fort, and perchance do then thinke them- 
 felues more amiable in euery mans eye, when they be 
 in their richefl attire, fuppofe of filkes or tyffewes and 
 coftly embroderies, then when they go in cloth or in 
 any other plaine and fimple apparell. Euen fo cannot 
 our vulgar Poefie mew it felfe either gallant or gor- 
 gious, if any lymme be left naked and bare and not 
 clad in his kindly clothes and coulours, fuch as may 
 conuey them fomwhat out of fight, that is from the 
 common courfe of ordinary fpeach and capacitie of the 
 vulgar iudgement, and yet being artificially handled 
 muft needes yeld it much more bewtie and commen- 
 dation. This ornament we fpeake of is giuen to it by 
 figures and figuratiue fpeaches, which be the flow r ers 
 as it were and coulours that a Poet fetteth vpon his 
 language of arte, as the embroderer doth his flone and 
 perle, or paffements of gold vpon the ftuffe of a Princely 
 garment, or as th' excellent painter beftoweth the rich 
 Orient coulours vpon his table of pourtraite : fo neuer- 
 theleffe as if the fame coulours in our arte of Poefie 
 (as well as in thofe other mechanicall artes) be not 
 tempered, or not well layd, or be vfed in exceffe, or 
 neuer fo litle difordered or mifplaced, they not only 
 giue it no maner of grace at all, but rather do disfigure 
 the ftuffe and fpill the whole workman fhip taking 
 away all bewtie and good liking from it, no leffe then 
 if the crimfon tainte, which mould be laid vpon a Ladies 
 lips, or right in the center of her cheek es mould by 
 fome ouerfight or mifhap be applied to her forhead or 
 chinne, it would make (ye would fay) but a very ridi- 
 culous bewtie, wherfore the chief prayfe and cunning 
 of our Poet is in the difcreet vfmg of his figures, as the 
 skilfull painters is in the goodconueyance of his coulours 
 and fhadowing traits of his penfill, with a delectable 
 varietie, by all meafure and iuft proportion, and > in 
 places moft aptly to be bellowed. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. I'll 151 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 Haw our writing and f peaches publike ought to be fgu ratine, 
 
 and if they be not doe greatly dif grace the caufe and 
 purpofe of the fpeaker and writer. 
 
 |Vt as it hath bene alwayes reputed a great 
 fault to vfe liguratiue fpeaches foolifhly 
 and indifcretly, fo is it efleemed no 
 
 lefie an imperfection in mans vtterance, 
 to haue none vfe of figure at all. fpe- 
 cially in our writing and fpeaches publike, making 
 them but as our ordinary talke, then which no- 
 thing can be more vnfauourie and farre from all ciui- 
 litie. I remember in the firit yeare of Queenes Maries 
 raigne a Knight of Yorkihire was chofen fpeaker 
 of the Parliament, a good gentleman and wife, in the 
 affaires of his fhire, and not vnlearned in the lawes of 
 the Realme, but as well for fome lack of his teeth, as 
 for want of language nothing well fpoken, which at 
 that time and bulinefie was moft behooftull for him to 
 haue bene : this man after he had made his Oration to 
 the Queene ; which ye know is of courfe to be done 
 at the firfl affembly of both houfes ; a bencher of the 
 Temple both well learned and very eloquent, returning 
 from the Parliament houfe asked another gentleman 
 his frend how he liked M. Speakers Oration : mary 
 quoth th 'other, me thinks I heard not a better ale- 
 houfe tale told this feuen yeares. This happened 
 becaufe the good old Knight made no difference be- 
 tweene an Oration or publike fpeach to be deiiuered 
 to th'eare of a Princes Maieftie and flate of a Realme, 
 then he would haue done of an ordinary tale to be told 
 at his table in the countrey, wherein all men know the 
 oddes is very great. And though graue and wife 
 counfellours in their confultations doe not vfe much 
 fuperfluous eloquence, and alfo in their iudiciall hear- 
 ings do much miilike all fcholafticall rhetoricks : yet 
 in fuch a cafe as it maybe (and as this Parliament was)' 
 if the Lord Chancelour of England or Archbifhop of 
 
152 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Canterbury himfelfe were to fpeake, he ought to doe it 
 cunningly and eloquently, which can not be without 
 the vfe of figures : and neuertheleffe none impeach- 
 ment or blemilh to the grauitie of their perfons or of 
 the caufe : wherein I report me to them that knew Sir 
 Nicholas Bacon Lord keeper of the great Seale, or the 
 now Lord Treaforer of England, and haue bene con- 
 uerfant with their fpeaches made in the Parliament 
 houfe and Starrechamber. From whofe lippes I haue 
 feene to proceede more graue and naturall eloquence, 
 then from all the Oratours of Oxford or Cambridge, but 
 all is as it is handled, and maketh no matter whether 
 the fame eloquence be naturall to them or artificiall 
 (though I thinke rather naturall) yet were they knowen 
 to be learned and not vnskilfull of th'arte, when they 
 were yonger men : and as learning and arte teacheth 
 a fchollar to fpeake, fo doth it alfo teach a counfellour, 
 and afwell an old man as a yong, and a man in 
 authoritie, afwell as a priuate perfon, and a pleader af- 
 well as a preacher, euery man after his fort and calling 
 as beft becommeth : and that fpeach which becommeth 
 one, doth not become another, for maners of fpeaches, 
 fome ferue to work in exceffe, fome in mediocritie, 
 fome to graue purpofes, fome to light, fome to be Ihort 
 and brief, fome to be long, fome to ftirre vp affections, 
 fome to pacifie and appeafe them, and thefe common 
 defpifers of good vtterance, which refteth altogether 
 in figuratiue fpeaches, being well vfed whether it come 
 by nature or by arte or by exercife, they be but certaine 
 groffe ignorance of whom it is truly fpoken fcientia non 
 habet inimicum nifi ignorantem. I haue come to the 
 Lord Keeper Sir Nicholas Bacon, and found him fitting 
 in his gallery alone with the works of Qidntilian before 
 him, in deede he was a moil eloquent man, and of rare 
 learning and wifedome, as euer I knew England to 
 breed, and one that ioyed as much in learned men and 
 men of good witts. A Knight of the Queenes priuie 
 chamber, once intreated a noble woman of the Court, 
 being in great fauour about her Maieflie (to th'intent 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. Ill, 153 
 
 to remoue her from a certaine difpleafure, which by 
 fmifter opinion me had concerned againil a gentleman 
 his friend) that it would pleafe her to heare him fpeake 
 in his own caufe, and not to condemne him vpon 
 his aduerfaries report : God forbid faid me, he is to wife 
 for me to talke with, let him goe and fatisfie fuch a 
 man naming him : why quoth the Knight againe, had 
 your Ladyfhip rather heare a man talke like a foole or 
 like a wife man ? This was becaufe the Lady was a title 
 peruerfe,and not difpofed to reforme her felfe by hearing 
 reafon, which none other can fo well beate into the 
 ignorant head, as the well fpoken and eloquent man. 
 And becaufe I am fo farre waded into this difcourfe 
 of eloquence and figuratiue fpeaches, I will tell you 
 what hapned on a time my felfe being prefent when 
 certaine Doclours of the ciuil law were heard in a 
 litigious caufe betwixt a man and his wife : before a great 
 Magiftfat who (as they can tell that knew him) was a 
 man very well learned and graue, but fomewhat fowre, 
 and of no plaufible vtterance : the gentlemans chaunce, 
 was to fay : my Lord the fimple woman is not fo much 
 to blame as her lewde abbettours, who by violent per- 
 fwalions haue lead her into this wilfulneffe. Quoth 
 the iudge, what neede fuch eloquent termes in this 
 place, the gentleman replied, doth your Lordfhip 
 miflike the terme, \violenf\ and me thinkes I fpeake it to 
 great purpofe : for I am fure me would neuer haue 
 done it, but by force of perfwafion : and if perfwafions 
 were not very violent, to the minde of man it could not 
 haue wrought fo ftrange an effect as we read that it 
 did once in ^Egypt, and would haue told the whole 
 tale at large, if the Magiftrate had not paffed it ouer 
 very pleafantly. Now to tell you the whole matter as 
 the gentleman intended, thus it was. There came 
 into ^Egypt a notable Oratour, whofe name was 
 Hegefias who inueyed fo much againil the incommod- 
 ities of this tranfitory life, and fo highly commended 
 death the difpatcher of all euils ; as a great number 
 of his hearers deftroyed themfelues, fome with weapon, 
 
154 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 fome with poyfon, others by drowning and hanging 
 themfelues to be rid out of this vale of mifery, in fo 
 much as it was feared lead many moe of the people 
 would haue mifcaried by occafion of his perfwafions, 
 if king Ptolome had not made a publicke proclamation, 
 that the Oratour mould auoyde the countrey, and no 
 more be allowed to fpeake in any matter. Whether 
 now perfwafions, may not be faid violent and forcible 
 to fimple myndes in fpeciall, I referre it to all mens 
 iudgements that heare the dory. At lead waies, I 
 finde this opinion, confirmed by a pretie deuife or em- 
 bleme that Luciamis alleageth he faw in the pourtrait 
 of Hercules within the Citie of Marfeills in Prouence : 
 where they had figured a ludie old man with a long 
 chayne tyed by one end at his tong, by the other end 
 at the peoples eares, who dood a farre of and feemed 
 to be drawen to him by the force of that chayne 
 faftned to his tong, as who would fay, by force of his 
 perfwafions. And to mew more plainly that eloquence 
 is of great force (and not as many men thinke amiffe) 
 the propertie and gift of yong men onely, but rather 
 of old men, and a thing which better becommeth hory 
 haires then beardleffe boyes, they feeme to ground it 
 vpon this reafon : age (fay they and mod truly) brings 
 experience, experience bringeth wifedome, long life 
 yeldes long vfe and much exercife of fpeach, exercife 
 and cudome with wifedome, make an affured and vol- 
 luble vtterance : fo is it that old men more then any 
 other fort fpeake mod grauely, wifely, affuredly, and 
 plaufibly, which partes are all that can be required in 
 perfite eloquence, and fo in all deliberations of impor- 
 tance where counfellours are allowed freely to opyne 
 and mew their conceits, good perfwafion is no leffe re- 
 quifite then fpeach it felfe : for in great purpofes to 
 fpeake and not to be able or likely to perfwade, is a 
 vayne thing : now let vs returne backe to fay more of 
 this Poeticall ornament. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 155 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 How ornament Poeticall is of two fortes according to the 
 double veriue and efftcacie of figures. 
 
 His ornament then is of two fortes, one to 
 fatisne and delight th'eare onely by a 
 goodly outward mew fet vpon the matter 
 with wordes, and fpeaches fmothly and 
 tunably running : another by certaine in- 
 tendments or fence of fuch wordes and fpeaches in- 
 wardly working a ftirre to the mynde : that firft qualitie 
 the Greeks called Enargia, of this word argos, becaufe 
 it geueth a glorious luftre and light. This latter they 
 called Energia of ergon, becaufe it wrought with a 
 ftrong and vertuous operation; and figure breedeth 
 them both, fome feruing to giue gloffe onely to a lan- 
 guage, fome to geue it efficacie by fence, and fo by 
 that meanes fome of them ferae th'eare onely, fome 
 ferue the conceit onely and not th'eare : there be of 
 them alfo that ferue both turnes as common feruitours 
 appointed for th'one and th'other purpofe, which fhalbe 
 hereafter fpoken of in place : but becaufe we haue 
 alleaged before that ornament is but the good or rather 
 bewtifull habite of language or ftile, and figuratiue 
 fpeaches the inftrument wherewith we burnifh our 
 language fafhioning it to this or that meafure and pro- 
 portion, whence finally refulteth a long and continuall 
 phrafe or maner of writing or fpeach, which we call 
 by the name of ftile: Ave wil firft fpeake of language, 
 then of ftile, laftly of figure, and declare their vertue 
 and differences, and alfo their vfe and beft application, 
 and what portion in exornation euery of them bringeth 
 to the bewtifying of this Arte. 
 
156 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 CHAP. IIII. 
 
 Of Language. 
 
 'Peach is not naturall to man failing for his 
 onely habilitie to fpeake, and that he is 
 by kinde apt to vtter all his conceits with 
 founds and voyces diuerfmed many maner 
 of wayes, by meanes of the many and fit 
 inftruments he hath by nature to that purpofe, as a 
 broad and voluble tong, thinne and mouable lippes, 
 teeth euen and not magged, thick ranged, a round 
 vaulted pallate, and a long throte, befides an excellent 
 capacitie of wit that maketh him more difciplinable 
 and imitatiue then any other creature : then as to the 
 forme and action of his fpeach, it commeth to him by 
 arte and teaching, and by vfe or exercife. But after a 
 fpeach is fully fafhioned to the common vnderftanding, 
 and accepted by confent of a whole countrey and 
 nation, it is called a language, and receaueth none 
 allowed alteration, but by extraordinary occafions by 
 little and little, as it were infenfibly bringing in of many 
 corruptions that creepe along with the time : of all 
 which matters, we haue more largely fpoken in our 
 bookes of the originals and pedigree of the Englifh 
 tong. Then when I fay language, I meane the fpeach 
 wherein the Poet or maker writeth be it Greek or 
 Latine, or as our cafe is the vulgar Englifh, and when 
 it is peculiar vnto a countrey it is called the mother 
 fpeach of that people : the Greekes terme it Idioma : 
 fo is ours at this day the Norman Englifh. Before 
 the Conqueft of the Normans it was the Anglefaxon, 
 and before that the Britifh, which as fome will, is at 
 this day, the Walfh, or as others affirm e the Cornifh : 
 I for my part thinke neither of both, as they be now 
 fpoken and p[r]onounced. This part in our maker or 
 Poet muft be heedyly looked vnto, that it be naturall, 
 pure, and the moft vfuall of all his countrey : and for 
 
 J the fame purpofe rather that which is fpoken in the 
 kings Court, or in the good townes and Cities within 
 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. TIL 157 
 
 the land, then in the marches and frontiers, or in port 
 townes, where ftraungers haunt for trafhke fake, or yet 
 in Vniuerfities where Schollers vfe much peeuifh af- 
 fectation of words out of the primatiue languages, or 
 finally, in any vplandifh village or corner of a Realme, 
 where is no refort but of poore rufticall or vnciuill 
 people : neither mall he follow the fpeach of a craftes 
 man or carter, or other of the inferiour fort, though he 
 be inhabitant or bred in the bell towne and Citie in 
 this Reahne, for fuch perfons doe abufe good fpeaches 
 by ftrange accents or ill fhapen foundes, and falfe 
 ortographie. But he mall follow generally the better 
 brought vp fort, fuch as the Greekes call [charientes] 
 men ciuill and gracioufly behauoured and bred. Our 
 maker therfore at thefe dayes fhall not follow Piers 
 plowman nor Gower nor Lydgate nor yet Chaucer, for 
 their language is now out of vfe with vs : neither fhall 
 he take the termes of Northern-men, fuch as they vfe 
 in dayly talke, whether they be noble men or gentle- 
 men, or of their bell clarkes all is a matter : nor in 
 effect any fpeach vfed beyond the riuer of Trent, 
 though no man can deny but that theirs is the purer 
 Englifh Saxon at this day, yet it is not fo Courtly nor fo 
 currant as our Southerne Englifh is, no more is the 
 far Wellerne mans fpeach : ye fhall therefore take the 
 vfuall fpeach of the Court, and that of London and 
 the fhires lying about London within lx. myles, and 
 not much aboue. I fay not this but that in euery 
 fhyre of England there be gentlemen and others that 
 fpeake but fpecially write as good Southerne as we of 
 Middlefex or Surrey do, but not the common people of 
 euery fhire, to whom the gentlemen, and alfo their 
 learned clarkes do for the moil part condefcend, but 
 herein we are already ruled by th' Englifh Dictionaries 
 and other bookes written by learned men, and there- 
 fore it needeth none other direction in that behalfe. 
 Albeit peraduenture fome final! admonition be not 
 impertinent, for we finde in our Englifh writers many 
 wordes and fpeaches amendable, and ye fhall fee in 
 
158 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 fome many inkhorne termes fo ill affected brought in 
 by men of learning as preachers and fchoolemafters : 
 and many ftraunge termes of other languages by 
 Secretaries and Marchaunts and trauailours, and many 
 darke wordes and not vfuall nor well founding, though 
 they be dayly fpoken in Court. Wherefore great heed 
 muft be taken by our maker in this point that his 
 choife be good. And peraduenture the writer hereof 
 be in that behalfe no leffe faultie then any other, vfing 
 many ftraunge and vnaccuftomed wordes and borrowed 
 from other languages : and in that refpecl him felfe 
 no meete Magiftrate to reforme the fame errours in 
 any other perfon, but fmce he is not vnwilling to 
 acknowledge his owne fault, and can the better tell 
 how to amend it, he may feem a more excufable cor- 
 rectour of other mens : he intendeth therefore for an 
 indifferent way and vniuerfall benefite to taxe him 
 felfe firft and before any others. 
 
 Thefe be words vfed by th'author in this prefent 
 treatife, fcientificke, but with fome reafon, for it anfwer- 
 eth the word mechanically which no other word could 
 haue done fo properly, for when hee fpake of all artifi- 
 cers which reft either in fcience or in handy craft, it 
 followed neceffarilie that faentiftque mould be coupled 
 with mechanicall: or els neither of both to haue bene 
 allowed, but in their places : a man of fcience liberall, 
 and a handicrafts man, which had not bene fo cleanly 
 a fpeech as the other Maior-domo\ in truth this word 
 is borrowed of the Spaniard and Italian, and therefore 
 new and not vfuall, but to them that are acquainted with 
 the affaires of Court : and fo for his iolly magnificence 
 (as this cafe is) may be accepted among Courtiers, for 
 whom this is fpecially written. A man might haue faid 
 in fleade of Maio?'-domo, the French word (maistre 
 d'hoftell) but ilfauouredly, or the right Englifh word 
 {Lord Steward.} But me thinks for my owne opinion 
 this word Maior-do?no though he be borrowed, is more 
 acceptable than any of the reft, other men may iudge 
 otherwife. Politien, this word alfo is receiued from the 
 
OF" ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 159 
 
 Frenchmen, but at this day vfuall in Court and with all 
 good Secretaries : and cannot finde an Englifh word to 
 match him, for to haue faid a man politique, had not 
 bene fo wel : bicaufe in trueth that had bene no more 
 than to haue faid a ciuil perfon. Politien is rather a 
 furueyour of ciuilitie than ciuil, and a publique minifter 
 or Counfeller in the ftate. Ye haue alfo this worde 
 Conduicl, a French word, but well allowed of vs, and 
 long fmce vfuall, it foundes fomewhat more than this 
 word (leading) for it is applied onely to the leading of 
 a Captaine, and not as a little boy mould leade a blinde 
 man, therefore more proper to the cafe when he faide, 
 conduicl of whole armies: ye finde alfo this word 
 Idiome, taken from- the Greekes, yet feruing aptly, when 
 a man wanteth to expreffe fo much vnles it be in two 
 words, which furpluffage to auoide, we are allowed to 
 draw in other words fmgle, and afmuch frgnificatiue : 
 this word fignificatiue is borrowed of the La tine and 
 French, but to vs brought in firft by fome Noble-mans 
 Secretarie, as I thinke, yet doth fo well ferae the 
 turne, as it could not now be fpared : and many more 
 like vfurped Latine and French words: as, Methode, 
 methodical!, placation, function, affubtilin°, refining, com- 
 pendious, prolixe. figu ratine, inueigle. A terme borrowed 
 of our common Lawyers. i??preffion, alfo a new terme, 
 but well expreffmg the matter, and more than our 
 Englifh word. Thefe words, Numerous, numerofitee, 
 metrical!, harmonica!!, but they cannot be refufed, fpe- 
 cially in this place for defcription of the arte. Alfo ye 
 finde thefe words, penetrate, penetrable, indignitie, which 
 I cannot fee how we may fpare them, whatfoeuer fault 
 wee finde with Ink-horne termes: for our fp each want- 
 eth wordes to fuch fence fo well to be vfed : yet in 
 ileade of indignitie, yee haue vnworthineffe : and for 
 penetrate, we may fay peei'ce, and that a French terme 
 alfo, or h-oche, or enter into with violence, but not fo 
 well founding as penetrate. Item, fauage, for wilde 
 obfcure, for darke. Item thefe words, declination, de- 
 lineation, dimention, are fcholafticall termes in deede, 
 
160 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 and yet very proper. But peraduenture (and I could 
 bring a reafon for it) many other like words borrowed 
 out of the Latin and French, were not fo well to be 
 allowed by vs, as thefe words, audacious, for bold: 
 facuiiditie, for eloquence: egregious ; for great or notable : 
 implete, for replenilhed : attemptat, for attempt : compat- 
 ible, for agreeable in nature, and many more. But 
 herein the noble Poet Horace hath faid inough to fatis- 
 fie vs all in thefe few verfes. 
 
 Multa renafcentur quce iam cecidere cadent que 
 Qiice nuncfwit in honor e vocabula fi volet vfus 
 Quern penes arbitrium eft et vis et norma loquendi. 
 Which I haue thus englifhed, but nothing with fo good 
 grace, nor fo briefly as the Poet wrote. 
 
 Many a word yfalne JJiall eft arife 
 And fitch as now bene held in hieft prife 
 Will fall as f aft, when vfe and cuftome will 
 Onely vmpiers of f peach, for force and skill. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 Of Stile. 
 
 ITile is a conftant and continual phrafe or 
 tenour of fpeaking and writing, extending 
 to the whole tale or proceffe of the poeme 
 or hiflorie, and not properly to any peece 
 or member ot a tale: but is of words 
 fpeeches and fentences together, a certaine contriued 
 forme and qualitie, many times naturall to the writer, 
 many times his peculier by election and arte, and fuch 
 as either he keepeth by skill, or holdeth on by ignor- 
 ance, and will not or peraduenture cannot eafily alter 
 into any other. So we fay that Ciceroes flile, and 
 Salufls were not one, nor Cefars and Liuies, nor Homers 
 and Hefwdus, nor Herodotus and Theucidides, nor 
 Euripides and Ariftophones, nor Erafmus and Budeus 
 ftiles. And becaufe this continuall courfe and manner 
 of writing or fpeech fheweth the matter and difpofition 
 of the writers minde, more than one or few words or 
 fentences can mew, therefore there be that haue called 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 161 
 
 ftile, the image of man \_mentis chara£ler\ for man is 
 but his minde, and as his minde is tempered and quali- 
 fied, fo are his fpeeches and language at large, and his 
 inward conceits be the mettall of his minde, and his 
 manner of vtterance the very warp and wooTe of his 
 conceits, more plaine, or bufie and intricate, or other- 
 wife affected after the rate. Moil men fay that not any 
 one point in all Phifiognomy is fo certaine, as to iudge 
 a mans manners by his eye : but more affuredly in mine 
 opinion, by his dayly maner of fpeech and ordinary 
 writing. For if the man be graue, his fpeech and ftile 
 is graue: if light-headed, his ftile and language alfo 
 light : if the minde be haughtie and hoate, the fpeech 
 and ftile is alfo vehement and ftirring: if it be colde 
 and temperate, the ftile is alfo very modeft: if it be 
 humble, or bafe and meeke, fo is alfo the language and 
 ftile. And yet peraduenture not altogether fo, but that 
 euery mans ftile is for the moft part according to 
 the matter and fubiect of the writer, or fo ought 
 to be, and conformable thereunto. Then againe 
 may it be faid as wel, that men doo chufe their 
 fubiecls according to the mettal of their minds, 
 and therfore a high minded man chufeth him high and 
 lofty matter to write of. The bafe courage, matter 
 bafe and lowe, the meane and modeft mind, meane 
 and moderate matters after the rate. Howfoeuer it be, 
 we finde that vnder thefe three principall complexions 
 (if I may with leaue fo terme them) high, meane and 
 bafe ftile, there be contained many other humors or 
 qualities of ftile, as the plaine and obfcure, the rough 
 and fmoth,. the facill and hard, the plentifull and 
 barraine, the rude and eloquent, the ftrong and feeble, 
 the vehement and cold ftiles, all which in their euill 
 are to be reformed, and the good to be kept and vfed. 
 But generally to haue the ftile decent and comely 
 it behooueth the maker or Poet to follow the nature of 
 his fubiect, that is if his matter be high and loftie that 
 the ftile be fo to, if meane, the ftile alfo to be meane, 
 if bafe, the ftile humble and bafe accordingly : and 
 
 L 
 
162 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 they that do otherwife vfe it, applying to meane 
 matter, hie and loftie flile, and to hie matters, flile 
 eyther meane or bafe, and to the bafe matters, the 
 meane or hie flile, do vtterly difgrace their poefie and 
 fhew themfelues nothing skilfull in their arte, nor 
 hauing regard to the decencie, which is the chiefe 
 praife of any writer. Therefore to ridde all louers of 
 learning from that errour, I will as neere as I can fet 
 downe, which matters be hie and loftie, which be but 
 meane, and which be low and bafe, to the intent the 
 ftiles may be fafhioned to the matters, and keepe their 
 decorum and good proportion in euery refpecl : I am 
 not ignorant that many good clerkes be contrary to 
 mine opinion, and fay that the loftie flyle may be 
 decently vfed in a meane and bafe fubiecl and con- 
 trariwife, which I do in parte acknowledge, but with a 
 reafonable qualification. For Homer hath fo vfed it in 
 his trifling worke of BatrachomyomacJiia : that is in his 
 treatife of the warre betwixt the frogs and the mice. 
 Virgill alfo in his bucolickes, and in his georgicks, whereof 
 the one is counted meane, the other bafe, that is the 
 hufbandmans difcourfes and the fhepheards, but here- 
 unto ferueth a reafon in my fimple conceite : for firft 
 to that trifling poeme of Homer, though the frog and 
 the moufe be but litle and ridiculous beafts, yet to treat 
 of warre is an high fubiecl, and a thing in euery re- 
 fpecl terrible and daungerous to them that it alights 
 on : and therefore of learned dutie asketh martiall 
 grandiloquence, if it be fet foorth in his kind and 
 nature of warre, euen betwixt the bafeft creatures that 
 can be imagined : fo alfo is the Ante or pifmire, and 
 they be but little creeping things, not perfect beafts, 
 but iiifeft, or wormes : yet in defcribing their nature 
 and inftinct, and their manner of life approching to 
 the forme of a common-welth, and their properties 
 not vnlike to the vertues of moft excellent gouernors 
 and captaines, it asketh a more maieftie of fpeach then 
 would the defcription of an other beaftes life or nature, 
 and perchance of many matters perteyning vnto the 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 163 
 
 bafer fort of men, becaufe it refembleth the hiflorie of 
 a ciuill regiment, and of them all the chiefe and moll 
 principall which is Monarchie : fo alfo in his bucolicks, 
 which are but paftorall fpeaches and the bafefl of any 
 other poeme in their owne proper nature : Virgill vfed 
 a fomewhat fwelling flile when he came to infmuate 
 the birth of Marcelhts heire apparant to the Emperour 
 Augujius, as child to his filler, afpiring by hope and 
 greatnes of the houfe, to the fucceffion of the Empire, 
 and eftablifhment thereof in that familie : whereupon 
 Virgill could no leffe then to vfe fuch manner of 
 flile, whatfoeuer condition the poeme were of and this 
 was decent, and no fault or blemilh, to confound the 
 tennors of the ftiles for that caufe. But now when I 
 remember me againe that this Eglogue, (for I haue read 
 it fomewhere) was concerned by Offanian th'Emperour 
 to be written to the honour oiPollio a citizen of Rome, 
 and of no great nobilitie, the fame was mifliked againe 
 as an implicatiue, nothing decent nor proportionable 
 to Pollio his fortunes and calling, in which refpect I 
 might fay likewife the flile was not to be fuch as if it 
 had bene for the Emperours owne honour, and thofe 
 of the bloud imperial!, then which fubiec~l there could 
 not be among the Romane writers an higher nor grauer 
 to treat vpon : fo can I not be remoued from mine 
 opinion, but ftill me thinks that in all decencie the flile 
 ought to conforme with the nature of the fubiecl, oth erwife 
 if a writer will feeme toobferue nodecorum at all, nor paffe 
 how he fafhion his tale to his matter, who doubteth but 
 he may in the lightefl caufe fpeake like a Pope, and in 
 the grauefl matters prate like a parrat, and finde wordes 
 and phrafes ynough to feme both turnes, and neither of 
 them commendably, for neither is all that may be written 
 of Kings and Princes fuch as ought to keepe a high 
 flile, nor all that may be written vpon a fhepheard to 
 keepe the low, but according to the matter reported, 
 if that be of high or bafe nature : for euery pety plea- 
 fure, and vayne delight of a king are not to [be] ac- 
 compted high matter for the height of his eflate, but 
 meane and perchaunce very bafe and vile : nor fo a 
 
1 64 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Poet or hiftoriographer, could decently with a high 
 flile reporte the vanities of Nero, the ribaudries of Cali- 
 gula, the idlenes of Domitian, and the riots of Helio- 
 gabalus. But well the magnanimitie and honorable 
 ambition of Ccefar, the profperities of Augujlus, the 
 grauitie of Tiberius, the bountie of Traiane, the wife- 
 dome of Aurelius, and generally all that which con- 
 cerned the higheft honours of Emperours, their birth, 
 alliaunces, gouernement, exploits in warre and peace, 
 and other publike affaires : for they be matter ftately 
 and high, and require a ilile to be lift vp and aduaunced 
 by choyfe of wordes, phrafes, fentences, and figures, 
 high, loftie, eloquent, and magnifik in proportion : fo 
 be the meane matters, to be caried with all wordes and 
 fpeaches of fmothneffe and pleafant moderation, and 
 finally the bafe things to be holden within their teder, 
 by a low, myld, and fimple maner of vtterance, creep- 
 ing rather than clyming, and marching rather then 
 mounting vpwardes, with the wings of the ftately fub- 
 iects and ilile. 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 Of the high, low, and meane fubiecl. 
 
 He matters therefore that concerne the Gods 
 and diuine things are higheft of all other 
 to be couched in writing, next to them 
 the noble gefts and great fortunes of Prin- 
 ces, and the notable accidents of time, as 
 the greateft affaires of war and peace, thefe be all high 
 fubiecles, and therefore are delmered ouer to the Poets 
 Hymnickda\& hiftoricall who be occupied either in diuine 
 laudes, or in heroicall reports : the meane matters be 
 thofe that concerne meane men their life and bufmes, 
 as lawyers, gentlemen, and marchants, good houfhold- 
 ers and honeft Citizens, and which found neither to 
 matters of ftate nor of warre, nor leagues, nor great 
 alliances, but fmatch all the common conuerfation, as 
 of the ciuiller and better fort of men : the bafe and 
 low matters be the doings of the common artificer, fer- 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 165 
 
 uingman, yeoman, groome, husbandman, day-labourer, 
 failer, fhepheard, fwynard, and fuch like of homely cal- 
 ling, degree and bringing vp: fo that in euery of the 
 fayd three degrees, not the felfe fame vertues be egally 
 to be prayfed nor the fame vices, egally to be difpraifed, 
 nor their loues, manages, quarels, contracts and other 
 behauiours, be like high nor do require to be fet fourth 
 with the like flile : but euery one in his degree and de- 
 cencie. which made that all hymnes and hiftories, and 
 Tragedies, were written in the high flile : all Comedies 
 and Enterludes and other common Poefies of loues, 
 and fuch like in the meane flile, all Eglognes and paflo- 
 rall poemes in the low T and bafe flile, otherwife they 
 had bene vtterly difproporcioned : likewife for the fame 
 caufe fome phrafes and figures be onely peculiar to the 
 high flile, fome to the bafe or meane, fome common to 
 all three, as fhalbe declared more at large hereafter 
 when we come to fpeake of figure and phrafe : alfo fome 
 wordes and fpeaches and fentences doe become the 
 high flile, that do not become th'other two. And con- 
 trariwife, as fhalbe faid when we talke of words and 
 fentences : finally fome kinde of meafure and concord, 
 doe not befeeme the high flile, that well become the 
 meane and low, as we haue faid fpeaking of concord 
 and meafure. But generally the high flile is difgraced 
 and made foolifh and ridiculous by all w r ordes affected, 
 counterfait, and purled vp, as it were a windball carry- 
 ing more countenance then matter, and can not be 
 better refembled then to thefe midfommer pageants in 
 London, where to make the people wonder are fet forth 
 great and vglie Gyants marching as if they were aliue, 
 and armed at all points, but within they are fluffed full 
 of brown e paper and tow, which the fhrewd boyes vnder- 
 peering, do guilefully difcouer and turne to a great de- 
 rifion : alfo all darke and vnaccuflomed wordes, or 
 ruflicall and homely, and fentences that hold too much 
 of the mery and light, or infamous and vnfhamefafl are 
 to be accounted of the fame fort, for fuch fpeaches be- 
 come not Princes, nor great eftates, nor them that write 
 
166 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 of their doings to vtter or report and intermingle with 
 the graue and weightie matters. 
 
 CHAP. VII 
 
 Of Figures and figuratiue speaches. 
 
 JS figures be the inftruments of ornament in 
 euery language, fo be they alfo in a forte 
 abufes or rather trefpaffes in fpeach, be- 
 caufe they paffe the ordinary limits of 
 common vtterance, and be occupied of 
 purpofe to deceiue the eare and alfo the minde, draw- 
 ing it from plainneffe and fimplicitie to a certaine 
 doubleneffe, whereby our talke is the more guilefull 
 and abufmg, for what els is your Metaphor but an inuer- 
 fion of fence by tranfport ; your allegorie by a duplici- 
 tie of meaning or diffimulation vnder couert and darke 
 intendments : one while fpeaking obfcurely and in 
 riddle called j&nigma : another while by common pro- 
 uerbe or Adage called Paremia : then by merry skoffe 
 called I?' o ilia : then by bitter tawnt called Sarcafjnus : 
 then by periphrafe or circumlocution when all might 
 be faid in a word or two : then by incredible compari- 
 son giuing credit, as by your Hyperbole, and many other 
 waies feeking to inueigle and appaffionate the mind : 
 which thing made the graue iudges Areopagites (as I 
 find written) to forbid all manner of figuratiue fpeaches 
 to be vfed before them in their confrftorie of Iullice, as 
 meere illufions to the minde, and wrefters of vpright 
 iudgement, faying that to allow fuch manner of forraine 
 and coulored talke to make the iudges affectioned, 
 were all one as if the carpenter before he began to 
 fquare his timber would make his fquire crooked : in 
 fo much as the ftraite and vpright mind of a Iudge is 
 the very rule of iuftice till it be peruerted by affection, 
 This no doubt is true and was by them grauely con- 
 sidered : but in this cafe becaufe our maker or Poet is 
 appointed not for a iudge, but rather for a pleader, and 
 that of pleafant and louely caufes and nothing perillous, 
 fuch as be thofe for the triall of life, limme, or liuelv- 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 167 
 
 hood ; and before iudges neither lower nor feuere, but 
 in the eare of princely dames, yong ladies, gentlewomen 
 and courtiers, beyng all for the moil part either meeke 
 of nature, or of pleafant humour, and that all his abufes 
 tende but to difpofe the hearers to mirth and follace by 
 pleafant conueyance and efficacy of fpeach, they are 
 not in truth to be accompted vices but for vertues in 
 the poetical fcience very commendable. On the other 
 fide, fuch trefpaffes in fpeach (whereof there be many) 
 as geue dolour and dilliking to the eare and minde, by 
 any foule indecencie or difproportion of founde, fitua- 
 tion, or fence, they be called and not without caufe the 
 vicious parts or rather herefies of language : wherefore 
 the matter refteth much in the definition and accept- 
 ance of this word [decon/m] for whatfoeuer is fo, cannot 
 iuftly be milliked. In which refpecl it may come to 
 pa fie that what the Grammarian fetteth downe for a 
 viciofitee in fpeach may become a vertue and no vice, 
 contrariwife his commended figure may fall into a re- 
 prochfull fault : the beft and moft affured remedy 
 whereof is, generally to follow the faying of Bias : ne 
 quid nimis. So as in keeping meafure, and not exceed- 
 ing nor fhewing any defect in the vfe of his figures, he 
 cannot lightly do amiffe, if he haue befides (as that mull 
 needes be) a fpeciall regard to all circumftances of the 
 perfon. place, time, caufe and purpofe he hath in hand, 
 which being well obferued it eafily auoideth all the re- 
 cited inconueniences, and maketh now and then very 
 vice goe for a formall vertue in the exercife of this Arte. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 Sixe points fet downe by our learned forefathers for a 
 
 generall 7'egiment of all good vtterance be it by 
 
 mouth or by writing. 
 
 |Vt before there had bene yet any precife 
 obferuation made of figuratiue fpeeches, 
 the firft learned artificers of language con- 
 fidered that the bewtie and good grace of 
 vtterance relied in no many pomtes : and 
 
168 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 whatfoeuer tranfgreffed thofe lymits, they counted it 
 for vitious ; and thereupon did fet downe a manner of 
 regiment in all fpeech generally to be obferued, con- 
 fifling in fixe pointes. Firfl they faid that there ought 
 to be kept a decent proportion in our writings and 
 fpeach, which they termed Analogia. Secondly, that 
 it ought to be voluble vpon the tongue, and tunable 
 to the eare, which they called To/Is. Thirdly, that it 
 were not tedioufly long, but briefe and compendious, 
 as the matter might beare, which they called Syntomia. 
 Fourthly, that it fhould cary an orderly and good con- 
 ftruclion, which they called Synthefis. Fiftly, that it 
 mould be a found, proper and naturall fpeach, which 
 they called Ciriologia. Sixtly, that it fhould be liuely 
 and ftirring, which they called Tropus. So as it ap- 
 peareth by this order of theirs, that no vice could be 
 committed in fpeech, keeping within the bounds of 
 that reftraint. But fir, all this being by them very 
 well concerned, there remayned a greater difhcultie to 
 know what this proportion, volubilitie, good conftruct- 
 ion, and the reft were, otherwife we could not be euer 
 the more relieued. It was therefore of neceffitie that 
 a more curious and particular defcription mould bee 
 made of euery manner of fpeech, either tranfgreffmg 
 or agreeing with their faid generall prefcript. Where- 
 upon it came to paffe, that all the commendable parts of 
 fpeech were fet foorth by the name of figures, and all the 
 illaudable partes vnder the name of vices, or viciofities, 
 of both which it fhall bee fpoken in their places. 
 
 CHAP. IX. [XI] 
 How the Greekes first, and afterward the Latines, {fl- 
 uent ed new names for euery figure, which this Author 
 is alfo enforced to doo in his vulgar. 
 
 |He Greekes were a happy people for the 
 freedome and liberty of their language, 
 becaufe it was allowed then to inuent 
 any new name that they lifted, and to 
 peece many words together to make of 
 
OF ORXAMEXT. LIB. III. 169 
 
 them one entire, much more hgnincatiue than the 
 fmgle word. So among other things did they to their 
 figuratiue fpeeches deuife certaine names. The Latines 
 came fomewhat behind them in that point, and for 
 want of conuenient fmgle wordes to expreffe that which 
 the Greeks could do by cobling many words together, 
 they were faine to vfe the Greekes ftill, till after many 
 yeares that the learned Oratours and good Grammarians 
 among the Romaines, as Cicero, Varro, Qiiititilian. and 
 others drained themfelues to giue the Greeke wordes 
 Latin names, and yet nothing fo apt and fitty. The fame 
 courfe are we driuen to follow in this defcription, fmce 
 we are enforced to cull out for the vfe of our Poet or 
 maker all the mo ft commendable figures. Now to 
 make them knowen (as behoueth) either we muft do 
 it by th* original Greeke name or by the Latin e, or by 
 our owne. But when I confider to what fort of Read- 
 ers I write, and how ill faring the Greeke terme would 
 found in the Englifh eare, then alfo how fhort the 
 Latines come to expreffe manie of the Greeke originals. 
 Finally, how well our language ferueth to fupplie the 
 full fignihcation of them both, I haue thought it no 
 leffe lawfull, yea peraduenture ruder licence of the 
 learned, more laudable to vfe our owne naturall, if 
 they be well chofen, and of proper fignihcation, than 
 to borrow theirs. So fhall not our Englifh Poets, 
 though they be to feeke of the Greeke and Latin 
 languages, lament for lack of knowledge fumcient to 
 the purpofe of this arte. And in cafe any of thefe 
 new Englifh names giuen by me to any figure, fhall 
 happen to offend. I pray that the learned will beare 
 with me and to thinke the ftraungeneffe thereof pro- 
 ceedes but of noueltie and difaquaintance with our 
 cares, which in proceffe of tyme, and by cuftome will 
 frame very well : and fuch others as are not learned 
 in the primitiue languages, if they happen to hit vpon 
 any new name of myne (fo ridiculous in their opinion) 
 as may moue them to laughter, let fuch perfons, yet 
 affure themfelues that fuch names go as neare as may 
 
170 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 be to their originals, or els ferue better to the purpofe 
 of the figure then the very originall, referuing alwayes, 
 that fuch new name mould not be vnpleafant in our 
 vulgar nor harm vpon the tong : and where it mail 
 happen otherwife, that it may pleafe the reader to 
 thinke that hardly any other name in our Enghfh 
 could be found to ferue the turne better. Againe if 
 to auoid the hazard of this blame I mould haue kept 
 the Greek or Latin ftill it would haue appeared a 
 little too fcholafticall for our makers, and a peece of 
 worke more fit for clerkes then for Courtiers for whofe 
 mftruclion this trauaile is taken : "and if I mould haue 
 left out both the Greeke and Latine name, and put in 
 none of our owne neither : well perchance might the 
 rule of the figure haue bene fet downe, but no con- 
 uenient name to hold him in memory. It was ther- 
 fore expedient we deuifed for euery figure of import- 
 ance his vulgar name, and to ioyne the Greeke or 
 Latine originall with them; after that fort much better 
 fatisfying afwel the vulgar as the learned learner, and 
 alfo the authors owne purpofe, which is to make of a 
 rude rimer, a learned and a Courtly Poet. 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 A diuifwn offgures, and how they ferue in exor nation 
 
 of language. 
 
 |Nd becaufe our chiefe purpofe herein is for 
 the learning of Ladies and young Gentle- 
 women, or idle Courtiers, defirous to be- 
 come skilful in their owne mother tongue, 
 and for their priuate recreation to make 
 now and then ditties of pleafure, thinking for our parte 
 none other fcience fo fit for them and the place as that 
 which teacheth beau femblant, the chiefe profeffion af- 
 well of Courting as of poefie : fmce to fuch manner of 
 mindes nothing is more comberfome then tedious doc- 
 trines and fchollarly methodes of difcipline, we haue in 
 our owne conceit deuifed a new and ftrange modell of 
 this arte, fitter to pleafe the Court then the fchoole, 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIE. III. 171 
 
 and yet not vnneceffarie for all fuch as be willing them- 
 felues to become good makers in the vulgar, or to be 
 able to iudge of other mens makings: wherefore, in- 
 tending to follow the courfe which we haue begun, thus 
 we fay : that though the language of our Poet or maker 
 be pure and clenly, and not difgraced by fuch vici- 
 ous parts as haue bene before remembred in the Chap- 
 ter of language, be fufficiently pleafmg and commend- 
 able for the ordinarie vfe of fpeech ; yet is not the fame 
 fo well appointed for all purpofes of the excellent Poet, 
 as when it is gallantly arrayed in all his colours which 
 figure can fet vpon it, therefore we are now further to 
 determine of figures and figuratiue fpeech es. Figura- 
 tiue fpeech is a noueltie of language euidently (and yet 
 not abfurdly) eflranged from the ordinarie habit e and 
 manner of our dayly talke and writing and figure it 
 felfe is a certaine liuely or good grace fet vpon wordes, 
 fpeaches and fentences to fome purpofe and not in 
 vaine, giuing them ornament or efncacie by many man- 
 er of alterations in fhape, in founde, and alfo in fence, 
 fometime by way of furplufage, fometime by defect, 
 fometime by diforder, or mutation, and alfo by putting 
 into our fpeaches more pithe and fubflance, fubtilitie, 
 quickneffe, efncacie or moderation, in this or that fort 
 tuning and tempring them, by amplification, abridge- 
 ment, opening, clofing, enforcing, meekening or other- 
 wife difpofing them to the beft purpofe : whereupon the 
 learned clerks who haue written methodically of this 
 Arte in the two matter languages, Greeke and Latin e, 
 haue forted all their figures into three rankes, and the 
 firfl they bellowed vpon the Poet onely: the fecond 
 vpon the Poet and Oratour indifferently: the third vp- 
 on the Oratour alone. And that firft fort of figures 
 doth feme th'eare onely and may be therefore called 
 Auricula?-: your fecond femes the conceit onely and 
 not th'eare, and may be called fenfable, not fenfible nor 
 yet fententious : your third fort femes as well th'eare as 
 the conceit and maybe called fententious figures, be- 
 caufe not only they properly apperteine to full fentences, 
 
172 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 for bewtifying them with a currant and pleafant numer- 
 ofitie, but alfo giuing them efficacie, and enlarging the 
 whole matter befides with copious amplifications. I 
 doubt not but fome bufie carpers will fcorne at my new 
 deuifed termes : auricular and fenfable, faying that I 
 might with better warrant haue vfed in their Heads 
 thefe words, orthographicall or fyntaclicall, which the 
 learned Grammarians left ready made to our hands, 
 and do importe as much as th'other that I haue brought, 
 which thing peraduenture I deny not in part, and 
 neuertheleffe for fome caufes thought them not fo 
 neceffarie: but with thefe maner of men I do willingly 
 beare, in refpect of their laudable endeuour to allow 
 antiquitie and flie innouation: with like beneuolence 
 I trufl they will beare with me writing in the vulgar 
 : fpeach and feeking by my nouelties to fatisfie not the 
 fchoole but the Court: whereas they know very well all 
 old things foone waxe dale and lothfome, and the new 
 deuifes are euer dainty and delicate, the vulgar inftruc- 
 tion requiring alfo vulgar and communicable termes, 
 not clerkly or vncouthe as are all thefe of the Greeke 
 and Latine languages primitiuely receiued, vnleffe they 
 be qualified or by much vfe and cuftome allowed and 
 our eares made acquainted with them. Thus then I 
 fay that auricular figures be thofe which worke altera- 
 tion in th'eare by found, accent, time, and flipper volu- 
 bilitie in vtterance, fuch as for that refpect was called 
 by the auncients numerofitie of fpeach. And not onely 
 the whole body of a tale in a poeme or hiflorie may be 
 made in fuch fort pleafant and agreable to the eare, 
 but alfo euery claufe by it felfe, and euery fingle word 
 carried in a claufe, may haue their pleafant iweeteneffe 
 apart. And fo long as this qualitie extendeth but to 
 the outward tuning of the fpeach reaching no higher 
 then th'eare and forcing the mynde little or nothing, it 
 is that vertue which the Greeks call Enargia and is the 
 office of the auricular figures to performe. Therefore 
 as the members of language at large are whole fentences, 
 and fentences are compact of claufes, and claufes of 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 173 
 
 words, and euery word of letters and fillables, fo is the 
 alteration (be it but of a tillable or letter) much mate- 
 riall to the found and fweeteneffe of vtterance. Where- 
 fore beginning firft at the fmalleft alterations which reft 
 in letters and fillables, the firft fort of our figures auri- 
 cular we do appoint to fingle words as they lye in lan- 
 guage; the fecond to claufes of fpeach; the third to 
 perfit fentences and to the whole maffe or body of the 
 tale be it poeme or hiftorie written or reported. 
 
 CHAP. XL 
 Of auricular figures apperteining to fingle wordes and 
 
 working by their diuers fou fides and audible tunes 
 alteration to the eare ofiely a fid not the mynde. 
 
 Word as he lieth in courfe of language is 
 many waves figured and thereby not a 
 little altered in found, which confequently 
 alters the tune and harmonic of a meeter 
 as to the eare. And this alteration is 
 ibmetimes by adding fome times by rah bating of a til- 
 lable or letter to or from a word either in the beginning, 
 middle or ending ioyning or vnioyning of fillables and 
 letters fuppreffmg or confounding their feuerall foundes, 
 or by mifplacing of a letter, or by cleare exchaunge of 
 one letter for another, or by wrong ranging of the ac- 
 cent. And your figures of addition or furplufe be 
 three, videl. In the beginning, as to fay : I-doen, for 
 doon, endanger, for danger, embolden, for bolden. 
 
 In the middle, as to fay refiners, for reuers, meeterly. 
 for meetly, goldylockes, for goldlockes. 
 
 In th'endj as to fay [f'emembrefi\ for [remembre] 
 [fipoken] for [jpoke\ And your figures of rabbate be 
 as many, videl. 
 
 From the beginning, as to fay \twixt for belK'Lxt] 
 [gaififiay for againefay :] [ill for euill :] 
 
 From the middle, as to fay [para u filer for parauen- 
 ture] poorely for pouertie] fouraigne for foueraigne\ tane 
 for taken.~\ % 
 
 From the end, as to fay [mome for morning] bet for 
 better\ and fuch like. 
 
174 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Your fwallowing or eating vp one letter by another 
 is when two vowels meete, whereof th'ones found goeth 
 into other, as to fay for to attaine fattaine\ for forrow 
 and fmari for 1 and fmart?\ 
 
 Your displacing of a fillable as to fay \defier for de- 
 fir e?[ fier for fire. ] 
 
 By cleare exchaunge of one letter or fillable for an- 
 other, as to fay euermare for euermore, wrang for wrong : 
 gould for gold : fright for fraight and a hundred moe, 
 which be commonly mifufed and {trained to make 
 rime. 
 
 By wrong ranging the accent of a fillable by which 
 meane a fhort fillable is made long and a long fhort 
 as to fay fouei'&ine for foueraine : grations for grdtious : 
 endure for enditre : Salomon for Salomon. 
 
 Thefe many wayes may our maker alter his wordes, 
 and fome times it is done for pleafure to giue a better 
 found, fometimes vpon neceffitie, and to make vp the 
 rime. But our maker muft take heed that he be not 
 to bold fpecially in exchange of one letter for another, 
 for vnleffe vfuall fpeach and cuftome allow it, it is a 
 fault and no figure, and becaufe thefe be figures of the 
 fmalleft importaunce, I forbeare to giue them any vul- 
 gar name. 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 Of Auricular figures pertaining to claufes of fpeech and 
 by them working no little alteration to the eare. 
 
 |S your fmgle wordes may be many waies trans- 
 figured to make the meetre or verfe more 
 tunable and melodious, fo alfo may your 
 whole and entire claufes be in fuch fort con- 
 triued by the order of their conftrucTion as 
 the eare may receiue a certaine recreation, although 
 the mind for any noueltie of fence be little or nothing 
 affected. And therefore al your figures of gram77iati- 
 call conftruction, I accompt them but merely auricidar 
 in that they reach no furder then the eare. To which 
 there will appeare fome fweete or vnfauery point to 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 175 
 
 offer you dolour or delight, either by fome euident 
 defect, or furplufage, or diforder, or immutation in the 
 fame fpeaches notably altering either the congruitie 
 grammatically or the fence, or both. And firft of thofe 
 that worke by defect, if but one word or fome little 
 portion of fpeach be wanting, it may be fupplied by 
 ordinary vnderftandmg and vertue of the . . 
 
 figure Eclipfis, as to fay, fo early a man, for r the"" 
 [are ye] fo early a man : he is to be in- Figu / a e u ° t f de " 
 treated, for he is [eafie] to be intreated : I 
 thanke God I am to Hue like a Gentleman, for I am 
 [able] to hue, and the Spaniard faid in his deuife of 
 armes acuerdo oluido, I remember I forget whereas 
 in right congruitie of fpeach it fhould be. I remember 
 [that I [doo] forget. And in a deuife of our owne 
 [empechement pur a choifoii] a let for a furderance 
 whereas it mould be faid [yfe] a let for a furderance, 
 and a number more like fpeaches defecliue, and fup- 
 plied by common vnderftandmg. 
 
 But if it be to mo claufes then one, that fome fuch 
 word be fupplied to perfit the congruitie or 
 fence of them all, it is by the figure [Zeug- or the 
 ma] we call him the [fingle fupplie] becaufe single supply - 
 by one word we ferue many claufes of one congruitie, 
 and may be likened to the man that femes many 
 maiflers at once, but all of one country or kindred : as 
 to fay. 
 
 Fellow es and friends and kinne forfooke me quite. 
 
 Here this word forfooke fatisfieth the congruitie and 
 fence of all three claufes, which would require euery of 
 them afmuch. And as we fetting forth her Maiefties 
 regall petigree, faid in this figure of [Single fupplie.] 
 Her graundfires Father and Brother was a King 
 Her mother a crowned Queene, her Sifter and her f elf e. 
 
 Whereas ye fee this one word [was] femes them all 
 in that they require but one congmitie and fence. 
 
 Yet hath this figure of [Single fupply] another pro- 
 pertie, occafioning him to change now and then his 
 name : by the order of his fupplie, for if it be placed 
 
175 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 in the forefront of all the feuerall claufes whom he is to 
 
 Prozeu ferue as a common feruitour, then is he 
 
 or the ' called by the Greeks Prozeug77ia, by vs the 
 
 Ringleader. R mg l ea( }er : t h US 
 
 Her beautie perst mine eye, her f peach mine wo full hart : 
 Her prefejice all the powers of my difcourfe. etc. 
 
 Where ye fee that this one word [perfl] placed in 
 the foreward, fatisfieth both in fence and congruitie all 
 thofe other claufes that followe him. 
 
 And if fuch word of fupplie be placed in 
 
 eZ orthf" c the middle of all fuch claufes as he ferues : 
 
 Middle mar- ft ; s ^y ^ e Greekes called Mezozeugma, by 
 
 vs the [Middlemarcher] thus : 
 Faire maydes beautie (alack) with yeares it weares away. 
 And with wethe'r and ficknes, and for row as they fay. 
 
 Where ye fee this word [7veares] ferues one claufe 
 before him, and two claufes behind him, in one and 
 the fame fence and congruitie. And in this verfe, 
 Either the troth or talke nothing at all. 
 Where this word [talke] ferues the claufe before and 
 alfo behind. But if fuch fupplie be placed after all 
 „ x the claufes, and not before nor in the mid- 
 
 or the die, then is he called by the Greeks Jtiypo- 
 Rerewarder. Z eug77ia, and by vs the [Rerewarder] thus : 
 My 77iates that wont, to keepe vie C07iipa7iie, 
 A7id 77iy neighbours ) who dwelt next to 77iy wall, 
 The friends that f ware, they would not fiicke to die 
 Li 77iy quai'1'ell : they are fled from 77ie all. 
 W T here ye fee this word [fled fro77i me] ferue all the 
 three claufes requiring but one congruitie and fence. 
 But if fuch want be in fundrie claufes, and of feuerall 
 Gongruities or fence, and the fupply be made to ferue 
 
 saietsis them a ^> lt ^ S ky tne % ure Sillepfs, whom 
 o/the ' for that refpecl we call the [double fupplie] 
 Double supply. conce i u i n g ? and, as it were, comprehending 
 vnder one, a fupplie of two natures, and may be likened 
 to the man that ferues many mailers at once, being of 
 flrange Countries or kinreds, as in thefe verfes, where 
 the lamenting widow mewed the Pilgrim the graues in 
 which her husband and children lay buried. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB, III. 177 
 
 Here y fweete fonnes. and daughters all my btiffe, 
 xe deere husband buried is. 
 i-re ye fee one verbe lingular fupplyefh the plur- 
 all and lingular, and thus 
 
 Fudge ye louers, if it be fir an ge or no: 
 Ladie laughs for ioy, and I for wo. 
 ;-re ye fee a third perfon fupplie himfelfe and a 
 firft perfon. And thus, 
 
 xem - hewed your felfe vntrue. 
 Nor my deferts wc dd euer fuffer j 
 Viz. to fliow. Where ye fee the moode Indicatiue 
 fupply him felfe and an Infmitiue. And the like in 
 - _ er. 
 
 :ner yet failde you in conflancie, 
 doo intend vntill I die. 
 Viz. \toJhaw^\ Thus much for the congruitie, now 
 the fence. One wrote thus of a young man, who 
 Hew a villaine that had killed his father, and rauilhed 
 mother. 
 
 :fly and with a manly minde, 
 And by one feat e of euerlaflingfa; 
 This lujiie lad fully requited kinde, . 
 His fathers death, and eke his mothers fliame. 
 Where ye fee this word [requite] feme a double 
 fence : that is to fay, to reuenge, and. to fatisfie. For 
 the parents iniurie was reuenged, and the duetie of 
 nature performed or fatisned by the childe. But if 
 this fur. \ lie be made to fundrie claufes, or to one claufe 
 fundrie times iterated, and by feuerall words, fo as 
 euerv claufe hath his owne fupplie: then 
 is it called by the Greekes Hypozeuocis^ we or the 
 call him the fubftitute after his original!, Substitute. 
 and is a fupplie with iteration, as thus : 
 
 if, and to the king flie f aid, 
 : Lord behold thy poore handmaid. 
 Here \went to the king\ and [faid to the king] be but 
 one claufe iterated with words of fundrie fupply. Or 
 as in thefe verfes following. 
 
 My Ladie gaue me, my La die wijinot what, 
 
 M 
 
178 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Gening me leaue to be her Soueraine : 
 For by fuch gift my Ladie hath done that, 
 Which vvhilefljlie lines Jhe may not call againe. 
 Here [my Ladie gaue] and [my Ladie vvijl\ be fup- 
 plies with iteration, by vertue of this figure. 
 
 Ye haue another auricular figure of defect, and is 
 when we begin to fpeake a thing, and breake of in the 
 middle way, as if either it needed no further to be 
 fpoken of, or that we were alhamed, or afraide to 
 fpeake it out. It is alfo fometimes done by way of 
 . . . , . threatning, and to fhew a moderation of 
 or the anger. Ine Greek es call him Apofiopefis. 
 Figure of silence. I? the figure of fllence? or of interruption, 
 
 indifferently. 
 
 If we doo interrupt our fpeech for feare, this may 
 be an example, where as one duril not make the true 
 report as it was, but ftaid halfe way for feare of 
 offence, thus : 
 
 He f aid yon were, I dare not tell you plaine : 
 For zvords once out, neuer returiie againe. 
 If it be for fhame, or that the fpeaker fuppofe it 
 would be indecent to tell all, then thus : as he that 
 faid to his fweete hart, whom he checked for fecretly 
 whifpering with a fufpected perfon. 
 
 And did ye not come by his chamber dore ? 
 And tell him that : goe to, I fay no more. 
 If it be for anger or by way of manace or to fhow a 
 moderation of wrath as the graue and difcreeter fort 
 of men do, then thus. 
 
 If I take you with fuch another cafi 
 I fweare by God, but let this be the loft. 
 Thinking to haue faid further viz. I will punifh you. 
 If it be for none of all thefe caufes but vpon fome 
 fodaine occafion that moues a man to breake of his 
 tale, then thus. 
 
 He told me all at large : lo yonder is the man 
 Let himfelfe tell the tale that befl tell can. 
 This figure is fit for phantafticall heads and fuch as 
 be fodaine or lacke memorie. I know one of good 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 179 
 
 learning that greatly blemifheth his difcretion with this 
 maner of fpeach : for if he be in the graueft matter of 
 the world talking, he will vpon the fodaine for the 
 flying of a bird ouerthwart the way, or fome other 
 fuch Height caufe, interrupt his tale and neuer returne 
 to it againe. 
 
 Ye haue yet another maner of fpeach purporting at 
 the firfl blufh a defect which afterward is fupplied, the 
 Greekes call him Prolepfis, we the Pro- p ro i e f>sis 
 pounder, or the Explaner which ye will : or the 
 becaufe he workes both effeaes, as thus, Pr °P° under - 
 where in certaine verfes we defcribe the triumphant 
 enter-view of two great Princeffes thus. 
 Thefe two great Qiteenes, came marching hand in hand, 
 Vnto the hall, where Jlore of Princes fiand : 
 And people of all count reys to behold, 
 Cor onis all clad, in purple cloth of gold: 
 Cellar in robes, of filuer tijfew white, 
 With rich rubies, and pear les all bedighte. 
 
 Here ye fee the firfl propofition in a fort defectiue 
 and of imperfect fence, till ye come by diuifion to ex- 
 plane and enlarge it, but if we mould follow the ori- 
 ginall right, we ought rather to call him the foreflaller, 
 for like as he that flandes in the market way, and takes 
 all vp before it come to the market in groffe and fells 
 it by retaile, fo by this maner of fpeach our maker 
 fetts down, before all the matter by a brief propofition, 
 and afterward explanes it by a diuifion more parti- 
 cularly. 
 
 By this other example it appeares alfo. 
 Then deare Lady I pray you let it bee, 
 That our long lone may lead vs to agree : 
 Mefince I may not wed you to my wife, 
 To ferue you as a miflrejfe all my life : 
 Ye that may not me for your husband haue, 
 To clay me me for your jeruant and your flaue. 
 
Trespasser. 
 
 180 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 CHAP. XII\I\ 
 Of your figures Auricular Working by dif order. 
 
 BTSFjSwjI Q a ^ their fpeaches which wrought 
 mperhaton, ||| Mm b > r dif ° rd er the Greekes gaue a 
 • the lEgi] l$iil g enera l name \Hipe?'batoii\ as 
 iS IPffil much to fay as the \trefpaffe}-\ 
 and becaufe fuch diforder may 
 be committed many way es it receiueth fundry particulars 
 vnder him, whereof fomeareonely proper to the Greekes 
 and Latines and not to vs, other fome ordinarie in our 
 maner of fpeaches, but fo foule and intolerable as I 
 will not feeme to place them among the figures, but 
 do raunge them as they deferue among the vicious or 
 faultie fpeaches. 
 
 Your firft figure of tollerable diforder is \Parenthefis\ 
 JT . or by an Ensrlifh name the \Infertour\ and 
 
 Parenthesis. J 9 L J m J # 
 
 or the is when ye will feeme for larger information 
 insertour. or f ome or her purpofe, to peece or graffe 
 in the middeft of your tale an vnneceffary parcell of 
 fpeach, which neuerthelefTe may be thence without any 
 detriment to the reft. The figure is fo common that 
 it needeth none example, neuerthelefTe becaufe we are 
 to teache Ladies and Gentlewomen to know their 
 fchoole points and termes appertaining to the Art, we 
 may not refufe to yeeld examples euen in the plainefl 
 cafes, as that of maifter Diars very aptly. 
 But 7io vv my Deere {forfo 7iiy lone makes me to call you JlilT) 
 That lone I fay. that Incklef/e loue, that works 77ie all this ill. 
 Alfo in our Eglogue intituled Elpiiie, which we 
 made being but eightene yeares old, to king Edward 
 the fixt a Prince of great hope, we furmifed that the 
 Pilot of a fhip anfwering the King, being inquifitiue 
 and defirous to know all the parts of the fhip and 
 tackle, what they were, and to what vfe they ferued, 
 vfmg this infertion or Parenthefis. 
 
 Soueraigne Lo7'd {for why a greater nana 
 To 07ie 071 earth no mortall to7igue ca7ifi-a77ie 
 No flatelie filile ca7i giue the praclifd penne : 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. igi 
 
 To one on earth cornier f ant a?nong men.) 
 And fo proceedes to anfwere the kings queflion ? 
 
 ThefJiippe thou feest fay ling in fea fo large, etc. 
 This infertion is very long and vtterly impertinent 
 to the principal! matter, and makes a great gappe in 
 the tale, neuertheleffe is no difgrace but rather a bewtie 
 and to very good purpofe, but you muft not vfe fuch 
 infertions often nor to thick, nor thofe that bee very 
 long as this of ours, for it will breede great confufion 
 to haue the tale fo much interrupted. 
 
 Ye haue another manner of difordered fpeach, when 
 lace your words or claufes and fet that before 
 :h mould be behind, et e conn 'erfo », Ave Histeron 
 call it in Englifh prouerbe, the cart before ^IbT' 
 the horfe. the Greeks call it Hifferon proteron, Preposterous. 
 we name it the Prepoiierous, and if it be not too much 
 vfed is tollerable inough, and many times fcarce per- 
 ceiueable, vnleffe the fence be thereby made very 
 abfurd : as he that defcribed his manner of departure 
 from his miftreffe, faid thus not much to be milliked. 
 / kift her cherry lip and tooke my leaue : 
 For I tooke my leaue and kift her : And yet I can- 
 well fay whether a man vfe to kiffe before hee take 
 leaue, or take his leaue before he kiffe, or that it 
 be all one bufines. It feemes the taking leaue is by 
 : 5 r fome fpeach, intreating licence of departure : the 
 r a knitting vp of the farewell, and as it were a 
 teftimoniall of the licence without which here in England 
 one may not prefume of courtefie to depart, let yong 
 Courtiers decide this controuerfie. One defcribing his 
 vpon a flrange coail, fayd thus prepoileroufly. 
 When we had dimbde the c/ifs, and were afliore, 
 Whereas he fhould haue faid by good order. 
 When we were come afliore and clymed had the cliffs 
 For one mud be on land ere he can clime. And 
 another faid : 
 My dame that bred me vp and bare me in her vvombe. 
 Whereas the bearing is before the bringing vp. All 
 ur other figures of diforder becaufe they rather feeme 
 
182 
 
 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 deformities then bewties of language, for fo many of them 
 as be notorioufly vndecent, and make no good harmony, 
 I place them in the Chapter of vices hereafter following. 
 
 CHAP. XIIIL 
 Of your figures Auricular that vvorke by Surplufage. 
 
 j|Our figures auricular that workebyfurplufage, 
 fuch of them as be materiall and of im- 
 portaunce to the fence or bewtie of your 
 language, I referre them to the harmonicall 
 fpeaches of oratours among the figures 
 rhetoricall, as be thofe of repetition, and iteration or 
 amplification. All other forts of furplufage, I accompt 
 rather vicious then figuratiue, and therefore not me- 
 lodious as fhalbe remembred in the chapter of vicioii- 
 ties or faultie fpeaches. 
 
 CHAP. XV. 
 
 Of auricular figures working by exchange. 
 
 Our figures that worke auri- 
 cularly by exchange, were 
 more obferuable to the Greekes 
 and Latines for the braueneffe 
 of their language, ouer that 
 our is, and for the multiplicitie of their Grammaticall 
 accidents, or verball affects, as I may terme them, that 
 is to fay, their diuers cafes, moodes, tenfes, genders, 
 with variable terminations, by reafon whereof, they 
 changed not the very word, but kept the word," and 
 changed the fhape of him onely, vfmg one cafe for an- 
 other, or tenfe, or perfon, or gender, or number, or 
 moode. We, hauing no fuch varietie of accidents, haue 
 little or no vfe of this figure. They called it Enallage. 
 But another fort of exchange which they had, and 
 
 h italicize ver y P re ty> we °^ oe likewife vfe, not chang- 
 
 or the"* ' ing one word for another, by their acci- 
 
 Changeimg. d en ts or cafes, as the Enallage: nor by the 
 
 places, as the \Pi'epofterous~\ but changing their true 
 
 conflruction and application, whereby the fence is quite 
 
 Enallage. 
 or the 
 Figure of ex- 
 change. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 183 
 
 peruertecl and made very abfurd : as, he that mould fay, 
 for tell me troth and lie not, lie ?ne troth and tell not. For 
 come dine with me andjlay not, come \flay with ?ne anddi?ie 
 not. 
 
 A certaine piteous louer, to moue his miftres to com- 
 paflion, wrote among other amorous verfes, this one. 
 Madame, I fet your eyes before mine woes. 
 For, mine woes before your eyes, fpoken to th'intent 
 to winne fauour in her fight. 
 
 But that was pretie of a certaine forrie man of law, 
 that gaue his Client but bad councell, and yet found 
 fault with his fee, and faid : my fee, good frend, hath 
 deferued better counfel. Good mailer, quoth the 
 Client, if your felfe had not faid fo, I would neuer haue 
 beleeued it: but now I thinke as you doo. The man 
 of law perceiuing his -error, I tell thee (quoth he) my 
 counfel hath deferued a better fee. Yet of all others 
 was that a moft ridiculous, but very true exchange, 
 which the yeoman of London vfed with his Sergeant at 
 the Mace, who faid he would goe into the countrie, and 
 make merry a day or two, while his man plyed his 
 bulines at home : an example of it you mail fmde in 
 our Enterlude entituled Luftie London: the Sergeant, 
 for fparing of horf-hire, faid he would goe with the 
 Carrier on foote. That is not for your worfhip, faide 
 his yeoman, whereunto the Sergeant replyed. 
 Ivpot what I mean e John, it is for to flay 
 And company the knaue Carrier , for loofing ?ny way. 
 The yeoman thinking it good manner to foothe his 
 Sergeant, faid againe. 
 
 / meane what I wot Sir, your bejl is to hie, 
 And carrie a knaue with you for companie. 
 Ye fee a notorious exchange of the contraction, and 
 application of the words in this : I wot what I meane \ 
 and I mea?ie what I wot, and in the other, co?npany 
 the knaue Carrier, and carrie a knaue in your company. 
 The Greekes call this figure \HipalIage~\ the Latins 
 Submutatio, we in our vulgar may call him the \vnder- 
 change\ but I had rather haue him called the [Change- 
 
1S4 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 ling] nothing at all fweruing from his original!, and 
 much more aptly to the purpofe, and pleafanter to 
 beare in memory: fpecially for your Ladies and pretie 
 miflreffes in Court, for whofe learning I write, becaufe 
 it is a terme often in their mouthes, and alluding to the 
 opinion of Nurfes, who are wont to fay, that the Fay- 
 ries vfe to fleale the faireft children out of their cradles, 
 and put other ill fauoured in their places, which they 
 called changelings, or Elfs: fo, if ye mark, doelh our 
 Poet, or maker play with his wordes, vfing a wrong 
 condruction for a right, and an abfurd for a fenfible. 
 by manner of exchange. 
 
 CHAP.. XVI. 
 Of fome other figures which becaufe they feme chifty to 
 
 make the meeters tunable and melodious, and af- 
 fect not the minde but very little, be pla- 
 ced among the auricular. 
 
 Qmoioteleion, 
 
 ^He Greekes vfed a manner of 
 
 v| ^9y! fpeech or writing in their profes, 
 
 x ° r , the SBSt that went bv claufes, hnifhino; 
 
 Like loose IP&S&S Ess**! • 
 
 frS SaBj gg the words of Ilk e tune, and might 
 "~ ~~^ be by vfmg like cafes, tenies. 
 and other points of confonance, which they called 
 Omoioteleton, and is that wherin they neereft approched 
 to our vulgar ryme, and may thus be expreffed. 
 Weeping C7'eeping befeeching I wan. 
 The loue at length of Lady Lucian. 
 Or thus if we fpeake in profe and not in meetre. 
 jSlifchaunces ought not to be lamented, 
 But rather by wifedome in time preuented : 
 For fuch mifliappes as be remcdileffe, 
 To for row them it is but fooliJJineffe : 
 Yet are we all fo fray le of nature, 
 As to be greened with euery difpleafure. 
 The craking Scotts as the Cronicle reportes at a 
 certaine time made this bald rime vpon the Englifh-men. 
 Long beards hartlejfe, 
 Pai?ited hoodes witleffe : 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 185 
 
 Gay coates gracelejfe, 
 
 Make all England thriftleffe. 
 
 Which is no perfit rime in deede, but claufes flnifhing 
 in the felf fame tune : for a rime of good fimphonie 
 mould not conclude his concords with one and the fame 
 terminant fillable, as lejf, lejf, leff, but with diuers and 
 like terminants, as lef pref mef as was before declared 
 in the chapter of your cadences, and your claufes in 
 profe mould neither finifh with the fame nor with the 
 like terminants, but with the contrary as hath bene 
 mewed before in the booke of proportions; yet many 
 vfe it otherwife, neglecting the Poeticall harmonie and 
 skill. And th'Earle of Surrey with Syr Thomas Wyat, 
 the mofl excellent makers of their time, more peraduen- 
 ture refpecting the fitneffe and ponderofitie of their 
 wordes then the true cadence or fimphonie, were very 
 licencious in this point. We call this figure following 
 the originall, the \like'loofe\ alluding to th' Archers terme 
 who is not faid to finifh the feate of his fhot before he 
 giue the loofe, and deliuer his arrow from his bow, in 
 which refpect we vfe to fay marke the loofe of a thing 
 for marke the end of it. 
 
 Ye do by another figure notably affect 
 th'eare when ye make euery word of the **"?%£?*' 
 verfe to begin with a like letter, as for ex- Figure of like 
 ample in this verfe written in an Epithaphe 
 of our making. 
 
 Time tried his truth his trauailes and his trufl, 
 And time to late tried his integritie. 
 
 It is a figure much vfed by our common rimers, and 
 doth well if it be not too much vfed, for then it falleth 
 into the vice which fhalbe hereafter fpoken of called 
 Tautologia. 
 
 Ye haue another fort of fpeach in a Asyndet0U) 
 manerdefectiuebecaufe it wants good band or the 
 or coupling, and is the figure \_Afyndetoii\ Loose langage - 
 we call him [loofe language~\ and doth not a litle alter 
 th'eare as thus. 
 
 Ifavv it, I faid it, I will ' fvveare it. 
 
i86 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Ccefar the Dictator vpon the victorie hee obteined 
 againfl Phamax king of Bithinia fhewing the celeritie 
 of his conqueft, wrate home to the Senate in this tenour 
 of fpeach no leffe fwift and fpeedy then his victorie. 
 Veni, vidi, vici, 
 I came, If aw, I otiercame. 
 Meaning thus I was no fooner come and beheld 
 them but the victorie fell on my fide. 
 
 The Prince of Orenge for his deuife of Armes in 
 banner difplayed againfl the Duke of Alua and the 
 Spaniards in the Low-countrey vfed the like maner of 
 fpeach. 
 
 Pro Rege,pro lege, pro grege, 
 
 For the king, for the commons, for the countrey /awes. 
 It is a figure to be vfed when we will feeme to make 
 haft, or to be earneft, and thefe examples with a num- 
 ber more be fpoken by the figure of [lofe language.'] 
 Quite contrary to this ye haue another maner of con- 
 Poiisindeton ftnidtion which they called \_Polifindetoii\ 
 or the ' we may call him the [couple claufe\ for that 
 oop e c ause ; euer y c } au f e j s ]^ m ^ an( j CO upled together 
 
 with a coniuncliue thus. 
 
 And If aw it, and I fay it and I 
 Will f wear e it to be true. 
 So might the Poefie of Ccefar haue bene altered 
 thus. 
 
 I came, and I f aw, and I ouercame. 
 One wrote thefe verfes after the fame fort. 
 For in her mynde no thought there is, 
 But how fJie may be true iwis : 
 A?id tenders thee and all thy heale, 
 And wifJieth both thy health and weale : 
 And is thine owne, and fo flief ayes, 
 And cares for thee ten thoufand wayes. 
 Ye haue another maner of fpeach drawen out at 
 length and going all after one tenure and with an im- 
 irmus perfit fence till you come to the laft word or 
 orthe verfe which concludes the whole premiffes 
 with a perfit fence and full periode, the 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. I IT. 187 
 
 Greeks call it Irmus, I call him the [long loofe] thus 
 appearing in a dittie of Sir Thomas Wyat where he 
 defcribes the diuers diflempers of his bed. 
 The restleffe Jiate renuer of my fmart, 
 The labours fal ue increafing my forrow : 
 The bodies eafe and troubles of my hart, 
 Quit tour of mynde mine vn quiet foe : 
 For getter of paine re?nembrer of woe, 
 The place offleepe wherei?i I do but wake : 
 Befprent with tea res my bed T theeforfake. 
 Ye fee here how ye can gather no perfection of fence 
 in all this dittie till ye come to the laft verfe in thefe 
 wordes my bed I thee forfake. And in another Sonet 
 of Petrarch a which was thus Englifhed by the fame 
 Sir Thomas Wyat. 
 
 Jfweaher care if fodaine pale collour, 
 
 If jnany fighes with little f peach to plaine : 
 
 w toy now woe, if they my ioyes distaine, 
 Tor hope of 'J "ma 11, if much to feare therefore, 
 Be figne of lone then do I loue againe. 
 Here ail the whole fence of the dittie is fufpended till 
 ye come to the laft three wordes, then do I loue againe, 
 which finifheth the fong with a full and perfit fence. 
 When ye will fpeakegiuing eueiy per- Epitheton 
 fon or thing befides his proper name a or the ' 
 qualitie by way of addition whether it be Q ualifisr - 
 of good or of bad it is a figuratiue fpeach of audible 
 alteration, fo is it alfo of fence as to fay. 
 
 Fierce Achilles, wife Neflor wilie Vlyffes, 
 Diana the chafl and thou lonely Venus : 
 With thy blind boy that ahnofi neuer miifes, 
 But hits our hartes when he leu els at vs. 
 Or thus commending the Ifle of great Brittaine. 
 Albion huge/l of Wejlerne Hands all, 
 
 :te ay re and of good fiore : 
 God fend we fee thy glory ?ieuer fall, 
 But rather doyly to grow more and more. 
 Or as we fang of our Soueraigne Lady giuing her 
 thefe Attributes befides her proper name. 
 
iS8 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Elizabeth regent of the great Brittaiiie lie, 
 Honour of all regents and of Qiieenes. 
 But if we fpeake thus not expr effing her proper 
 name Elizabeth, videl. 
 
 The EnglifJi Diana, the great Britton mayde. 
 Then it is not by Epithet on or figure of Attribution 
 but by the figures Antonomafia, or Periphrafis. 
 
 Ye haue yet another manner of fpeach when ye will 
 Endiadis, - feeme to make two of one not thereunto 
 Figure of conftrained, which therefore we call the figure 
 
 Twinnes. of Twynnes, the Greekes Endiadis thus. 
 
 Not you coy dame your lowrs nor your lookes. 
 For \_your lowring lookes.~\ And as one of our ordi- 
 nary rimers faid. 
 
 Of fortune nor her frowning face, 
 I am nothing agafl. 
 In ftead, of \_ fortunes frowning face.] One prayfmg 
 the Neapolitans for good men at amies, faid by the 
 figure of Twynnes thus. 
 
 A proud people and wife and valiant, 
 Fiercely fighting with horfes and with barbes : 
 By who f e pr owes the Romain Prince did daunt. 
 Wild Ajfricanes and the lavvleffe Alarbes : 
 The Nubiens marching with their armed cartes, 
 Andfleaing a far re with venim and with dartes , 
 Where ye fee this figure of Twynnes twife vfed, 
 once when he faid horfes and barbes for barbd horfes : 
 againe when he faith with venim and with dartes for 
 venimous dartes. 
 
 CHAP. XVI\I\ 
 
 Of the figures which we call Senfable, becaufe they alter 
 
 and afifecl the minde by alteration offence, 
 
 andfirfl infingle wordes. 
 
 IHe eare hauing receiued his due fatisfaclion 
 by the awicular figures, now muft the 
 minde alfo be ferued, with his naturall 
 delight by figures fenfible fuch as by al- 
 teration of intendmentes affect the cour- 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 189 
 
 age, and geue a good liking to the conceit. And firfL 
 fingle words haue their fence and vnderiianding altered 
 and figured many wayes, to wit, by tranfport, abufe, 
 croffe-naming, new naming, change of name. This 
 will feeme very darke to you, vnleffe it be otherwife 
 explaned more particularly : and firil of Metaphora, 
 Tranfport. There is a kinde of wrefling Fi<ni re of trans - 
 of a lingle word from his owne right fignifi- spSrte. 
 cation, to another not fo naturall, but yet of fome 
 affinitie or conueniencie with it, as to fay, / cannot 
 geft your vnkinde words, for I cannot take them in 
 good part : or as the man of law faid, I feele you not, for 
 I vnderftand not your cafe, becaufe he had not his fee 
 in his hand. Or as another faid to a mouthy Aduo- 
 cate, why barkeft thou at me fo fore ? Or to call the 
 top of a tree, or of a hill, the crowne of a tree or of a 
 hill : for in deede crowne is the highefl ornament of a 
 Princes head, made like a clofe garland, or els the 
 top of a mans head, where the haire windes about, 
 and becaufe fuch terme is not apply ed naturally to a 
 tree, or to a hill, but is tranfported from a mans head 
 to a hill or tree, therefore it is called by metaphore, 
 or the figure of tranfport* And three caufes moues vs 
 to vfe this figure, one for necefiitie or want of a better 
 word, thus: 
 
 As the drie ground that thirfles after afJwivr 
 Seemes to reioyce when it is well iwet, 
 And f peed ely brings foorth both grafje and flow r, 
 If I a eke offunne or feafon doo not let. 
 Here for want of an apter and more naturall word 
 to declare the drie temper of the earth, it is faid to 
 thirfl and to reioyce, which is onely proper to liuing 
 creatures, and yet being fo inuerted, doth not fo much 
 fwerue from the true fence, but that euery man can 
 eafilie conceiue the meaning thereof. 
 
 Againe, we vfe it for pleafure and ornament of our 
 fpeach, as thus in an Epitaph of our owne making, to 
 the honourable memorie of a deere friend, Sir Iohn 
 27irogmorto?i, knight, Iuflice of Chefter, and a man of 
 many commendable vertues. 
 
19^ OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Whom vertue rerde, enny hath ouerthrowen 
 And lodged full low, vnder this marble Jlone : 
 Ne neuer were his values fo well know en, 
 Whilest he lined here, as now that he is gone. 
 Here thefe words, rered, ouerthrowen, and lodged, are 
 inuerted, and metaphorically applyed, not vpon ne- 
 ceffitie, but for ornament onely, afterward againe in 
 thefe verfes. 
 
 No funne by day that euer faw him rest 
 Free from the toyles of his fo bufie charge, 
 No night that harbour d rankor in his breast, 
 Nor merry moode, made reafon rumie at large. 
 In thefe verfes the inuerhon or metaphor e, lyeth in 
 thefe words, faw, harbourd, rim : which naturally are 
 applyed to liuing things, and not to infenfible : as, the 
 funne, or the night : and yet they approch fo neere, 
 and fo conueniently, as the fpeech is thereby made 
 more commendable. Againe, in moe verfes of the 
 fame Epitaph, thus. 
 
 His head a fource of grauitie and fence, 
 His memory afliop of ciuill arte : 
 His tongue aflreame of fugred eloquence, 
 Wifdome and meekenes lay mingled in his harte, 
 In which verfes ye fee that thefe words, foiLrce,fJiop, 
 find, fugred, are inuerted from their owne fignihcation 
 to another, not altogether fo naturall, but of much 
 afhnitie with it. 
 
 Then alfo do we it fometimes to enforce a fence 
 and make the word more hgnificatiue : as thus, 
 / burne in loue, I freefe in deadly hate 
 I fwimme in hope, and finke in deepe difpaire. 
 Thefe examples I haue the willinger giuen you to 
 fet foorth the nature and vfe of your figure metaphore, 
 which of any other being choifly made, is the moll 
 commendable and moft common. 
 n ' , . But if for lacke of naturall and proper 
 
 or the terme or worde we take another, neither 
 Figure of abuse. natura u nor proper and do vntruly applie 
 it to the thing which we would feeme to expreffe, and 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 191 
 
 without any iuft inconuenience, it is not then fpoken by 
 this figure Metaphor e or of inuerfion as before, but by 
 plaine abufe, as he that bad his man go into his library 
 and fet him his bowe and arrowes, for in deede there 
 was neuer a booke there to be found, or as one mould 
 in reproch fay to a poore man, thou raskall knaue, 
 where raskall is properly the hunters terme giuen to 
 young deere, leane and out of feafon, and not to peo- 
 ple : or as one faid very pretily in this verfe. 
 
 I lent my lone to loffe, and gaged my life in value. 
 
 Whereas this worde lent is properly of mony or 
 fome fuch other thing, as men do commonly borrow, 
 for vfe to be repayed againe, and being applied to 
 loue is vtterly abufed, and yet very commendably 
 fpoken by vertue of this figure. For he that loueth 
 and is not beloued againe, hath no leffe wrong, than 
 he that lendeth and is neuer repayde. 
 
 Now doth this vnderftanding or fecret conceyt reach 
 many times to the only nomination of per- __-, . . 
 
 r J , . , . J r x Metommia, 
 
 Ions or things in their names, as of men, or the 
 or mountaines, leas, countries and fuch like, Mlsnamer ' 
 in which refpecl the wrong naming, or otherwife naming 
 of them then is due, carieth not onely an alteration of 
 fence but a neceffitie of intendment figuratiuely, as 
 when we cal loue by the name of Venus, flelhly luft by 
 the name of Cupid, bicaufe they were fappofed by the 
 auncient poets to be authors and kindlers of loue and 
 luft : Vulcane for lire, Ceres for bread : Bacchus for 
 wine by the fame reafon ; alio if one fhould fay to a 
 skilfull craftesman knowen for a glutton or common 
 drunkard, that had fpent all his goods on riot and de- 
 licate fare. 
 
 Thy hands they made thee rich, thy pallat made thee poore. 
 It is ment, his trauaile and arte made him wealthie, 
 his riotous life had made him a beggar : and as one 
 that boafted of his houfekeeping, laid that neuer a 
 yeare paffed ouer his head, that he drank not in his 
 houfe euery moneth foure tonnes of beere, and one 
 hogfhead of wine, meaning not the caskes or veffels, 
 
192 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 but that quantitie which they conteyned. Thefe and 
 fuch other fpeaches, where ye take the name of the 
 Author for the thing if felfe ; or the thing conteining, 
 for that which is contained, and in many other cafes do 
 as it were wrong name the perfon or the thing. So 
 neuertheleffe as it may be vnderftood, it is by the 
 figure metonymia, or mifnamer. 
 
 And if this manner of naming perfons or things be 
 
 Antonomasia not ^y way of mifnaming as before, but 
 
 or the ' by a conuenient difference, and fuch as is 
 
 Surnamer. tmQ Qr e ft eeme( J an( q l^y to ^ e true? ft Jg 
 
 then called not metonimia, but antonomafia, or the Sur- 
 namer, (not the mifnamer, which might extend to any 
 other thing afwell as to a perfon) as he that would fay : 
 not king Philip of Spaine, but the Wefterne king, be- 
 caufe his dominion lieth the furdefl Weft of any 
 Chriften prince : and the French king the great Vallois, 
 becaufe fo is the name of his houfe, or the Queene of 
 England, The maiden Queene, for that is her hieft pe- 
 culiar among all the Queenes of the world, or as we 
 faid in one of our Partheniades, the Bryton mayde, 
 becaufe fhe is the molt great and famous mayden of 
 all Brittayne : thus, 
 
 Bid in chaste filile, am borne as I weene 
 
 To blazon foorth the Brytton mayden Queene. 
 
 So did our forefathers call Henry the first, Beau- 
 clerke, Edmund Ironfide, Richard ceeur de lion : Edward 
 the Confejfor, and we of her Maieflie Elifabeth the 
 peafible. 
 
 Then alfo is the fence figuratiue when we deuife a 
 ~ u , . new name to any thing confonant, as neere 
 
 Onomatopeia, J ° i r 
 
 or the as we can to the nature thereof, as to 
 New namer. ^ . jfaffcyg f lightning, clajlihig of blades, 
 clinking of fetters, chinking of mony: and as the poet 
 Virgil faid of the founding a trumpet, ta-ra-tant, tara- 
 tantara, or as we giue fpecial names to the voices of 
 dombe beafls, as to fay, a horfe neigheth, a lyon brayes, 
 a fwine grunts, a hen cackleth, a dogge howles, and a 
 hundreth mo fuch new names as any man hath libertie to 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 193 
 
 deuife, fo it be fittie for the thing which he couets to 
 expreffe. 
 
 Your Epitheton or qualifier, whereof we fpake before, 
 placing him among the figures auricular, E^uheton 
 now becaufe he femes alfo to alter and en- or the 
 force the fence, we will fay fomewhat more Serwife^hefi- 
 of him in this place, and do conclude that gureofAttri- 
 he muft be apt and proper for the thing he 
 is added vnto, and not difagreable or repugnant, as 
 one that faid : darke difdaine, and mifer able pride, very 
 abfurdly, for difdaine or difdained things cannot be 
 faid darke, but rather bright and cleere, becaufe they 
 be beholden and much looked vpon, and pride is 
 rather enuied then pitied or miferable, vnleffe it be in 
 Chriftian charitie, which helpeth not the terme in this 
 cafe. Some of our vulgar writers take great pleafure 
 in giuing Epithets and do it almoft to euery word 
 which may receiue them, and mould not be fo, yea 
 though they were neuer fo propre and apt, for fome- 
 rlmes wordes fuffered to go fmgle, do giue greater fence 
 and grace than words quallified by attributions do. 
 
 But the fence is much altered and the hearers con- 
 ceit ftrangly entangled by the figure Meta- ' 2 . 
 lepfis, which I call the farfet, as when we or the 
 had rather fetch a word a great way off Farrefet - 
 then to vfe one nerer hand to expreffe the matter afwel 
 and plainer. And it feemeth the deuifer of this figure, 
 had a defire to pleafe women rather then men : for we 
 vfe to fay by manner of Prouerbe : things farrefet and 
 deare bought are good for Ladies : fo in this manner 
 of fpeach we vfe it, leaping ouer the heads of a great 
 many words, we take one that is furdeft off, to vtter our 
 matter by : as "Medea curfmg hir firft acquaintance with 
 prince Iafon, who had very vnkindly forfaken her, faid : 
 Woe worth the mountaine that the majle bare 
 JVhich was the firft caufer of all my care. 
 
 Where fhe might afwell haue faid, woe worth our 
 firft meeting, or woe worth the time that Iafon arriued 
 with his fhip at my fathers cittie in Colchos, when he 
 
 N 
 
i 9 4 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 tooke me away with him, and not fo farre off as to 
 curfe the mountaine that bare the pinetree, that made 
 the mail, that bare the failes, that the fhip failed with, 
 which caried her away. A pleafant Gentleman came 
 into a Ladies nurfery, and faw her for her owne plea- 
 fur e rocking of her young child in the cradle, and fayd 
 to her : 
 
 I fpeake it Madame without any mocke, 
 Ma?iy a fitch cradell may I fee you rocke. 
 
 Gods paffion hourfon faid me, would thou haue me 
 beare mo children yet, no Madame quoth the Gentle- 
 man, but I would haue you hue long, that ye might 
 the better pleafure your friends, for his meaning was that 
 as euery cradle fignified a new borne childe, and euery 
 child the leafure of one yeares birth, and many yeares 
 a long life : fo by wifhing her to rocke many cradels of 
 her owne, he wifhed her long life. Virgill faid : 
 
 Pofi mult as mea regno, videns mirabor arijlas. 
 
 Thus in Englifh. 
 
 After many a flubble fJiall I come 
 
 And wonder at the fight of my kingdome. 
 
 By flubble the Poet vnderftoode yeares, for haruefts 
 come but once euery yeare, at leaft wayes with vs in 
 Europe. This is fpoken by the figure of farre-fet. 
 Metalepfis. 
 
 And one notable meane to affect the minde, is to 
 ,, .. . inforce the fence of any thing by a word of 
 
 or the more than ordinary erncacie, and neuerthe- 
 
 Renforcer. j es - g not a pp aran f- ? but as it were, fecretly 
 
 implyed, as he that faid thus of a faire Lady. 
 O rare beaut ie, 6 grace, and curtefie. 
 
 And by a very euill man thus. 
 
 O finne it felfe, not wretch, but wretchednes. 
 
 Whereas if he had faid thus, O gratious, courteous 
 and beautifull woman : and, O finfull and wretched man, 
 it had bene all to one effect, yet not with fuch force 
 and erncacie, to fpeake by the denominatiue, as by the 
 thing it felfe. 
 
 As by the former figure we vfe to enforce our fence, 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 195 
 
 fo by another we temper our fence with wordes of fuch 
 moderation, as in appearaunce it abateth it but not in 
 deede, and is by the figure Liptote, which L ^ tofe 
 therefore I call the Moderator, and becomes or the 
 vs many times better to fpeake in that fort Moderatour - 
 quallified, than if we fpake it by more forcible termes, 
 and neuertheles is equipolent in fence, thus. 
 
 / know you hate me not, nor wi/Ji vie any ill. 
 
 Meaning in deede that he loued him very well and 
 dearely, and yet the words doe not expreffe fo much, 
 though they purport fo much. Or if you would fay, I 
 am not ignorant, for I know well inough. Such a 
 man is no foole, meaning in deede that he is a very 
 wife man. 
 
 But if fuch moderation of words tend to flattery, or 
 foothing, or excufmg, it is by the figure ,. 
 
 Paradiaftole, which therfore nothing impro- J ^ or the 
 perly we call the Curry-fauell, as when we Curry fauelL 
 make the bell of a bad thing, or turne a fignification 
 to the more plaufible fence : as, to call an vnthrifc, a 
 liberall Gentleman : the foolifh-hardy, valiant or coura- 
 gious : the niggard, thriftie : a great riot, or outrage, an 
 ypjithfull pranke, and fuch like termes : moderating 
 and abating the force of the matter by craft, and for a 
 pleafmg purpofe, as appeareth by thefe verfes of ours, 
 teaching in what cafes it may commendably be vfed 
 by Courtiers. 
 
 But if you diminifh and abbafe a thing by way of 
 fpight and mallice, as it were to depraue it, . ^ 
 
 fuch fpeach is by the figure Meiofis or the or the 
 difabler fpoken of hereafter in the place Dlsabler - 
 of fententious figures. 
 
 A great mountaine as bigge as a molehill, 
 
 A heauy burthen perdy, as a pound of f ethers. 
 
 But if ye abafe your thing or matter by ignorance 
 or errour in the choife of your word, then „ , . . 
 is it by vicious maner of fpeach called or the 
 Tapinofis, whereof ye mail haue examples Abbaser - 
 in the chapter of vices hereafter folowing. 
 
i£>6 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Then againe if we vfe fuch a word (as many times 
 Synecdoche, we doe) by which we driue the hearer to 
 Figure of quick conce i ue more or leffe or beyond or other- 
 concdte. wife then the letter expreffeth, and it be 
 
 not by vertue of the former figures Metaphore and 
 Abafe and the reft, the Greeks then call it Synecdoche, 
 the Latines fob intelleclio or vnderftanding, for by part 
 we are enforced to vnderftand the whole, by the whole 
 part, by many things one thing, by one, many, by a 
 thing precedent, a thing confequent, and generally one 
 thing out of another by maner of contrariety to the 
 word which is fpoken, aliud ex alio, which becaufe it 
 feemeth to aske a good, quick, and pregnant capacitie, 
 and is not for an ordinarie or dull wit fo to do, I 
 chofe to call him the figure not onely of conceit after 
 the Greeke originall, but alfo of quick conceite. As 
 for example we will giue none becaufe we will fpeake 
 of him againe in another place, where he is ranged 
 among the figures fenf able apperteining to claufes. 
 
 CHAP. XVIII. 
 
 Of fe)if able figures altering and affecting the mynde 
 
 by alteration of fence or intendements in 
 
 whole claufes or f peaches. 
 
 |S by the laft remembred figures the fence of 
 fmgie wordes is altered, fo by thefe that 
 follow is that of whole and entier fpeach : 
 and hrft by the Courtly figure Allegoria, 
 which is when we fpeake one thing and 
 thinke another, and that our wordes and our meanings 
 meete not. The vfe of this figure is fo large, and his 
 vertue of fo great efhcacie as it is fuppofed no man 
 can pleafantly vtter and perfwade without it, but in 
 effect is fure neuer or very feldome to thriue and prof- 
 per in the world, that cannot skilfully put in vre, in 
 fomuch as not onely eueiy common Courtier, but alfo 
 the graueft Counfellour, yea and the moil noble and 
 wifeft Prince of them all are many times enforced to 
 vfe it, by example (fay they) of the great Emperour 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 197 
 
 who had it vfually in his mouth to fay, Qui nefcit dif 
 fimulare nefcit regnare. Of this figure therefore which 
 for his duplicitie we call the figure of \Jalfe femblant 
 or diffimulatiofi\ we will fpeake firft as of the chief 
 ringleader and captaine of all other figures, either in 
 the Poeticall or oratorie fcience. 
 
 And ye mall know that we may diffem- AUcgoHa, 
 ble, I meane fpeake otherwife then we f^ u ?4 onaise 
 thinke, in earneft afwell as in fport, vnder sembiant. 
 couert and darke termes, and in learned and apparant 
 fpeaches, in fhort fentences, and by long ambage and 
 circumftance of wordes, and finally afwell when we 
 lye as when we tell truth. To be fhort euery fpeach 
 wrefted from his owne naturall fignification to another 
 not altogether fo naturall is a kinde of diffimulation, 
 becaufe the wordes beare contrary . countenaunce to 
 th'intent. But properly and in his principall vertue 
 Allcgoria is when we do fpeake in fence tranflatiue and 
 wrefled from the owne fignification, neuertheleffe ap- 
 plied to another not altogether contrary, but hauing 
 much conueniencie with it as before we faid of the 
 metaphore : as for example if we mould call the com- 
 mon wealth, a fhippe ; the Prince a Pilot, the Coun- 
 fellours mariners, the flormes wanes, the calme and 
 [hauen] peace, this is fpoken all in allegorie : and be- 
 caufe fuch inuerfion of fence in one fmgle worde is by 
 the figure Metaphore, of whom we fpake before, and 
 this manner of inuerfion extending to whole and large 
 fpeaches, it maketh the figure allegoric to be called a 
 long and perpetuall Metaphore. A noble man after a 
 whole yeares abfence from his ladie, fent to know how 
 fhe did, and whether me remayned affected toward 
 him as fhe was when he left her. 
 
 Lonely Lady L long full fore to hcare, 
 Lf ye remaine the fame. 1 left yon the lafl ycare. 
 To whom fhe anfwered in allegorie other two verfes : 
 My louing Lorde L will well that ye wist, 
 ■ The thred is ffion, that neuer fliall vntwift. 
 Meaning, that her loue was fo ftedfaft and conftant 
 
198 OF ORNAMENT, LIB. III. 
 
 toward him as no time or occafion could alter it. Vir- 
 gin in his fhepeherdly poemes called Eglogues vfed as 
 rufticall but fit allegorie for the purpofe thus : 
 
 Claudite iam riuos pueri fat praia biberunt. 
 Which I Englifh thus : [fill. 
 
 Stop vp your fir eames( my lads ) the medes haue drunk their 
 As much to fay, leaue of now, yee haue talked of 
 the matter inough : for the ihepheards guife in many 
 places is by opening certaine fluces to water their 
 paftures, fo as when they are wet inough they fhut 
 them againe : this application is full Allegoricke. 
 
 Ye haue another manner of Allegorie not full, but 
 mixt, as he that wrate thus : 
 
 The ctoudes of care haue coured all my coste, 
 Theflormes offlrife, do threaten to appear e: 
 The wanes of woe, wherein my fJiip is toste. 
 Haue broke the banks, where lay my lifefo deere. 
 Chippes of ill chance, are fallen amidft my choife, 
 To mar re the minde that ment for to reioyce. 
 I call him not a full Allegorie, but mixt, bicaufe he 
 difcouers withall what the cloud, ftorme, wane, and the 
 reft are, which in a full allegorie mould not be difcou- 
 ered, but left at large to the readers iudgement and 
 conieclure. 
 
 WedifTemble againe vnder couert and darke fpea- 
 
 Enio-ma cnes > when we fpeake by way of riddle 
 
 or the*' {Enigma) of which the fence can hardly 
 
 Riddle. ke picked out, but by the parties owne 
 
 affoile, as he that faid : 
 
 7/ is my mother well I wot, 
 And yet the daughter that I begot. 
 Meaning it by the ife which is made of frozen water, 
 the fame being molten by the funne or fire, makes 
 water againe. 
 
 My mother had an old woman in her nurferie, who 
 in the winter nights would put vs forth many prety 
 ridles, whereof this is one : 
 
 / haue a thing and rough it is 
 And in the midfl a hole Iivis : 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 199 
 
 There came a yong man with his ginne, 
 :d he put it a handfull in. 
 The good old Gentlewoman would tell vs that were 
 children how it was meant by a furd glooue. Some 
 other naughtie body would peraduenture haue con- 
 flrued it not halfe fo mannerly. The riddle is pretie 
 but that it holdes too much of the Cachemphaton or 
 fouie fpeach and may be drawen to a reprobate fence. 
 
 We diuemble after a fort, when we fpeake „ . . 
 
 bv common prouerbs, or, as we vie to call or 
 
 n, old faid lawes/as thus : Prouerb - 
 
 As the clde cocke crowes fo doeth the chick: 
 A bad Cooke that cannot his owne fingers lick. 
 Meaning by the firft, that the young learne by the 
 r. either to be good or euill in their behauiours : by 
 the fecond, that he is not to be counted a wife man, 
 who being in authority, and hauing the adminiftration 
 of many good and great things, will not feme his owne 
 turne and his friends whileft he may, and many fuch 
 prouerbiall fpeeches : as Totneffe is turned French, for 
 a ftrange alteration : Skarborow -warning, for a fodaine 
 commandement, allowing no refpect or delay to be- 
 thinke a man of his bufmes. Note neuertheleffe a 
 diuerfitie, for the two lafl examples be prouerbs, the 
 two firft prouerbiall fpeeches. 
 
 Ye doe likewife diffemble, when ye fpeake in derifion 
 or rnockerie, and that may be many waies : as fome- 
 time in fport. fometime in earneft, and priuily, and 
 apertly. and pleafantly, and bitterly : but 7 . 
 
 firft by the figure Iro?iia, which we call the or the' 
 
 drye mock : as he that faid to a bragging Dne mock - 
 , that threatened he would kill and flay, no 
 doubt you are a good man of your hands : or, as it 
 faid by a French king, to one that praide his re- 
 ward, fhewing how he had bene cut in the face at a 
 certain battell fought in his feruice : ye may fee, quoth 
 the king, what it is to runne away and looke backwards. 
 And as Alphonfo king of Naples, faid to one that pro- 
 fered to take his ring when he wafht before dinner, 
 
200 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 this wil feme another well : meaning that the Gentle- 
 men had another time taken them, and becaufe the king 
 forgot to aske for them, neuer reftored his ring againe. 
 s as7nm ^ r wnen we deride with a certaine feue- 
 
 or the ' ritie, we may call it the bitter taunt [Sar- 
 Bitter taunt C afmus~\ as Charles the fift Emperour aun- 
 fwered the Duke of Arskot, befeeching him recompence 
 of feruice done at the fiege of Renty, againft Henry 
 the French king, where the Duke was taken prifoner, 
 and afterward efcaped clad like a Colliar. Thou wert 
 taken, quoth the Emperour, like a coward, and fcapedft 
 like a Colliar, wherefore get thee home and liue vpon 
 thine owne. Or as king Henry the eight faid to one 
 of his priuy chamber, who fued for Sir Anthony Roivfe, 
 a knight of Norfolke that his Maieftie would be good 
 vnto him, for that he was an ill begger. Quoth the 
 king againe, if he be afhamed to beg, we are afhamed 
 to geue. Or as Charles the fift Emperour, hauing 
 taken in battaile Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxon, with 
 the Lantgraue of Heffen and others : this Duke being 
 a man of monftrous bigneffe and corpulence, after the 
 Emperor had feene the prifoners, faid to thofe that were 
 about him, I haue gone a hunting many times, yet 
 neuer tooke I fuch a fwine before. 
 Asieismus. Or when we fpeake by manner of plea- 
 or the fantery, or mery skoffe, that is by a kinde 
 1 otSwise 6 ' of mock, whereof the fence is farre fet, and 
 The cmiii lest. w ithout any gall or offence. The Greekes 
 call it \_AfteifmiLs\ we may terme it the ciuill ieft, be- 
 caufe it is a mirth very full of ciuilitie, and fuch as the 
 mofl ciuill men doo vie. As Cato faid to one that had 
 geuen him a good knock on the head with a long peece - 
 of timber he bare on his fhoulder, and then bad him 
 beware : what (quoth Cato) wilt thou ftrike me againe ? 
 for ye know, a warning mould be geuen before a man 
 haue receiued harme, and not after. And as king 
 Edward the fixt, being of young yeres, but olde in wit, 
 faide to one of his priuie chamber, who fued for a 
 pardon for one that was condemned for a robberie, 
 
: 
 
 :/.;;'- ;:>.tr Iverhre, =.:. - ye: :.:e very .;:.; i:vi fyoken 
 
 --;:i:. ;..-.-; i h y.:ed hr/.e in :alke H = broth rrking 
 
 :-:.:r.r :.: :>.e ra'i.e ■ ;:'". r.:r.i. fiii. I yny y-virMaieffie 
 
 that brother, quoth die Emperor, £nce 
 
 0:"-:.:;.' ; ":r.-;ti::.; : :e ::'.:.:": ;:-.'.::".:'.'. ;v:~:tr.a:-_;t 
 
 is :~ :' lie : V. .r fin !;■;>;;-_ 7 iiiie ;; V :.*; .-./._- the 
 -iyye i'"vy. ;: :k :":".'•:::._- y; :he r_e:e :ie . . 
 
 i: i lieer.:-^ :rM7--e, is he ±2.: laici tc .:: ""■---"-"■=' 6 -"'■'■■ 
 ki.:~-.d : ;/y/./—;.;r. 
 
 . - . - . . Ant 
 
 :.;r.ra-:::-:r.. :.: _ie :..;.: :a™ :. 1— 1~± r: frae 
 in the ftree > his campa: 
 
 n* : 
 :: '"•;"_::.:-. :'.; ■:'.-;f.v_; ::e. in 1;;:: :o::h ye ire 1 iiire 
 
 i : *i : e 
 1 : -""ken ye riie : . m: :ke ' ~i er izi :•::!: mi -:~ij 
 
 ri ere v. : ■ 1 iye 
 
 :ke:ikti :i: :n :ef:, :i_e Greeks 11k :: /:,;- -- 
 
 - 
 
 11 e :-r::: /nV.yv" 
 :ke ': 111:1 -:* :: i:kkiinki:::n. 
 
202 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Neuertheleffeye haueyettwo or three other figures that 
 H terboie miatcn a fpi ce of the fame falfe femblant, 
 or the ' but in another fort and maner of phrafe, 
 °othe r rwi C 5 1 e er ' whereof one is when we fpeake in the fu- 
 caiied the loud perlatiue and beyond the limit es of credit, 
 that is by the figure which the Greeks call 
 Hiperbole, the Latines Dementiens or the lying figure. I 
 for his immoderate exceffe cal him the ouer reacher right 
 with his origin all or \lowd lyar\ and me thinks not 
 amiffe : now when 1 fpeake that which neither I my 
 felfe thinke to be true, nor would haue any other body 
 beleeue, it muft needs be a great diffimulation, be- 
 caufe I meane nothing leffe then that I fpeake, and this 
 maner of fpeach is vfed, when either we would greatly 
 aduaunce or greatly abafe the reputation of any thing or 
 perfon, and muft be vfed very difcreetly, or els it will 
 feeme odious, for although a prayfe or other report 
 may be allowed beyond credit, it may not be beyond 
 all meafure, fpecially in the profeman, as he that was 
 fpeaker in a Parliament of king Henry the eights 
 raigne, in his Oration which ye know is of ordinary to 
 be made before the Prince at the firil affembly of both 
 houfes, [fh]ould feeme to prayfe his Maieftie thus. What 
 fhould I go about to recite your Maieflies innumerable 
 vertues, euen as much as if I tooke vpon me to num- 
 ber the ftarres of the skie, or to tell the fands of the 
 fea. This Hyperbole was both vltrafide?n and alfo vltra 
 modum, and therefore of a graue and wife Counfellour 
 made the fpeaker to be accompted a groffe flattering 
 foole : peraduenture if he had vfed it thus, it had bene 
 better and neuertheleffe a lye too, but a more moderate 
 lye and no leffe to the purpofe of the kings commen- 
 dation, thus. I am not able with any wordes fufficiently 
 to expreffe your Maieflies regall vertues, your kingly 
 merites alfo towardes vs your people and realme are fo 
 exceeding many, as your prayfes therefore are infinite, 
 your honour and renowne euerlafling : And yet all 
 this if we mail meafure it by the rule of exacl veritie, 
 is but an vntruth, yet a more cleanely commendation 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 203 
 
 then was maifler Speakers. Neuertheleffe as I laid 
 before if we fall a prayfmg, fp^cially of our miflreffes 
 vertue, bewtie, or other good parts, we be allowed now 
 and then to ouer-reach a little way of comparifon as he 
 that faid thus in prayfe of his Lady. 
 Giue place ye loiters here before, 
 That /pent your boajls and braggs in vaine : 
 My Ladies bewtie paffeth more, 
 The bejl of yoitr I dare well fay ne : 
 Then doth the funne the candle light, 
 Or bright efl day the darkefl night. 
 And as a certaine noble Gentlewomen lamenting at 
 the vnkindneffe of her louer faid very pretily in this 
 figure. 
 
 But f once it will no better be, 
 My tearesJJiall neuer blin : 
 To moifl the earth in fitch degree, 
 That I may drozune therein : 
 That by my death all men may fay, 
 Lo weemen are as frue as they. 
 Then hau e ye the figure Periphrafis, hold- Perij>7irasis, 
 ing fomewhat of the difsembler, by reafon FigurVof am- 
 of a fecret intent not appearing by the ba s e - 
 words, as when we go about the bum, and will not in 
 one or a few words expreffe that thing which we de- 
 fire to haue knowen, but do chofe rather to do it by 
 many words, as we our felues wrote of our Soueraigne 
 Lady thus : 
 
 Whom Princes ferue, and Reahnes obay, 
 And great efl of Br y ton kings begot : 
 She came abroade euen yeflerday, 
 When fitch as faw her, knew her not. 
 And the reft that followeth, meaning her Maiefties 
 perfon, which we would feeme to hide leauing her 
 name vnfpoken, to the intent the reader mould geffe 
 at it : neuertheleffe vpon the matter did fo manifeftly 
 difclofe it, as any fimple iudgement might eafily per- 
 ceiue by whom it was ment, that is by Lady Elizabeth, 
 Qiteene of England and daughter to king Henry the eight, 
 
2C4 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 and therein refleth the diffimulation. It is one of the 
 gallanted figures among the poetes fo it be vfed dif- 
 cretely and in his right kinde, but many of thefe makers 
 that be not halfe their craftes maifters, do very often 
 abufe it and alfo many waies. For if the thing or 
 perfon they go about to defcribe by circumftance, be 
 by the writers improuidence otherwife bewrayed, it 
 loofeth the grace of a figure, as he that faid : 
 
 The tenth of March when Aries receiued, 
 Dan Phoebus raies into his homed hed. 
 Intending to defcribe the fpring of the yeare, which 
 auery man knoweth of himfelfe, hearing the day of 
 March named : the verfes be very good the figure 
 nought worth, if it were meant in Periphrafe for the 
 matter, that is the feafon of the yeare which fhould 
 haue bene couertly difclofed by ambage, was by and 
 by blabbed out by naming the day of the moneth, and 
 fo the purpofe of the figure difapointed, peraduenture 
 it had bin better to haue faid thus : 
 
 The month and daie when Aries receiud, 
 Dan Phoebus raies into his homed head. 
 For now there remaineth for the Reader fomewhat 
 to ftudie and geffe vpon, and yet the fpring time to 
 the learned iudgement fufficiently expreffed. 
 
 The Noble> Earle of Surrey wrote thus : 
 In winters iufi retitme, when Boreas gan his raigne, 
 A?id euery tree vndothed him fafi as natiwe taught them 
 plaine. 
 I would faine learne of fome good maker, whether 
 the Earle fpake this in figure of Periphrafe or not, for 
 mine owne opinion I thinke that if he ment to defcribe 
 the winter feafon, he would not haue difclofed it fo 
 broadly, as to fay winter at the firft worde, for that had 
 bene againft the - rules of arte, and without any good 
 iudgement : which in fo learned and excellent a perfon- 
 age we ought not to fiifpe6l, we fay therefore that for 
 winter it is no Periphrafe but language at large : we 
 fay for all that, hauing regard to the feconde verfe that 
 followeth it is a Periphrafe, feeming that thereby he 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 205 
 
 intended to mew in what part of the winter his loues 
 gaue him anguifh, that is in the time which we call the 
 fall of the leafe, which begins in the moneth of October, 
 and ftands very well with the figure to be vttered in that 
 fort notwithflanding winter be named before, for winter 
 hath many parts : fuch namely as do not make of the 
 leafe, nor vncloth the trees as here is mencioned : thus 
 may ye iudge as I do, that this noble Erie wrate 
 excellently well and to purpofe. Moreouer, when a 
 maker will feeme to vfe circumlocution to fet forth any 
 thing pleafantly and nguratiuely, yet no leffe plaine to 
 a ripe reader, then if it were named exprefly, and 
 when all is done, no man can perceyue it to be the 
 thing intended. This is a foule ouerfight in any 
 writer as did a good fellow, who weening to fhew his 
 cunning, would needs by periphrafe expreffe the realme 
 of Scotland in no leffe then eight verfes, and when he 
 had faid all, no man could imagine it to be fpoken of 
 Scotland : and did befides many other faults in his 
 verfe, fo deadly belie the matter by his defcription, as 
 it would pitie any good maker to heare it. 
 
 Now for the fhutting vp of this Chapter, Syneckdoche. 
 will I remember you farther of that manner Fi °* ^ e uick 
 of fpeech which theGreekes call Synecdoche, coSceite. 
 and we the figure of \qnicke co?iceite~\ who for the reafons 
 before alledged, may be put vnder the fpeeches 
 alleg07'icall, becaufe of the darkenes and duplicitie of 
 his fence : as when one would tell me how the French 
 king was ouerthrow en at Saint Quintans, I am enforced 
 to think that it was not the king himfelfe in perfon, 
 but the Conflable of Fraunce with the French kings 
 power. Or if one would fay, the towne of Andwerpe 
 were famifhed, it is not fo to be taken, but of the 
 people of the towne of Andwerp, and this conceit 
 being drawen afide, and (as it were) from one thing to 
 another, it encombers the minde with a certaine 
 imagination what it may be that is meant, and not ex- 
 preffed : as he that faid to a young gentlewoman, who 
 was in her chamber making her felfe vnready. 
 
206 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Miftreffe will ye geue me leaue to vnlace your peticote, 
 meaning (perchance) the other thing that might follow 
 fuch vnlafmg. In the olde time, whofoeuer was allowed 
 to vndoe his Ladies girdle, he might lie with her all 
 night : wherfore, the taking of a womans maydenhead 
 away, was faid to vndoo her girdle, Virgineam diffoluit 
 sonant, faith the Poet, concerning out of a thing preced- 
 ent, a thing fubfequent. This may fuffice for the 
 knowledge of this figure [quicke conceit .] 
 
 CHAP. XIX. 
 
 Of Figures f attentions, otherwife called Rhetoricall. 
 
 Ow if our prefuppofall be true, that the Poet 
 is of all other the moil auncient Orator, 
 as he that by good and pleafant perfwa- 
 fions firft reduced the wilde and beaftly 
 people into publicke focieties and ciuilitie 
 of life, infmuating vnto them, vnder fictions with 
 fweete and coloured fpeeches, many wholefome leffons 
 and doctrines, then no doubt there is nothing fo fitte 
 for him, as to be furnifhed with all the figures that be 
 Rhetoricall, and fuch as do moil beau title language with 
 eloquence and fententioufnes. Therfore, fmce we 
 haue already allowed to our maker his auricular figures, 
 and alfo his fenfable, by which ail the words and 
 claufes of his meeters are made as well tunable to the 
 eare, as ftirring to the minde, we are now by order to 
 beftow vpon him thofe other figures which may exe- 
 cute both offices, and all at once to beautifle and geue 
 fence and fententioufnes to the whole language at 
 large. So as if we mould intreate our maker to play 
 alfo the Orator, and whether it be to pleade, or to 
 praife, or to aduife, that in all three cafes he may vtter, 
 and alfo perfwade both copioufly and vehemently. 
 
 And your figures rhethoricall, befides their remem- 
 bred ordinarie vertues, that is, fententioufnes, and 
 copious amplification, or enlargement of language, doe 
 alfo conteine a certaine fweet and melodious manner of 
 fpeech, in which refpecT, they may, after a, fort, be faid 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 207 
 
 auricular : becaufe the eare is no leffe rauifhed with 
 their currant tune, than the mind is with their fenten- 
 tioufnes. For the eare is properly but an inflrument 
 of conueyance for the minde, to apprehend the fence 
 by the found. And our fpeech is made melodious or 
 harmonicall, not onely by ftrayned tunes, as thofe of 
 Mufick, but alfo by choife of fmoothe words : and thus, 
 or thus, marfhalling them in their comelieft conftruclion 
 and order, and afwell by fometimes fparing, fometimes 
 fpending them more or leffe liberally, and carrying or 
 tranfporting of them farther off or neerer, fetting them 
 with fundry relations, and variable formes, in the 
 miniftery and vfe of words, doe breede no little altera- 
 tion in man. For to fay truely, what els is man but 
 his minde? which, whofoeuer haue skil to compaffe, 
 and make yeelding and flexible, what may not he com- 
 maund the body to perfourme ? He therefore that 
 hath vanquifhed the minde of man, hath made the 
 greateft and moft glorious conqueft. But the minde 
 is not affailable vnleffe it be by fenfible approches, 
 whereof the audible is of greateft force for inflruclion 
 or difcipline : the vifible, for apprehenfion of exterior 
 knowledges as the Philofopher faith. Therefore the 
 well tuning of your words and claufes to the delight of 
 the eare, maketh your information no leffe plaufible to 
 the minde than to the eare : no though you filled them 
 with neuer fo much fence and fententioufnes. Then 
 alfo muft the whole tale (if it tende to perfwafion) beare 
 his iufl and reafonable meafure, being rather with the 
 largefl, than with the fcarceft. For like as one or two 
 drops of water perce not the flint ftone, but many and 
 often droppings doo : fo cannot a few words (be they 
 neuer fo pithie or fententious) in all cafes and to all 
 manner of mindes, make fo deepe an impreffion, as a 
 more multitude of words to the purpofe difcreetely, and 
 without fuperfluitie vttered : the minde being no leffe 
 vanquifhed with large loade of fpeech, than the limmes 
 are with heauie burden. Sweetenes of fpeech, fen- 
 tence, and amplification, are therfore necefiarie to an 
 
2o8 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 excellent Orator and Poet, ne may in no wife be 
 fpared from any of them. 
 
 And firft of all others your figure that worketh by 
 iteration or repetition of one word or claufe doth much 
 alter and affect the eare and alfo the mynde" of the 
 hearer, and therefore is counted a very braue figure 
 both with the Poets and rhetoriciens, and this repeti- 
 tion may be in feuen fortes. 
 
 Repetition in the firft degree we call the figure of 
 AnafJwra, Report according to the Greeke originall, 
 Figure e f Re- anc ^ * s when we make one word begin, 
 port. and as they are wont to fay, lead the daunce 
 
 to many verfes in fute, as thus. 
 
 To thinke on death it is a miferie, 
 To think on life it is a vanitie : 
 To thinke on the world verily it is, 
 To thinke that heare ma?i hath no pei'fit bliffe. 
 And this written by Sir Walter Raleigh of his great- 
 er! miftreffe in moil excellent verfes. 
 
 In vayne mine eyes hi v aim you waft your teares, 
 In vayne my fighs the f mokes of my defpaires: 
 In vayne you fearch th? earth and heauens aboue, 
 In vayne ye feeke, for fortune keeps my loue. 
 Or as the buffon in our enterlude called Lujiie Ion- 
 don faid very knauifhly and like himfelfe. 
 Many a fair e laffe in London towne, 
 Many a bavvdie basket borne vp and downe\ 
 Many a broker in a thridbare gowne. 
 Many a bankrowte fcarce worth a crowne. 
 
 In London. 
 Ye haue another fort of repetition quite contrary to 
 A .:. x7 the former when ye make one word finifh 
 or the ' many verfes in fute, and that which is harder, 
 
 Counter turne. tQ ^fa many c l au f eS i n the m iddefl of yOUr 
 
 verfes or dittie (for to make them finifh the verfe in 
 our vulgar it fhould hinder the rime) and becaufe I do 
 finde few of our Englifh makers vfe this figure, I haue 
 fet you down two litle ditties which our felues in our 
 yonger yeares played vpon the Anti/lrophe, for fo is 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 209 
 
 the figures name in Greeke : one vpon the mutable loue 
 of a Lady, another vpon the meritorious loue of Chrift 
 our Sauiour, thus. 
 
 Her lowly lookes, that gaue life to my lone, 
 With sp it ef till f peach, curfilneffe andcrueltie: 
 She kild my lone, let her rigour remoue, 
 Her cherefull lights andfpeaches ofpitie 
 Reuiue my loue : anone with great difdaine, 
 She JJiunnes my loue, and after by a traine 
 She feekes my loue, and faith JJie tones me mofii, 
 Butfeingher loue, fo lightly wonne andlofl: 
 I longd not for her loue, for well 1 thought, 
 Fir me is the loue, if it be as it ought. 
 The fecond vpon the merites of Chrifles paffion to- 
 ward mankind, thus, 
 
 Our CJwifl ihefonne of God, chief authour of all good, 
 Was he by his allmight, thatfirfl created man : 
 And with the coflly price, of his mofl precious bloud, 
 He that redeemed man : and by his instance wan 
 Grace in the fight of God, his oiiely father deare, 
 And reconciled man : and to make man his peer e 
 Made himfelfe very man: brief to conclude the cafe, 
 This Chrifiboth God and man, he all and onely is : 
 The man brings man to God and to all heaue?ts bliffe. 
 The Greekes call this figure A?itiflrophe, the Latines, 
 conuerfio, I following the originall call him the counter- 
 turne, becaufe he turnes counter in the middeft of 
 euery meetre.. 
 
 Take me the two former figures and put them into 
 one, and it is that which the Greekes call n 
 
 /• r 7 i t ■ 7 77- £>yinploche, 
 
 fymploche, the Latmes complexio, or conduph- or the 
 catio, and is a maner of repetition, when one figure of rephe ' 
 and the felfeword doth begin and end many verfes in fute 
 and fo wrappes vp both the former figures in one, as he 
 that fportingly complained of hisvntruflie miftreffe, thus. 
 Who made meflient for her loues fake ? 
 
 Myne owne miftreffe. 
 Who would 7iot feeme my part to take. 
 Myne owne miftreffe. 
 o 
 
210 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 What made mefirftfo well content 
 
 Her curtefie. 
 What makes me now fo fore repent 
 Her crueltie. 
 The Greekes name this figure Symploche, the Latins 
 Complexio, perchaunce for that he feemes to hold in 
 and to wrap vp the verfes by reduplication, fo as 
 nothing can fall out. I had rather call him the figure 
 of replie. 
 , ,.,, . Ye haue another fort of repetition when 
 
 Anadifilosis, • ^ ^ i • r -n 
 
 or the with the worde by which you fimlh your 
 
 Redouble. ver [ ej ve beginne the next verfe with the 
 fame, as thus: 
 
 Comforte it is for man to haue a wife, 
 Wife chaft, and wife, and lowly all her life. 
 Or thus : 
 
 Your beutie was the can fe of my firfl loue, 
 Looue while I Hue, that I may fore repent. 
 The Greeks call this figure Anadiplofis, I call him 
 the Redouble as the originall beares. 
 Epanaiepsis, Ye haue an other forte of repetition, when 
 or the ye make one worde both beginne and end 
 otherwise,' your verfe, which therefore I call the flow 
 the slow return. re toume, otherwife the Eccho found, as thus : 
 Much mufl he be beloued, that loueth much, 
 Feare many mufl he needs, whom many feare. 
 Vnleffe I called him the eccho found, I could not tell 
 what name to giue him, vnleffe it were the flow returne. 
 Epizetixis, Ye haue another fort of repetition 
 
 the ' when in one verfe or claufe of a verfe, ye 
 n e r ay ' iterate one word without any intermiflion, 
 
 Coocko-spel. as t^g. 
 
 It was Maryne, Maryne that wrought mine 7uoe. 
 
 And this bemoaning the departure of a deere friend. 
 The chief est ftaffe of mine ajfuredfay, 
 With no f mall grief e, is gon, is gon away. 
 
 And that of Sir Walter Raleighs very fweet. 
 With wif domes eyes had but blind fortune feene, 
 Than had my looue, my looue for euer beene. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 211 
 
 The Greeks call him Epizeuxis, the Latines Sub- 
 iunclio, we may call him the vnderlay, me thinks if we 
 regard his manner of iteration, and would depart from 
 the originall, we might very properly, in our vulgar and 
 for pleafure call him the cuckowfpell^ for right as the 
 cuckow repeats his lay, which is but one manner of 
 note, and doth not infert any other tune betwixt, and 
 fometimes for haft Hammers out two or three of them 
 one immediatly after another, as cuck, cuck, cuckoiu, fo 
 doth the figure Epizeuxis in the former verfes, Maryne, 
 Maryne, without any intermiffion at all. 
 
 Yet haue ye one forte of repetition, which pi oc he 
 we call the dottbler, and is as the next be- j? rt] ] e 
 fore, a fpeedie iteration of one word, but 
 with fome little intermiffion by inferring one or two 
 words betweene, as in a moil excellent dittie written 
 by Sir Walter Raleigh thefe two clofmg verfes : 
 
 Yet when If awe my felfe to you was true, 
 I loued my felfe, bycattfe my felfe lotted you. 
 And this fpoken in common Prouerbe. 
 
 An ape vvilbe an ape, by kinde as they fay, 
 Though that ye clad him all in purple array. 
 Or as we once fported vpon a fellowes name who 
 was called Woodcock, and for an ill part he had plaid 
 entreated fauour by his friend. 
 
 I pi'aie you intreate no more for the man, 
 Woodcocke vvilbe a vvoodcocke do what ye can. 
 Now alfo be there many other fortes of repetition if 
 a man would vfe them, but are nothing commendable, 
 and therefore are not obferued in good poefie, as a 
 vulgar rimer who doubled one word in the end of euery 
 verfe, thus: adieu, adieu, 
 
 my face, my face. 
 And an other that did the like in the beginning of his 
 verfe, thus: 
 
 To louehim and loue him, asft?tnersfJiottlddoo. 
 Thefe repetitions be not figuratiue but phantaftical, 
 for a figure is euer vfed to a purpofe, either of beautie 
 or of emcacie : and thefe laft recited be to no purpofe, 
 
212 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 for neither can ye fay that it vrges affection, nor that 
 it beautifieth or enforceth the fence, nor hath any other 
 fubtilitie in it, and therfore is a very foolifh impertin- 
 ency of fpeech, and not a figure. 
 
 Ye haue a figure by which ye play with a couple of 
 D . words or names much refemblinsr, and be- 
 
 Prosoiwmasia, «p 7 
 
 or the caufe the one feemes to anfwere th other by 
 Nicknamer. manner of illuhon, and doth, as it were, 
 nick him, I call him the Nicknamer. If any other man 
 can geue him a fitter Englifh name, I will not be 
 angrfe, but I am fure mine is very neere the originall 
 fence of the Profonomafia, and is rather a by-name 
 geuen in fport, than a furname geuen of any earneft 
 purpofe. As, Tiberius the Emperor, becaufe he was a 
 great drinker of wine, they called him by way of deri- 
 fion to his owne name, Caldius Biberius Mero, in fleade 
 of Claudius Tiberius Nero : and fo a iefting frier that 
 wrate againft Erafmus, called him by refemblance to 
 his own name, Errans mus, and are mainteined by 
 this figure Profonomafiia, or the Nicknamer. But euery 
 name geuen in iefl or by way of a furname, if it do not 
 refemble the true, is not by this figure, as, the Emperor 
 of Greece, who was furnamed Confiantinus Cepronimus, 
 becaufe he befhit the foont at the time he was chrift- 
 ened: and fo ye may fee the difference betwixt the 
 figures Ant ono mafia and Profonomatia. Now when 
 fuch refemblance happens betweene words of another 
 nature, and not vpon mens names, yet doeth the Poet 
 or maker finde prety fport to play with them in his 
 verfe, fpecially the Comicall Poet and the Epigram- 
 matift. Sir Philip Sidney in a dittie plaide very pretily 
 with thefe two words, Loue and Hue, thus. 
 And all my life I will confeffe, 
 The leffe I loue, I Hue the leffe. 
 And we in our Enterlude called the woer, plaid 
 with thefe two words, lubber and loner, thus, the coun- 
 trey clowne came and woed a young maide of the 
 Citie, and being agreeued to come fo oft, and not to 
 haue his anfwere, faid to the old nurfe very impatiently. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 213 
 
 Iche pray you, good mother tell our young W6er. 
 
 dame, 
 Whence I am come and what is my name, 
 I cannot come a woing euery day. 
 
 Quoth the nurfe. 
 They be lubbers not loners that fo vfe to fay. Nurse. 
 
 Or as one replyed to his miftreffe charging him with 
 fame difloyaltie towards her. 
 
 Proue me madame ere ye fall to reproue, 
 MeeJze mindes fliould rather excufe than accufe. 
 
 Here the words proue and reproue, excufe and ac- 
 cufe, do pleafantly encounter, and (as it were) mock 
 one another by their much refemblance : and this is 
 by the figure Profonomatia, as wel as if they were 
 mens proper names, alluding to each other. 
 
 Then haue ye a figure which the Latines -.-/... 
 
 7 _ . J 1 _? i'i -* raductio, 
 
 call Traduclw, and I the tranlacer : which or the 
 
 is when ye turne and tranlace a word into Tranlacer. 
 many fundry fhapes as the Tailor doth his garment, 
 and after that fort do play with him in your dittie : as 
 thus, 
 
 Who lines in loue his life is full of fear es, 
 To lofe his loue, liitelode or libertie 
 But liuely fp rites that young and recklejfe be, 
 Thinke that there is no lining like to theirs. 
 Or as one who much gloried in his owne wit, whom 
 Perfius taxed in a verfe very pithily and pleafantly, 
 thus. 
 
 Scire tuum nihil efl nifi te fcire, hoc fciat alter. 
 Which I haue turned into Englifh, not fo briefly, 
 but more at large of purpofe the better to declare the 
 nature of the figure : as thus, 
 
 Thou vveeneft thy wit nought worth if other 
 
 weet it not 
 
 As wel as thou thy f elf e, but thi?ig well I wot, 
 
 V/ho fo in earnefi weenes, he doth i?i mine aduife, 
 
 Shew himfelfe witlejfe, or more wittie than wife. 
 
 Here ye fee how in the former rime this word life 
 
 is tranlaced into liue, liuing, liuely, liuelode : and in 
 
2i 4 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 the latter rime this word wit is tranflated into weete, 
 weene, wotte, witleffe, witty and wife : which come all 
 from one originall. 
 
 Antipophora, Ye haue a figuratiue fpeach which the 
 FIo . ure or of re _ Greeks cal Antipopli07-a, I name him the 
 sponce, Refponce, and is when we will feeme to 
 
 aske a queflion to th'intent we will aunfwere it our 
 felues, and is a figure of argument and alfo of ampli- 
 fication. Of argument, becaufe proponing fuch matter 
 as our aduerfarie might obiecl: and then to anfwere it 
 our felues, we do vnfurniili and preuent him of fuch 
 helpe as he would otherwife haue vfed for himfelfe : 
 then becaufe fuch obieclion and anfwere fpend much 
 language it femes as well to amplifie and enlarge our 
 tale. Thus for example. 
 
 Wylie worldling come tell me I thee pray, 
 Wherein hopejl thou, that makes thee fo to /well? 
 Riches ? alack it taries not a day, 
 But where fortune the fickle lift to dwell: Q/ 
 In thy children ? how hardlie JJialt thoufinde, 
 Them all at once,. good and thriftie and kinde : 
 Thy wife ? of aire but fraile mettall to truft, i 
 Seruants ? what theeues ? what treachours aiid iniujll 
 Honour perchance ? it refles in other men : 
 Gloriel afmoake: but wherein hopefl thou then! 
 In Gods iuftice ? and by what merite tell ? 
 In his mercy ? - 6 now thou speakeft wel, 
 But thy lewd life hath loft his lone and grace, 
 Daunting all hope to put difpaire in place. 
 We read that Crates the Philofopher Cinicke in 
 refpect of the manifold difcommodities of mans life, 
 held opinion that it was bell for man neuer to haue 
 bene borne or foone after to dye, \Optimum non nafci 
 vel citb mori\ of whom certain e verfes are left written 
 in Greeke which I haue Englilhed, thus. 
 What life is the lief eft ? the needy is full of woe and awe, 
 The wealthie full of brawle and brabbles of the law : 
 To be a maried man ? how much art thou begidld, ~tr 
 Seeking thy reft by carke, for houjliold wife and child : 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 215 
 
 To till it is a toyle, to grafeyome honeft gaine, 
 But fuch as gotten is with great hazard and ' paine : 
 The fay I er of his fliippe, the mar chant of his ware, 
 The fouldicr in amies, how full of dread and care? 
 Afhrewd wife brings thee bate, wine not and neuer thriue, 
 Children a charge, childleffe the greatest lacke aliue: 
 Youth witleffe is and fraile, ageficklie and for lor ne, 
 Then better to dye foone, or neuer to be borne. 
 
 Metrodorus the Philofopher Stoick was of a contrary 
 opinion reuerfmg all the former fuppofitions againft 
 Crates, thus. 
 
 What life lift ye to lead? in good Citie and towne 
 Is wonne both wit and wealth, Court gets vs great re- 
 
 nowne : 
 Conn trey kcepes vs in heale, and quietneffe ofmynd, \find: 
 Where holefome aires and exercife and pretie fports we 
 Traffick it turnes to gaine, by land and eke by feas, 
 The land-borne Hues fafe, the forreine at his eafe : 
 Haujholder hath his home, the roge romes with delight, 
 And makes moe merry meales, then doth the Lordly wight: 
 Wed and thou hafl a bed, of folace and of ioy, 
 Wed not and haue a bed, of rest without annoy : , 
 The fetled lone is fafe, fweete is the loue at large, 
 Children they are a flore, no children are no charge, 
 Lufiie and gay is youth, old age honourd a?id wife : s 
 Then not to dye or be vnborne, is befl in myne aduife. 
 
 Edward Earle of Oxford a moft noble and learned 
 Gentleman made in this figure of refponce an emble 
 of defire otherwife called Cupide which from his ex- 
 cellencie and wit, I fet downe fome part of the verfes, 
 for example. 
 
 When wert thou borne defire ? 
 
 In pompe and pry me of May, 
 
 By whom fweete boy wert thou begot ? 
 
 By good conceit me7i fay, 
 
 Tell me who was thy nurfe ? 
 
 FrefJi youth in fugred ioy. 
 
 What was thy meate a?id dayly foode ? 
 
 Sadfighes with great annoy. 
 
216 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 What Jiadft thou then to drinke ? 
 Vnfayned loners teares. 
 What cradle wert thou roekcd in ? 
 In hope deuoyde of fear es. 
 Ye haue another figure which me thinkes may well 
 c . . be called (not much fweruing from his 
 
 Syneciosis, ••«-*■ \ 1 ^ rr 7-1 r 
 
 or the ongmall m fence) the troffe-couple, becaufe 
 Crosse copiing. it takeg me twQ contrary wor ds, and tieth 
 
 them as it were in a paire of couples, and fo makes 
 them agree like good fellowes, as I faw once in 
 Fraunce a wolfe coupled with a maftiffe, and a foxe 
 with a hounde. Thus it is. 
 
 The niggards fault and the vnthrifts is all one, 
 
 For neither of them both knoweth how to if e his owne. 
 
 Or thus. 
 
 The couetous mifer, of all his goods ill got, 
 Afwell wants that lie hath, as that he hath not. 
 In this figure of the Croffe-couple we wrate for a for- 
 lorne louer complaining of his miftreffe crueltie thefe 
 verfes among other. 
 
 1'hus for your fake I dayly dye, 
 And do but feme to Hue in deede : 
 Tims is my blijfe but miferie, 
 My liter e loffe without your meede. 
 
 Ye haue another figure which by his 
 or the nature we may call the Rebound, alluding 
 
 Rebounde. t0 the tenn j s k a n w hich being fmitten 
 with the racket reboundes backe againe, and where 
 the laft figure before played with two wordes fomewhat 
 like, this playedi with one word written all alike but 
 carrying diuers fences as thus. 
 
 The maide that foone mai'ried is, foone marred is. 
 Or thus better becaufe married and marred be differ- 
 ent in one letter. 
 
 To pray for you euer I cannot refufe, 
 To pray zp on you IfJiould you much abufe. 
 Or as we once fported vpon a countrey fellow who 
 came to runne for the belt game, and was by his 
 occupation a dyer and had very bigge fwelling legges. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 217 
 
 He is but courfe to runne a coitrfe, 
 Whofe JJiankes are bigger then his thye : 
 Yet is his lucke a little worfe, 
 That often dyes 'before he dye. 
 Where ye fee this word courfe and dye, vfed in diuers 
 fences, one giuing the Reboimde vpon th' other. 
 
 Ye haue a figure which as well by his Greeke and 
 Latine originals, and alfo by allufion to the maner of 
 a mans gate or going may be called the marching 
 figure, for after the firft fteppe all the reft proceede by 
 double the fpace, and fo in our fpeach one word pro- 
 ceedes double to the firft that was fpoken, and goeth 
 as it were by ftrides Qr paces ; it may afwell be called 
 the clyming figure, for Clymax is as much ciymax. 
 to fay as a ladder, as in one of our Epi- Ma ° c r h ^t fi- 
 taphes fhewing how a very meane man by gure. 
 his wifedome and good fortune came to great eftate 
 and dignitie. 
 
 His vertue made him wife, his wifedome brought him 
 
 wealth, 
 His wealth zvan many friends, his friends made much 
 
 fupply : 
 Of aides in zueale and woe infickneffe and in health, 
 Thus came he from a low, to fit in feate fo hye. 
 Or as Ihean de Mehune the French Poet. 
 
 Peace makes plentie, plentie makes pride, 
 Pride breeds quarrell, and quarrell ' bri7igs warre: 
 Warre brings fpoile, and fpoile pouertie, 
 Pouertie patience, and pacie?ice peace : 
 So peace brings ivarre, and warre brings peace. 
 Ye haue a figure which takes a couple . 4 . " , 
 of words to play with m a verfe, and by or the 
 making them to chaunge andfhift one into Countercharge. 
 others place they do very pretily exchange and fhift 
 the fence, as thus. 
 
 We dwell not here to build vs boures, 
 And halles for pleafure and good cheare : 
 But halles we build for vs and ours, 
 To dwell in them whitest we are here. 
 
2i8 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Meaning that we dwell not here to build, but we 
 build to dwel, as we Hue not to eate, but eate to liue, 
 or thus. 
 
 We wiJJi not peace to maintaine era ell warre, 
 But we make warre to maintaine vs in peace. 
 Or thus, 
 
 If Poefie be, as fome haue f aid, 
 A f peaking picture to the eye : 
 Then is a picture not denaid, 
 To be a muet Poefie. 
 Or as the Philofopher Mufonius wrote. 
 
 With pleafure if we worke vnhonestly and ill, 
 The pleaf lire paffeth, the bad it bidethflill: 
 Well if we worke with trauaile and with paines, 
 The paine pajfeth and still the good re?naines. 
 A wittie fellow in Rome wrate under the Image of 
 Ccefar the Di6lator thefe two verfes in Latine, which 
 becaufe they are fpoken by this figure of Counter- 
 chaunge I haue turned into a couple of Englifh verfes 
 very well keeping the grace of the figure. 
 Brutus for caflingout of kings, was firft of Confuls past, 
 Ccefarfor cafling Confuls out, is of our kings the last. 
 
 Cato of any Senatour not onely the graueft but alfo 
 the prompteft and wittieft in any ciuill fcoffe, miiliking 
 greatly the engroffmg of offices in Rome that one man 
 fhould haue many at once, and a great number goe 
 without that were as able men, faid thus by Counter- 
 chaunge. 
 
 It feemes your offices are very litle worth, 
 Or very few of you worthy of offices. 
 Againe : 
 
 In trifles earnest as any man can bee, 
 In earnest matters no fuch trifler as hee. 
 T 7U u . Yee haue another figure much like to 
 
 Insultatio, 10/- i • r -\ 
 
 or the the Sarcafmus, or bitter taunt wee lpake 
 
 Disdainefull. of J3 e f ore . an( J Jg w J ien ^ft prou( i an d 
 
 infolent words, we doo vpbraid a man, or ride him as 
 we terme it : for which caufe the Latines alfo call it 
 Infultatio, I choofe to name him the Reprochfull or 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 219 
 
 /corner, as when Queene Dido law, that for all her 
 great loue and entertainements beftowed vpon sEneas, 
 he would needs depart, and follow the Oracle of his 
 deftinies, fhe brake out in a great rage and faid very 
 difdainefully. 
 
 Hye thee, and by the wild wanes a?id the wind, 
 Seeke Italie and Realmes for thee to raigne, 
 If piteous Gods haue power amidst the mayne, 
 On ragged rocks thy penaunce thou maiflfind. 
 Or as the poet luuenall reproched the couetous 
 Merchant, who for lucres fake paffed on no perill 
 either by land or fea, thus : 
 
 Goe now and giue thy life vnto the winde, 
 Trusting vnto a piece of bruckle wood, 
 Foure inches from thy death or feauen good 
 The thickefl pla?ike for fliipboord that wefinde. 
 Ye haue another figure very pleafant and fit for 
 amplification, which to anfwer the Greeke Antuheton 
 terme, we may call the encounter, but fol- or the 
 lowing the Latine name by reafon of his The renconter - 
 contentious nature, we may call him the Quarreller, 
 for fo be al fuch perfons as delight in taking the con- 
 trary part of whatfoeuer fhalbe fpoken : when I was 
 a fcholler at Oxford they called euery fuch one 
 Iohannes ad oppofitum. 
 
 Good haue I doone you, much, harme did I neuer none, 
 
 Ready to ioy your gaines, your loffes to bemone, 
 
 Why therefore fJiould you grutchfo fore at my welfare: 
 
 Who onely bred your bliffe, and neuer caufcl your care. 
 
 Or as it is in thefe two verfes where one fpeaking 
 
 of Cupids bowe, deciphered thereby the nature of fen- 
 
 fual loue, whofe beginning is more pleafant than the 
 
 end, thus allegorically and by antitheton. 
 
 His bent is fweete, his loofe is fomewhat fowre, 
 In ioy begunne, ends oft in wofull howre. 
 Maifter Diar in this quarrelling figure. 
 Nor loue hath now the force, on me which it ones had, 
 Your f row nes can neither maize me mourne, nor fauors 
 make me glad. 
 
220 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Ifocrates the Greek Oratour was a litle too full of 
 this figure, and fo was the Spaniard that wrote the life 
 of Marcus Aurelius, and many of our moderne writers 
 in vulgar, vfe it in exceffe and incurre the vice of fond 
 affectation : otherwife the figure is very commendable. 
 
 In this quarrelling figure we once plaid this merry 
 Epigrame of an importune and fhrewd wife, thus : 
 My neighbour hath a wife, not fit to make him thriue, 
 But good to kill a quicke man, or make a dead reuiue. 
 So JhrewdJJie is for God, fo cunning and fo wife, 
 To counter with her goodman, and all by contraries. £- 
 For when he is merry ,Jhe lurcheth andflie loures, v/W-\ 
 When he is fad fJie finges , or laughes it out by houres. r 
 Bid her beflill her tongue to talkefJiall neuer ceafe, [peace, 
 Wheiiftiefiiouldfpeake andpleafe,forfpightfiie holds her 
 Bid f pare andfhe willfpend, bid fpend ftie fpares as f aft, 
 What fir ft ye would haue done, be f tire itjhalbe laft. 
 Say go, fiie comes, fay come, fthe goes, and leaues him all 
 
 alone, 
 Her husband (as I thinke) calles her ouerthwart lone. 
 
 There is a kinde of figuratiue fpeach when we aske 
 „ . many queftions and looke for none 
 
 or the ' anfwere, fpeaking indeed by interrogation, 
 Questioner. w hich we might as well fay by affirmation. 
 This figure I call the Queftioner or inquifitiue, as 
 whan Medea excufmg her great crueltie vfed in the 
 murder of her owne children which fhe had by lafon, 
 faid : 
 
 Was I able to make them I praie you tell, 
 And am 1 not able to marre them all afvvell ? 
 
 Or as another wrote very commendably. 
 Why firiue I with the ftreame, or hoppe againftthe hill, 
 Or fear ch that neuer can be found, andloofe my labour ftill? 
 
 Cato vnderftanding that the Senate had appointed 
 three citizens of Rome for embaffadours to the king of 
 Bithinia, whereof one had the Gowte, another the 
 Meigrim, the third very little courage or difcretion to 
 be employd in any fuch bufmeffe, faid by way of 
 skoffe in this figure. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 221 
 
 Mitft not (trovve ye) this meffage be well fped, 
 That hath neither hearty nor heeles, nor lied ? 
 And as a great Princeffe aunfwered her feruitour, 
 who diftrufting in her fauours toward him, praifed his 
 owne conftancie in thefe verfes. 
 
 No fortune bafe or fray le can alter me : 
 To whome fhe in this figure repeting his words : 
 No for time bafe or fray I e can alter thee. 
 And can fo blind a witch fo con que re niee ? 
 The figure of exclamation, I call him [the outcrie] 
 becaufe it vtters our minde by all fuch Ecf>honisis 
 words as do fhew any extreme paffion, or the 
 whether it be by way of exclamation or 0utcr y- 
 crying out, admiration or wondering, imprecation or 
 curfing, obteflation or taking God and the world to 
 witnes, or any fuch like as declare an impotent af- 
 fection, as Chaucer of the Lady Creffeida by exclama- 
 tion. 
 
 O foppe of forrow foonken into care, 
 O caytife Creffeid, for now and euermare. 
 Or as Gafcoigne wrote very paffionatly and well to 
 purpofe. 
 
 Ay me the dayes that I i7i dole confume, 
 Alas the nights which vvitneffe well mine woe : 
 O wrong full world which makefl my fa?icie fume, 
 Fie fickle fortune, fie, fie thou art my foe: 
 Out and alas fo froward is ??iy chance, 
 No nights nor daies, nor w or Ides can me auance. 
 Petrarche in a fonet which Sir Thomas Wiat Eng- 
 lifhed excellently well, faid in this figure by way of 
 imprecation and obteflation : thus, 
 Terdie I faid it not, 
 Nor neuer thought to doo : 
 Afwell as I ye wot, 
 I haue 710 power thereto : 
 " And if I did the lot 
 That firfil did me enchaine, 
 May 7teuer flake the k7iot 
 But flraite it to 77iy paine. 
 
222 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 "And if I did each thing, 
 That may do harme or woe : 
 Continually may wring, 
 My harte where fo I goe. 
 " Report may alwaies ring : 
 OfJIiame on me for aye, 
 If in my hart did fipring, 
 The woi'des that you doo fay. 
 " And if 1 did eachfilarre, 
 That is in heauen aboue. 
 And fo forth, &c. 
 
 We vfe fometimes to proceede all by fmgle words, 
 
 BracMoio a > v i tnout anv c ^°^ e or coupling, failing that 
 
 or the 5 ' a little paoife or comma is geuen to euery 
 
 Cutted comma WQrd> Thig figure for p l ea f ure may fc e 
 
 called in our vulgar the cutted comma, for that there can- 
 not be a fhorter diuifion then at euery words end. The 
 Greekes in their language call it fhort language, as thus. 
 Enuy, malice, flattery, difdaine, 
 Auarice, deceit, falfiJied, filthy game. 
 If this loofe language be vfed, not in fmgle words, 
 but in long claufes, it is called Afindeton, and in both 
 cafes we vtter in that fafhion, when either we be ear- 
 ned, or would feeme to make haft. 
 
 Ye haue another figure which we may call the figure 
 Pari-on °^ euen > becaufe it goeth by claufes of egall 
 or the ' quantitie, and not very long, but yet not 
 
 Figure of euen. fo ^^ as the cutted comma . and they 
 
 geue good grace to a dittie, but fpecially to a profe. 
 
 In this figure we once wrote in a melancholike humor 
 
 thefe verles. 
 
 The good is geafon, andfJiort is his abode, 
 The bad bides long, and eafie to be found : 
 Oitr life is loathfome, our finnes a heauy lode, 
 Confidence a citrst iudge, remorfie a priuie goade. 
 JDij eafie, age and death filill in our eare they round, 
 That hence we mufil the fickly and the found : 
 Treadi7ig thefileps that our forefathers troad, 
 Rich, poore, holy, wife, allflefJi it goes to ground. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 223 
 
 In a profe there fhould not be vfed at once of fuch 
 euen claufes pafl three or foure at the moil. 
 
 When fo euer we multiply our fpeech by many 
 words or claufes of one fence, the Greekes sinonimia 
 call it Sinonimia, as who would fay, or the 
 like or confenting names: the Latines Figure of store - 
 hauing no fltte terme to giue him, called it by a name 
 of euent, for (faid they) many words of one nature and 
 fence, one of them doth expound another. And 
 therefore they called this figure the \Interpreter\ I for 
 my part had rather call him the figure of [ftore] be- 
 caufe plenty of one manner of thing in our vulgar we 
 call fo. JELneas asking whether his Captaine Qro?ites 
 were dead or aliue, vfed this ftore of fpeeches all to 
 one purpofe. 
 
 Is he aliue, 
 
 Is he as I left him queauing and quick, 
 And hath he not yet geuen vp the ghost, 
 Among the reft of thofe that I hane lost ? 
 Or if it be in fmgle words, then thus. 
 
 What is become of that beantifull face, 
 Thofe lonely lookes, that fauour amiable, 
 Thofe fweete features, and vif age full of grace, 
 That countenance which is alonly able 
 To kill and cure 1 
 Ye fee that all thefe words, face, lookes, fauour, 
 features, vifage, countenance, are in fence all but one. 
 Which ftore, neuertheleffe, doeth much beautifie and 
 inlarge the matter. So faid another. 
 My faith, my hope, my truft, my God and eke my guide, 
 Stretch forth thy hand to fane the foule, what ere the 
 body bide. 
 
 Here faith, hope and trull be words of one effect, 
 allowed to vs by this figure of llore. 
 
 Otherwhiles we fpeake and be forry for it, as if we 
 had not wel fpoken, fo that we feeme to 
 call in our word -agame, and to put in an- or the ' 
 other fitter for the purpofe : for which re- Pemtent - 
 fpecls the Greekes called this manner of fpeech the 
 
224 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. II I. 
 
 figure of repentance : then for that vpon repentance 
 commonly follows amendment, the Latins called it the 
 figure of correction, in that the fpeaker feemeth to re- 
 forme that, which was faid amiffe. I following the 
 Greeke originall, choofe to call him the penitent, or 
 repentant : and fmging in honor of the mayden Queene, 
 meaning to praife her for her greatneffe of courage, 
 ouerfhooting myfelfe, called it firft by the name of 
 pride : then fearing leafl fault might be found with 
 that terme, by and by turned this word pride to praife : 
 refemblmg her Maiefty to the Lion, being her owne 
 noble armory, which by a Hie conftruction purporteth 
 Thus in the latter end of a Parthemiade. 
 O peereles you, or els no one aliue, 
 " Your pride femes you to feaze them all alone : 
 " Not pride madame, but praife of the lion. 
 To conquer all and be conquer d by none. 
 And in another Parthemiade thus infmuating her 
 Maiefties great conftancy in refufall of all marriages 
 ofifred her, thus : 
 
 " Her heart is hid none may it fee, 
 " Marble or flint e folke vveene it be. 
 Which may imploy rigour and cruelty, than cor- 
 rect eth it thus. 
 
 Not flinte I trovve I am a lier, 
 But Siderite that feeles no fire. 
 By which is intended, that it proceeded of a cold 
 and chaft complexion not eafily allured to loue. 
 . A We haue another manner of fpeech much 
 
 ./i 7t 'C71CI o'OP'C 
 
 or the like to the repentant, but doth not as the 
 
 Recompencer. fame recant or ^f ay a wor d t h at hath 
 
 bene faid before, putting another fitter in his place, 
 but hauing fpoken any thing to depraue the matter or 
 partie, he denieth it not, but as it were helpeth it 
 againe by another more fauourable fpeach : and fo 
 feemeth to make amends, for which caufe it is called 
 by the originall name in both languages, the Recom- 
 pencer, as he that was merily asked the queftion, 
 whether his wife were not a fhrewe as well as others 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 225 
 
 of his neighbours wiues, anfwered in this figure as 
 pleafantly, for he could not well denie it. 
 
 / mufi needs fay, that my wife is aflirevve, 
 But fuch a hufwife as I know but a fevve. 
 Another in his firft prepofition giuing a very faint com- 
 mendation to the Courtiers life, weaning to make him 
 amends, made it worfer by a fecond propofition, thus : 
 The Courtiers life full delicate it is, 
 But where no wife man will euer fet his blis. 
 And an other fpeaking to the incoragement of 
 youth in ftudie and to be come excellent in letters 
 and armes, faid thus : 
 
 Many are the paines and perils to be pafl, 
 But great is the gain e and glory at the lafl. 
 Our poet in his fhort ditties, but fpecially ___ 
 
 . L . . . n .. r - Epithonema. 
 
 playing the Lpigrammatilt will vie to con- or the 
 elude and fhut vp his Epigram with a verfe Surclose - 
 or two, fpoken in fuch fort, as it may feeme a manner 
 of allowance to all the premiffes, and that with a ioy- 
 full approbation, which the Latines call Acclamatio, 
 we therefore call this figure the furcloze or conferring 
 clofe, as Virgill when he had largely fpoken of Prince 
 Eneas his fucceffe and fortunes concluded with this 
 clofe. 
 
 Tantce molis erat Roman a jn condere gent em. 
 In Englifh thus : 
 
 So huge a peece ofworke it was and fo hie. 
 To reare the houfe of Ramane progenie. 
 Sir Philip Sidney very pretily clofed vp a dittie in 
 this fort. 
 
 What medcine then, can fuch difeafe remoue, 
 rre loue breedes hate, and hate engenders loue. 
 And we in Partheniade written of her Maieflie, de- 
 claring to what perils vertue is generally fubiecl, and 
 applying that fortune to her felfe, clofed it vp with 
 this Epiphoneme. 
 
 Than if there bee, 
 Any fo cancard hart to grutch, 
 At your glories : my Queene : in vaine, 
 p 
 
226 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Repining at your fat all raigne : 
 It is for that they feele too much. 
 Of your bountee. 
 As who would fay her owne ouermuch lenitie and 
 goodneffe, made her ill willers the more bold and pre- 
 fumptuous. 
 
 Lucretitts Cams the philofopher and poet inueighing 
 fore againfl the abufes of the fuperftitious religion of 
 the Gentils, and recompting the wicked fact of king 
 Agamemnon in facrincing his only daughter Iphigenia, 
 being a yoong damfell of excellent bewtie, to th'intent 
 to pleafe the wrathfull gods, hinderers of his nauiga- 
 tion, after he had faid all, clofed it vp in this one 
 verfe, fpoken in Epiphonema. 
 
 Tantum relligio potuit fuade7X malorum. 
 In Englifh thus : 
 
 Lo what an outrage, could caufe to be done, 
 The peeuifli fcriple of blinde religion. 
 
 It happens many times that to vme and 
 
 or the ' enforce the matter we fpeake of, we go 
 
 Auancer. f^jj mounting by degrees and encreafmg 
 
 our fpeech with wordes or with fentences of more 
 
 waight one then another, and is a figure of great both 
 
 efficacie and ornament, as he that declaring the great 
 
 calamitie of an infortunate prince, faid thus : 
 
 He loft beftdes his children and his wife, 
 
 His realme, ronovvne, liege, libertie and life. 
 
 By which it appeareth that to any noble Prince the 
 
 loffe of his eftate ought not to be fo greeuous, as of 
 
 his honour, nor any of them both like to the lacke of 
 
 his libertie, but that life is the deareft detriment of 
 
 any other. We call this figure by the Greeke originall 
 
 the Auaiicer or figure of encreafe becaufe euery word 
 
 that is fpoken is one of more weight then another. 
 
 And as we lamented the crueltie of an inexorable and 
 
 vnfaithfull miftreffe. 
 
 If by the lavves of loue it be a fait, 
 
 The fait hfull friend, in ab fence to forget : 
 
 But if it be (once do thy heart but halt,) 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 227 
 
 A fecret finite : what forfet is fio great : 
 As by defipite in view of euery eye, 
 The folemne vovves oft fwome with tear es fo fait. 
 And holy Leagues fafl feald with hand and hart: 
 For to repeale and breake fo wilfully ? 
 But now (alas) without all iuft defart, 
 My lot is for my troth and much goodwill, 
 To reape difdaine, hatred and rude refufe, 
 Or if ye would worke me fo me greater ill : 
 And of myne earned ioyes to feel e no part, 
 What els is this (6 cruell) but to vfe, 
 Thy murdring knife the guiltlejfe blond to f pill. 
 Where ye fee how fhe is charged firft with a fault, 
 then with a fecret fmne, afterward with a foule forfet, 
 lafl of all with a moll cruell and bloudy deede. And 
 thus againe in a certaine louers complaint made to the 
 like effect 
 
 They fay it is a ruth to fee thy loner neede, 
 But you can fee me weepe, but you can fee me bleed e : 
 And neuer fiirinke nor fliame, nefJied no teare at all, 
 You make my woitnds your f elf e, and fill them z^> with gall: 
 Yea you can fee me found, and faint for want of breath, 
 Andgafpe andgronefor life, andfiruggle still with death, 
 What can you now do more, fweare by your maydenhead, 
 Then for to flea me qui eke, orfirip me being dead. 
 
 In thefe verfes you fee how one crueltie furmounts 
 another by degrees till it come to the very flaughter 
 and beyond, for it is thought a defpite done to a dead 
 carkas to be an.euidence of greater crueltie then to 
 haue killed him. 
 
 After the Auancer follow eth the abbafer 
 working by wordes and fentences of ex- or'the' 
 tenuation or diminution. Whereupon we fabler, 
 call him the JDifabler or figure of Extenuation : and 
 this extenuation is vfed to diuers purpofes, fometimes 
 for modefties fake, and to auoide the opinion of arro- 
 gancie, fpeaking of our felues or of ours, as he that 
 difabled himfelfe to his miflreffe, thus. 
 
 Not all the skill I haue to fpeake or do, 
 
22S OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Which litle is God wot (fet lone apart : ) 
 Lineload nor life, and put them both thereto, 
 Can count erpeife the due of your defart. 
 
 It may be alfo done for defpite to bring our adu.er- 
 faries in contempt, as he that fayd by one (commended 
 for a very braue fouldier) difabling him fcornefully, 
 thus. 
 
 A iollie man (forfooth) and fit for the warre, 
 Good at hand grippes, better to fight a farre: 
 Whom bright weapon injhevv as it is f aid, 
 Yea his ovvne Jhade, hath often made afraide. 
 
 The fubtilitie of the fcoffe lieth in thefe Latin wordes 
 \eminus et commits picgnare\ Alfo we vfe this kinde 
 of Extenuation when we take in hand to comfort or 
 cheare any perillous enterprife, making a great matter 
 feeme fmall, and of litle difficultie, and is much vfed 
 by captaines in the warre, when they (to giue courage 
 to their fouldiers) will feeme to difable the perfons of 
 their enemies, and abafe their forces, and make light 
 of euery thing that might be a difcouragement to the 
 attempt, as Hamiiball did in his Oration to his foul- 
 diers, when they Ihould come to paffe the Alpes to 
 enter Italie, and for fharpneffe of the weather, and 
 fleepneffe of the mountaines their hearts began to faile 
 them. 
 
 We vfe it againe to excufe a fault, and to make an 
 offence feeme leffe then it is, by giuing a terme mere 
 fauorable and of leffe vehemencie then the troth re- 
 quires, as to fay of a great robbery, that it was but a 
 pilfry matter : of an arrant ruffian that he is a tall 
 fellow of his hands : of a prodigall foole, that he is a 
 kind hearted man : of a notorious vnthrift, a luflie 
 youth, and fuch like phrafes of extenuation, which fall 
 more aptly to the office of the figure Curry fauell 
 before remembred. 
 
 And W5 vfe the like termes by way of pleafant fami- 
 liaritie, and as it were for a Courtly maner of fpeach 
 with our egalls or inferiours, as to call a young Gentle- 
 woman Mall for Mary, Nell for Elner : lack for John, 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 229 
 
 Robin for Robert : or any other like affected termes 
 fpoken of pleafure, as in our triumphals calling fami- 
 liarly vpon our Mufe, I called her Moppe. 
 But will you weet, 
 My litle mufe, my prettie moppe : 
 Ifwejhall al gates change our stoppe, 
 Chofe me a fweet. 
 Vnderflanding by this word [Moppe] a litle prety 
 Lady, or tender young thing. For fo we call litle 
 fifties, that be not come to their full growth [moppes,] 
 as whiting moppes, gurnard moppes. 
 
 Alfo fuch termes are vfed to be giuen in derifion 
 and for a kind of contempt, as when we fay Lording 
 for Lord, and as the Spaniard that calleth an Earle of 
 fmall reuenue Contadilio : the Italian calleth the poore 
 man. by contempt pouerachio, or pouerino, the little 
 bead animalculo or animaluchio, and fuch like diminu- 
 tiues apperteining to this figure, the [D if abler] more 
 ordinary in other languages than in our vulgar. 
 
 This figure of retire holds part with the propounder 
 of which we fpake before (prolep/is) becaufe Efanodis, 
 of the refumption of a former propofition the fi °^ f 
 vttered in generalise to explane the fame Retire. 
 better by a particular diuifion. But their difference is, 
 in that the propounder refumes but the matter only. 
 This [retire] refumes both the matter and the termes, 
 and is therefore accompted one of the figures of repe- 
 tition, and in that refpecl may be called by his originall 
 Greeke name the [Refounde] or the [retire] for this word 
 [odo;] femes both fences refound and retire. The vfe 
 of this figure, is feen in this dittie following, 
 
 Low hope and death, doftirre in me much strife, 
 
 As neuer man but I lead fuch a life : 
 
 For burning lone doth wound my heai't to death : 
 
 And when death comes at call of inward grief , 
 
 Cold lingring hope doth feede my fainting breath : 
 
 Againft my will, and yeelds my wound relief , 
 
 So that I Hue, and yet my life is fuch : 
 
 As neuer death could greeue me halfe fo much. 
 
2 3 o OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Then haue ye a maner of fpeach, not fo figuratiue 
 Diaiisis, as fit for argumentation, and worketh not 
 
 the Dismem- vnlike the dilejnma of the Logicians, be- 
 brer. caufe he propones two or moe matters 
 
 entierly, and doth as it were fet downe the whole tale 
 or rekoning of an argument and then cleare euery 
 part by it felfe, as thus. 
 
 It can not be but fiigardfhip or neede, 
 Made him attempt this foide and wicked deede : 
 Nigardfliip not, for alvvayes he was free, 
 Nor neede, for who doth not his richejfe fee •? 
 Or as one that entreated for a faire young maide 
 who was taken by the watch in London and carried 
 to Bridewell to be punifhed. 
 
 Now gentill Sirs let this young maide alone, 
 For either Jhe hath grace of els JJie hath none : 
 Iffae haue grace, flie may ill time repent, 
 If flie haue none what bootes her punifliment. 
 Or as another pleaded his deferts with his miftreffe. 
 Were it for grace, or els in hope of 'game, 
 To fay of my deferts, it is but vaine : 
 For well in minde, in cafe ye do them beare, 
 To tell them oft, itfliould but irke your eare : 
 Be they forgot : as likely fnould If aile, \uaile. 
 To winne with wordes,, where deedes can not pre- 
 Then haue ye a figure very meete for Orators or 
 , r . eloquent perfwaders fuch as our maker or 
 
 or the ' Poet mull in foixie cafes mew him felfe to 
 Distributer. -^ an( ^ j g w hen we may conueniently vtter 
 a matter in one entier fpeach or propofition and will 
 rather do it peecemeale and by diilribution of euery 
 part for amplification fake, as for example he that 
 might fay, a houfe was outragiouiTy plucked downe : 
 will not be fatisfied fo to fay, but rather will fpeake it 
 in this fort : they firfl vndermined the groundfills, they 
 beate downe the walles, they vnfloored the loftes, they 
 vntiled it and pulled downe the roofe. For fo in deede 
 is a houfe pulled downe by circumftances, which this 
 figure of diflribution doth fet forth euery one apart, 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 231 
 
 and therefore I name him the distributor according to 
 his originall, as wrate the Tufcane Poet in a Sonet 
 which Sir Thomas Wyat tranilated with very good 
 grace, thus. 
 
 Set me whereas the fiinne doth parch the greene, 
 ■ Or where his beames do not diffolue the. yet: 
 In temperate heate where he is felt and fee? le, 
 In prefence prejl of people mad or wife : 
 Set me in hye or yet in low degree, 
 In longeft night or in the fJwrteft day : 
 In cleai'efl skie, or where clouds thickefl bee, 
 In I ust i e youth or when my heares are gray : 
 Set me in heauen, in earth or els in hell, 
 In hill or dale or in the foining flood: 
 Thrall or at large, a Hue where fo I dwell, 
 Sicke or in health, in eu III fame or good ; 
 Hers will I be, and onely with this thought, 
 Content my felfe, although my chaunce be naught. 
 All which might haue bene laid in thefe two verfes. 
 Set me wherefoeuer ye will, 
 I am and wilbe yours flill. 
 The zealous Poet writing in prayfe of the maiden 
 Queene would not feeme to wrap vp all her mofl 
 excellent parts in a few words them entierly compre- 
 hending, but did it by a diflributor or merifmus in the 
 negatiue for the better grace, thus. 
 
 Not your berctie, mofl gracious fouerame, 
 
 Nor maidenly lookes, maintcind with maieflie : 
 
 Your flately port, which doth not match but flai?ie, 
 
 For your prefence, your pallace and your traine, 
 
 All Princes Courts, mine eye could eiier fee : 
 
 Not your quiche wits, your fober gouernaunce : 
 
 Your clear e forfight, your faithful memorie, 
 
 So fweete features, in fo flaid countenaunce : 
 
 Nor languages, with plentuous vttera?ice, 
 
 So able to difcourfe, and entertaine : 
 
 Not noble race, farre beyond C&fars raigne, 
 
 Rimne in right line, and bloud of nointed kings : 
 
 Not large empire, armies, treafurs, domai?ie, 
 
 luflie liueries, of fortifies dearst dai'lings : 
 
232 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Not all the skilles, fit for a Princely dame, 
 Your learned Mufe, with vfe andfludie firings. 
 Not true honour, ne that immortall fame 
 Of may den raigne, your only owne renowne 
 And no Queenes els, yet fuch as yeeldes your name 
 Greater glory than doeth your treble crowne. 
 And then concludes thus. 
 
 Not any one of all thefe honor d parts 
 Your Princely happes, and habites that do moue, 
 And as it ivere, en for cell all the hearts 
 Of Chrifilen kings to quarrell for your loue, 
 But to poffeffe, at once and all the good 
 Arte and eiigine, and euery flarre aboue 
 Fo7'tune or kinde, could farce inflejli and bloud, 
 Was force inough to make fo ma7iy fii7'iue 
 For your per f on, which in our world floode 
 By all confents the minionfl mayde to wiue. 
 Where ye fee that all the parts of her commendation 
 
 which were partitularly remembred in twenty verfes 
 
 before, are wrapt vp in the two verfes of this laft part, 
 
 videl. 
 
 Not any one of all your honor d parts, 
 Thofe Princely haps and habites, &c. 
 This figure ferues for amplification, and alfo for 
 
 ornament, and to enforce perfwafion mightely. Sir 
 
 Geffrey Chaucer, father of our Englifh Poets, hath 
 
 thefe verfes following the diftributor. 
 
 When faith failes in Priefles fawes, 
 And Lords hefles are holden for lawes, 
 And robbei'ie is tane for pur chafe, 
 A nd lechery for folace 
 The?iJJiall the Realme of Albion 
 Be brought to great confufion. 
 Where he might haue faid as much in thefe words : 
 
 when vice abounds, and vertue decayeth in Albion, 
 
 then &c. And as another said, 
 
 When Prince for his people is wake full and wife, 
 Peeres ay ding with amies, Counfellors with aduife, 
 Magiflrate fincei-ely vfing his charge, 
 People prefl to obey, nor let to runne at large, 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 233 
 
 Prelate of holy life, and with deuotion 
 
 Preferring pietie before promotion, 
 Priest flill preaching, and praying for our heale : 
 Then bleffed is the ft ate of a comman-weale. 
 All which might haue bene faid in thefe few words, 
 when euery man in charge and authoritie doeth his 
 duety, and executeth his function well, then is the 
 common-wealth happy. 
 
 The Greeke Poets who made muficall ditties to be 
 fons^ to the lute or harpe, did vie to linke 
 
 P ■ i . Efimojie, 
 
 their itaues together with one verfe running or the 
 throughout the whole fong by equall dif- Loueburden - 
 tance, and was, for the moft part, the firft verfe of the 
 flaffe, which kept fo good fence and conformitie with 
 the whole, as his often repetition did geue it greater 
 grace. They called fuch linking verfe Epimo?ie, the 
 Latin es v erf us inter calaris. and we may terme him the 
 Loue-burden, following the origin all, or if it pleafe you, 
 the long repeate : in one refpect becaufe that one 
 verfe alone beareth the whole burden of the fong 
 according to the originall : in another refpecl, for that 
 it comes by large diftances to be often repeated, as in 
 this ditty made by the noble knight Sir Philip Sidney, 
 My true loue hath my heart and I haue his, 
 By iuft exchange one for another geuen : 
 I holds his dea?'e, and mine he can?iot miffe, 
 There neuer was a better bargai?ie driuen. 
 
 My true loue hath my heart and I haue his. 
 My heart in me keepes him and me in one, 
 My heart in him his thoughts and fences guides : 
 He loues my heart, for once it was his owne, 
 I cheriJJi his becaufe in me it bides. 
 
 My true loue hath my heart, and I haue his. 
 Many times our Poet is caried by fonie occafion to 
 report of a thing that is maruelous, and 
 
 , ■ 1 «nr r i • /- i raradoxon. 
 
 then he will feeme not to fpeake it nmply or the 
 but with fome figne of admiration, as in ^ ondre r. 
 our enterlude called the IVoer. 
 
 I woonder much to fee fo many husbands thriue, 
 
234 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. II I. 
 
 That Jiaue but little wit, before they come to wiue : 
 For one would eafdy weene who fo hath little wit, 
 His wife to teach it him, were a thing much vnfit. 
 Or as Cato the Romane Senatour laid one day 
 merily to his companion that walked with him, point- 
 ing his finger to a yong vnthrift in the ftreete who 
 lately before fold his patrimonie, of a goodly quantitie 
 of fait marines, lying neere vnto Capua Ihore. 
 Now is it not, a wonder to behold, 
 Yonder gallant skarce twenty winter old, 
 By might (marke ye) able to doo morel 
 Than the mayne fea that batters on hisfliore? 
 For what the wanes could neuer wafJi away, 
 This proper youth hath wafted in a day. 
 Not much vnlike the vvondrer haue ye another 
 figure called the doubtfully becaufe often- 
 or7he times we will feeme to caft perils, and make 
 
 Doubtfuii. doubt of things when by a plaine manner 
 of fpeech wee might affirme or deny him, as thus of a 
 cruell mother who murdred her owne child. 
 
 Whether the cruell mother were ?nore to blame, 
 Or theflirevvd childe come of fo curfl a dame : 
 Or whether fome f match of the fathers blood, 
 Whofe kinne vvei'e neuer kinde, nor neuer good. 
 Mooued her thereto, &*c. 
 This manner of fpeech is vfed when we will not 
 Epitropis, feeme, either for manner fake or to auoid 
 Fi urVof Re- tedioufheffe, to trouble the iudge or hearer 
 ference. ' with all that we could fay, but hauing faid 
 inough already, we referre the reft to their confedera- 
 tion, as he that faid thus : 
 
 Me thinkes that I haue faid, what may well fuffife, 
 
 Referring all the reft, to your better aduife. 
 
 The fine and fubtill perfwader when his intent is to 
 
 fling his aduerfary, or els to declare his mind 
 
 oTth<f ' in broad and liberal fpeeches, which might 
 
 Licentious. breede offence or fcandall, he will feeme 
 
 to befpeake pardon before hand, whereby his licen- 
 
 tioufnes may be the better borne withall, as he that 
 
 faid: 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 235 
 
 If my fpeech hap £ offend you any way, 
 Thinke it their fault, that force me fo to fay. 
 Not much vnlike to the figure of reference, is there 
 another with fome little diuerfitie which we . . . . 
 
 . Auac/unosis, 
 
 call zmpa?'tener, becauie many times m or the 
 pleading and perfwading, we thinke it a Im P artener - 
 very good pollicie to acquaint our iudge or hearer or 
 very aduerfarie with fome part of our Counfell and ad- 
 uice, and to aske their opinion, as who would fay they 
 could not otherwife thinke of the matter then we do. 
 As he that had tolde a long tale before certaine noble 
 women, of a matter fomewhat in honour touching the 
 Sex. 
 
 Tell me fair e ladies, if the cafe were your owne, 
 So foule a fault would you haue it be knowen ? 
 Maifter Gorge in this figure, faid very fweetly. 
 All you who read thefe lines and skanne of my defart, 
 Iudge whether was more good, my hap or els my hart. 
 The good Orator vfeth a manner of fpeach in his 
 perfwafion and is when all that mould feeme to make 
 againft him being fpoken by th' other fide, Paramohgia, 
 he will firft admit it, and in th'end auoid ^^e^^ 
 all for his better aduantage, and this figure mittance. 
 is much vfed by our Englifh pleaders in the Star- 
 chamber and Chancery, which they call to confeffe and 
 auoid, if it be in cafe of crime or iniury, and is a very 
 good way. For when the matter is fo plaine that it 
 cannot be denied or trauerfed, it is good that it be 
 iuftified by confeffall and auoidance. I call it the 
 figure of admittance. As we once wrate to the reproofe 
 of a Ladies faire but crueltie. 
 
 I know your witte, I know your pleafant tongue, 
 Your fome fweete f miles , your fome, but lonely lowrs: 
 A beautie to enamour olde and yong. 
 Thofe chaft deftres, that noble minde of yours, 
 And that chief e part whence all your honor fp rings, 
 A grace to entertaine the greatest kings. 
 All this I know : butfmne it is to fee, 
 So faire partes fpi It by too much crueltie. 
 
236 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 In many cafes we are driuen for better perfwafion to 
 
 Etioiog-ia, tell the caufe that mooues vs to fay thus or 
 
 or the thus: or els when we would fortifie our 
 
 Reason rend ,, . , . r 
 
 or the allegations by rendrmg realons to euery 
 
 Tell cause. one ^ ^-g a ffig na ti on of caufe the Greekes 
 
 called Etiologia, which if we might without fcorne of a 
 new inuented terme call \Tell caitfe~\ it were right accord- 
 ing to theGreekeoriginall: and I pray you why mould 
 we not ? and with as good authoritie as the Greekes ? 
 Sir Thomas Smith, her Maiefties principall Secretary, 
 and a man of great learning and grauitie, fe eking to 
 geue an Englifh word to this Greeke word aya^og 
 called it Spitewed, or wedfpite. Mailer Secretary 
 Wilfon geuing an Englifh name to his arte of Logicke, 
 called it Witcraft, me thinke I may be bolde with like 
 liberty to call the figure Eiiologia \Tell caufe.~\ And this 
 manner of fpeech is alwayes contemned, with thefe 
 words, for, becaufe, and fuch other connrmatiues. The 
 Latines hauing no fitte name to geue it in one fmgle 
 word, gaue it no name at all, but by circumlocution. 
 We alfo call him the reafon-rendrer, and leaue the right 
 Englifh word \_Tel caufe] much better anfwering the 
 Greeke originall. Ariflotle was moll excellent in vfe 
 of this figure, for he neuer propones any allegation, or 
 makes any furmife, but he yeelds a reafon or caufe to 
 fortifie and proue it, which geues it great credit. For 
 example ye may take thefe verfes, firft pointing, than 
 confirming by fimilitudes. 
 
 When fortime JJiall haue spit out all he?' gall, 
 I truft good htckfliall be to me allow de, 
 For 1 haite feene afliippe in hauen fall, 
 After theflorme had broke both mafle and Jlirowde. 
 And this. 
 
 Good is the thing that moues vs to defire, 
 That is to ioy the beauty we behold : 
 Els were we loiters as in an endleffe fire, 
 Alwaies burning and euer chill a colde. 
 And in thefe verfes. 
 
 A ecu fed though I be without defart, 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 237 
 
 Sith none can proue b el eerie it not for true : 
 For neuer yet fince firft ye had my hart, 
 Entended I to falfe or be vntrue. 
 And in this Difticque. 
 And for her beauties praife, 110 wight that with her 
 warres: [theflars. 
 
 For where fJie comes JJie JJiewes her f elf e like fun among 
 And in this other dittie of ours where the louer com- 
 plaines of his Ladies crueltie, rendring for euery fur- 
 mife a reafon, and by telling the caufe, feeketh (as it 
 were) to get credit, thus. 
 
 Cruel you be who can fay nay, 
 Since ye delight in others wo : 
 TJnwife am I, ye may well fay, 
 For that I haue, ho?iourd you fo. 
 But blameleffe 7, who could not chufe, 
 l^o be enchaunted by your eye : 
 But ye to blame, thus to refufe 
 My feruice, and to let me die. 
 Sometimes our error is fo manifeft, or we Didwiogia, 
 be fo hardly preft with our aduerfaries, as we «. or th % 
 
 ' l j Figure of ex- 
 
 cannot deny the fault layd vnto our charge : cuse. 
 in which cafe it is good pollicie to excufe it by fome al- 
 lowable pretext, as did one whom his miftreffe burdened 
 with fomevnkinde fpeeches which he had paft of her, thus. 
 I faid it: but by lapfe of lying tongue, 
 When fur ie and iufl grief e my heart opprefl : 
 I fay d it : as ye fee, both fraile and young, 
 When your rigor had ranckled in my brest. 
 The cruell wound that fmarted me fo fore, 
 Pardon therefore (fweete forrow) or at leafl 
 Beare with mine youth that neuer fell before, 
 Leafl your offence encreafe my grief e the more. 
 And againe in thefe, 
 
 I fpake amyffe I cannot it deny 
 
 But cat fed by your great d if court efie : 
 
 And if I faid that which I now repent, 
 
 And faid it not, but by mifgouernment 
 
 Of youthfull yeres, your f elf e that are fo young 
 
238 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 Pardo7i for once this error of my tongue. 
 And thinke amends can neuer come to late: 
 Lone may be curft, but lone can neuer hate. 
 Speaking before of the figure \Synecdoche] wee called 
 Noema, him. [Quiche conceit] becaufe he inured in 
 
 Figure 6 of a fmgle word onely by way of intendment 
 dose conceit. r large meaning, but fuch as was fpeedily 
 difcouered by euery quicke wit, as by the halfe to 
 vnderftand the whole, and many other waies appearing 
 by the examples. But by this figure \Noema] the ob- 
 fcurity of the fence lieth not in a fmgle word, but in an 
 entier fpeech, whereof we do not fo eafily conceiue the 
 meaning, but as it were by conieclure, becaufe it is 
 wittie and fubtile or darke, which makes me therefore 
 call him in our vulgar the [Clofe conceit] as he that faid 
 by himfelfe and his wife, I thank e God in fortie winters 
 that we haue liued together, neuer any of our neigh- 
 bours fet vs at one, meaning that they neuer fell out 
 in all that fpace, which had bene the directer fpeech 
 and more apert, and yet by intendment amounts all to 
 one, being neuertheleffe diffemblable and in effect 
 contrary. Pawlet Lord Treaforer of England, and 
 firft Marques of Winch efter, with the like fubtill fpeech 
 gaue a quippe to Sir William Gyjford, who had married 
 the Marques filler, and all her life time could neuer 
 loue her nor like of her company, but when fhe was 
 dead made the greatefl moane for her in the world, 
 and with teares and much lamentation vttered his 
 griefe to the L. Treaforer, 6 good brother quoth the 
 Marques, I am right fory to fee you now loue my 
 fifter fo well, meaning that he mewed his loue too late, 
 and mould haue done it while fhe was a liue. 
 
 A great counfellour fomewhat forgetting his modeftie, 
 vfed thefe words : Gods lady I reckon my felfe as 
 good a man as he you talke of, and yet I am not able 
 to do fo. Yea fir quoth the party, your L. is too good 
 to be a man, I would ye were a Saint, meaning he 
 would he were dead, for none are fhrined for Saints 
 before they be dead. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 239 
 
 The Logician vfeth a definition to ex- Orismus, 
 preffe the truth or nature of euery thing Define? of 
 by his true kinde and difference, as to fay difference. 
 wifedome is a prudent and wittie forefight and con- 
 fideration of humane or worldly actions with their 
 euentes. This definition is Logicall. The Oratour 
 vfeth another maner of definition, thus : Is this wife- 
 dome ? no it is a certaine fubtill knauifh craftie wit, 
 it is no induflrie as ye call it, but a certaine bufie 
 brainhckneffe, for induflrie is a liuely and vnweried 
 fearch and occupation in honeft things, egerneffe is an 
 appetite in bafe and fmall matters. 
 
 It ferueth many times to great purpofe to preuent 
 our aduerfaries arguments, and take vpon vs to know 
 before what our iudge or aduerfary or hearer thinketh, 
 and that we will feeme to vtter.it before it be fpoken 
 or alleaged by them, in refpect of which boldneffe to 
 enter fo deepely into another mans conceit orconfcience, 
 and to be fo priuie of another mans mynde, gaue caufe 
 that this fiQTire was called the \ prefumptuousX D u 7je . 
 
 *- -J JrYOCClttZiCpSlS 
 
 I will alfo call him the figure oiprefuppofall or 
 
 or the preuenter, for by reafon we fuppofe us Pr oSwse 
 before what may be faid, or perchaunce the'%ure of 
 would be faid by our aduerfary, or any rebU PP° sa 
 other, we do preuent them of their aduantage, and do 
 catch the ball (as they are wont to fay) before it come 
 to the ground. 
 
 It is alfo very many times vfed for a good pollicie 
 in pleading or perfwafion to make wife as „ 
 if we fet but light of the matter, and that or the 
 therefore we do paffe it ouer nightly when Passages 
 in deede we do then intend mofl effectually and de- 
 fpightfully if it be inuecciue to remember it : it is alfo 
 when we will not feeme to know a thing, and yet we 
 know it well inough, and may be likened to the 
 maner of women, who as the common faying is, will 
 fay nay and take it. 
 
 I hold my peace and will not fay for fJiame, 
 The much vntruth of that vnciuill dame : 
 
240 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 For if IJhould her coullours kindly blaze, 
 It would fo make the chaft eares amaze. 6rc. 
 It is faid by maner of a prouerbiall fpeach that he 
 Commoratio w ^° ^ n( ^ es himfelfe well fhould not wagge, 
 or the euen fo the perfwader finding a fubftantiall 
 
 figure of abode. p()int ^ ^ matter tQ feme J^g p Urpo f ej 
 
 fhould dwell vpon that point longer then vpon any 
 other leffe affured, and vfe all endeuour to maintaine 
 that one, and as it were to make his chief aboad there- 
 upon, for which caufe I name him the figure of aboad, 
 according to the Latine name : Some take it not but 
 for a courfe of argument and therefore hardly may one 
 giue any examples thereof. 
 
 Now as arte and good pollicy in perfwafion bids vs 
 
 Metastasis, to abide and not to ftirre from the point of 
 
 or the our mod aduantage, but the fame to en- 
 
 mtting figure. r , ° 'in mi 
 
 or the force and tarry vpon with all poffible ar- 
 Remoue. gument, fo doth difcretion will vs fome- 
 times to flit from one matter to another, as a thing 
 meete to be forfaken, and another entred vpon, I call 
 him therefore the flitting figure, or figure oiremoue, like 
 as the other before was called the figure of aboade. 
 Euen fo againe, as it is wifdome for a perfwader to 
 tarrie and make his aboad as lone; as he 
 or the may conueniently without tedioufnes to the 
 
 Stragier. hearer, vpon his chiefe proofes or points of 
 
 the caufe tending to his aduantage, and likewife to 'de- 
 part againe when time femes, and goe to a new matter 
 feruing the purpofe afwell. So is it requifite many 
 times for him to talke farre from the principall matter, 
 and as it were to range afide, to th'intent by fuch ex- 
 traordinary meane to induce or inferre other matter, 
 afwell or better feruing the principal purpofe, and 
 neuertheles in feafon to returne home where he firft 
 ftrayed out. This maner of fpeech is termed the figure 
 of digreffion by the Latines, following the Greeke ori- 
 ginall, we alfo call him the ftraggler by allufion to the 
 fouldier that marches out of his array, or by thofe that 
 keepe no order in their marche, as the battailes well 
 
OF ORNAMENT, LIB. III. 241 
 
 ranged do : of this figure there need be geuen no ex- 
 ample. 
 
 Occafion offers many times that our maker as an 
 oratour, or perfwader, or pleader mould go Expedite, 
 roundly to worke, and by a quick and fwift ^ee^di^pat- 
 argument difpatch his perfwafion, and as cher. 
 they are woont to fay not to Hand all day trifling to no 
 purpofe, but to rid it out of the way quickly. This is 
 done by a manner of fpeech, both figuratiue and argu- 
 mentative, when we do briefly fet downe all our beft 
 reafons feruing the purpofe, and reiect all of them 
 fauing one. which we accept to fatisfie the caufe : as 
 he that in a litigious cafe for land would prooue it not 
 the aduerfaries, but his clients. 
 
 No man can fay its his by heritage. 
 Nor by Zcgacie, or Teflatours deuice: 
 Nor that it came by pur chafe or engage, 
 Nor from his Prince for any good fet -nice. 
 Then needs mufl it be his by very wrong, 
 Which he hath offred this poore plaintife fo long. 
 Though we might call this figure very well and pro- 
 perly the \Paragori\ yet dare I not fo to doe for feare 
 of the Courtiers enuy, who will haue no man vfe that 
 terme but after a courtly manner, that is, in prayfmg 
 of horfes, haukes, hounds, pearles, diamonds, rubies, 
 emerodes, and other precious ftones : fpecially of faire 
 women whofe excellencie is difcouered by paragonizing 
 or fetting one to another, which moued the zealous 
 Poet, fpeaking of the mayden Queene, to call her the 
 paragon of Queenes. This coniidered, I will let our 
 figure enioy his beft beknowen name, and call him 
 ftil in all ordinarie. cafes the figure of comparifon : as 
 when a man wil feeme to make things appeare good 
 or bad, or better or worfe, or more or leffe excellent, 
 either vpon fpite or for pleafure, or any other good 
 affection, then he fets the leffe by the greater, or the 
 greater to the leffe, the equall to his equall, and by 
 fuch confronting of them together, driues out the true 
 ods that is betwixt them, and makes it better appeare, 
 
 Q 
 
242 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 as when we fang of our Soueraigne Lady thus, in the 
 twentieth Partheniade. - 
 
 As falcon fares to buff ards flight, 
 
 As egles eyes to owlates fight, 
 
 As fierce faker to coward kite, 
 
 As bright eft no one to darkeft night : 
 
 As fummer funne exceedeth farre, 
 
 The mooiie and euery other ftarre : 
 
 So far re my Pri?iceffe praife doeth paffe, 
 
 The famoust Qiceene that euer was. 
 And in the eighteene Partheniade thus. 
 
 Set rich ruble to red efmayle, 
 
 2 he rauens plume to peacocks tayle, 
 
 Lay me the larkes to lizards eyes, 
 
 The duskie cloude to azure skie, 
 
 SetJJiallow brookes to furging feas, 
 
 An orie7it pearle to a white peafe : 
 &c. Concluding. 
 
 There fJiall no leffe an ods be feene 
 
 In .mine from euery other Quee?ie. 
 We are fometimes occafioned in our tale to report 
 Diaiogismus, fome fpeech from another mans mouth, as 
 the ri ht rea- wnat a king faid to his priuy counfell or 
 soner. fubiec~l, a captaine to his fouldier, a foul- 
 
 diar to his captaine, a man to a woman, and contrari- 
 wife : in which report we muft alwaies geue to euery 
 perfon his fit and naturall, and. that which best becom- 
 meth him. For that fpeech becommeth a king which 
 doth not a carter, and a young man that doeth not an 
 old : and fo in euery fort and degree. Virgil fpeaking 
 in the perfon of Eneas, Turnus and many other great 
 Princes, and fometimes of meaner men, ye ihall fee 
 what decencie euery of their fpeeches holdeth with 
 the qualitie, degree and yeares of the fpeaker. To 
 which examples I will for this time referre you. 
 
 So if byway of fiction we will feem to fpeake in another 
 mans perfon, as if king Henry were aliue, and mould 
 fay of the towne of Bulleyn, what we by warre to the 
 hazard of our perfon hardly obteined, our young fonne 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 243 
 
 without any peril at all, for litle mony deliuered vp 
 againe. Or if we fhould faine king JLdwardXht thirde, 
 vnderflanding how his fucceffour Queene Marie had 
 loft the towne of Calays by negligence, fhould fay : 
 That which the fword wanne, the diftaffe hath loft. 
 This manner of fpeech is by the figure Dialogifmus, or 
 the right reafoner. 
 
 In waightie caufes and for great purpofes, wife per- 
 fwaders vfe graue and weighty fpeaches, ~ 
 fpecially in matter of aduife or counfel, or the' 
 for which purpofe there is a maner of Director - 
 fpeach to alleage textes or authorities of wittie fen- 
 tence, fuch as fmatch morall doctrine and teach wife- 
 dome and good behauiour, by the Greeke originall 
 we call him the direclour, by the Latin he is called 
 fententia : we may call him the fagefayer, thus. 
 " Native bids vs as a louing mother. - c . .. 
 
 ° 7 fententia, 
 
 " To 10 ue our fellies firfl and next to lone or the 
 
 another. Sage sayer - 
 
 " The Prince that couets all to know and fee, 
 " Had need e full milde and patient to bee. 
 
 " Nothing flickes f after by vs as appeares, 
 
 u Then that which we learne in our tender yeares. 
 
 And that which our foueraigne Lady wrate in defi- 
 ance of fortune. 
 
 Neuer thinke you fortune can beare the fvvay, 
 Where vertues force, can caufe her to obay. 
 
 Heede muft be taken that fuch rules or fentences 
 be choifly made and not often vfed leaft exceffe breed 
 lothfomneffe. 
 
 _ Arte and good pollicie moues vs many Shtathrismtls . 
 times to be earned in our fpeach, and then or the 
 we lay on fuch load and fo go to it by Heapmg %ure ' 
 heapes as if we would winne the game by multitude ot 
 words and fpeaches, not all of one but of diuers matter 
 and fence, for which caufe the Latines called it Con- 
 geries and we the heaping figure, as he that faid 
 
 To mufe in minde how faire, how wife, how good, 
 
244 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 How braue, how free ', how curteous a?id how true, 
 My Lady is doth but inflame my blood. 
 Or thus. 
 
 I deeme, I dreame, I do, I taft, I touch, 
 Nothing at all but fmells of perfit bliffe. 
 And thus by maifter Edward Diar, vehement 
 fwift and paffionatly. 
 
 But if my faith my hope, my loue my true intent, 
 My libei'tie, my feruice vowed, my time and all be fpe?it, 
 In vaine, 6r°c. 
 
 But if fuch earneft and haftie heaping vp of fpeaches 
 be made by way of recapitulation, which commonly is 
 in the end of euery long tale and Oration, becaufe the 
 fpeaker feemes to make a collection of all the former 
 materiall points, to binde them as it were in a bundle 
 and lay them forth to enforce the caufe and renew the 
 hearers memory, then ye may geue him more properly 
 the name of the \colleclour\ or recapitulatour, and fer- 
 ueth to very great purpofe as in an hympne written by 
 vs to the Queenes Maieftie entitled (Minerua) wherein 
 fpeaking of the mutabilitie of fortune in the cafe of all 
 Princes generally, wee feemed to exempt her Maieftie 
 of all fuch cafualtie, by reafon fhe was by her deftinie 
 and many diuine partes in her, ordained to a moil 
 long and conftant profperitie in this world, concluding 
 with this recapitulation. 
 
 But thou art free, but were thou not in deede, 
 But were thou not, come of immortall fleede : 
 Neuer y borne, and thy minde made to bliffe, 
 Heauens mettall that euerlafling is : 
 Were not thy wit, and that thy vertices fJiall, 
 Be deemd diuine thy fauour face and all : 
 And that thy loze, ne name may neuer dye, 
 Nor thy flat e heme, flay d by deftinie : 
 Dread were least once thy noble hart may feele, 
 Some rufull tume, of her vnfleady wheele. 
 
 Many times when we haue runne a long 
 
 Apostrophe, . J ° 
 
 or race in our tale lpoken to the hearers, we 
 
 the tume tale. ^ Q f 0( ^ am iy fly e ou ^ an d either fpeake or 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 245 
 
 exclaime at fome other perfon or thing, and therefore 
 the Greekes call fuch figure (as we do) the turnway or 
 turnetale, and breedeth by fuch exchaunge a certaine 
 recreation to the hearers minds, as this vfed by a louer 
 to his vnkind miflreffe. 
 
 A?id as for you (faire one) fay now byproofeyefinde, 
 That rigour and iiigratitude foone kill a gentle minde. 
 
 And as we in our triumphals, fpeaking long to the 
 Queenes Maieftie, vpon the fodaine we burft out in 
 an exclamation to Phebus, feeming to draw in a new 
 matter, thus. 
 
 But O Phebus, 
 
 All glifte7'ing in thy gorgious gowne, 
 
 Would/1 thou witfafe to flide a downe : 
 
 And dwell with vs, 
 
 But for a day, 
 
 I could tell thee clofe in thine eare, 
 A tale that thou hadfl leuer heare 
 I dare well fay : 
 
 Then ere thou vvert, 
 
 To kiffe that vnkind runneaway, 
 
 Who was transformed to boughs of bay : 
 
 For her curfl hert. &-r. 
 And fo returned againe to the firft matter. 
 The matter and occafion leadeth vs Hypotiposis, 
 many times to defcribe and fet foorth . or _ c . 
 
 J . n the counterfait 
 
 many things, in fuch fort as it mould ap- representation. 
 peare they were truly before our eyes though they 
 were not prefent, which to do it requireth cunning : 
 for nothing can be kindly counterfait or reprefented in 
 his abfence, but by great difcretion in the doer. And 
 if the things we couet to defcribe be not naturall or 
 not veritable, than yet the fame axeth more cunning 
 to do it, becaufe to faine a thing that neuer was nor is 
 like to be, proceedeth of a greater wit and fharper in- 
 uention than to defcribe things that be true. 
 
 And thefe be things that a poet or p r0 sopo- 
 maker is woont to defcribe fometimes as graphia. 
 
246 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 true or naturall, and fometimes to faine as artiiici- 
 all and not true. viz. The vifage, fpeach and coun- 
 tenance of any perfon abfent or dead : and this kinde 
 of reprefentation is called the Counterfait countenance: 
 as Homer doth in his Iliades, diuerfe perfonages : 
 namely Achilles and Therfites, according to the truth 
 \ and not by fiction. And as our poet Chaucer doth in 
 his Canterbury tales fet foorth the Sumner, Pardoner, 
 Manciple, and the reft of the pilgrims, moil naturally 
 and pleafantly. 
 
 Prosofopeia. But if ye wil faine any perfon with fuch 
 
 Counterfeit in f eatures ? qualities and conditions, or if ye 
 personation. wil attribute any humane quality, as reafon 
 or fpeech to dombe creatures or other infenfible things, 
 and do ftudy (as one may fay) to giue them a humane 
 perfon, it is not Profopographia, but Profopopeia, be- 
 caufe it is by way of fiction, and no prettier examples 
 can be giuen to you thereof, than in the Romant of 
 
 ^ ) the rofe tranflated out of French by Chaucer, describ- 
 ing the perfons of auarice, enuie, old age, and many 
 others, whereby much moralitie is taught. 
 
 So if we defcribe the time or feafon of the yeare, as 
 Cronographia, winter, fummer, harueft, day, midnight, 
 Counterfeit noone, euening, or fuch like : we call fuch 
 time. defcription the counterfait time. Crono- 
 
 graphia examples are euery where to be found. 
 Topographia, And if this defcription be of any true 
 Counterfeit place, citie, caflell, hill, valley or fea, and 
 place. fuch like: we call it the counterfait place 
 
 Topographia, or if ye fayne places vntrue, as heauen, 
 hell, paradife, the houfe of fame, the pallace of the 
 funne, the denne of fheep, and fuch like which ye mall 
 
 ^ I fee in Poetes : fo did Chaucer very well defcribe the 
 country of Saluces in Itdlie, which ye may fee, in his 
 Pragmato- re P 01 t of the Lady Gryfyll. 
 graphic But if fuch defcription be made to repre- 
 
 Coumerfeit fent the handling of any bufines with the 
 action. circumflances belonging therevnto as the 
 
 manner of a battell, a feaft, a marriage, a buriall or 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 247 
 
 any other matter that lieth in feat and actiuitie : we call 
 it then the counterfait aclion [Tragmatographia.] 
 
 In this figure the Lord Nicholas Vaux a noble gentle- 
 man, and much delighted in vulgar making, and a man 
 otherwife of no great learning but hauing herein a mar- 
 uelous facillitie, made a dittie reprefenting the battayle 
 and affault of Cupide, fo excellently well, as for the gal- 
 lant and propre application of his fiction in euery part, 
 I cannot choofe but fet downe the greateft part of his 
 ditty, for in truth it can not be amended. 
 When Cupid fcaled the fort, 
 
 Wherein i?iy hart lay wounded fore 
 
 The battrie was of fuch a fort, 
 
 That I mufl yeeld or die therefore. 
 
 There J aw I lone zpon the wall, 
 
 How he his banner did difplay, 
 
 Alarme alar me he gan to call, 
 
 And bad his fouldiers keepe aray. 
 
 The amies the which that Cupid bare, 
 
 Were pearced harts with teares befprent : 
 
 Infduer and fable to declare 
 
 The fled fast lone he alwaies meant'. 
 There might you fee his band all drest 
 
 In colours like to white and blacke, 
 
 With ponder and with pellets prefl, 
 
 To bring them forth to fpoile and facke, 
 
 Good will the maifter oftheJJiot, 
 
 Stood in the Rampire braue and proude, 
 
 For expence of pouder he f pared not, 
 
 Affault affault to crie aloude. 
 
 There might you, heare the Canons rore, 
 
 Eche peece dif charging a louers looke, &>c. 
 As well to a good maker and Poet as ,, . . - 
 
 {J miosis, 
 
 to an excellent perfwader in profe, the or 
 
 figure of Similitude is very neceffary, by Resemblance - 
 which we not onely bewtifie our tale, but alfo very 
 much inforce and inlarge it. I fay inforce becaufe no 
 one thing more preuaileth with all ordinary iudge- 
 ments than perfwafion \yyfimilitude. Now becaufe there 
 
248 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 are fundry forts of them, which alfo do worke after 
 diuerfe fafhions in the hearers conceits, I will fet them 
 all foorth by a triple diuifion, exempting the generall 
 Similitude as their common Aunceftour, and I will cal 
 him by the name of Refemblance without any addition, 
 from which I deriue three other forts : and I giue euery 
 one his particular name, as Refemblance by Pourtrait or 
 Imagery, which the Greeks call Icon, Refemblance mor- 
 all or miflicall, which they call Parabola, and Refemb- 
 lance by example, which they call Paradigma, and firfl 
 we will fpeake of the generall refemblance, or bare fimili- 
 tude, which may be thus fpoken. 
 
 But as the watriefJiowres delay the raging wind, \jnind. 
 So doeth good hope cleane put away difpaire out of my 
 And in this other likening the forlorne louer to a 
 flriken deere. 
 
 Then as the flriken deere, withdrawes himfelfe alone, 
 So do I feeke fome fecret place, where I may make my mone. 
 And in this of ours where we liken glory to a fhadow. 
 As the fJiadow (his nature beyng fuch,) 
 Followeth the body, whether it will or no, 
 So doeth glory, refufe it nere fo much, 
 Wait on vertue, be it in weale or wo. 
 A7id enen as the fhadow i?i his kind, 
 What time it beares the carkas company, 
 Goth oft before, and often co??ies behind : 
 So doth renowme, that raifeth vs fo hye, 
 Come to vs quicke, fometime not till we dye. 
 But the glory, that growth not ouer fafl, 
 Is euer great, and likeliefl long to lafl. 
 Againe in a ditty to a miflreffe of ours, where we 
 likened the cure of Loue to Achilles launce. 
 
 The launce fo bright, that made Telephus wound, 
 The fame rufly, fahced the fore againe, 
 So may my meede (Madame) of you redownd, 
 Whofe rigour was first authour of my paine. 
 The Tuskan poet vfeth this Refemblance, inuring as 
 well by Dififimilitude as Similitude, likening himfelfe 
 (by L?iplication) to the flie, and neither to the eagle nor 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 249 
 
 to the owle : very well Englifhed by Sir Thomas J Via I 
 
 after his fafhion, and by my felfe thus : 
 
 There befomefowles of fight fo prowd and flarke, 
 As can behold the funne, and neiter flirinke, 
 Some fo feeble, as they are faiiie to winke, 
 Or neuer come abroad till it be darke : 
 Others there be fo fimple, as they thinke, 
 Becaufe it fJiines, to fport them in the fire, 
 And feel e vnware, the wrong of their defer e, 
 Fluttring amidfl the flame that doth them burne, 
 Of this last ranke (alas) am I aright, 
 For in my ladies lookes to fland or tnrne 
 I haue 710 power, ne find place to retire, 
 Where any darke may JJiade me from her fight 
 But to her beames fo bright whilst I afpire, 
 I periJJi by the bane of my delight. 
 Againe in thefe likening a wife man to the true louer. 
 As true lone is content with his enioy, 
 And asketh no witnejfe nor no record, 
 And as faint lone is euermore mofi coy, 
 To bo aft and brag his troth at euery word : 
 Enen fo the wife without en other meede : 
 Contents him with the guilt of his good deede. 
 And in this refembling the learning of an euil man 
 
 to the feedes fowen in barren ground. 
 
 As the good feedes fowen infrutefullfoyle, 
 Bring foorth foyj on when barren doeth them fpoile: 
 So doeth it fare when much good learning hits, 
 Vpon fJirewde willes and ill dispofed wits. 
 And in thefe likening the wife man to an idiot. 
 A fage mail faid, many of thofe that come 
 To Athens fchoole for wifdome, ere they went 
 They first feem'd zuife, then loners of wifdome, 
 Then Orators, then idiots, which is meant 
 That in wifdome all f itch as profit e mofi, 
 Are least fwlie, and little apt to boast. 
 Againe, for a louer, whofe credit vpon fome report 
 
 had bene fhaken,he prayethbetter opinion by fimilitude. 
 After ill crop the foyle mufii eft be fowen, 
 
250 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 And fro fliipwracke we fayle to feas againe, 
 Then God forbid whofe fault hath once bene knowen, 
 Should for euer a f pot ted wight reniaine. 
 And in this working by refemblance in a kinde of 
 diffimilitude betweene a father and a mailer. 
 
 It fares not by fathers as by masters it doethfare, 
 For a foolifh father may get a wife forme. 
 But of a foolifh mafter it haps very rare 
 Is bread a wifeferuant where euer he wonne. 
 And in thefe, likening the wife man to the Giant, the 
 foole to the Dwarfe. 
 
 Set the Giant deepe in a dale, the dwarfe vpo?i an hill, 
 Yet will the one be but a dwarfe, tK other a giant flill. 
 So tvill the wife be great and high, euen in the lowest place: 
 The foole when he is mofl aloft, willfeeme but low and bafe. 
 icon. But when we liken an humane perfon to 
 
 Resemblance another in countenaunce, ftature, fpeach 
 byimagerie. r other qualitie, it is not called bare re- 
 femblance, but refemblaunce by imagerie or pourtrait, 
 alluding to the painters terme, who yeldeth to th'eye 
 a vifible reprefentation of the thing he defcribes and 
 painteth in his table. So we commending her Maieflie 
 for wifedome bewtie and magnanimitie likened her to 
 the Serpent, the Lion and the Angell, becaufe by 
 common vfurpation, nothing is wifer then the Serpent, 
 more couragious then the Lion, more bewtifull then the 
 Angell. Thefe are our verfes in the end of the feuenth 
 Partheniade. 
 
 Nature that feldome vvorkes amiffe, 
 In vvomans brefl by paffing art : 
 Hath lodged f of e the lyons hart, 
 And feately fixt with all good grace, 
 To Serpents head an Angels face. 
 And this maner of refemblaunce is not onely per- 
 formed by likening of liuely creatures one to another, 
 but alfo of any other naturall thing, bearing a propor- 
 tion of fimilitude, as to liken yealow to gold, white to 
 filuer, red to the rofe, foft to filke, hard to the ftone 
 and fuch like. Sir Philip Sidney in the defcription of 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 251 
 
 his miftreffe excellently well handled this figure of re- 
 femblaunce by imagerie, as ye may fee in his booke of 
 Archadia : and ye may fee the like, o f our doin gs, in 
 a Partheniade written of our foueraigne Lady, wherein 
 we refemble euery part of her body to fome naturall 
 thing of excellent perfection in his kind, as of her fore- 
 head, browes and hair, thus. 
 
 Of fihier was her forehead hye, 
 
 Her browes two bowes of hcbenie, 
 
 Her treffes trust were to behold 
 
 Frizled and fine as fi'inge of gold. 
 And of her lips. 
 
 Two lips wrought out of ruble rocke, 
 
 Like leaues to flint and to vnlock. 
 
 As porta 11 dore in Princes chamber : 
 
 A golden tongue i?i mouth of amber. 
 And of her eyes. 
 
 Her eyes God wot what fluff e they are, 
 
 I durfl be fworne each is afilan'e : 
 
 As cleere and bright as woont to guide 
 
 The Pylot in his winter tide. 
 And of her breafts. 
 
 Her bofome fleake as Paris plaster, 
 
 Helde vp two balles of alabafter, 
 
 Eche by as was a little cherrie : 
 
 Or els I thi?ike a strawberie. 
 And all the reft that followeth, which may fufrice to 
 exemplifie your figure of Icon, or refemblance by 
 imagerie and portrait. 
 
 But whenfoeuer by your fimilitude ye Parabola. 
 will feeme to teach any moralitie or good Resemblance 
 leffon by fpeeches miflicall and darke, or misticaii 
 farre fette, vnder a fence metaphoricall applying one 
 naturall thing to another, or one cafe to another, in- 
 ferring by them a like confequence in other cafes the 
 Greekes call it Parabola, which terme is alfo by 
 cuflome accepted of vs : neuertheleffe we may call 
 him in Englifh the refemblance miflicall : as when we 
 liken a young childe to a greene twigge which ye may 
 
252 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 eafilie bende euery way ye lift : or an old man who 
 laboureth with continuall infirmities, to a drie and 
 drickfie oke. Such parables were air the preachings 
 of Chrift in the Gofpell, as thofe of the wife and foolifh 
 virgins, of the euil fteward, of the labourers in the vine- 
 yard, and a number more. And they may be fayned 
 afwell as true : as thofe fables of ALfope, and other apo- 
 logies inuented for doctrine fake by wife and graue men. 
 Finally, if in matter of counfell or perfwafion we 
 Paradigma, will feeme to liken one cafe to another, 
 a resemblance nicn as P affe ordinarily in mans affaires, 
 by example. and doe compare the paft with the pre- 
 fent, gathering probabilitie of like fucceffe to come in 
 the things wee haue prefently in hand : 6v if ye will 
 draw the iudgements precedent and authorized by 
 antiquitie as veritable, and peraduenture fayned and 
 imagined for fome purpofe, into fimilitude or diffimili- 
 tude with our prefent actions and affaires, it is called 
 refemblance by example : as if one mould fay thus, 
 Alexander the great in his expedition to Afia did thus, 
 fo did Hanniball comming into Spain e, fo did Ccefar 
 in Egypt, therfore all great Captains and Generals 
 ought to doe it. 
 
 And confulting vpon the affaires of the low coun- 
 treis at this day, peraduenture her Maieflie might be 
 thus aduifed : The Flemings are a people very vn- 
 thankfull and mutable, and rebellious againft their 
 Princes, for they did rife againft Maximilian Archduke 
 of Auftria, who had maried the daughter and heire of 
 the houfe of Burgundie, and tooke him prifoner, till by 
 the Emperour F7-ederike the third his father, he was 
 fet at libertie. They rebelled againft Charles the fift 
 Emperor, their naturall Prince. They haue falfed 
 their faith to his fonne Philip king of Spaine their 
 foueraign Lord : and fmce to Archduke Matthias, 
 whom they elected for their gouernor, after to their 
 adopted Lord Monfieur of Fraunce, Duke of Aniou : 
 I pray you what likelihood is there they mould be 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 253 
 
 more affured to the Queene of England, than they 
 haue bene to all thefe princes and gouemors, longer 
 than their diflreffe continueth, and is to be relieued by 
 her goodnes and puiilance. 
 
 [Passage substituted for the above, in some copies. 
 
 And thus againe, It hath bene al waves vfuall among 
 great and magnanimous princes in all ages, not only 
 to repulfe any iniury and inuafion from their owne 
 realmes and dominions, but alfo with a charitable and 
 Princely compaffion to defend their good neighbors 
 Princes and Potentats, from all opprefhon of tyrants 
 and vfurpers. So did the Romanies by their armes 
 reft ore many Kings of Afia and Affricke expulfed out 
 of their kingdoms. So did K. Edward 1. reftablifh 
 Baliol rightfull owner of the crowne of Scotland again ft 
 Robert le brus no lawfull King. So did king Edward 
 the third aide Dampeeter king of Spaine againft Henry 
 baftard and vfurper. So haue many Englilh Princes 
 holpen with their forces the poore Dukes of Britaine 
 their ancient friends and allies, againft the outrages of 
 the French kings : and why may not the Queene our 
 foueraine Lady with like honor and godly zele yeld 
 protection to the people of the Low countries, her 
 neereft neighbours to refcue them a free people from 
 the Spanifh feruitude.] 
 
 And as this refemblance is of one mans action to 
 another, fo may it be made by examples of bruite 
 beaftes, aptly correfponding in qualitie or euent, as 
 one that wrote certaine prety verfes of the Emperor 
 Maximinus, to warne him that he fhould not glory 
 too much in his owne ftrength, for fo he did in very 
 deede, and would take any common fouldier to taske 
 at wraftling, or weapon, or in any other acliuitie and 
 feates of armes, which was by the wifer fort mifliked, 
 thefe were the verfes. 
 
 The Elephant isjlrong, yet death doeth it fubdue, 
 The butt isjlrong, yet cannot death efchue. 
 
254 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 The Lionftrong, andflainefor all his jlrength : 
 The Tygarfirong, yet kilde is at the length. 
 Dread thou many, that dreadest not any one, 
 Many can kill, that cannot kill alone. 
 And fo it fell out, for Maximinus was flaine in a 
 
 mutinie of his fouldiers, taking no warning by thefe 
 
 examples written for his admonition. 
 
 *CHAP. XX. 
 
 The last and princip all figure of our poeticall Ornament. 
 
 g | ,, |ggg^ Or the glorious luftre it fetteth vp- 
 Exargasia, l| EftllJN on our fpeech and language, the 
 
 TheGorgious. H ESSi Gre . eks ^ ^ ^ Exar S a fi a ) the 
 
 g§j9|||g§ Latine (Expohtid) a terme trans- 
 ferred from thefe polilhers of 
 marble or porphirite, who after it is rough hewen and 
 reduced to that fafhion, they will fet vpon it a goodly 
 glaffe, fo fmoth and cleere, as ye may fee your face in 
 it, or otherwife as it fareth by the bare and naked 
 body, which being attired in rich and gorgious apparell, 
 feemeth to the common vfage of th'eye much more 
 comely and bewtifull then the naturall. So doth this 
 figure (which therefore I call the Gorgious} polifh our 
 fpeech and as it were attire it with copious and plea- 
 fant amplifications and much varietie of fentences, all 
 running vpon one point and one intent : fo as I doubt 
 whether I may terme it a figure, or rather a maffe of 
 many figuratiue fpeaches, applied to the bewtifying of 
 our tale or argument. In a worke of ours intituled 
 Philocalia we haue {trained to fhew the vfe and applica- 
 tion of this figure andal others mentioned in this booke, 
 to which we referre you. I finde none example [in Englifh 
 meetre] that euer I could fee, fo well maintayning this 
 figure in Englifh meetre as that ditty of her Maiefties 
 owne making paffmg fweet e and harmonicall, which figure 
 beyng as his very originall name purporteth the mofl 
 bewtifull [and gorgious] of all others, it asketh in reafon 
 
 * There is a slight variation, just here, in the text between copies: what is 
 probably the later form — found in copies with the substituting passage of the 
 previous page — is inserted between [ ] on this and the next pages. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 255 
 
 to be referued for a lafl complement, and defciphred 
 by the arte of a ladies penne, her felfe beyng the mod 
 gorgious and bewtifuli, or rather bewtie of Queenes: 
 and this was th'action [the occafion], our foueraigne 
 Lady perceiuing how by the Sc. Q. refidence within this 
 Realme at fo great libertie and eafe, as were skarce 
 worthy of [meete for] fo great and dangerous a pryfoner, 
 bred fecret factions among her people, and made many 
 of her [the] nobilitie incline to fauour her partie: many 
 [fome] of them defirous of innouation in the ftate : fome 
 of them [others] afpiring to greater fortunes by her liber- 
 tie and life. The Queene our foueraigne Lady to de- 
 clare that Hie was nothing ignorant in [of] thole fecret 
 fauours [practizes], though the had long with great wif- 
 dome and pacience diffembled it, writeth this ditty moft 
 fweet and fententious, not hiding from all fuch afpir- 
 ing minds the daunger of their ambition and dilloyaltie, 
 which afterward fell out moft truly by th'exemplary 
 chaftifement of fundry perfons, who in fauour of the faid 
 Sc. Q. . derogating [declining] from her Maieftie, fought 
 to interrupt the quiet of the Realme by many euill and 
 vndutifull practizes. The ditty is as followeth. 
 The doubt of future foes, exiles my prefent toy, 
 And wit me warms to JJiuu fuch fnares as threaten mine 
 
 annoy. 
 For falJJwod now doth flow, and fubiecl faith doth ebbe, 
 Which would not be, if reafon ruPd or wifdome weild 
 
 the luebbe. 
 But clo-wdes of tois vntried, do cloake afpiring mindes, 
 Which turne to raigne of late repent, by conrfe of changed 
 
 windes. 
 The toppe of hoppe fippofed, the roote of ruth vvil be, 
 A?id fruteleffe all their graffed guiles, asjliortly yeJJiallfee. 
 Then dazeld eyes with pride, which great ambitio?i blinds, 
 Shalbe vnfeeld by worthy wights, whose foreflght falf- 
 
 hood finds, 
 The daughter of debate, that eke difcord doth fowe 
 Shal reap no gaine zuhere for?nor rule hath taught fiil 
 
 peace to growe. 
 
256 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 No forreine banniJJit vvigJit JJiall ancre in this port, 
 Our realme it bi'ookes no fir angers force, let them elf where 
 
 refort. 
 Our rufty fworde with rest, fliall firfi his edge employ, 
 Topolle their toppes that feeke, fuch change and gape for ioy. 
 In a worke of ours entituled [Philo Calia] where we 
 entreat of the loues betwene prince Philo and Lady 
 Calia, in their mutual letters, meffages, and fpeeches : 
 we haue ftrained our mufe to mew the vfe and appli- 
 cation of this figure, and of all others. 
 
 CHAP. XXL 
 
 Of the vices or deformities in f peach and writing 
 principally noted by auncient Poets. 
 
 |T hath bene faid before how by ignorance 
 of the maker a good figure may become 
 a vice, and by his good difcretion, a vici- 
 ous fpeach go for a vertue in the Poeti- 
 call fcience. This faying is to be ex- 
 plained and qualified, for fome manner of fpeaches are 
 alwayes intollerable and fuch as cannot be vfed with 
 any decencie, but are euer vndecent namely barbar- 
 oufneffe, incongruitie, ill difpofition, fond affectation, 
 rufticitie, and all extreme darkneffe, fuch as it is not 
 poffible for a man to vnderfland the matter without 
 an interpretour, all which partes are generally to be 
 banifhed out of euery language, vnleffe it may appeare 
 that the maker or Poet do it for the nonce, as it was 
 reported by the Philofopher Heraclitus that he wrote 
 in obfcure and darke termes of purpofe not to be vn- 
 derftood, whence he merited the nickname Scotimis, 
 otherwife I fee not but the reft of the common faultes 
 may be borne with fometimes, or paffe without any 
 great reproofe, not being vfed ouermuch or out of 
 feafon as I faid before : fo as euery furplufage or pre- 
 poflerous placing or vndue iteration or darke word, or 
 doubtfull fpeach are not fo narrowly to be looked vpon 
 in a large poeme, nor fpecially in the pretie Poefies 
 and deuifes of Ladies, and Gentlewomen makers, 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 257 
 
 whom we would not haue too precife Poets leaft with 
 their fhrewd wits, when they were maried they might 
 become a little too phantafticall wiues, neuertheleffe 
 becaufe we feem to promife an arte, which doth not 
 iuftly admit any wilful errour in the teacher, and to 
 th'end we may not be carped at by thefe methodical! 
 men, that we haue omitted any neceffary point in this 
 bufmeffe to be regarded, I will fpeake fome what touch- 
 ing thefe viciofities of language particularly and briefly, 
 leauing no little to the Grammarians for maintenaunce 
 of the fcholaflicall warre, and altercations : we for our 
 part condefcending in this deuife of ours, to the appe- 
 tite of Princely perfonages and other fo tender and 
 quefie complexions in Court, as are annoyed with no- 
 thing more then long leffons and ouermuch good order. 
 
 CHAP. XXII. 
 
 Some vices in /peaches and writing are alwayes intoller- 
 able, fome others now a?id then borne vvithall by li- 
 cence of approued authors and custome. 
 
 PHe foul eft vice in language is to fpeake 
 barbaroufly : this terme s;rew D . . 
 
 .. , J . , r i Barbarismus. 
 
 by the great pride 01 the or 
 
 Greekes and Latines, when Forrein s P eech - 
 they were dominatours of the world reck- 
 oning no language fo fweete and ciuill as their owne, and 
 that all nations befide them felues were rude and vnci- 
 uill, which they called barbarous: So as when anyflraunge 
 word not of the naturall Greeke or Latin was fpoken, 
 in the old time they called it barbarifme, or when any 
 of their owne naturall wordes were founded and pro- 
 nounced with ftraunge and ill fhapen accents, or writ- 
 ten by wrong ortographie, as he that would fay with 
 vs in England, a doufand for a thoufand, ifterday, for 
 yefterday, as commonly the Dutch and French people 
 do, they faid it was barbaroufly fpoken. The Italian 
 at this day by like arrogance calleth the Frenchman, 
 Spaniard, Dutch, Engliih, and all other breed behither 
 their mountaines Appennines, Tramontani, as who would 
 
 R 
 
258 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 fay Barbarous. This terme being then fo vfed by the 
 auncient Greekes, there haue bene fmce, notwithfland- 
 ing who haue digged for the Etimologie fomewhat 
 deeper, and many of them haue faid that it was fpoken 
 by the rude and barking language of the ArTricans now 
 called Barbarians, who had great tramcke with the 
 Greekes and Romanes, but that can not be fo, for that 
 part of Affricke hath but of late receiued the name of 
 Barbarie, and fome others rather thinke that of this 
 word Barbarous, that countrey came to be called Bar- 
 baria and but few yeares in refpecl agone. Others 
 among whom is Ihan Leon a Moore of Granada, will 
 feeme to deriue Barb aria, from this word Bar, twife 
 iterated thus Barbar, as much to fay as flye, five, which 
 chaunced in a perfecution of the Arabians by fome 
 feditious Mahometanes in the time of their Pontif. 
 Habdul mumiy when they were had in the chafe, and 
 driuen out of Arabia Weftward into the countreys of 
 Mauritania, and during the purfuite cried one vpon 
 another flye away, flye away, or paffe parte, by which 
 occafion they fay, when the Arabians which were had 
 in chafe came to flay and fettle them felues in that 
 part of Affrica, they called it Barbar, as much to fay, 
 the region of their flight or purfuite. Thus much for 
 the terme, though not greatly pertinent to the matter, 
 yet not vnpleafant to knowe for them that delight in 
 fuch niceties. 
 
 Your next intolerable vice is folecifmus or incon- 
 gruitie, as when we fpeake falfe Englifh, 
 or that is by mifufmg the Grammaticall rules 
 
 incongruity. t0 ^ e t)f eruec i in cafes, genders, tenfes 
 and fuch like, euery poore fcholler knowes the fault, 
 and cals it the breaking of Prifcians head, for he was 
 among the Latines a principall Grammarian. 
 
 Ye haue another intollerable ill maner of fpeach, 
 
 Cacozeiia. which by the Greekes originall we may 
 
 ^ , or _ call fonde affectation, and is when we arTecl 
 
 Fonde affecta- J M ' 
 
 tion. new words and phrafes other then the 
 
 good fpeakers and writers in any language, or then 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 259 
 
 cuflome hath allowed, and is the common fault of 
 young fchollers not halfe fo well fludied before they 
 come from the Vniuerfitie or fchooles, and when they 
 come to their friends, or happen to get fome benefice 
 or other promotion in their countreys, will feeme to 
 coigne fine wordes out of the Latin, and to vfe new 
 fangled fpeaches, thereby to fhew themfelues among 
 the ignorant the better learned. 
 
 Another of your intolerable vices is that which the 
 Greekes call Soraifmns, and we may call soraismus. 
 the [mingle mangle\ as when we make our The ^[ le 
 fpeach or writinges of fundry languages mangle. 
 vfmg fome Italian word, or French, or Spanifh, or 
 Dutch, or Scottifh, not for the nonce or for any pur- 
 pofe (which were in part excufable) but ignorantly and 
 affectedly as one that faid vfmg this French word Roy, 
 to make ryme with another verfe, thus. 
 O mightie Lord of lone, da?ne Venus onely toy, 
 
 Whofe Princely power exceedes ech other heauenly roy. 
 
 The verfe is good but the terme peeuifhly affected. 
 
 Another of reafonable good facilitie in tranflation 
 finding certaine of the hymnes of Pyndarus and of 
 Anacreons odes, and other Lirickes among the Greekes 
 very well tranflated by Rounfard the French Poet, and 
 applied to the honour of a great Prince in France, 
 comes our minion and tranflates the fame out of 
 French into Englifh, and applieth them to the honour 
 of a great noble man in England (wherein I commend 
 his reuerent minde and duetie) but doth fo impudently 
 robbe the French Poet both of his prayfe and alfo of 
 his French termes, that I cannot fo much pitie him 
 as be angry with him for his iniurious dealing (our 
 fayd maker not being afhamed to vfe thefe French 
 wordes freddon, egar, fiLperbons, filanding, celejl, cala- 
 brois, thebanois and a number of others, for Englifh 
 wordes, which haue no maner of conformitie with our 
 language either by cuflome or deriuation which may 
 make them tollerable. And in the end (which is worft 
 of all) makes his vaunt that neuer Englifh finger but 
 
260 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 his hath toucht Pindars firing which was neuertheleffe 
 word by word as Rounfard had said before by like 
 braggery. Thefe be his verfes. 
 
 And of a?i ingenious inuejition, inf anted with pleafant 
 
 trauaille. 
 
 Whereas the French word is enfante, as much to fay 
 
 borne as a child, in another verfe he saith. 
 
 / willfreddon in thine honour 
 
 For I will make or quiuer my fingers, for fo in 
 
 French is freddon, and in another verfe. 
 
 But if I will thus like pindar. 
 
 In many difcowfes egar. 
 
 This word egar is as much to fay as to wander or 
 
 flray out of the way, which in our Englifh is not re- 
 
 ceiued, nor thefe wordes calabrois, thebanois, but rather 
 
 ealabrian, theban \filandhfg fflers] for the fpinning 
 
 fillers : this man deferues to be endited of pety lard 
 
 for pilfering other mens deuifes from them and con- 
 
 uerting them to his owne vfe, for in deede as I would 
 
 wifh euery inuentour which is the very Poet to receaue 
 
 the prayfes of his inuention, fo would I not haue a tran- 
 
 flatour to be afhamed to be acknowen of his tranflation. 
 
 Another of your intollerable vices is ill difpofition 
 
 . J7 , or placing of your words in a claufe or 
 
 or the fentence : as when you will place your 
 
 Mispiacer. a( ji e( fti ue after your fubflantiue, thus : 
 
 Mayde faire, widow 7'iche, priefl holy, and fuch like. 
 
 which though the La tines did admit, yet our Engliih 
 
 did not, as one that faid ridiculoufly. 
 
 In my yeares luflie, many a deed doughtie did I 
 All thefe remembred faults be intollerable and euer 
 vndecent. 
 
 Now haue ye other vicious manners of fpeech, but 
 
 Cacemphaton. fometimes and in fome cafes tollerable. 
 
 fi re r of fouie anc ^- chi^} 7 to tne m tent to niooue laughter. 
 
 speech. and to make fport, or to giue it fome prety 
 
 ftrange grace, and is when we vfe fuch wordes as may 
 
 be drawen to a foule and vnfhamefaft fence, as one that 
 
 would fay to a young woman, I pray you let me iape with 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 261 
 
 you, which in deed is no more but let me fport with 
 you. Yea and though it were not altogether fo directly 
 fpoken, the very founding of the word were not com- 
 mendable, as he that in the prefence of Ladies would 
 vfe this common Prouerbe, 
 
 Jape with me but hurt me not, 
 
 Bourde with me but Jliame me 
 For it may be taken in another peruerfer fence by 
 that forte of perfons that heare it, in whofe eares no 
 fuch matter ought almofl to be called in memory, this 
 vice is called by the Greekes Cacemphaton, we call it 
 the vnfhamefail or figure of foule fpeech, which our 
 courtly maker mail in any cafe ihunne, leail of a Poet 
 he become a Buffon or rayling companion, the Latines 
 called him Scurra. There is alfo another fort of il- 
 fauoured fpeech fubiecl to this vice, but refting more 
 in the manner of the ilihapen found and accent, than 
 for the matter it felfe, which may eafily be auoyded in 
 choofmg your wordes thofe that bee of the pleafanteft 
 orthography, and not to rime too many like founding 
 words together. 
 
 haue another manner of compofmg your metre 
 nothing commendable, fpecially if it be too Tauudogia, 
 much vfed, and is when our maker takes fi ^eo h f e S eife 
 too much delight to fill his verfe with saying. 
 wordes beginning all with a letter, as an Englifh rimer 
 that faid : 
 
 The deadly droppcs of darke difdaine, 
 
 Do daily drench my due defartes. 
 And as the Monke we fpake of before, wrote a whole 
 Poeme to the honor of Carol us Caluus, euery word 
 in his verfe beginning with C, thus : 
 
 Carmina clarifonce Caluis cantate camencz. 
 Many of our Englifh makers vfe it too much, yet 
 we confeiie it doth not ill but pretily becomes the 
 meetre, if ye paffe not two or three words in one verfe, 
 and vfe it not very much, as he that faid by way of 
 Epithete. 
 
 The fmoakie fighes : the trickling teares. 
 
262 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 And fuch like, for fuch compofition makes the 
 meetre runne away fmoother, and paffeth from the 
 lippes with more facilitie by iteration of a letter then 
 by alteration, which alteration of a letter requires an 
 exchange of miniftery and office in the lippes, teeth or 
 palate, and fo doth not the iteration. 
 Histeron, pro- Your mifplacing and prepofterous plac- 
 teron or the ing is not all one in behauiour of language, 
 Preposterous, for the mifplacing is alwaies intollerable, 
 but the prepofterous is a pardonable fault, and many 
 times giues a pretie grace vnto the fpeech. We call 
 it by a common faying to fet the carte before the horfe, 
 and it may be done, eyther by a fmgle word or by a 
 claufe of fpeech : by a fmgle word thus : 
 
 And if I not p erf or me, God let me neuer thriue. 
 
 For perform e not : and this vice is fometime toller- 
 able inough, but if the word carry away notable fence, 
 it is a vice not tollerable, as he that faid praifmg a 
 woman for her red lippes, thus : 
 A corral lippe of hew. 
 
 Which is no good fpeech, becaufe either he mould 
 haue fayd no more but a corrall lip, which had bene 
 inough to declare the redneffe, or els he mould haue 
 faid, a lip of corrall hew, and not a corrall lip of hew. 
 Now if this diforder be in a whole claufe which carieth 
 more fentence then a word, it is then worft of all. 
 Ac ron Ye haue another vicious fpeech which 
 
 or the' the Greekes call Acyron, we call him the 
 
 Vncouthe. vncou th e , and is when we vfe an obfcure 
 and darke word, and vtterly repugnant to that we 
 would expreffe, if it be not by vertue of the figures 
 metaphore, allegorie, abufion, or fuch other laudable figure 
 before remembred, as he that faid by way of Epithete. 
 A dongeon deepe, a dampe as darke as hell. 
 
 Where it is euident that a dampe being but a breath 
 or vapour, and not to be difcerned by the eye, ought 
 not to haue this epithete {darke,) no more then another 
 that prayfmg his miftreffe for her bewtifull haire, faid 
 very improperly and w T ith a vncouth terme. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 263 
 
 Her haire fur mounts Apollos pride, 
 
 In it fuch bewty raignes. 
 Whereas this word raigne is ill applied to the bewtie 
 of a womans haire, and might better haue bene fpoken 
 of her whole perfon, in which bewtie, fauour and good 
 grace, may perhaps in fome fort be faid to raigne as 
 our fellies wrate, in a PartJieniade praifmg her Maiefties 
 countenance, thus : 
 
 A cheare where loue and Maieflie do raigne, 
 
 Both milde and flerne, &>c. 
 Becaufe this word Maieflie is a word expreffmg a 
 certaine Soueraigne dignitie, as well as a quallitie of 
 countenance, and /therefore may properly be faid to 
 raigne, and requires no meaner a word to fet him 
 foorth by. So it is not of the bewtie that remain es in 
 a womans haire, or in her hand or in any other mem- 
 ber : therfore when ye fee all thefe improper or harde 
 Epithets vfed, ye may put them in the number of 
 [vncouths] as one that faid, the flouds of graces : I haue 
 heard of the flouds of tear es, and the flouds of eloquence, 
 or of any thing that may refemble the nature of a 
 water-courfe, and in that refpecl we fay alfo, the 
 ftreames of tear es, and the flreames of vtlerance, but not 
 the flreames of graces, or of beautie. Such manner of 
 vncouth fpeech did the Tanner of Tamworth vfe to 
 king Edward the fourth, which Tanner hauing a great 
 while miftaken him, and vfed very broad talke with 
 him, at length perceiuing by his traine that it was 
 the king, was afraide he mould be punifhed for it, faid 
 thus with a certaine rude repentance. 
 
 / hope IfJiall be hanged to morrow. 
 For [I fear e me'] I fJiall be hanged, whereat the king 
 laughed a good, not only to fee the Tanners vaine 
 feare, but alfo to heare his ill fhapen terme, and gaue 
 him for recompence of his good fport, the inheritance 
 of Plumton parke, I am afraid the Poets of our time 
 that fpeake more finely and correcledly will come too 
 fhort of fuch a reward. 
 
 Alfo the Poet or makers fpeech becomes vicious 
 
264 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 The vice of and vnpleafant by nothing more than by 
 Surplusage. vfing too much furplufage and this lieth 
 not only in a word or two more than ordinary, but in 
 whole claufes, and peraduenture large fentences im- 
 pertinently fpoken, or with more labour and curiofitie 
 than is requiiite. The firfl furplufage the Greekes call 
 Pleonafmus, I call him [too full fpeecJi\ and is no great 
 fault, as if one mould fay, / heard it with mine eares, 
 and f aw it with mine eyes, as if a man could heare 
 with his heeles, or fee with his nofe. We our felues 
 vfed this fuperfluous fpeech in a verfe written of our 
 miftreffe, neuertheles, not much to be mifliked, for 
 euen a vice fometime being feafonably vfed, hath a 
 pretie grace. 
 
 For ener may my true loue Hue and 
 
 Pleonasmus, TUUCT die 
 
 Too fui speech And that mine eyes may fee her crownde 
 
 a Qiieene. 
 As, if me liued euer. me could euer die, or that one 
 might fee her crowned without his eyes. 
 
 Another part of furplufage is called Macrologia, or 
 
 Macrohgia, ^ n g language, when we vfe large claufes 
 
 v i or „ or fentences more than is requifite to the 
 
 on g anguage matter . - t jg a ^ namec [ ]yy the Greeks 
 
 Periffologia, as he that faid, the Ambaffadours after 
 they had receiued this anfwere at the kings hands, 
 they tooke their leaue and returned home into their 
 countrey from whence they came. 
 
 So faid another of our rimers, meaning to fhew the 
 great annoy and dimcultie of thofe warres of Troy, 
 caufed for Helenas fake. 
 
 Nor Menelaus was vnwife, 
 Or troupe of Troians mad, 
 When he with them and they with him, 
 For her fuch combat had. 
 Thefe claufes (he with them and they with him) are 
 furplufage, and one of them very impertinent, becaufe 
 it could not otherwife be intended, but that Menelaus, 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 265 
 
 fighting with the Troians, the Troians mufl of necefiitie 
 fight with him. 
 
 Another point of furplufage lieth not fo much in 
 fuperfluitie of your words, as of your trauaile to defcribe 
 the matter which yee take in hand, and that ye ouer- 
 labour your felfe in your bufmeffe. And therefore the 
 
 :es call it Periergia, we call it ouer- p er iergia, 
 labor, iumpe with the originall : or rather ^ or 
 
 p., - -1 r 1 • t • r • Ouer labour, o- 
 
 \tne curio it s\ for his ouermuch cunoutie therwise called 
 and ftudie to fhew himfelfe fine in a light the curious - 
 matter, as one of our late makers who in the moil ot 
 his things wrote very well, in this (to mine opinion) 
 more curioufly than needed, the matter being ripely 
 confidered : yet is his verfe very good, and his meetre 
 cleanly. His intent was to declare how vpon the tenth 
 day of March he croffed the riuer of Thames, to walke 
 in Saint Georges field, the matter was not great as ye 
 may fuppofe. 
 
 The tenth of March when Aries receiued 
 Dan Phoebus raies i?ito his horned head, • 
 And I my felfe by learned lore per coined 
 That Ver approcht and frofly winter fled 
 I crofl the Thames to take the cheerefull aire, 
 In open fields, the weather was fo f aire. 
 Firft, the whole matter is not worth all this folemne 
 circumftance to defcribe the tenth day of March, but 
 if he had left at the two firft verfes, it had bene inough. 
 But when he comes with two other verfes to enlarge 
 his defcription, it is not only more than needes, but 
 alfo very ridiculous, for he makes wife, as if he had 
 not bene a man learned in fome of the mathematickes 
 (by learned lore) that he could not haue told that the 
 x. of March had fallen in the fpring of the yeare : 
 which euery carter, and alfo euery child knoweth with- 
 out any learning Then alfo, when he faith \_Ver 
 approcht, and frofly winter fled\ though it were a fur- 
 plufage (becaufe one feafon mull needes geue place to 
 the other) yet doeth it well inough paffe without blame 
 
.266 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 in the maker. Thefe, and a hundred more of fuch 
 faultie and impertinent fpeeches may yee finde a- 
 mongfl vs vulgar Poets, when we be careleffe of our 
 doings. 
 
 It is no fmall fault in a maker to vfe fuch wordes 
 « -. . and termes as do diminifh and abbafe the 
 
 1 apinosis, 
 
 or the matter he would feeme to fet forth, by 
 
 Abbaser. impairing the dignitie, height vigour or 
 maieitie of the caufe he takes in hand, as one that . 
 would fay king Philip fhrewdly harmed the towne of 
 S. Quintaines, when in deede he wanne it and put it to 
 the facke, and that king Henry the eight made fpoiles 
 in Turwin, when as in deede he did more then fpoile 
 it, for he caufed it to be defaced and razed flat to the 
 earth, and made it inhabitable. Therefore the hif- 
 toriographer that fhould by fuch wordes report of thefe 
 two kings geftes in that behalfe, fhould greatly blemifh 
 the honour of their doings and almoft fpeake vntruly 
 and iniurioufly by way of abbafement, as another of 
 our bid rymers that very indecently faid. 
 
 A mifers mynde thou hast, thou haji a Princes pelf e. 
 
 A lewd terme to be giuen to a Princes treafure (pelfe) 
 and was a little more manerly fpoken by Seriant 
 Bendlowes, when in a progreffe time comming to falute 
 •the Queene in Huntingtonfhire he faid to her Coch- 
 man, flay thy cart good fellow, flay thy cart, that I may 
 fpeake to the Queene, whereat her Maieflie laughed 
 as fhe had bene tickled, and all the reft of the company 
 although very gracioufly (as her manner is) fhe gaue 
 him great thank es and her hand to kiffe. Thefe and 
 fuch other bafe wordes do greatly difgrace the thing 
 and the fpeaker or writer: the Greekes call it [Tapinq/is] 
 we the \_abbafer.~\ 
 
 Bomphioivgia, Others there be that fall into the contrary 
 
 PompSus v i ce by vfmg fuch bombafted wordes, as 
 
 speech. feeme altogether farced full of winde, being 
 
 a great deale to high and loftie for the matter, whereof 
 
 ye may finde too many in all popular rymers. 
 
 Then haue ye one other vicious fpeach with which 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 267 
 
 we will finifh this Chapter, and is when we Amphiboio ia 
 fpeake or write doubtfully and that the or the 
 fence may be taken two wayes, fuch Ambl ^ ous - 
 ambiguous termes they call Amphibologia, we call it 
 the ambiguous, or figure of fence incertaine, as if one 
 mould fay Thomas Tayler faw William Tyler dronke, 
 it is indifferent to thinke either th'one or th'other 
 dronke. Thus faid a gentleman in our vulgar pretily 
 notwithstanding becaufe he did it not ignorantly, but 
 for the nonce. 
 
 I fat by my lady foundly fleeping, 
 My miflreffe lay by me bitterly weeping. 
 
 No man can tell by this, whether the miflreffe or 
 the man, ilept or wept : thefe doubtfull fpeaches were 
 vfed much in the old times by their falfe Prophets as 
 appeareth by the Oracles of Delphos and of the 
 Sybilles prophecies deuifed by the religious perfons of 
 thofe dayes to abufe the fuperflitious people, and to 
 encomber their bufie braynes with vaine hope or vaine 
 feare. 
 
 Lucianus the merry Greeke reciteth a great number 
 of them, deuifed by a coofening companion one 
 Alexander, to get himfelfe the name and reputation of 
 the God JEfculapius, and in effect all our old Brittifh 
 and Saxon proprieties be of the fame fort, that turne 
 them on which tide ye will, the matter of them may be 
 verified, neuertheleffe carryeth generally fuch force in 
 the heades of fonde people, that by die comfort of thofe 
 blind prophecies many infurreclions and rebellions 
 haue bene flirred vp in this Realme, as that of Iacke 
 Straw, and Iacke Cade in Richard the feconds time, 
 and in our time by a feditious fellow in Norffolke call- 
 ing himfelfe Captaine Ket and others in other places 
 of the Realme lead altogether by certaine propheticall 
 rymes, which might be conftred twx> or three w T ayes as 
 well as to that one whereunto the rebelles applied it, 
 our maker mail therefore auoyde all fuch ambiguous 
 fpeaches vnleffe it be when he doth it for the nonce 
 and for fome purpofe. 
 
268 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 CHAP. XXIII. 
 
 What it is that generally makes our f peach well pleafing 
 and commendable, and of that which the latines 
 S call Decorum. 
 
 JN all things to vfe decencie, is it onely that 
 giueth euery thing his good grace and 
 without which nothing in mans fpeaclj, 
 could feeme good or gracious, --^fT fo 
 much as many times it makes a bewtifull 
 figure fall into a deform itie, and on th'other fide a 
 vicious fpeach feeme pleafaunt and bewtifull : this S 
 decencie is therfore the line and leuell for al good 
 makers to do their bufmes by. -- But herein refleth the 
 difficultie, to know what this good grace is, and wherein 
 it confifleth, for peraduenture it be eafier to conceaue 
 then , to expreffe, we wil therfore examine it to the 
 bottome and fay : that euery thing which pleafeth the^ 
 mind or fences, and the mind by the fences as by 
 Sneans inftrumentall, doth it for fome amiable point or 
 qualitie that is in it, which draweth them to a good - 
 liking and contentment with their proper obiecls./ But 
 
 I that cannot be if they difcouer any illfauoredneffe or 
 difproportion to the partes apprehenfme, as for example, 
 when a found is either toojtaude or too low^or other- 
 wife confufe, the eare is ill affecled : fo is th'eye if the 
 coulour be fad or not liminous aiid recreatiue, or the 
 fhape of a membred body without his due meafures 
 and fimmetry, and the like of euery other fence in his 
 proper funclion. Thefe exceffes or defecles or coml 
 fufions and diforders in the fenfible obiecles are defor- / 
 mities and vnfeemely to the fence. In like fort the ( 
 mynde for the things that be his mentall obiecles hath 
 his good graces and his bad, whereof th'one contents 
 him wonderous well, th'other difpleafeth him continu- 
 ally, no more nor no leffe then ye fee the difcordes of 
 muficke do to a well tuned eare. The Greekes call 
 1 this good grace of euery thing in his kinde, to Trgs^ov, 
 1 the Latines [decorum] we in our vulgar call it by a 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 269 
 
 fcholaflicall terme \decencie\ our owne Saxon Englifh 
 terme is \_feemelyneffe\ that is to fay, for his good fhape 
 and vtter appearance well pleafing the eye, we call it 
 alfo \comelyneffe\ for the delight it bring eth comming 
 towardes vs, and to that purpofemaybe called \pleafant 
 approche\ fo as euery way feeking to expreffe this irgsqrov 
 of the Greekes and decorum of the Latines, we are faine 
 in our vulgar toung to borrow the terme which our eye 
 onely for his noble prerogatiue ouer all the reft of the 
 fences doth vfurpe, and to apply the fame to all good, 
 comely, pleafant and honeft things, euen to the fpiri- 
 tuall obiecles of the mynde, which fland no leffe in the 
 due proportion of reafon and difcourfe than any other 
 materiall thing doth in his fenfible bewtie, proportion 
 and comelyneffe. 
 
 Now becaufe his comelyneffe refleth in the goocT^ 
 conformitie of many things and their fundry circum- / 
 ftances, with refpecl one to another, fo as there be / 
 found a iuft correfpondencie betweene them by this or I 
 that relation, the Greekes call it Analogie or a con- I 
 uenient proportion. This louely conformitie, or pro- 
 portion, or conuemencie betweene the fence and the 
 fenfible hath nature her felfe firfl moil carefully ob- 
 ferued in all her owne workes, then alfo by kinde graft 
 it in the appetites of euery creature working by intelli- 
 gence to couet and defire : and in their actions to imi- 
 tate and performe : and of man chiefly before any 
 other creature afwell in his fpeaches as in euery other 
 part of his behauiour. And this in generalise and bv 
 an vfuall terme is that which the Latines call \decorum. 
 So albeit we before alleaged that all our figures be bu 
 tranfgreffions of our dayly fpeech, yet if they fall ou ; 
 decently to the good liking of the mynde or eare and t( > 
 the bewtifymg of the matter or language, all is well, if 
 indecently, and to the eares and myndes mifliking (be 
 the figure of it felfe neuer fo commendable) all N is 
 amiffe, the election is the writers, the iudgement is the 
 worlds, as theirs to whom the reading apperteineth. 
 But fince the actions of man with their circumftances 
 
270 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 be infinite,, and the world likewife replenished with 
 many iudgements, it may be a queflion who fhal haue 
 the determination of fuch controuerfie as may arife 
 whether this or that action or fpeach be decent or in- 
 decent : and verely it feemes to go all by difcretion, not 
 perchaunce of euery one, but by a learned and ex- 
 perienced difcretion, for otherwise feemes the decorum 
 to a weake and ignorant iudgement, then it doth to 
 one of better knowledge and experience : which fhew- 
 eth that it refleth in the difcerning part of the minde, 
 fo as he who can make the beft and moil differences 
 of things by reafonable and wittie diftinction is to be 
 the fitteft iudge or fentencer of \decencie^\ Such gene- 
 rally is the difcreeteft man, particularly in any art the 
 mofl skilfull and difcreeteft, and in all other things for 
 the more part thofe that be of much obferuation and 
 greatefl experience. The cafe then flanding that dif- 
 cretion mufl chiefly guide all thofe bufmeffe, fmce there 
 be fundry fortes of difcretion all vnlike, euen as there 
 be men of action or art, I fee no way fo fit to enable a 
 man truly to eftimate of \decencie\ as example, by whofe 
 veritie we may deeme the differences of things and 
 their proportions, and by particular difcuffions come 
 at length to fentence of it generally, and alfo in our 
 behauiours the more eafily to put it in execution. But 
 by reafon of the fundry circumftances, that mans af- 
 faires are as it were wrapt in, this \decencie\ comes to be 
 very much alterable and fubiecl to varietie, in [fo] much 
 as our fpeach asketh one maner of decencie, in refpect 
 of the perfon who fpeakes : another of his to whom it 
 is fpoken : another of whom we fpeake : another of 
 what we fpeake, and in what place and time and to 
 what purpofe. And as it is of fpeach, fo of al other 
 our behauiours. We wil therefore fet you down fome 
 few examples of euery circumflance how it alters the 
 decencie of fpeach or action. And by thefe few fhal 
 ye be able to gather a number more to confirme and 
 eftablifh your iudgement by a perfit difcretion. 
 
 This decencie, fo farfoorth as apperteineth to the 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 271 
 
 confideration of our art, refteth in writing, fpeech and 
 behauiour. But becaufe writing is no more then the 
 image or character of fpeech, they fhall goe together 
 in thefe our obferuations. And firft wee wil fort you 
 out diuers points, in which the wife and learned men 
 of times paft haue noted much decency or vndecencie, 
 euery man according to his difcretion, as it hath bene 
 faid afore : but wherein for the moil part all difcreete 
 men doe generally agree, and varie not in opinion, 
 whereof the examples I will geue you be worthie o 
 remembrance : and though they brought with them no 
 doctrine or inftitution at all, yet for the folace they 
 may geue the readers, after fuch a rable of fcholaftical 
 precepts which be tedious, thefe reports being of the 
 nature hiftoricall, they are to be embraced : but olde 
 memories are very profitable to the mind, and feme 
 as a glaffe to looke vpon and behold the euents of 
 time, and more exactly to skan the trueth of euery 
 cafe that fhall happen in the affaires of man, and many 
 there be. that haply doe not obferue euery particularitie 
 in matters of decencie or vndecencie : and yet when 
 the cafe is tolde them by another man, they commonly 
 geue the fame fentence vpon it. But yet whofoeuer 
 obferueth much, fhalbe counted the wifeft and dif- 
 creeteft man, and whofoeuer fpends all his life in his 
 owne vaine actions and conceits, and obferues no 
 mans elfe, he fhal in the end prooue but a fnuple man. 
 In which refpect it is alwaies faid, one man of experi- 
 ence is wifer than tenne learned men, becaufe of his 
 long and ftudious obferuation and often triall. 
 
 And your decencies are of fundrie forts, according 
 to the many circumftances accompanying our writing, 
 fpeech or behauiour, fo as in the very found or voice 
 of him that fpeaketh, there is a decencie that becom- 
 meth, and an vndecencie that misbecommeth vs, which 
 th' Emperor Anthonine marked well in the Orator 
 Philifeus, who fpake before him with fo fmall and 
 fhrill a voice as the Emperor was greatly annoyed 
 therewith, and to make him fhorten his tale, faid, by 
 
272 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 thy beard thou fhouldfl be a man. but by thy voice 
 a woman. 
 
 Phaucriuus the Philofopher was- counted very wife 
 and well learned, but a little too talkatiue and full of 
 words : for the which Timocrates reprooued him in the 
 hearing of one Polemon. That is no wonder quoth 
 Pokmoju for fo be all women. And befides, Phauo- 
 rinus being knowen for an Eunuke or gelded man. 
 came by the fame nippe to be noted as an effeminate 
 and degenerate perfon. 
 
 And there is a meafure to be vfed in a mans fpeech 
 or tale, fo as it be neither for fhortneiie too darke. nor 
 for length too tedious. Which made Cleomenes king of 
 the Lacedemonians geue this vnpleafant anfwere to the 
 Ambaffadors of the Samiens, who had tolde him a 
 long meflage from their Citie, and defired to know his 
 pleafure in it. My maulers (faith he) the firft part of 
 your tale was fo long, that I remember it not. which 
 made that the fecond I vnderftoode not. and as for 
 the third part I doe nothing well allow of. Great 
 princes and graue counfellers who haue little fp; 
 leifure to he ould haue fpeeches vfed to them 
 
 nich as be fbort and fweete. 
 
 And if they be fpoken by a man of account, or one 
 who for his yeares, profeiiion or dignitie fhould be 
 thought wife and reuerend, his fpeeches and words 
 mould alfo be graue, pithie and fententious. which v 
 well noted by king Antiochns, who likened Hermoge* 
 the famous Orator of Greece, vnto thefe fowles in their 
 moulting time, when their feathers be lick, and be fo 
 loafe in the fleih that at any little rowfe they can eafilie 
 make them off: fo faith he. can Hermogenes of all the 
 men that euer I knew, as eafilie deliuer from him his 
 vaine and impertinent fpeeches and words. 
 
 And there is a decencie. that euery fpeech mould 
 be to the appetite and delight, or dignitie of the hearer 
 and not for any refpect arrogant or vndutifull, 
 that of A r lent Embaffadour from the Athenu 
 
 to th'Emperour Marcus, this man feing th'emperour 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 273 
 
 not fo attentiue to his tale, as he would haue had him, 
 faid by way of interruption, Ccefar I pray thee giue me 
 better eare, it feemefl thou knoweft me not, nor from 
 whom I came : the Emperour nothing well liking his 
 bold malapert fpeech, faid : thou art deceyued, for I 
 heare thee and know well inough, that thou art that 
 fine, foolilh, curious, fawcie Alexander that tendefl to 
 nothing but to combe and cury thy haire, to pare thy 
 nailes, to pick thy teeth, and to perfume thy felfe with 
 fweet oyles, that no man may abide the fent of thee. 
 Prowde fpeeches, and too much fineffe and curiofitie 
 is not commendable in an Embaffadour. And I haue 
 knowen in my time fuch of them, as ftudied more 
 vpon what apparell they mould weare, and what coun- 
 tenaunces they Ihould keepe at the times of their 
 audience, then they did vpon th' effect of their errant 
 or commiffion. 
 
 And there is decency in that euery man ihould talke 
 of the things they haue bell skill of, and not in that, 
 their knowledge and learning ferueth them not to do, 
 as we are wont to fay, he fpeaketh of Robin hood that 
 neuer Ihot in his bow : there came a great Oratour 
 before Cleomenes king of Lacedemonia, and vttered much 
 matter to him touching fortitude and valiancie in the 
 warres : the king laughed : why laughell thou quoth 
 the learned man, fince thou art a king thy felfe, and 
 one whom fortitude bell becommeth ? why said Cleo- 
 menes would it not make any body laugh, to heare the 
 fwallow who feeds onely vpon flies, to boail of his 
 great pray, and fee the eagle Hand by and fay nothing ? 
 if thou wert a man of warre or euer hadft bene day 
 of thy life, I would not laugh to here thee fpeake of 
 valiancie, but neuer being fo, and fpeaking before an 
 old captaine' I can not choofe but laugh. 
 
 And fome things and fpeaches are decent or inde- 
 cent in refpecl of the time they be fpoken or done in. 
 As when a great clerk prefented king Antiochus with a 
 booke treating all of iuilice, the king that time lying 
 at the fiege of a towne, who lookt vpon the title of the 
 
 s 
 
274 OF ORNAMENT, LIB. III. 
 
 booke, and caft it to him againe : faying, what a diuell 
 tellefl thou to me of iuftice, now thou feefl me vfe 
 force and do the beft I can to bereeue mine enimie 
 of his towne? euery thing hath his feafon which is 
 called Oportunitie, and the vnfitneffe or vndecency of 
 the time is called Importunitie. 
 
 Sometime the vndecen[c]y arifeth by the indignitie of 
 the word in refpecl of the fpeaker himfelfe, as whan a 
 daughter of Fraunce and next heyre generall to the 
 crowne (if the law Salique had not barred her) being 
 fet in a great chaufe by fome harde words giuen her 
 by another prince of the bloud, faid in her anger, thou 
 durft not haue faid thus much to me if God had giuen 
 me a paire of, etc. and told all out, meaning if God 
 had made her a man and not a woman fhe had bene 
 king of Fraunce. The word became not the greatneffe 
 of her perfon, and much leffe her fex, whofe chiefe 
 vertue is fhamefaflneffe, which the Latines call Vere- 
 cundia, that is a naturall feare to be noted with any 
 impudicitie : fo as when they heare or fee any thing- 
 tending that way they commonly blufh, and is a part 
 greatly praifed in all women. 
 
 Yet will ye fee in many cafes how pleafant fpeeches 
 and fauouring fome skurrillity and vnihamefaftnes 
 haue now and then a certaine decencie, and well be- 
 come both the fpeaker to fay, and the hearer to abide, 
 but that is by reafon of fome other circumftance, as 
 when the fpeaker himfelfe is knowne to be a common 
 iefler or buffon, fuch as take vpon them to make 
 princes merry, or when fome occafion is giuen by the 
 nearer to induce fuch a pleafaunt fpeach, and in many 
 other cafes whereof no generall rule can be giuen, but 
 are bell knowen by example : as when Sir Andrew 
 Flamock king Henry the eights ftanderdbearer, a merry 
 conceyted man and apt to skoffe, waiting one day at 
 the kings heeles when he enterd the parke at Greene- 
 wich, the king blew his home, Flamock hauing his 
 belly full, and his tayle at commaundement, gaue out 
 a rappe nothing faintly, that the king turned him about 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 275 
 
 and faid how now firra ? Flamock not well knowing how 
 to excufe his vnmanerly act, if it pleafe you Sir quoth 
 he, your Maiefty blew one blaft for the keeper and I 
 another for his man. The king laughed hartily and 
 tooke it nothing offenfmely : for indeed as the cafe fell 
 out it was not vndecently fpoken by Sir Andrew 
 Flamock, for it was the cleanelieft excufe he could 
 make, and a merry implicatiue in termes nothing 
 odious, and therefore a fporting fatisfaclion to the 
 kings mind, in a matter which without fome fuch merry 
 anfwere could not haue bene well taken. So was 
 Flamocks acting moft vncomely, but bis fpeech excel- 
 lently well becomming the occafion. 
 
 But at another time and in another like cafe, the 
 fame skurrillitie of Flamock was more offenfiue, becaufe 
 it was more indecent. As when the king hauing 
 Flamock with him in his barge, paffmg from Weft- 
 minfter to Greenewich to vifite a fayre Lady whom the 
 king loued and was lodged in the tower of the Parke : 
 the king comming within fight of the tower, and being 
 difpofed to be merry, faid, Flamock let vs rime : as 
 well as I can faid Flamock if it pleafe your grace. 
 The king began thus : 
 
 Within this towre, 
 There lieth aflozvre, 
 That hath my hart. 
 
 Flamock for aunfwer : Within this hower,JIie will, etc. 
 with the reft in fo vncleanly termes, as might not now 
 become me by the rule of Deco?-um to vtter writing to 
 fo great a Maieftie, but the king tooke them in fo euill 
 part, as he bid Flamock auant varlet, and that he mould 
 no more be fo neere vnto him. And wherein I would 
 faine learne, lay this vndecencie ? in the skurrill and 
 filthy termes not meete for a kings eare ? perchance fo. 
 For the king was a wife and graue man, and though 
 he hated not a faire woman, yet liked he nothing well 
 to heare fpeeches of ribaudrie : as they report of th'em- 
 perour Oclauian: Licet fuer it ipfe incontinentiffimus, fuit 
 tamen incontinente feueriffimus vltor. But the very 
 
276 OF OR X AMEN T. LIB. III. 
 
 caufe in deed was for that Flamocks reply anfwered 
 not the kings expectation, for the kings rime com- 
 mencing with a pleafant and amorous propofition : Sir 
 Andrew Flamock to finifh it not with loue but with 
 lothfomneffe, by termes very rude and vnciuill, and 
 feing the king greatly fauour that Ladie for her much 
 beauty by like or fome other good partes, by his faftidi- 
 ous aunfwer to make her feeme odious to him. it helde a 
 great difproportion to the kings appetite, for nothing 
 is fo vnpleafant to a man, as to be encountred in his 
 chiefe affection, and fpecially in his loues, and whom 
 we honour we mould alfo reuerence their appetites, or 
 at the leaft beare with them (not being wicked and 
 vtterly euill) and whatfoeuer they do affect, we do not 
 as becommeth vs if we make it feeme to them horrible. 
 This in mine opinion was the chiefe caufe of the vn- 
 decencie and alfo of the kings offence. Arijlotle the 
 great philofopher knowing this very well, what time he 
 put Calijienes to king Alexander the greats feraice gaue 
 him this leffon. Sirra quoth he, ye go now from a 
 fcholler to be a courtier, fee ye fpeake to the king 
 your maifter, either nothing at all, or elfe that which 
 pleafeth him, which rule if Calijienes had followed and 
 forborne to croffe the kings appetite in diuerfe fpeeches, 
 it had not coft him fo deepely as afterward it did. A 
 like matter of offence fell out betweene th'Emperour 
 Charles the fifth, and an Embaffadour of king Henry 
 the eight, whom I could name but will not for the 
 great opinion the world had of his wifdome and 
 fufiiciency in that behalfe, and all for mifufmg of a 
 terme. The king in the matter of controuerfie betwixt 
 him and Ladie CatJieriiie of Cajlill the Emperours awnt, 
 found himfelfe grieued that the Emperour mould take 
 her part and worke vnder hand with the Pope to 
 hinder the diuorce : and gaue his Embaffadour com- 
 miffion in good termes to open his griefes to the 
 Emperour, and to expoftulat with his Maieftie, for that 
 he feemed to forget the kings great kindneffe and 
 friendfhip before times vfed with th'Emperour, afwell 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 277 
 
 by difburfmg for him fundry great fummes of monie 
 which were not all yet repayd : as alfo by furnifhing 
 him at his neede with (lore of men and munition to 
 his warres, and now to be thus vfed he thought it a 
 very euill requitall. The Embaffadour for too much 
 animofitie and more "then needed in the cafe, or per- 
 chance by ignorance of the proprietie of the Spanifh 
 tongue, told the Emperour among other words, that 
 he was Hombre el mas ingrato en elmondo, the ingrateft 
 perfon in the world to vfe his maifter fo. The Emper- 
 our tooke him fuddainly with the word, and faid : calleft 
 thou me ingrato ? I tell thee learne better termes, or 
 elfe I will teach them thee. Th' Embaffadour excufed 
 it by his commiffion, and faid : they were the king his 
 maiflers words, and not his owne. Nay quoth th' Em- 
 perour, thy maifter durft not haue fent me thefe words, 
 were it not for that broad ditch betweene him and me, 
 meaning the fea, which is hard to paffe with an army 
 of reuenge. The Embaffadour was commanded away 
 and no more hard by the Emperor, til by fome other 
 means afterward the grief was either pacified or for- 
 gotten, and all this inconuenience grew by mifufe of 
 one word, which being otherwife fpoken and in fome 
 fort qualified, had eafily holpen all, and yet the' Em- 
 baffadour might fufficiently haue fatisfied his commiffion 
 and much better aduaunced his purpofe, as to haue 
 faid for this word [ye are ingrate,] ye haue not vfed fuch 
 gratitude towards him as he hath deferued : fo ye may 
 fee how a word fpoken vndecently, not knowing the 
 phrafe or proprietie of a language, maketh a whole 
 matter many times mifcarrie. In which refpect it is to 
 be wifhed, that none Ambaffadour fpeake his principall 
 commandements but in his own language or in another 
 as naturall to him as his owne, and fo it is vfed in all 
 places of the world fauing in England. The Princes 
 and their commiffioners fearing leaft otherwife they 
 might vtter any thing to their difaduantage, or els to 
 their difgrace : and I my felfe hauing feene the Courts 
 of Fraunce, Spaine, Italie, and that of the Empire, with 
 
278 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 many inferior Courts, could neuer perceiue that the 
 mod noble perfonages, though they knew very well 
 how to fpeake many forraine languages, would at any 
 times that they had bene fpoken vnto, anfwere but in 
 their owne, the Frenchman in French, the Spaniard in 
 Spanifh, the Italian in Italian, and the very Dutch 
 Prince in the Dutch language : whether it were more 
 for pride, or for feare of any lapfe, cannot tell. And 
 Henrie Earle of Arundel being an old Courtier and a 
 very princely man in all his actions, kept that rule 
 alwaies. For on a time paffmg from England towards 
 Italie by her maiefties licence, he was very honorably 
 enterteinedat the Court of Bruffels.by the Lady Duches 
 of Parma, Regent there : and fitting at a banquet with 
 her, where alfo was the Prince of Orange, with all the 
 great eft Princes of the ftate, the Earle, though he could 
 reafonably well fpeake French, would not fpeake one 
 French word, but all Englifh, whether he asked any 
 queftion, or anfwered it, but all was done by Truche- 
 men. In fo much as the Prince of Orange maruelling 
 at it, looked a fide on that part where I iioode a be- 
 holder of the feaft, and fayd, I maruell your Noblemen 
 of England doe not defire to be better languaged in 
 forraine languages. This word was by and by reported 
 to the Earle. Quoth the Earle againe, tell my Lord 
 the Prince, that I loue to fpeake in that language, in 
 which I can belt vtter my minde and not miftake. 
 
 Another Ambaffadour vfed the like ouerfight by 
 ouerweening himfelfe that he could naturally fpeake 
 the French tongue, whereas in troth he was not skil- 
 full in their termes. This Ambaffadour being a Bo- 
 hemian, fent from the Emperour to the French Court, 
 where after his lirlt audience, he was highly fealted 
 and banqueted. On a time, among other, a great 
 Princeffe fitting at the table, by way of talke asked the 
 Ambaffadour whether the Empreffe his miltreffe when 
 fhe went a hunting, or otherwife trauailed abroad for 
 her folace, did ride a horsback or goe in her coach. 
 To which the Ambaffadour anfwered vnwares and 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 279 
 
 not knowing the French terme, Par ma foy elle cheu- 
 auche fort bien, et si en pr end grand plaifir. She rides 
 (faith he) very well, and takes great pleafure in it. 
 There was good fmiling one vpon another of the 
 Ladies and Lords, the Ambaffador will not whereat, 
 but laughed himfelfe for companie. This word Cheu- 
 aucher in the French tongue hath a reprobate fence, 
 fpecially being fpoken of a womans riding. 
 
 And as rude and vnciuill fpeaches carry a marueilous 
 great indecencie, fo doe fometimes thofe that be ouer- 
 much affected and nice : or that doe fauour of ignor- 
 ance or adulation, and be in the eare of graue and wife 
 perfons no leffe offenfme than the other : as when a 
 futor in Rome came to Tiberius the Emperor and faid, 
 I would open my cafe to your Maieftie, if it were not 
 to trouble your facred bufmeffe, facras vejiras occupa- 
 tions as the Hiftoriographer reporteth. What meaneft 
 thou by that terme quoth the Emperor, fay laboriofas 
 I pray thee, and fo thou maift truely fay, and bid him 
 leaue off fuch affected nattering termes. 
 
 The like vndecencie vfed a Herald at armes fent by 
 Charles the fifth Emperor, to Fraunces the firft French 
 king, bringing him a meffage of defiance, and thinking 
 to qualifie the bitterneffe of his meffage with words 
 pompous and magnificent for the kings honor, vfed 
 much this terme (facred Maieftie) which was not vfually 
 geuen to the French king, but to fay for the mod part 
 [Sire] The French king neither liking of his errant, 
 nor yet of his pompous fpeech, faid fomewhat lharply, 
 I pray thee good fellow clawe me not where I itch not 
 with thy facred maieftie, but goe to thy bufmeffe, and 
 tell thine errand in fuch termes as are decent betwixt 
 enemies, for thy mailer is not my frend, and turned 
 him to a Prince of the bloud who ftoode by, faying, 
 me thinks this fellow fpeakes like Bifhop Nicholas, for 
 on Saint Nicholas night commonly the Scholars of the 
 Countrey make them a Bifhop, who like a foolifh boy, 
 goeth about bleffmg and preaching with fo childifh 
 termes, as maketh the people laugh at his foolifh 
 counterfaite fpeeches. 
 
280 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 And yet in fpeaking or writing of a Princes affaires 
 and fortunes there is a certaine Decorum, that we may 
 not vfe the fame termes in their bufmes, as we might 
 very wel doe in a meaner perfons, the cafe being all 
 one, fuch reuerence is due to their eflates. As for ex- 
 ample, if an Hiftoriographer fhal write of an Emperor 
 or King, how fuch a day hee ioyned battel with his 
 enemie, and being ouer-laide ranne out of the fielde, and 
 tooke his heeles, or put fpurre to his horfe and fled as faft 
 as hee could : the termes be not decent, but of a 
 meane fouldier or captaine, it were not vndecently 
 fpoken. And as one, who tranflating certaine bookes 
 of Virgils ALneidos into Englifh meetre, faid that 
 ALneas was fayne to trudge out of Troy : which terme 
 became better to be fpoken of a beggar, or of a rogue, 
 or a lackey : for fo wee vfe to fay to fuch maner of 
 people, be trudging hence. 
 
 Another Englifhing this word of Virgill \fato profu- 
 gus\ call Apneas [by fate a fugitine\ which was vnde- 
 cently fpoken, and not to the Authours intent in the 
 fame word : for whom he ftudied by all means to 
 auaunce aboue all other men of the world for vertue 
 and magnanimitie, he meant not to make him a fugi- 
 tiue. But by ocean on of his great diftreffes, and of 
 the hardneffe of his deflinies, he would haue it appeare 
 that AZtieas was enforced to flie out of Troy, and for 
 many yeeres to be a romer and a wandrer about the 
 world both by land and fea \_fato profngns\ and neuer 
 to find any refting place till he came into Italy, fo as 
 ye may euidently perceiue in this terme [fugitiue\ a 
 notable indignity offred to that princely perfon, and 
 by th' other word (a wanderer) none indignitie at all, 
 but rather a terme of much loue and commiferation. 
 The fame tranflatour when he came to thefe wordes : 
 Infignem pietate virum, tot voluere cafus tot adire la- 
 hores compulit. Hee turned it thus, what moued Iuno to 
 tugge fo great a captaine as sEneas, which word tugge 
 fpoken in this cafe is fo vndecent as none other coulde 
 haue bene deuifed, and tooke his firfl originall from 
 
OF ORXAMEXT. LIB. III. 
 
 the cart, becaufe it fignifieth the pull or draught of the 
 oxen or horfes, and therefore the leathers that beare 
 the chiefe ilreiTe of the draught, the c all them 
 
 and fo wee vfe to fay that ihrewd boyes togge 
 each other by the eares, for pull. 
 
 Another of our vulgar makers, fpake as illfarmgly in 
 - verfe written to the difpraife of a rich man and 
 couetous. Thou haft a mifers minde (thou haft a 
 prin ces [ elfe a lewde terme to be fpoken of a prin 
 tieafure, which in no refpectnor for any caufe is to be 
 called pelfe, though it were neuer fo meane, for pelfe 
 
 the fcrappes or Ihreds of taylor 
 ners, which are accompted of fo vile price as they be 
 commonly caft out of dores, or otherwife b eft owed 
 vpon bafe purpofes : and carrieth not the like reafon 
 or decencie, as when we fay in reproch of a niggard 
 or vferer, or worldly couetous man, that he fetteth 
 more by a little pelfe of the world, than by his credit 
 or health, or conscience. For in comparifon of thefe 
 treafours, all the gold or filuer in the world may by a 
 skornefull terme be called pelfe, and fo ye fee that the 
 reafon of the decencie holdeth not alike in both cafes. 
 Now let *5 paffe from thefe examples, to treate of 
 thofe that concerne the comelineffe and decencie of 
 mans behauiour. 
 
 And fome fpeech may be whan it is fpoken very 
 vndecent, and yet the fame hauing afterward fomewhat 
 added to it may become prety and decent, as was the 
 flowte worde vfed by a captaine in Fraunce, who fitt- 
 ing at the lower end of the Duke of Guyfes table among 
 many, the day after there had bene a great battaile 
 fought en, the Duke finding that this captaine was not 
 feene that day to do any thing in the field, taxed him 
 priuily thus in al the hearings. Where were you Si 
 the day of the battaile, for I faw ye not ? the captaine 
 anfwered promptly : where ye durfl not haue bene : 
 and the Duke began to kindle with the worde, which 
 the Gentleman perceiuing, faid fpedily : I was that day 
 among the carnages, where your excellencie would not 
 
282 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 for a thoufand crownes haue bene feene. Thus from 
 vndecent it came by a wittie reformation to be made 
 decent againe. 
 
 The like hapned on a time at the Duke of North- 
 umberlandes bourd, where merry John Hey wood was al- 
 lowed to fit at the tables end. The Duke had a very 
 noble and honorable mynde alwayes to pay his debts 
 well, and when he lacked money, would not flick to 
 fell the greatefl part of his plate : fo had he done few 
 dayes before. Heywood being loth to call for his 
 drinke fo oft as he was dry, turned his eye toward the 
 cupbord and fayd I finde great miffe of your graces 
 {landing cups : the Duke thinking he had fpoken it of 
 fome knowledge that his plate was lately fold, faid 
 fomewhat fharpely, why Sir will not /thofe cuppes ferue 
 as good a man as your felfe. Heywood readily replied. 
 Yes if it pleafe your grace, but I would haue one of 
 them ftand flill at myne elbow full of drinke that I 
 might not be driuen to trouble your men fo often to 
 call for it. This pleafant and fpeedy reuers of the 
 former wordes holpe all the matter againe, whereupon 
 the Duke became very pleafaunt and dranke a bolle 
 of wine to Heywood, and bid a cup mould alwayes be 
 Handing by him. 
 
 It were to bufie a peece of worke for me to tell you 
 of all the parts of decencie and indecency which haue 
 bene obferued in the fpeaches of man and in his 
 writings, and this that I tell you is rather to folace your 
 eares with pretie conceits after a fort of long fcholafti- 
 call preceptes which may happen haue doubled them, 
 rather then for any other purpofe of inftitution or 
 doctrine, which to any Courtier of experience, is not 
 neceffarie in this behalfe. And as they appeare by 
 the former examples to reft in our fpeach and writing : 
 fo do the fame by like proportion confifl in the whole 
 behauiour of man, and that which he doth well and 
 commendably is euer decent, and the contrary vn- 
 decent, not in euery mans iudgement alwayes one, but 
 after their feuerall difcretion and by circumftance 
 diuerfly, vs by the next Chapter fhalbe fhewed. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 283 
 
 CHAP. XXIIIL 
 
 Of dccencie in behauiour which alfo belongs to the con- 
 
 fi deration of the Poet or maker. 
 
 jNd there is a decency to be obferued in 
 euery mans action and behauiour afwell 
 as in his fpeach and writing which fome 
 peraduenture would thinke impertinent to 
 be treated of in this booke, where we do 
 but informe the commendable fafhions of language and 
 ftile : but that is otherwife, for the good maker or poet 
 who is in decent fpeach and good termes to defcribe 
 all things and with prayfe or difpraife to report euery 
 mans behauiour, ought to know the comelinerle of an 
 action afwell as of a word and thereby to direct him- 
 felfe both in praife and perfwafion or any other point 
 that perteines to the Oratours arte. Wherefore fome 
 examples we will fet downe of this maner of decency 
 in behauiour leauing you for the reft to our booke 
 which we haue written de Pecoro, where ye fhall fee 
 both partes handled more exactly. And this decencie 
 of mans behauiour afwell as of his fpeach muft alfo be 
 deemed by difcretion, in which regard the thing that 
 may well become one man to do may not become 
 another, and that which is feemely to be done in this 
 place is not fo feemely in that, and at fuch a time decent, 
 but at another time vndecent, and in fuch a cafe and 
 for fuch a purpofe, and to this and that end and by 
 this and that euent, perufmg all the circumftances with 
 like confideration. Therefore we fay that it might 
 become king Alexander to giue a hundreth talentes to 
 Anaxagoras the Philofopher, but not for a beggerly 
 Philofopher to accept fo great a gift, for fuch a 
 Prince could not be impouerifhed by that expence, 
 but the Philofopher was by it excefiiuely to be en- 
 riched, fo was the kings action proportionable to his 
 eftate and therefore decent, the Philofophers, difpro- 
 portionable both to his profeflion and calling and there- 
 fore indecent. 
 
284 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 And yet if we fhall examine the fame point with a 
 clearer difcretion, it may be faid that whatfoeuer it 
 might become king Alexander of his regal largeffe to 
 beftow vpon a poore Philofopher vnasked, that might 
 afwell become the Philofopher to receiue at his hands 
 without refufal, and had otherwife bene fome em- 
 peachement of the kings abilitie or wifedome, which 
 had not bene decent in the Philofop[h]er, nor the im- 
 moderatneffe of the kinges gift in refpecl of the Philo- 
 fophers meane eftate made his acceptance the leffe 
 decent, fmce Princes liberalities are not meafured by 
 merite nor by other mens eftimations, but by their 
 owne appetits and according to their greatneffe. So 
 faid king Alexander very like himfelfe to one Perillus 
 to whom he had geuen a very great gift, which he made 
 curtefy to accept, faying it was too much for fuch a 
 mean perfon, what quoth the king if it be too much 
 for thy felfe, haft thou neuer a friend or kinfman that 
 may fare the better by it ? But peraduenture if any 
 fuch immoderat gift had bene craned by the Philofo- 
 pher and not voluntarily offred by the king it had bene 
 vndecent to haue taken it. Euen fo if one that ftand- 
 eth vpon his merite, and fpares to craue the Princes 
 liberalise in that which is moderate and fit for him, 
 doth as vndecently. For men fhould not expect till 
 the Prince remembred it of himfelfe and began as it 
 were the gratification, but ought to be put in remem- 
 braunce by humble felicitations, and that is duetifull 
 and decent, which made king Henry th' eight her 
 Maiefties moft noble father, and for liberality nothing 
 inferiour to king Alexander the great, aunfwere one of 
 his priuie chamber, who prayd him to be good and 
 gracious to a certaine old Knight being his feruant, for 
 that he was but an ill begger, if he be afhamed to begge 
 we wil thinke fcorne to giue. And yet peraduenture 
 in both thefe cafes, the vndecencie for too much crauing 
 or fparing to craue, might be eafily holpen by a decent 
 magnificence in the Prince, as Amazis king of ^Egypt 
 very honorably confidered, who asking one day for one 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 285 
 
 Diopithus a noble man of his Court, what was become 
 of him for that he had not fene him wait of long time, 
 one about the king told him that he heard fay he was 
 ficke and of fome conceit he had taken that his 
 Maieilie had but ilenderly looked to him, vfing many 
 others very bountifully. I befhrew his fooles head 
 quoth the king, why had he not fued vnto vs and 
 made vs priuie of his want, then added, but in truth 
 we are moil to blame our femes, who by a mindeful 
 beneficence without fute mould haue fupplied his 
 balhmlneffe, and forthwith commaunded a great reward 
 in money and penfion to be fent vnto him, but it 
 hapned that when the kings meffengers entred the 
 chamber of Diopithus, he had newly giuen vp the 
 ghoft : the meffengers forrowed the cafe, and Diopithus 
 friends fate by and wept, not fo much for Diopithus 
 death, as for pitie that he ouerliued not the comming 
 of the kings reward. Therupon it came euer after to 
 be vfed for a prouerbe that when any good turne 
 commeth too late to be vfed, to cal it Diopithus re- 
 ward. 
 
 In__Italy and Fraunce I haue knowen it vfed for 
 common pollicie, the Princes to differre the bellowing 
 of their great liberalities as Cardinalihips and other 
 high dignities and offices of gayne, till the parties whom 
 they mould feeme to gratilie be fo old or fo ficke as it 
 is not likely they mould long enioy them. 
 
 In the time of Charles the ninth French king, I being 
 at the Spaw waters, there lay a Marihall of Fraunce 
 called Monfieur de Sipier, to vfe thofe waters for his 
 health, but when the Phifitions had all giuen him vp, 
 and that there was no hope of life in him, came from 
 the king to him a letters patents of fix thoufand crownes 
 yearely penfion during his life with many comfortable 
 wordes : the man was not fo much pail remembraunce, 
 but he could fay to the meffenger trop tard, trop tard, 
 it ihould haue come before, for in deede it had bene 
 promifed long and came not till now that he could not 
 fare the better by it. 
 
286 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 And it became king A?itiochus, better to bellow the 
 faire Lady Stratonica his wife vpon his fonne Demetrius 
 who lay ficke for her loue and would elfe haue perifhed, 
 as the Phyfitions cunningly difcouered by the beating of 
 his pulfe, then it could become Demetrius to be inam- 
 ored with his fathers wife, or to enioy her of his guift, 
 becaufe the fathers act was led by difcretion and of a 
 fatherly compaffion, not grutching to depart from his 
 deereft poileffion to faue his childes life, where as the 
 fonne in his appetite had no reafon to lead him to loue 
 vnlawfully, for whom it had rather bene decent to die, 
 then to haue violated his fathers bed with fafetie of his 
 life. 
 
 No more would it be feemely for an aged man to 
 play the wanton like a child, for it Hands not with the 
 conueniency of nature, yet when king Agefdaus hauing 
 a great fort of little children, was one day difpofed to 
 folace himfelf among them in a gallery where they 
 plaied, and tooke a little hobby horfe of wood and be- 
 ftrid it to keepe them in play, one of his friends feemed 
 to miflike his lightnes, 6 good friend quoth Agefdaus, 
 rebuke me not for this fault till thou haue children of 
 thine owne, fhewing in deede that it came not of vani- 
 tie but of a fatherly affection, ioying in the fport and 
 company of his little children, in which refpect and as 
 that place and time ferued, it was difpenceable in him 
 and not indecent. 
 
 And in the choife of a mans delights and maner of 
 his life, there is a decencie, and fo we fay th'old man 
 generally is no fit companion for the young man, nor 
 the rich for the poore, nor the wife for the foolifh. Yet 
 in fome refpects and by difcretion it may be otherwife, 
 as when the old man hath the gouernment of the young, 
 the wife teaches the foolifh, the rich is wayted on by the 
 poore for their reliefe, in which regard the conuerfation 
 is not indecent. 
 
 And Proclus the Philofopher knowing how euery in- 
 decencie is vnpleafant to nature, and namely, how vn- 
 comely a thing it is for young men to doe as old men 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 287 
 
 doe (at leaftwife as young men for the mod part doe 
 take it) applyed it very wittily to his purpofe : for hail- 
 ing his fonne and heire a notable vnthrift, and delight- 
 ing in nothing but in haukes and hounds, and gay ap- 
 parrell, and fuch like vanities, which neither by gentle 
 nor fharpe admonitions of his father, could make him 
 leaue. Proclus himfelfe not onely bare with his fonne, 
 but alfo vfed it himfelfe for company, which fome of his 
 trends greatly rebuked him for, faying, 6 Proclus, an 
 olde man and a Philofopher to play the foole and laf- 
 ciuious more than the fonne. Mary, quoth Proclus, 
 and therefore I do it, for it is the next way to make my 
 fonne change his life, when he mail fee how vndecent 
 it is in me to leade fuch a life, and for him being a 
 yong man, to keepe companie with me being an old 
 man, and to doe that which I doe. 
 
 So is it not vnfeemely for any ordinarie Captaine 
 to winne the victory or any other auantage in warre 
 by fraud and breach of faith : as Hanniball with the 
 Romans, but it could not well become the Romaines 
 managing fo great an Empire, by examples of honour 
 and iuftice to doe as Hanniball did. And when Par- 
 menio in a like cafe perfwaded king Alexander to breake 
 the day of his appointment, and to fet vpon Darius at 
 the fodaine, which Alexander refufed to doe, Par- 
 menio faying, I would doe it if I were Alexander, and 
 I too quoth Alexander if I were Parmenio : but it 
 behooueth me in honour to fight liberally with mine 
 enemies, and iuflly to ouercome. And thus ye fee 
 that was decent in Par memos action, which was not in 
 the king his mailers. 
 
 A great nobleman and Counfeller in this Realme 
 was fecretlie aduifed by his friend, not to vfe fo much 
 writing his letters in fauour of euery man that asked 
 them, fpecially to the Iudges of the Realme in cafes 
 of iuftice. To whom the noble man anfwered, it be- 
 comes vs Councellors better to vfe inflance for our 
 friend, then for the Iudges to fentence at inflance : 
 for whatfoeuer we doe require them, it is in their choife 
 
288 OFORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 to refufe to doe, but for all that the example was ill 
 and dangerous. 
 
 And there is a decencie in chufmg the times of a 
 mans bufmes, and as the Spaniard fayes, es tiempo de 
 negotiar, there is a fitte time for euery man to performe 
 his bufmeffe in, and to attend his affaires, which out 
 of that time would be vndecent : as to fleepe al day 
 and wake al night, and to goe a hunting by torch- 
 light, as an old Earle of Arundel vfed to doe, or for 
 any occafion of little importance, to wake a man out 
 of his fleepe, or to make him rife from his dinner to talke . 
 with him, or fuch like importunities, for fo we call 
 euery vnfeafonable adlion, and the vndecencie of the 
 time. 
 
 Callicratides being fent Ambaffador by the Lacede- 
 monians, to Cirus the young king of Perfia to contract 
 with him for money and men toward their warres againfl 
 the Athenians, came to the Court at fuch vnfeafonable 
 time as the king was yet in the midft of his dinner, 
 and went away againe faying, it is now no time to in- 
 terrupt the kings mirth. He came againe another day 
 in the after noone, and finding the king at a rere-ban- 
 quet, and to haue taken the wine fomewhat plentifully, 
 turned back againe, faying, I thinke there is no houre 
 fitte to deale with Cirus, for he is euer in his banquets : 
 I will rather leaue all the bufmes vndone, then doe 
 anything that fhall not become the Lacedemonians : 
 meaning to offer conference of fo great importaunce to 
 his Countrey, with a man fo diftempered by furfet, as 
 hee was not likely to geue him any reafonable refolu- 
 tion in the caufe. 
 
 One Eudamidas brother to king Agis of Lacedemonia, 
 comming by Zenocrates fchoole and looking in, faw him 
 fit in his chaire, difputing with a long hoare beard, 
 asked who it was, one anfwered, Sir it is a wife man 
 and one of them that fearches after vertue, and if he 
 haue not yet found it quoth Eudamidas when will he 
 vfe it, that now at this yeares is feeking after it, as 
 who would fay it is not time to talke of matters when 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 289 
 
 they mould be put in execution, nor for an old man 
 to be to feeke what vertue is, which all his youth he 
 mould haue had in exercife. 
 
 Another time comming to heare a notable Philofo- 
 pher difpute, it happened, that all was ended euen as 
 he came, and one of his familiers would haue had him 
 requefted the Philofopher to beginne againe, that were 
 indecent and nothing ciuill quoth Eudamidas, for if he 
 mould come to me fupperleffe when I had fupped be- 
 fore, were it feemely for him to pray me to fuppe againe 
 for his companie. 
 
 And the place makes a thing decent or indecent, in 
 which confideration one Euboidas being fent Embaffa- 
 dour into a forraine realme, fome of his familiars tooke 
 occafion at the table to praife the wiues and women 
 of that country in prefence of their owne husbands, 
 which th'embaffadour mifliked, and when fupper was 
 ended and the gueftes departed, tooke his familiars 
 afide, and told them it was nothing decent in a ftrange 
 country to praife the women, nor fpecially a wife before 
 her husbands face, for inconueniencie that might rife 
 thereby, afwell to the prayfer as to the woman, and 
 that the chiefe commendation of a chafl matrone, was 
 to be knowen onely to her husband, and not to be 
 obferued by flraungers and gueftes. 
 
 And in the vfe of apparell there is no litle decency 
 and vndencie to be perceiued, as w^ell for the fafhion 
 as the ftuffe, for it is comely that euery eftate and vo- 
 cation mould be knowen by the differences of their 
 habit : a clarke from a lay man : a gentleman from a 
 yeoman : a fouldier from a citizen, and the chiefe of 
 euery degree from their inferiours, becaufe in confufion 
 and diforder there is no manner of decencie. 
 
 The Romanies of any other people moft feuere 
 cenfurers of decencie, thought no vpper garment fo 
 comely for a ciuill man as a long playted gowne, be- 
 caufe it fheweth much grauitie and alfo pudicitie, hid- 
 ing euery member of the body which had not bin 
 pleafant to behold. In fomuch as a certain Proconfull 
 
 T 
 
290 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 or Legat of theirs dealing one day with Ptolome king 
 of Egipt, feeing him clad in a flraite narrow garment 
 very lafciuioufly, difcouering euery part of his body, 
 gaue him a great check e for it : and faid, that vnleffe 
 he vfed more fad and comely garments, the Romaines 
 would take no pleafure to hold amitie with him, for 
 by the wantonnes of his garment they would iudge 
 the vanitie of his mind, not to be worthy of their con- 
 flant friendfhip. A pleafant old courtier wearing one 
 day in the fight of a great councellour, after the new 
 guife, a-french cloake skarce reaching to the wast, a 
 long beaked doublet hanging downe to his thies, and 
 an high paire of hike netherftocks that couered all his 
 buttockes and loignes, the Councellor maruelled to fee 
 him in that fort difguifed, and otherwife than he had 
 bin woont to be. Sir quoth the Gentleman to excufe 
 it : if I mould not be able whan I had need to piffe 
 out of my doublet, and to do the reft in my nether- 
 ftocks (vfmg the plaine terme) all men would fay I 
 were but a lowte, the Councellor laughed hartily at 
 the abfurditie of the fpeech, but what would thofe 
 fower fellowes of Rome have faid trowe ye ? truely in 
 mine opinion, that all fuch perfons as take pleafure to 
 fhew their limbes, fpecially thofe that nature hath 
 commanded out of fight, mould be inioyned either to 
 go ftarke naked, or elfe to refort backe to the comely 
 and modeft fafhion of their owne countrie apparell, 
 vfed by their old honorable aunceftors. 
 
 And there is a decency of apparel in refpect of the 
 place it is to be vfed : as, in the Court to be richely 
 apparrelled : in the countrey to weare more plain and 
 homely garments. For who who would not thinke it a 
 ridiculous thing to fee a Lady in her milke-houfe with 
 a veluet gowne, and at a bridall in her caffock of 
 mockado : a Gentleman of the Countrey among the 
 bufhes and briers, goe in a pounced dublet and a paire 
 of embrodered hofen, in the Citie to weare a frife Ierkin 
 and a paire of leather breeches ? yet fome fuch phan- 
 tafticals haue I knowen, and one a certaine knight, of all 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 291 
 
 other the moft vaine, who commonly would come to 
 the Seffions, and other ordinarie meetings and Com- 
 miffions in the Countrey, fo bedecl: with buttons and 
 aglets of gold and fuch coftly embroderies, as the 
 poore plaine men of the Countrey called him (for his 
 gayneife) the golden knight. Another for the like 
 caufe was called Saint Sunday : I thinke at this day 
 they be fo farre fpent, as either of them would be con- 
 tent with a good cloath cloake : and this came by 
 want of difcretion to difcerne and deeme right of de- 
 cencie, which many Gentlemen doe wholly limite by the 
 perfon or degree, where reafon doeth it by the place 
 and prefence : which may be fuch as it might very well 
 become a great Prince to weare courier apparrell than 
 in another place or prefence a meaner perfon. 
 
 Neuertheleffe in the vfe of a garment many occa- 
 fions alter the decencie, fometimes the qualitie of the 
 perfon, fometimes of the cafe, other whiles the coun- 
 trie cuflome, and often the conftitution of lawes, and 
 the very nature of vfe it felfe. As for example a 
 king and prince may vfe rich and gorgious apparell 
 decently, fo cannot a meane perfon doo, yet if an 
 herald of amies to whom a king giueth his gowne 
 of cloth of gold, or to whom it was incident as a fee 
 of his office, do were the fame, he doth it decently, 
 becaufe fuch hath alwaies bene th' allowances of her- 
 aldes : but if fuch herald haue worne out, or fold, or 
 loft that gowne, to buy him a new of the like ftuffe 
 with his owne mony and to weare it, is not decent in 
 the eye and iudgement of them that know it. 
 
 And the country cuflome maketh things decent in 
 vfe, as in Afia for all men to weare long gownes both 
 a foot and horfebacke : in Europa fhort gaberdins, or 
 clokes, or iackets, euen for their vpper garments. 
 The Turke and Perfian to weare great tolibants of 
 ten, fifteene, and twentie elles of linnen a peece vpon 
 their heads, which can not be remooued : in Europe 
 to were caps or hats, which vpon euery occafion of 
 falutation we vfe to put of, as a figne of reuerence. 
 
292 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 In th'Eafl partes the men to make water coining like 
 women, with vs {landing at a wall. With them to 
 congratulat and falute by giuing a becke with the 
 head, or a bende of the bodie, with vs here in Eng- 
 land, and in Germany, and all other Northerne parts 
 of the world to fhake handes. In France, Italie, and 
 Spaine to embrace ouer the moulder, vnder the armes, 
 at the very knees, according to the fuperiors degree. 
 With vs the wemen giue their mouth to be kiffed, in 
 other places their cheek, in many places their hand, 
 or in fleed of an offer to the hand, to fay thefe words 
 Bezo los manos. And yet fome others furmounting 
 in all courtly ciuilitie will fay, Los manos e los 
 piedes. And aboue that reach too, there be that will 
 fay to the Ladies, Lombra de fus pifadas, the fhadow 
 of your fteps. Which I recite vnto you to fhew the 
 phrafe of thofe courtly feruitours in yeelding the mif- 
 treffes honour and reuerence. 
 
 And it is feen that very particular vfe of it felfe 
 makes a matter of much decencie and vndecencie, 
 without any countrey cuftome or allowance, as if one 
 that hath many yeares worne a gowne mail come to 
 be feen weare a iakquet or ierkin, or he that hath 
 many yeares worne a beard or long haire among thofe 
 that had done the contrary, and come fodainly to be 
 pold or fhauen, it will feeme onely to himfelfe, a de- 
 shight and very vndecent, but alfo to all others that 
 neuer vfed to go fo, vntill the time and cuftome haue 
 abrogated that miflike. 
 
 So was it here in England till her Maiefties moft 
 noble father for diuers good refpecls, caufed his owne 
 head and all his Courtiers to be polled and his beard 
 to be cut fhort. Before that time it was thought more 
 decent both for old men and young to be all fhauen 
 and to weare long haire either rounded or fquare. Now 
 againe at this time the young Gentlemen of the Court 
 haue taken vp the long haire trayling on their moul- 
 ders, and thinke it more decent : for what refpect I 
 would be glad to know. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 293 
 
 The Lacedemonians bearing long bufhes of haire, 
 finely kept and curled vp, vfed this ciuill argument to 
 maintaine that cuflome. Haire (fay they) is the very 
 ornament of nature appointed for the head, which 
 therfore to vfe in his moil fumptuous degree is comely, 
 fpecially for them that be Lordes, Maifters of men, and 
 of a free life, hauing abilitie and leafare inough to 
 keepe it cleane, and fo for a figne of feignorie, riches 
 and libertie. the mailers of the Lacedemonians vfed 
 long haire. But their vaffals, feruaunts and flaues vfed 
 it fhort or fhauen in figne of feruitude and becaufe 
 they had no meane nor leafure to kembe and keepe it 
 cleanely. It was befides comberfome to them hauing 
 many bufmeffe to attende, in fome feruices there might 
 no maner of filth be falling from their heads. And to 
 all fouldiers it is very noyfome and a daungerous dif- 
 auantage in the warres or in any particular combat, 
 which being the mod comely profeliion of euery noble 
 young Gentleman, it ought to perfwade them greatly 
 from wearing long haire. If there be any that feeke 
 by long haire to helpe or to hide an ill featured face, 
 it is in them allowable fo to do, becaufe euery man 
 may decently reforme by arte, the faultes and imper- 
 fections that nature hath wrought in them. 
 
 And all fmgularities or affected parts of a mans be- 
 hauiour feeme vndecent, as for one man to march or 
 iet in the ilreet more ilately, or to looke more fol- 
 empnely, or to go more gayly and in other coulours 
 or fafhioned garments then another of the fame degree 
 and eftate. 
 
 Yet fuch fmgularities haue had many times both 
 good liking and good fucceffe, otherwise then many 
 would haue looked for. As when Dinocrates the fam- 
 ous architect, defirous to be knowen to king Alexander 
 the great, and hauing none acquaintance to bring him 
 to the kings fpeech, he came one day to the Court very 
 ftrangely apparelled in long skarlet robes, his head 
 compafl with a garland of Laurell, and his face all to 
 be flicked with fweet oyle, and floode in the kings 
 
294 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 chamber, motioning nothing to any man: newes of this 
 ftranger came to the king, who caufed him to be 
 brought to his prefence, and asked his name, and the 
 caufe of his repaire to the Court. He aunfwered, his 
 name was Dinoct 'cites the Ar chit eel, who came to pre- 
 fent his Maieflie with a platforme of his owne deuifmg, 
 how his Maieflie might buylde a Citie vpon the moun- 
 taine Athos in Macedonia, which mould beare the 
 figure of a mans body, and tolde him all how. For- 
 footh the breaft and bulke of his body mould reft vpon 
 fuch a flat : that hil mould be his head, all fet with 
 foregrowen woods like haire: his right arme mould 
 ftretch out to fuch a hollow bottome as might be like 
 his hand : holding a difh conteyning al the waters that 
 mould ferue that Citie : the left arme with his hand 
 mould hold a valley of all the orchards and gardens of 
 pleafure pertaining thereunto : and either legge mould 
 lie vpon a ridge of rocke, very gallantly to behold, and 
 fo mould accomplifh the full figure of a man. The king 
 asked him what commoditie of foyle, or fea, or nauig- 
 able riuer lay neere vnto it, to be able to fuftaine fo 
 great a number of inhabitants. Truely Sir (quoth 
 Dinocrates) I haue not yet confidered thereof: for in 
 trueth it is the bareft part of all the Countrey of Mace- 
 donia. The king fmiled at it, and faid very honour- 
 ably, we like your deuice well, and meane to vfe your 
 feruice in the building of a Citie, but we wil chufe out 
 a more commodious fcituation : and made him attend 
 in that voyage in which he conquered Afia and Egypt, 
 and there made him chiefe Surueyour of his new Citie 
 of Alexandria. Thus did Dinocrates fmgularitie in at- 
 tire greatly further him to his aduancement. 
 
 Yet are generally all rare things and fuch as breede 
 maruell and admiration fomewhat holding of the vn- 
 decent, as when a man is bigger and exceeding the 
 ordinary flature of a man like a Giaunt, or farre vnder 
 the reasonable and common fize of men, as a dwarfe, 
 and fuch vndecencies do not angre vs, but either we 
 pittie them or fcorne at them. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 295 
 
 But at all infolent and vnwoonted partes of a mans 
 behauiour we find many times caufe to miflike or to 
 be miftruflfull, which proceedeth of fome vndecency 
 that is in it, as when a man that hath alwaies bene 
 ftrange and vnacquainted with vs, will fuddenly become 
 our familiar and domeftick : and another that hath bene 
 alwaies fterne and churliih, wilbe vpon the fuddaine 
 affable and curteous, it is neyther a comely fight, nor 
 a figne of any good towardes vs. Which the fubtill 
 Italian well obferued by the fucceffes thereof, faying in 
 Prouerbe. 
 
 Chi me fa meglio che non fiwle, 
 Tradito me ha tradir me vnolo. 
 
 He that fpeakes me fairer, than his woont was too 
 Hath done me harme, or meanes for to doo. 
 
 Now againe all maner of conceites that ftirre vp any 
 vehement paffion in a man, doo it by fome turpitude 
 or euill and vndecency that is in them, as to make a 
 man angry there mufl be fome iniury or contempt 
 offered, to make him enuy there mufl proceede fome 
 vndeferued profperitie of his egall or inferiour, to make 
 him pitie fome miferable fortune or fpectakle to behold. 
 
 And yet in euery of thefe paffions being as it were 
 vndecencies, there is a comelineffe to be difcerned, 
 which fome men can keepe and fome men can not, as 
 to be angry, or to enuy, or to hate, or to pitie, or to be 
 afhamed decently, that is none otherwife then reafon 
 requireth. This furmife appeareth to be true, for 
 Homer the father of Poets writing that famous and moil 
 honourable poeme called the Illiades or warres of Troy: 
 made his commencement the magnanimous wrath and 
 anger of Achilles in his firfl verfe thus: fisv7jv aids k<x 
 niXiahioZ ayjWiiovc. Sing foorth my mufe the wrath of 
 Achilles Peleits fonne : which the Poet would neuer 
 haue done if the wrath of a prince had not beene in 
 fome fort comely and allowable. But when Arrianus 
 and Curtius hiftoriographers that wrote the noble geftes 
 of king Alexander the great, came to prayfe him for 
 
296 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 many things, yet for his wrath and anger they reproched 
 him, becaufe it proceeded not of any magnanimitie, but 
 vpon furfet and diflemper in his diet, nor growing of 
 any iuft caufes, was exercifed to the deftruction of his 
 deareft friends and familiers, and not of his enemies, nor 
 any other waies fo honorably as th'others was, and fo 
 could not be reputed a decent and comely anger. 
 
 So may al your other paffions be vied decently 
 though the very matter of their originall be' grounded 
 vpon fome vndecencie, as it is written by a certaine king 
 of Egypt, who looking out of his window, and feing his 
 owne fonne for fome grieuous offence, carried by the 
 officers of his iuflice to the place of execution : he 
 neuer once changed his countenance at the matter, 
 though the fight were neuer fo full of ruth and atrocitie. 
 And it was thought a decent countenance and conftant 
 animofitie in the king to be fo affected, the cafe con- 
 cerning fo high and rare a peece of his owne iuflice. 
 But within few daies after when he beheld out of the 
 fame window an old friend and familiar of his, ftand 
 begging an almes in the ftreete, he wept tenderly, re- 
 membring their old familiarity and confidering how by 
 the mutabilitie of fortune and frailtie of mans eflate, 
 it might one day come to paffe that he himfelfe mould 
 fall into the like miferable eflate. He therfore had a 
 remorfe very comely for a king in that behalfe, which 
 alfo caufed him to giue order for his poore friends 
 plentiful reliefe. 
 
 But generally to weepe for any forrow (as one may 
 doe for pitie) is not fo decent in a man : and therefore all 
 high minded perfons, when they cannot chufe but fried 
 teares, wil turne away their face as a countenance vn- 
 decent for a man to mew, and fo will the (landers by till 
 they haue fupprefl fuch paffion, thinking it nothing de- 
 cent to behold fuch an vncomely countenance. But for 
 Ladies and women to weepe and fhed teares at euery 
 little greefe, it is nothing vncomely, but rather a figne 
 of much good nature and meeknes of minde, a moft 
 decent propertie for that fexe ; and therefore they be 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 297 
 
 for the more part more deuout and charitable, and 
 greater geuers of almes than men, and zealous relieuers 
 of prifoners, and befeechers of pardons, and fuch like 
 parts of commiferation. Yea they be more than fo 
 too : for by the common prouerbe, a woman will weepe 
 for pitie to fee a golling goe barefoote. 
 
 But moil certainly all things that moue a man to 
 laughter, as doe thefe fcurrilities and other ridiculous 
 behauiours, it is for fome vndecencie that is found in 
 them : which maketh it decent for euery man to laugh 
 at them. And therefore when we fee or heare a natu- 
 ral foole and idiot doe or fay any thing foolifhly, we 
 laugh not at him : but when he doeth or fpeaketh 
 wifely, becaufe that is vnlike him felfe : and a buffonne 
 or counterfet foole, to heare him fpeake wifely which 
 is like himfelfe, it is no fport at all, but for fuch a 
 counterfait to talke and looke foolifhly it maketh vs 
 laugh, becaufe it is no part of his naturall, for in euery 
 vncomlineffe there muft be a certaine abfurditie and 
 difproportion to nature, and the opinion of the hearer 
 or beholder to make the thing ridiculous. But for a 
 foole to talke foolifhly or a wifeman wifely, there is 
 no fuch abfurditie or difproportion. 
 
 And though at all abfurdities we may decently laugh, 
 and when they be no abfurdities not decently, yet in 
 laughing is there an vndecencie for other refpectes 
 fometime, than of the matter it felfe, which made 
 Philippus fonne to the firft Chriften Emperour, Philip- 
 pits Arabicus fitting with his father one day in the 
 theatre to behold the fports, giue his father a great 
 rebuke becaufe he laughed, faying that it was no comely 
 countenance for an Emperour to bewray in fuch a 
 publicke place, nor fpecially to laugh at euery foolifh 
 toy : the pofteritie gaue the fonne for that caufe the 
 name of Philippius Agela/ios or without laughter. 
 
 I haue feene forraine Embaffadours in the Queenes 
 prefence laugh fo diffolutely at fome rare paflime or 
 fport that hath beene made there, that nothing in the 
 world could worfe haue becomen them, and others 
 
29 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 very wife men, whether it haue ben of fome pleafant 
 humour and complexion, or for other default in the 
 fpleene, or for ill education or cuftome, that could not 
 vtter any graue and earneft fpeech without laughter, 
 which part was greatly difcommended in them. 
 
 And Cicero the wifeft of any Romane writers, thought 
 it vncomely for a man to daunce : faying, Saltantem 
 fobrium vidi neminem. I neuer faw any man daunce 
 that was fober and in his right wits, but there by your 
 leaue he failed, nor our young Courtiers will allow it, 
 befides that it is the moil decent and comely demean- 
 our of all exultations and reioycements of the hart, 
 which is no leffe naturall to man then to be wife or 
 well learned, or fober. 
 
 To tell you the decencies of a number of other be- 
 hauiours, one might do it to pleafe you with pretie re- 
 portes, but to the skilfull Courtiers it fhalbe nothing 
 neceffary, for they know all by experience without 
 learning. Yet fome few remembraunces wee will make 
 you of the moft materiall, which our felues haue ob- 
 ferued, and fo make an end. 
 
 It is decent to be affable and curteous at meales 
 and meetings, in open affemblies more folemne and 
 ftraunge, in place of authoritie and iudgement not 
 familiar nor pleafant, in counfell fecret and fad, in 
 ordinary conferences eafie and apert, in conuerfation 
 fimple, in capitulation fubtill and miftruftfull, at 
 mournings and burials fad and forrowfull, in feafts and 
 bankets merry and ioyfull, in houfhold expence pinch- 
 ing and fparing, in publicke enteftainement fpending 
 and pompous. The Prince to be fumptuous and mag- 
 nificent, the priu.ate man liberall with moderation, a 
 man to be in giuing free, in asking fpare, in promife 
 flow, in performance fpeedy, in contract circumfpect 
 but iuft, in amitie fmcere, in ennimitie wily and caute- 
 lous [dolus an virtus quis in hofte requirit, faith the 
 Poet] and after the fame rate euery fort and maner of 
 bufmeffe or affaire or action hath his decencie and 
 vndecencie, either for the time or place or perfon or 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 299 
 
 fome other circumftaunce, as Priefts to be fober and 
 fad, a Preacher by his life to giue good example, a 
 Iudge to be incorrupted, folitarie and vnacquainted 
 with Courtiers or Courtly entertainements, and as the 
 Philofopher faith Oportet iudicem effe rudem et fimpli- 
 cem, without plaite or wrinkle, fower in looke and 
 churlifh in fpeach, contrariwife a Courtly Gentleman 
 to be loftie and curious in countenaunce, yet fometimes 
 a creeper, and a curry fauell with his fuperiors. 
 
 And touching the perfon, we fay it is comely for a 
 man to be a lambe in the houfe, and a Lyon in the 
 field, appointing the decencie of his qualitie by the 
 place, by which reafon alfo we limit the comely parts 
 of a woman to confifl in foure points, that is to be a 
 fhrewe in the kitchin, a faint in the Church, an Angell 
 at the bourd, and an Ape in the bed, as the Chronicle 
 reportes by Miftxeffe Shore paramour to king Edward 
 the fourth. 
 
 Then alfo there is a decency in refpecl of the per- 
 fons with whom we do negotiate, as with the great 
 perfonages his egals to be folemne and furly, with 
 meaner men pleafant and popular, ftoute with the 
 fturdie and milde with the meek, which is a moft 
 decent conuerfation and not reprochfull or vnfeemely, 
 as the prouerbe goeth, by thofe that vfe the contrary, 
 a Lyon among fheepe and a fheepe among Lyons. 
 
 Right fo in negotiating with Princes we ought to 
 feeke their fauour by humilitie and not by fternneffe, 
 nor to tf arrlcke with them by way of indent or condi- 
 tion, but frankly and by manner of fubmifiion to their 
 wils, for Princes may be lead but not driuen, nor they 
 are to be vanquifht by allegation, but muft be fuffred 
 to haue the victorie and be relented vnto : nor they 
 are not to be chalenged for right or iuftice, for that 
 is a maner of accufation : nor to be charged with 
 their promifes, for that is a kinde of condemnation : 
 and at their requeft we ought not to be hardly en- 
 treated but eafily, for that is a figne of defndence and 
 miftrufl in their bountie and gratitude : nor to recite 
 
300 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 the good feruices which they haue receiued at our 
 hands, for that is but a kind of exprobration, but in 
 crauing their bountie or largeffe to remember vnto 
 them all their former beneficences, making no men- 
 tion of our owne merites, and fo it is thankfull, and 
 in prayfmg them to their faces to do it very modeftly : 
 and in their commendations not to be exceffme for 
 that is tedious, and alwayes fauours of futtelty more 
 then of fmcere loue. 
 
 And in fpeaking to a Prince the voyce ought to be 
 lowe and not lowde nor lhrill, for th'one is a figne of 
 humilitie th'other of too much audacitie and prefump- 
 tion. Nor in looking on them feeme to ouerlooke 
 them, nor yet behold them too fledfaflly, for that is a 
 figne of impudence or litle reuerence, and therefore to 
 the great Princes Orientall their feruitours fpeaking or 
 being fpoken vnto abbafe their eyes in token of low- 
 lines, which behauiour we do not obferue to our 
 Princes with fo good a difcretion as they do : and fuch 
 as retire from the Princes prefence, do not by and by 
 turne tayle to them as we do, but go backward or 
 fideling for a reafonable fpace, til they be at the wal 
 or chamber doore paffing out of fight, and is thought 
 a moil decent behauiour to their foueraignes. I haue 
 heard that king Henry th'eight her Maieflies father, 
 though otherwife the moil gentle and affable Prince 
 of the world, could not abide to haue any man flare 
 in his face or to fix his eye too fteedily vpon him 
 when he talked with them : nor for a common futer 
 to exclame or cry out for iuflice, for that is offenfme 
 and as it were a fecret impeachement of his wrong do- 
 ing, as happened once to a Knight in this Realme of 
 great worfhip fpeaking to the king. Nor in fpeaches 
 with them to be too long, or too much affected, for 
 th'one is tedious th'other is irkfome, nor with lowd 
 acclamations to applaude them, for that is too popular 
 and rude and betokens either ignoraunce, or feldome 
 acceffe to their prefence, or little frequenting their 
 Courts : nor to fhew too mery or light a countenance, 
 
RNAMENT. LIB. II I. 301 
 
 for that is a figne of little reuerence and is a peece of 
 a contempt 
 
 And in gaming with a Prince it is decent to let him 
 fometimes win of purpofe, to keepe him pleafant, and 
 neuer to refufe his gift, for that is vndutifull : nor to 
 forgiue him his loffes, for that is arrogant : nor to 
 giue him great gifts, for that is either infolence or 
 follie : nor to feaft him with exceffiue charge for that 
 is both vaine and enuious, and therefore the wife Prince 
 king Henry the feuenth her Maiefties grandfather, if 
 his chaunce had bene to lye at any of his fubiecls 
 houfes, or to paffe moe meales then one, he that would 
 take vpon him to defray the charge of his dyet, or of 
 his officers and houfhold, he would be marueloufly 
 offended with it, faying what priuate fubiect dare vn- 
 dertake a Princes charge, or looke into the fecret of 
 his expence ? Her Maieftie hath bene knowne often- 
 times to miilike the fuperfluous expence of her fub- 
 s bellowed vpon her in times of her progreifes. 
 
 Likewife in matter of aduife it is neither decent to 
 flatter him for that is feruile, neither to be rough or 
 plaine with him, for that is daungerous, but truly to 
 Counfell and to admonifh, grauely not greuoufly, fm- 
 cerely not fourely : which was the part that fo greatly 
 commended Cineas Counfellour to king PirrJms, who 
 kept that decencie in all his perfwafions, that he euer 
 preuailed in aduice, and carried the king which way 
 he would. 
 
 And in a Prince it is comely to giue vnasked, but 
 in a fubiect to aske vnbidden : for that firfl is figne of 
 a bountifull mynde, this of a loyall and confident. 
 But the fubie6l that craues not at his Princes hand, 
 either he is of no defert, or proud, or miftruftfull of his 
 Princes goodneffe : therefore king Henry th'eight to 
 one that entreated him to remember one Sir Anthony 
 Roufe with fome reward for that he had fpent much 
 and was an ill beggar : the king aunfwered (noting his 
 infolencie,) If he be afhamed to begge, we are afhamed 
 to giue, and was neuertheleffe one of the moil liberall 
 Princes of the world. 
 
302 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 And yet in fome Courts it is othenvife vfed, for in 
 Spaine it is thought very vndecent for a Courtier to 
 craue, fuppofmg that it is the part of an importune : 
 therefore the king of ordinarie calleth euery fecond, 
 third or fourth yere for his Checker roll, and beftow- 
 eth his mercedes of his owne meere motion, and by 
 difcretion, according to euery mans merite and con- 
 dition. 
 
 And in their commendable delights to be apt and 
 accommodate, as if the Prince be geuen to hauking, 
 hunting, riding of horfes, or playing vpon inftruments, 
 or any like exercife, the feruitour to be the fame : and 
 in their other appetites wherein the Prince would feeme 
 an example of vertue, and would not miflike to be 
 egalled by others : in fuch cafes it is decent their 
 feruitours and fubiedls iludie to be like to them by 
 imitation, as in wearing their haire long or fhort, 
 or in this or that fort of apparrell, fuch excepted as be 
 only fitte for Princes and none els, which were vndecent 
 for a meaner perfon to imitate or counterfet: fc is 
 it not comely to counterfet their voice, or looke, or any 
 other geflures that be not ordinary and naturall in euery 
 common perfon : and therefore to go vpright, or 
 fpeake or looke affuredly, it is decent in euery man. 
 But if the Prince haue an extraordinarie countenance 
 or manner of fpeech, or bearing of his body, that for 
 a common feruitour to counterfet is not decent, and 
 therefore it was mifliked in the Emperor Nero, and 
 thought vncomely for him to counterfet Alexander the 
 great, by holding his head a little awrie, and neerer to- 
 ward the tone moulder, becaufe it was not his owne 
 naturall. 
 
 And in a Prince it is decent to goe flowly, and to 
 march with ieyfure, and with a certaine granditie rather 
 than grauitie : as our foueraine Lady and miftreffe, the 
 very image of maieftie and magnificence, is accuftomed 
 to doe generally, vnleffe it be when flie walketh apace 
 for her pleafure, or to catch her a heate in the colde 
 mornings. 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 303 
 
 Neuertheleffe, it is not fo decent in a meaner 
 perfon, as I haue obferued in fome counterfet Ladies 
 of the countrey, which vfe it much to their owne de- 
 rifion. This Comelines was wanting in Queene Marie, 
 otherwife a very good and honourable Princeffe. And 
 was fome blemifh to the Emperor Ferdinando, a moft 
 noble minded man, yet fo careleffe and forgetfull of 
 himfelfe in that behalfe, as I haue feene him runne vp 
 a paire of flaires fo fwift and nimble a pace, as almoft 
 had not become a very meane man, who had not gone 
 in fome haftie bufmeffe. 
 
 And in a noble Prince nothing is more decent and 
 welbefeeming his greatneffe, than to fpare foule 
 fpeeches, for that breedes hatred, and to let none 
 humble fuiters depart out of their prefence (as neere 
 as may be) mifcontented. Wherein her Maieflie hath 
 of all others a moft Regall gift, and nothing inferior to 
 the good Prince Titus Vefpafianus in that point. 
 
 Alfo, not to be pafhonate for fmall detriments or 
 offences, nor to be a reuenger of them, but in cafes of 
 great iniurie, and fpecially of difhonors : and therein 
 to be very fterne and vindicatiue, for that fauours of 
 Princely magnanimitie : nor to feeke reuenge vpon 
 bafe and obfcure perfons, ouer whom the conquer! is 
 not glorious, nor the victorie honourable, which refpecl: 
 moued our foueraign Lady (keeping alwaies the de- 
 corum of a Princely perfon) at her nrft comming to 
 the crowne, when a knight of this Realme, who had 
 very infolently behaued himfelfe toward her when fhe 
 was Lady Elizabeth, fell vpon his knee to her, and 
 befought her pardon : fufpec"ting (as there was good 
 caufe) that he mould haue bene fent to the Tower, fhe 
 faid vnto him moft mildly : do you not know that we 
 are defcended of the Lion, whofe nature is not to 
 harme or pray vpon the moufe, or any other fuch fmall 
 vermin ? 
 
 And with thefe examples I thinke fufficient to leaue, 
 geuing you information of this one point, that all your 
 figures Poeticall or Rhethoricall, are but obferuations 
 
304 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 of ftrange fpeeches, and fuch as without any arte at al 
 we fhould vfe, and commonly do, euen by very nature 
 without difcipline. But more or leffe aptly and de- 
 cently, or fcarcely, or aboundantly, or of this or that 
 kind of figure, and one of vs more then another, accor- 
 ding to the difpofition of our nature, conftitution of the 
 heart, and facilitie of each mans vtterance : fo as we 
 may conclude, that nature her felfe fuggefteth the figure 
 in this or that forme : but arte aydeth the iudgement 
 of his vfe and application, which geues me occafion 
 finally and for a full conclufion to this whole treatife, 
 to enforme you in the next chapter how art mould be 
 vfed in all refpecls, and fpecially in this behalfe of 
 language, and when the naturall is more commendable 
 then the artificiall, and contrariwife. 
 
 CHAP. XXV. 
 
 That the good Poet or make?' ought to diffemble his arte, 
 
 and in what cafes the artificiall is more commended 
 
 then the naturall, and contrarhuife. 
 
 jjjNd now (moft excellent Queene) hauing 
 largely faid of Poets and Poefie, and about 
 what matters they be employed : then of 
 all the commended fourmes of Po ernes, 
 thirdly of metricall proportions, fuch as do 
 appertaine to our vulgar arte : and laft of all fet forth 
 the poeticall ornament confifling chiefly in the beautie 
 and gallantneffe of his language and ftile, and fo haue 
 apparelled him to our feeming, in all his gorgious 
 habilliments, and pulling him firft from the carte to 
 the fchoole, and from thence to the Court, and pre- 
 ferred him to your Maiefties feruice, in that place of 
 great honour and magnificence to geue enterteinment 
 to Princes, Ladies of honour, Gentlewomen and Gen- 
 tlemen, and by his many moodes of skill, to feme the 
 many humors of men thither haunting and reforting, 
 fome by way of folace, fome of ferious aduife, and in 
 matters afwell profitable as pleafant and honefl. Wee 
 haue in our humble conceit fufficiently perfourmed 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 305 
 
 our promife or rather dutie to your Maieflie in the 
 defcription of this arte, fo alwaies as we leaue him not 
 vnfurniftit of one peece that beft befeemes that place 
 of any other, and may feme as a principall good leffon 
 for al good makers to beare continually in mind, in 
 the vfage of this fcience : which is, that being now 
 lately become a Courtier he fhew not himfelf a crafts- 
 man, and merit to be difgraded, and with fcorne fent 
 back againe to the mop, or other place of his firfl 
 facultie and calling, but that fo wifely and difcreetly 
 he behaue himfelfe as he may worthily retaine the 
 credit of his place, and profeffion of a very Courtier, 
 which is in plaine termes, cunningly to be able to dif- 
 femble. But (if it pleafe your Maieflie) may it not 
 feeme enough for a Courtier to know how to weare a 
 fether, and fet his cappe a flaunt, his chaine en echarpe, 
 a flraight buskin al ingleffe, a loofe alo Turquefque, the 
 cape alia Spa/riola, the breech a la Francoife, and by 
 twentie maner of new fafhioned garments to difguife 
 his body, and his face with as many countenances, 
 whereof it feemes there be many that make a very 
 arte, and ftudie who can fhew himfelfe moft fine, I will 
 not fay moft foolifh and ridiculous ? or perhaps rather 
 that he could diffemble his conceits as well as his 
 countenances, fo as he neuer fpeake as he thinkes, or 
 thinke as he fpeaks, and that in any matter of import- 
 ance his words and his meaning very feldome meete : 
 for fo as I remember it was concluded by vs fetting 
 foorth the figure Allegoria, which therefore not imperti- 
 nently we call the Courtier or figure of faire femblant, 
 or is it not perchance more requifite our courtly Poet 
 do diffemble not onely his countenances and conceits, 
 but alfo his ordinary adlions of behauiour, or the moft 
 part of them, whereby the better to winne his purpofes 
 and good aduantages, as now and then to haue a 
 iourney or fickneffe in his fleeue, thereby to fhake of 
 other importunities of greater confequence, as they 
 vfe their pilgrimages in Fraunce, the Diet in Spaine, 
 the baines in Italy ? and when a man is whole to faine 
 
 u 
 
3o6 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 himfelfe ficke to fhunne the bufmeffe in Court, to 
 entertaine time and eafe at home, to falue offences 
 without difcredite, to win purpofes by mediation in 
 abfence, which their prefence would eyther impeach or 
 ton greatly preferre, to harken after the popular 
 opinions and fpeech, to entend to their more priuate 
 folaces, to pradtize more deepely both at leafure and 
 libertie, and when any publique affaire or other attempt 
 and counfaile of theirs hath not receaued good fuc- 
 ceffe, to auoid therby the Princes prefent reproofe, to 
 coole their chollers by abfence, to winne remorfe by 
 lamentable reports, and reconciliation by friends in- 
 treatie. Finally by fequeftring themfelues for a time 
 fro the Court, to be able the freelier and cleerer to 
 difcerne the factions and ftate of the Court and of al 
 the world befides, no leffe then doth the looker on or 
 beholder of a game better fee into all points of auaun- 
 tage, then the player himfelfe ? and in diffembling of 
 difeafes which I pray you ? for I haue obferued it in 
 the Court of Fraunce, not a burning feuer or a plurifie 
 or a palfie, or the hpdropick and fwelling gowte, or 
 any other like difeafe, for if they be fuch as may be 
 either eafily difcerned or quickly cured, they be ill to 
 diffemble and doo halfe handfomly feme the turne. 
 
 But it mufl be either a dry dropfie, or a megrim or 
 letarge, or a fiftule in a?io y or fome fuch other fecret 
 difeafe, as the common conuerfant can hardly dif- 
 couer, and the Phifition either not fpeedily heale, or 
 not honeftly bewray ? of which infirmities the fcoffmg 
 Pafquil wrote, Vlcus veficce. renum dolor in pene f cirrus . 
 Or as I haue feene in diuers places where many make 
 themfelues hart whole, when in deede they are full 
 ficke, bearing it floutly out to the hazard of their 
 health, rather then they would be fufpecled of any 
 lothfome infirmity, which might inhibit them from the 
 Princes prefence, or enterteinment of the ladies. Or 
 as fome other do to beare a port of ftate and plentie 
 when they haue neither penny nor poffeffion, that 
 they may not feeme to droope, and be reiecled as 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 307 
 
 vnworthy or infufficient for the greater feruices, or to 
 be pitied for their pouertie, which they hold for a 
 marueilous difgrace, as did the poore Squire of Caf- 
 tile, who had rather dine with a fheepes head at home 
 and drinke a crufe of water to it, then to haue a good 
 dinner giuen him by his friend who was nothing igno- 
 rant of his pouertie. Or as others do to make wife 
 they be poore when they be riche, to Ihunne thereby 
 the publicke charges and vocations, for men are not 
 now a dayes (fpecially in ftates of Oligarchic as the 
 mofl in our age) called fomuch for their wifedome as 
 for their wealth, alfo to auoyde enuie of neighbours 
 or bountie in conuerfation, for whofoeuer is reputed 
 rich cannot without reproch, but be either a lender or 
 a fpender. Or as others do to feeme very bufie when 
 they haue nothing to doo, and yet will make them- 
 felues fo occupied and ouerladen in the Princes affaires, 
 as it is a great matter to haue a couple of wordes with 
 them, when notwithftanding they lye fleeping on their 
 beds all an after noone, or fit folemnly at cardes in then- 
 chambers, or enterteyning of the Dames, or laughing 
 and gibing with their familiars foure houres by the 
 clocke, whiles the poore futer defirous of his difpatch 
 is aunfwered by fome Secretarie or page il fault 
 attcndrc. Monfieur is difpatching the kings bufmeffe 
 into Languedock, Prouence, Piemont, a common 
 phrafe with the Secretaries of France. Or as I haue 
 obferued in many of the Princes Courts of Italie, to 
 feeme idle when they be earneilly occupied and entend 
 to nothing but mifchieuous practizes, and do bufily 
 negotiat by coulor of otiation. Or as others of them 
 that go ordinarily to Church and neuer pray to winne 
 an opinion of holineffe : or pray ftill apace, but neuer 
 do good deede, and geue a begger a penny and fpend 
 a pound on a harlot, to fpeake faire to a mans face, 
 and foule behinde his backe, to fet him at his trencher 
 and yet fit on his skirts for fo we vfe to fay by a fayned 
 friend, then alfo to be rough and churlifh in fpeach 
 and apparance, but inwardly affectionate and fauouring, 
 
308 OF ORNAMENT. L I B. I 1 1. 
 
 as I haue fene of the greateft podeflates and graueil 
 iudges and Prefidentes of Parliament in Fraunce. 
 
 Thefe and many fuch like difguifmgs do we find in 
 mans behauiour, and fpecially in the Courtiers of for- 
 raine Countreyes, where in my youth I was brought vp. 
 and very well obferued their maner of life and conuer- 
 fation, for of mine owne Countrey I haue not made fo 
 great experience. Which parts, neuertheleffe, we allow 
 not now in our Englifh maker, becaufe we haue geuen 
 him the name of an honeft man, and not of an hypo- 
 crite : and therefore leaning thefe manner of diflimu- 
 lations to all bafe-minded men, and of vile nature or 
 mifterie, we doe allow our Courtly Poet to be a dif- 
 fembler only in the fubtilties cf his arte : that is. when 
 he is moil artificial!, fo to difguife and cloake it as it 
 may not appeare, nor feeme to proceede from him by 
 any ftudie or trade of rules, but to be his naturall : 
 nor fo euidently to be defcried, as euery ladde that 
 reades him mail fay he is a good fcholler, but will 
 rather haue him to know his arte well, and little to 
 vfe it. 
 
 And yet peraduenture in all points it may not be fo 
 taken, but in fuch onely as may difcouer his groffenes 
 or his ignorance by fome fchollerly affectation : which 
 thing is veryirkefome to all men of good trayning, and 
 fpecially to Courtiers. And yet for all that our maker 
 may not be m all cafes reftrayned, but that he may both 
 vfe, and alfo manifeft his arte to his great praife. and 
 need no more be afhamed thereof, than a fhomaker to 
 haue made a cleanly fhoe, or a Carpenter to haue 
 buylt a faire houfe. Therefore to difcuffe and make 
 this point fomewhat cleerer, to weete, where arte ought 
 to appeare, and where not, and when the naturall is 
 more commendable than the artificiall in any humane 
 action or workmanfhip, we wil examine it further by 
 this diftindtion. 
 
 In fome cafes we fay arte is an ayde and coadiutor 
 to nature, and a furtherer of her actions to good effect. 
 or peraduenture a meane to fupply her wants, by ren- 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 309 
 
 forcing the caufes wherein fhee is impotent and defectiue, 
 as doth the arte of phificke, by helping the natural! 
 concoction, retention, diflribution, expulfion, and other 
 vertues, in a weake and vnhealthie bodie. Or as the 
 good gardiner feafons his foyle by fundrie forts of com- 
 poft : as mucke or marie, clay or fande, and many 
 times by bloud, or lees of oyle or wine, or ftale, or 
 perchaunce with more coftly drugs : and waters his 
 plants, and weedes his herbes or rloures, and prunes 
 his branches, and vnleaues his boughes to let in the 
 funne : and twentie other waies cherifheth them, and 
 cureth their infirmities, and fo makes that neuer, or 
 very feldome any of them mifcarry, but bring foorth their 
 flours and fruites in feafon. And in both thefe cafes 
 it is no fmal praife for the Phifition and Gardiner to 
 be called good and cunning artificers. 
 
 In another refpect arte is not only an aide and coad- 
 iutor to nature in all her actions, but an alterer of them, 
 and in fome fort a furmounter of her skill, fo as by 
 meanes of it her owne effects fhall appeare more 
 beautifull or ftraunge and miraculous, as in both cafes 
 before remembred. The Phifition by the cordials hee 
 will geue his patient, ihall be able not onely to reftore 
 the decayed fpirites of man, and render him health, 
 but alfo to prolong the terme of his life many yeares 
 ouer and aboue the flint of his firft and naturall con- 
 ftitution. And the Gardiner by his arte will not onely 
 make an herbe, or flowr, or fruite, come forth in his 
 feafon without impediment, but alfo will embellifh the 
 fame in vertue, fhape, odour and tafte, that nature of 
 her felfe woulde neuer haue done : as to make fmgle 
 gillifloure, or marigold, or daifie, double : and the white 
 rofe, redde, yellow, or carnation, a bitter mellon fweete, 
 a fweete apple, foure, a plumme or cherrie without a 
 ftone, a peare without core or kernell, a goord or cou- 
 cumber like to a home, or any other figure he will : 
 any of which things nature could not doe without mans 
 help and arte. Thefe actions alfo are moft fmgular, 
 when they be moft artificiall. 
 
310 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 In another refpect, we fay arte is neither an aider 
 nor a furmounter, but onely a bare immitatour of na- 
 tures works, following and counterfeyting her actions 
 and effects, as the Marmefot doth many countenances 
 and geftures of man, of which forte are the artes of 
 painting and keruing, whereof one reprefents the na- 
 turall by light colour and fhadow in the fuperficiall or 
 flat, the other in a body maffife expreffmg the full and 
 emptie, euen, extant, rabbated, hollow, or whatfoeuer 
 other figure and paffion of quantitie. So alfo the Al- 
 chimift counterfeits gold, filuer, and all other mettals, 
 the Lapidarie pearles and pretious flones by glaffe 
 and other fubftances falfmed, and fophifticate by arte. 
 Thefe men alfo be praifed for their craft, and their 
 credit is nothing empayred, to fay that their conclu- 
 fions and effects are very artificiall. Finally in another 
 refpect arte is as it were an encountrer and contrary 
 to nature, producing effects neither like to hers, nor by 
 participation with her operations, nor by imitation of 
 her paternes, but makes things and produceth effects 
 altogether ftrange and diuerfe, and of fuch forme and 
 qualitie (nature alwaies fupplying ftuffe) as fhe neuer 
 would nor could haue done of her felfe, as the carpenter 
 that builds a houfe, the ioyner that makes a table or a 
 bedflead, the tailor a garment, the Smith a locke or a 
 key, and a number of like, in which cafe the workman 
 gaineth reputation by his arte, and praife when it is 
 beft expreffed and moil apparant, and moil ftudioufly. 
 Man alfo in all his actions that be not altogether na- 
 turall, but are gotten by ftudy and difcipline or exer- 
 cife, as to daunce by meafures, to fing by note, to play 
 on the lute, and fuch like, it is a praife to be faid an 
 artificiall dauncer, fmger, and player on inflruments. 
 becaufe they be not exactly knowne or done, but by 
 rules and precepts or teaching of fchoolemafters. But 
 in fuch actions as be fo naturall and proper to man, 
 as he may become excellent therein without any arte 
 or imitation at all, (cuftome and exercife excepted, 
 which are requifite to euery action not numbred 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 311 
 
 among the vitall or animal) and wherein nature mould 
 feeme to do amiffe, and man fuller reproch to be found 
 deftitute of them : in thofe to fhew himfelfe rather 
 artihciall then naturall, were no leffe to be laughed at. 
 then for one that can fee well inough, to vfe a pa ire of 
 fpectacles, or not to heare but by a trunke put to his 
 eare, nor feele without a paire of ennealed glooues, 
 which things in deede helpe an inhrme fence, but 
 annoy the pernt, and therefore fhewing a difabilitie 
 naturall mooue rather to fcorne then commendation, 
 and to pitie fooner then to prayfe. But what elfe is 
 language and vtterance, and difcourfe and perfuafion, 
 and argument in man, then the vertues of a well con- 
 flitute body and minde. little leffe naturall then his 
 very fenfuall actions, fauing that the one is perhted by 
 nature at once, the other not without exercife and 
 iteration ? Peraduenture alfo it wilbe granted that a 
 man fees better and difcernes more brimly his collours, 
 and heares and feeles more exactly by vfe and often 
 hearing and feeling and feing, and though it be better 
 to fee with fpectacles then not to fee at all, yet is their 
 praife not egall nor in any mans iudgement comparable : 
 no more is that which a Poet makes by arte and pre- 
 cepts rather then by naturall inftincl : and that which 
 he doth by long meditation rather then by a fuddaine 
 infpiration. or with great pleamre and facillitie then 
 hardly (and as they are woont to fay) in fpite of Nature 
 or Minerua, then which nothing can be more irkfome 
 or ridiculous. 
 
 And yet I am not ignorant that there be artes and 
 methodes both to fpeake and to perfwade and alfo to 
 difpute, and by which the naturall is in fome forte re- 
 lieued, as th'eye by his fpeclacle, I fay relieued in his 
 imperfection, but not made more pernt then the 
 naturall, in which refpecl I call thofe artes of Gram- 
 mer, Logicke, and Rhetorick not bare imitations, as 
 the painter or keruers craft and worke in a forraine 
 fubiecl viz. a liuely purtraite in his table of wood, but 
 by long and ftudious obferuation rather a repetition or 
 
312 OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 reminifcens naturall, reduced into perfection, and 
 made prompt by vfe and exercife. And fo whatfo- 
 euer a mans fpeakes or perfwades he doth it not by 
 imitation artificially, but by obferuation naturally 
 (though one follow another) becaufe it is both the 
 fame and the like that nature doth fuggeft : but if a 
 popingay fpeake, fire doth it by imitation of mans 
 voyce artificially and not naturally being the like, 
 but not the fame that nature doth fuggeft to man. 
 But now becaufe our maker or Poet is to play many 
 parts and not one alone, as firfl to deuife his plat or 
 fubiec~l, then to fafhion his poeme, thirdly to vfe his 
 metricall proportions, and lafl of all to vtter with 
 pleafure and delight, which relies in his maner of 
 language and ftile as hath bene faid, whereof the 
 many moodes and ftraunge phrafes are called figures, 
 it is not altogether with him as with the crafts man, 
 nor altogether otherwife then with the crafts man, for 
 in that he vfeth his metricall proportions by appointed 
 and harmonicall meafures and diftaunces, he is 
 like the Carpenter or Ioyner, for borrowing their 
 tymber and lluffe of nature, they appoint and order 
 it by art otherwife then nature would doe, and worke 
 effecls in apparance contrary to hers. Alfo in that 
 which the Poet fpeakes or reports of another mans 
 tale or doings, as Homer of Priamus or Vliffes, 
 he is as the painter or keruer that worke by imita- 
 tion and reprefentation in a forrein fubiecl, in that 
 he fpeakes figuratiuely, or argues fubtillie, or perfwades 
 copioufly and vehemently, he doth as the cunning gar- 
 diner that vfmg nature as a coadiutor, furders her con- 
 clufions and many times makes her effecles more abfo- 
 lute and ftraunge. But for that in our maker or Poet, 
 which reftes onely in deuife and iffues from an excel- 
 lent lharpe and quick inuention, holpen by a cleare 
 and bright phantafie and imagination, he is not as the 
 painter to counterfaite the naturall by the like effects 
 and not the fame, nor as the gardiner aiding nature to 
 worke both the fame and the like, nor as the Carpen- 
 
OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 313 
 
 ter to worke effectes vtterly vnlike, but even as nature 
 her felfe working by her owne peculiar vertue and pro- 
 per inilincl and not by example or meditation or exer- 
 cife as all other artificers do, is then moil admired 
 when he is moil naturall and lead artificial!. And in 
 the feates of his language and vtterance, becaufe they 
 hold afwell of nature to be fuggeiled and vttered 
 as by arte to be poliihed and reformed. Therefore 
 mail our Poet receaue prayfe for both, but more by 
 knowing of his arte then by vnfeafonable vfing it, and 
 be more commended for his naturall eloquence then 
 for his artificiall, and more for his artificiall well dif- 
 embled, then for the fame ouermuch affected and 
 groifely or vndifcretly bewrayed, as many makers and 
 Oratours do. 
 
 The Conclufion. 
 
 Nd with this (my moil gratious foue- 
 raigne Lady) I make an end, 
 humbly befeeching your pardon, 
 in that I haue prefumed to hold 
 your eares fo long annoyed with a 
 tedious trifle, fo as vnleffe it pro- 
 ceede more of your owne Prince- 
 ly and naturall manfu etude then 
 of my merit e, I feare greatly leail you may thinck of 
 me as the Philofopher Plato did of Aniceris an in- 
 habitant of the Citie Cirene, who being in troth a very 
 ac~tiue and artificiall man in driuing of a Princes Char- 
 riot or Coche (as your Maieflie might be) and knowing 
 it himfelfe well enough, comming one day into Platos 
 fchoole, and hauing heard him largely difpute in mat- 
 ters Philofophicall, I pray you (quoth he) geue me 
 leaue alfo to fay fomewhat of myne arte, and in deede 
 ihewed fo many trickes of his cunning how to lanche 
 forth and flay, and chaunge pace, and turne and winde 
 his Coche, this way and that way, vphill downe hill, 
 
3H OF ORNAMENT. LIB. III. 
 
 and alfo in euen or rough ground, that he made the 
 whole affemblie wonder at him. Quoth Plato being a 
 graue perfonnge, verely in myne opinion this man 
 mould be vtterly vnfit for any feruice of greater import- 
 ance then to driue a Coche. It is a great pitie that fo 
 prettie a fellow, had not occupied his braynes in ftudies 
 of more confequence.' Now I pray God it be not 
 thought fo of me in defcribing the toyes of this our vul- 
 gar art. But when I confider how euery thing hath 
 his eftimation by opportunitie, and that it was but the 
 fludie of my yonger yeares in which vanitie raigned. 
 Alfo that I write to the pleafure of a Lady and a moft 
 gratious Queene, and neither to Prieftes nor to Pro- 
 phetes or Philofophers. Befides finding by experience, 
 that many times idleneffe is leffe harmefull then vnpro- 
 fitable occupation, dayly feeing how thefe great afpiring 
 mynds and ambitious heads of the world ferioufly 
 fearching to deale in matters of ftate, be often times fo 
 bufie and earneft that they were better be vnoccupied, 
 and peraduenture altogether idle, I prefume fo much 
 vpon your Maiefties moft milde and gracious iudge- 
 ment howfoeuer you conceiue of myne abilitie to any 
 better or greater feruice, that yet in this attempt ye 
 wil allow of my loyal 1 and good intent al waves endeu- 
 ouring to do your Maieftie the beft and greateft of 
 thofe feruices I can. 
 
A Table of the Chapters in this booke, 
 
 and euery thing in them 
 
 conteyned. 
 
 WHat a Poet and Poefie is, and who may be /aid the 
 mojl excellent Poet in onr ti?ne. fol. I [p. 19] 
 
 Whether there may be an a?-te of oar EnglifJt or vulgar 
 
 Poefie. 3 [A 2I J 
 
 How Poets were the fiifi Priefls, the firft Prophets, the firjl 
 
 Legiflators and Politiens in the world. 3 [p. 22] 
 
 How Poets were the firft Philof others, the firft Aflronomers, 
 
 and Hifloriographers, and Orators, and Muficians in the 
 
 -Id. > 5[/-24] 
 
 How euery wilde and fan adge people vfe a kinde of naturall 
 
 Poefie in verficle and rime, as onr vulgar is. 7 [p. 26] 
 
 Whence the riming Poefie camefirfi to the Greekes and- La- 
 . and how it had altered, and almofil fpilt their maner 
 
 of Poefie. 7l>27] 
 
 Uozo in the time of Charlemaynes raigne and many year es 
 
 after him, the Latine Poets wrote in rime. 8 [p. 28] 
 
 In what reputation Poets and Poefie were in the olde time 
 Princes, and otherwife generally, and how they be 
 
 now become contemptible, and for what caufes. 12 [p. 31] 
 
 How Poefie fkoulde not be employed vpon vaine conceits, nor 
 
 fpecially thofethat bee vitious or infamous. 18 [/. 38] 
 
 Thefubiecl or matter of Poefie what it is. 18 [/. 39] 
 
 Of Poems and their fundrie fortes, and how thereby the 
 
 auncient Poets receiued Surnames. 19 [p. 40] 
 
 In what forme of Poefie the gods of the gentils were prayfed 
 
 and honoured. , > 21 [p. 42] 
 
 In what forme of Poefie vice, and the common abnfes of 
 
 mans life were reprehended. 24 [p. 45] 
 
 he Poefie for reprehenfion of vice, was reformed by two 
 
 maimer of Poems, more ciuill than thefirfi. 25 [p. 47] 
 
 /;/ what forme of Poefie the mill and ontragious behauiours 
 
 of Princes were reprehended . 26 [p. 48] 
 
 In what for?ne of Poefie the great Princes and dominators 
 
 of the world were praifed and honoured. 27 [/. 50] 
 
 Of the places where in auncient time their enterhides and other 
 
 Poemes drammaticke ivere reprefented vnto the people. 28 [^.51] 
 Of the fiicpheards or paftorall poefie called Eglogue, and to 
 
 what ptirpofe it wasfirfi inuented and deuifed. 30 [p. 52] 
 
 Of hifiioricall Poefie, by which the f anions acts of princes and 
 
 the vertuous and worthy Hues of our forefathers were re- 
 ported. 3i[/-54] 
 
316 THE TABLE. 
 
 In what forme ofpoefte vertue in the inferior fort was com- 
 mended, fol. 34 [p. 5 7] 
 
 The forme wherein honefl and pi'ofitable arts and fciences 
 were treated. 35 [p. 59] 
 
 In what forme ofpoefte the amarons affections and entertain- 
 ments were v tiered. 36 [p. 59] 
 
 The forme of poeticall reioyfngs. 36 [p. 60] 
 
 The forme of poeticall lamentations, 37 [p. 61] 
 
 Thefolemne reioyfngs at the birth and natiuitie of princes 
 children. 40 [p. 64] 
 
 The manner of reioyfngs at weddings and, marriages, f pen- 
 ally of great Ladies and Gentlewomen and Dames of 
 honour. 40 [p. 64] 
 
 The manner ofpoefte by which they vttered their bitter taunts 
 or priuy nippes, and witty feoff es a7id other merry con- 
 ceits. 43 [p. 68] 
 
 What manner of poeme they vfed for memoriall of the 
 dead. " 45 [/. 70] 
 
 An auncient forme ofpoefe by which men did vfe to reproch 
 
 their enimies. 46 [/. 71] 
 
 Of the fiort poeme called with vs pofe. 47 [/. 72] 
 
 Who in any age hane beene the moft commended writers in 
 our Englifi poefie, and the Authors cenfure giuen vpon 
 them, 48 [p. 73] 
 
 The Table of the lecond booke. 
 
 OF proportion poeticall. fol. 53[/. 78] 
 
 Of proportion in Staff. 54 [p. 79] 
 
 Of proportion in Meafure. 55 [p- 81 J 
 
 How many foi'tes of meafures we vfe in our vulgar. 58 [p. 84] 
 
 Of the diflinclions of mans voice and paufes allowed to our 
 
 fpeech, and of the firfl pazvfe called Ceazure. 61 [p. 87] 
 
 . Of proportion in concord called Ri?ne. 63 [p. 90] 
 
 Of accent, ftirre and time, euidently perceyued in the diftinc- 
 
 tion of mans voice, and is that which maketh the flowing 
 
 of a Meeire. 64 [p. 9 1 ] 
 
 Of your Cadences by which the meeter is made Symphoni- 
 
 call, and when they be moflfweet and folemne. 65 [p. 93] 
 
 How the good maker will not wrench his word to helpe his 
 
 rime, either by falffying his accent or his Ortographie. 67 [p. 94] 
 Of co7icord in long and ' fliort meafures, and by neere or faiTe 
 
 diftanccs, and which of them is mqft commendable. , 68 [p. 96] 
 Of proportion by filiation. 69 [p. 97] 
 
 Of proportion in fig ure. 7 5 \p. 1 04] 
 
 How if all manner of fuddaine innouations were not very 
 
 fcandalous, fpecially in the law es of any language, the vfe 
 
THE TABLE. 317 
 
 of the Grceke and La tine fed might be brought into our 
 
 ::■■ poefie and with good grace inough. foL 85 [p. 126] 
 
 A more particular declaration of the Metricall feete of the 
 
 Greekes and La tines, and of your feete of two times. 91 [p. 133] 
 Of the feete of three times, and what zfe we may haue of 
 
 them in our vulgar, io^,[p. 137] 
 
 Of all the other of three times be fides the Dae? ill. 106 [p. 140] 
 
 Of your halfe foote in a verfe, and thofe verfes which they 
 
 called perfect and defecliue. 107 [p. 142] 
 
 Of the breaking of your wordes of many fllables, and when 
 
 and hew it is to be zfed. 108 [/. 143] 
 
 The Table of the third booke. 
 
 OF ornament poeticall and that it refieih in figures. 
 foL 114O.149] 
 
 How our writing and ' fpeeches publique ought to befigura- 
 tiue, and if they be not doo greatly difgrace the caufe 
 and purpofe of the fpeaker and writer. 115 [p. 151] 
 
 How ornament poeticall is of tzuo fortes according to the 
 
 double nature and efficacy of figures. ng[p. 155] 
 
 Of language and what fpeech our maker ought to zfe. 119 [p. 156] 
 Of file, and that it is of three ki7ides, loflie, meane, and 
 
 low according to the nature ofihefubiecl. I2^[f. 160] 
 
 Oftheloftie, meane, and lew fubiecl. 12 j [p. 164]- 
 
 Of figures and figurative fpeeches. 12S [p. 166] 
 
 Sixe points fet downe by our learned jorcf others for a gen- 
 era I I rule or regimeiit of all good utterance, be it by mouth"i 
 or by writing. 129 [p. 167] 
 
 Hew trie Greekes firfl and ' afterward es the Latines inuentcd 1 
 new names for euery figure, which this Author is alfo 
 enfo7'ced to doo in his vulgar arte. 130 [p. 168] 
 
 A diuifion of figures, and hoiv they feme in exor nation of 
 
 language. 132 [/. 170] 
 
 Of Auricular figures appertcyning to fugle words and 
 working by :~:cir diners founds and audille tunts, altera- 
 tion to the eare only and not to the minde. 134 [p. 173] 
 Of Auricular figures perlcyning to clawfes of ''ficech, and 
 
 by them working no little alteration to the eare. 135 [p. 174' 
 
 Of Auricular figures working by diforder. 140 [p. 1S0 
 
 Of Auriadar figures working by ftirphifage. 142 [p. i82_ 
 
 Of Auricular figures working by exchange. 142 [p. l82_ 
 
 Of Au7'icular figures that feme to make the meetre tune- 
 able a7id 7nelodious, but not by defect 7ior furplufage, 
 diforder nor cxcha7ige. 145 [p. 184] 
 
The names of your figures Auricular. 
 
 EClipfis, or the figure of default. foL 136 [p. 175] 
 
 Zeugma, or the fingle fupply. 1 3^[p- 175] 
 
 Prozeugma, or the ringleader. I 37[fi- 176] 
 
 Mezozeugma, or the middlemarcher. 137 [p. 176] 
 
 Hypozeugma, or the rerewarder. 137 [p. 176] 
 
 Sillepfis, or the double fupply. 1 37[p- 176] 
 
 Hypozeuxis, or the fubftituie. I 3^[/- I 77] 
 Apofiopefis, or the figure offilence, otherwife called the figure 
 
 of interruption. 1 39 [p. 178] 
 
 Prolepfis, or the propounder. l 39[p- 179] 
 
 Hiperbaton, or the trefpaffer. 140 [/. 180] 
 
 Parenthefis, or the infertour. 14.0 [p. 180] 
 
 Hifteron proteron, #r the prepoflerous. 141 [^. 181] 
 
 Enallage, or figure of exchange. 14.2 [p. 182] 
 
 Hipallage, or the changeling. 143 [p. 182] 
 
 Omoioteleton, or the figure of likeloofe . 144 [/. 184] 
 
 Parimion, or figure of like letter. 145 [^. 185] 
 
 Afindeton, or figure of loofe language. 145 f^. 185] 
 
 Polifindeton, <?r Afc* <:^//^ claufe. 146 [ ^. 186] 
 
 Irmus, or the long loofe. . 146 [p. 186] 
 
 Epitheton, <?r the qicalifier. 147 [^. 187] 
 
 Endiades, or the figure oftwinnes. T47 [p. 188] 
 Of the figures which wecallSenfable, becaufe they alter and affect 
 
 the minde by alteration of fenfe and firll in fingle words. 148 [p. 188] 
 Metaphora, or the figure of tranfport. 148 [/. 189] 
 Catacrefis, or the figure of abufe. 1 S°VP- !9°] 
 Metonymia, tfr ^<? mifnamer. \^o\p. 191] 
 Antonomafia, <?r thefumamer. 151 [/. 192] 
 Onomatopeia, or the newnamer. 151 [/. 192] 
 Epitheton, or figure of attribution, otherwife called the quali- 
 fier. ■ 152 [/• 193] 
 Metalepfis, or the far-fet. 1 S 2 VP- r 93l 
 Liptote, or the moderator. 153 [p. 195] 
 Paradiaftole,tfr//^<r^r?7^^/, otherwife called the foother. 154 [^. 195] 
 Meofis, 0?- the dif abler. I 54[/« I 95] 
 Tapinofis, or the abbafer. 154^. 195] 
 Synecdoche, #r the figure of quick conceit. 154 [/. 196] 
 Of fenfable figures appertaining to whole fpeeches, and by 
 them affecting and altering the minde by force offence and 
 intendment. 155 [p. 196] 
 Allegoria, or figure of faire femblant. I 55 [^- I 97] 
 Enigma, or the riddle. I S7[p- x 9&] 
 Parimia, or the prouerbe. *57 [/• J 99~ 
 Ironia, or the drie mock. 157 [p. 199" 
 Sarcafmus, or the bitter taunt. 158 [p. 200 
 Afteifmus, the merry fcoffe, or ciuill iefl. 158 [p. 200 
 Miclerifmus, or the fleei'ing frumpe. I59[/. 201 
 Antiphrafis, or the bi'oad floute. 159 [p. 201 
 Charientifmus, or thepriuie nippe. 159 \fi. 201