a defence of poesie and poems-第12章

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s　banishment　grew　not　for　effeminate　wantonness；　since　little　should　poetical　sonnets　be　hurtful；　when　a　man　might　have　what　woman　he　listed。　　But　I　honour　philosophical　instructions；　and　bless　the　wits　which　bred　them；　so　as　they　be　not　abused；　which　is　likewise　stretched　to　poetry。　　Saint　Paul　himself　sets　a　watchword　upon　philosophy；　indeed　upon　the　abuse。　　So　doth　Plato　upon　the　abuse；　not　upon　poetry。　　Plato　found　fault　that　the　poets　of　his　time　filled　the　world　with　wrong　opinions　of　the　gods；　making　light　tales　of　that　unspotted　essence；　and　therefore　would　not　have　the　youth　depraved　with　such　opinions。　　Herein　may　much　be　said；　let　this　suffice：　　the　poets　did　not　induce　such　opinions；　but　did　imitate　those　opinions　already　induced。　　For　all　the　Greek　stories　can　well　testify　that　the　very　religion　of　that　time　stood　upon　many　and　many…fashioned　gods；　not　taught　so　by　poets；　but　followed　according　to　their　nature　of　imitation。　　Who　list　may　read　in　Plutarch　the　discourses　of　Isis　and　Osiris；　of　the　cause　why　oracles　ceased；　of　the　Divine　providence；　and　see　whether　the　theology　of　that　nation　stood　not　upon　such　dreams；　which　the　poets　indeed　superstitiously　observed；　and　truly；　since　they　had　not　the　light　of　Christ；　did　much　better　in　it　than　the　philosophers；　who；　shaking　off　superstition；　brought　in　atheism。

Plato；　therefore；　whose　authority　I　had　much　rather　justly　construe　than　unjustly　resist；　meant　not　in　general　of　poets；　in　those　words　of　which　Julius　Scaliger　saith；　〃qua　authoritate；　barbari　quidam　atque　insipidi；　abuti　velint　ad　poetas　e　republica　exigendos　｛71｝：〃　but　only　meant　to　drive　out　those　wrong　opinions　of　the　Deity；　whereof　now；　without　farther　law；　Christianity　hath　taken　away　all　the　hurtful　belief；　perchance　as　he　thought　nourished　by　then　esteemed　poets。　　And　a　man　need　go　no　farther　than　to　Plato　himself　to　know　his　meaning；　who；　in　his　dialogue　called　〃Ion；〃　｛72｝　giveth　high；　and　rightly；　divine　commendation　unto　poetry。　　So　as　Plato；　banishing　the　abuse；　not　the　thing；　not　banishing　it；　but　giving　due　honour　to　it；　shall　be　our　patron；　and　not　our　adversary。　　For；　indeed；　I　had　much　rather；　since　truly　I　may　do　it；　show　their　mistaking　of　Plato；　under　whose　lion's　skin　they　would　make　an　ass…　like　braying　against　poesy；　than　go　about　to　overthrow　his　authority；　whom；　the　wiser　a　man　is；　the　more　just　cause　he　shall　find　to　have　in　admiration；　especially　since　he　attributeth　unto　poesy　more　than　myself　do；　namely；　to　be　a　very　inspiring　of　a　divine　force；　far　above　man's　wit；　as　in　the　fore…named　dialogue　is　apparent。

Of　the　other　side；　who　would　show　the　honours　have　been　by　the　best　sort　of　judgments　granted　them；　a　whole　sea　of　examples　would　present　themselves；　Alexanders；　Caesars；　Scipios；　all　favourers　of　poets；　Laelius；　called　the　Roman　Socrates；　himself　a　poet；　so　as　part　of　Heautontimeroumenos；　in　Terence；　was　supposed　to　be　made　by　him。　　And　even　the　Greek　Socrates；　whom　Apollo　confirmed　to　be　the　only　wise　man；　is　said　to　have　spent　part　of　his　old　time　in　putting　AEsop's　Fables　into　verse；　and；　therefore；　full　evil　should　it　become　his　scholar　Plato　to　put　such　words　in　his　master's　mouth　against　poets。　But　what　needs　more？　　Aristotle　writes　the　〃Art　of　Poesy；〃　and　why；　if　it　should　not　be　written？　　Plutarch　teacheth　the　use　to　be　gathered　of　them；　and　how；　if　they　should　not　be　read？　And　who　reads　Plutarch's　either　history　or　philosophy；　shall　find　he　trimmeth　both　their　garments　with　guards　｛73｝　of　poesy。

But　I　list　not　to　defend　poesy　with　the　help　of　his　underling　historiographer。　　Let　it　suffice　to　have　showed　it　is　a　fit　soil　for　praise　to　dwell　upon；　and　what　dispraise　may　be　set　upon　it　is　either　easily　overcome；　or　transformed　into　just　commendation。　　So　that　since　the　excellences　of　it　may　be　so　easily　and　so　justly　confirmed；　and　the　low　creeping　objections　so　soon　trodden　down　｛74｝；　it　not　being　an　art　of　lies；　but　of　true　doctrine；　not　of　effeminateness；　but　of　notable　stirring　of　courage；　not　of　abusing　man's　wit；　but　of　strengthening　man's　wit；　not　banished；　but　honoured　by　Plato；　let　us　rather　plant　more　laurels　for　to　ingarland　the　poets'　heads　（which　honour　of　being　laureate；　as　besides　them　only　triumphant　captains　were；　is　a　sufficient　authority　to　show　the　price　they　ought　to　be　held　in）　than　suffer　the　ill…favoured　breath　of　such　wrong　speakers　once　to　blow　upon　the　clear　springs　of　poesy。

But　｛75｝　since　I　have　run　so　long　a　career　in　this　matter；　methinks；　before　I　give　my　pen　a　full　stop；　it　shall　be　but　a　little　more　lost　time　to　inquire；　why　England；　the　mother　of　excellent　minds；　should　be　grown　so　hard　a　step…mother　to　poets；　who　certainly　in　wit　ought　to　pass　all　others；　since　all　only　proceeds　from　their　wit；　being；　indeed；　makers　of　themselves；　not　takers　of　others。　　How　can　I　but　exclaim；


〃Musa；　mihi　causas　memora；　quo　numine　laeso？〃　｛76｝


Sweet　poesy！　that　hath　anciently　had　kings；　emperors；　senators；　great　captains；　such　as；　besides　a　thousand　others；　David；　Adrian；　Sophocles；　Germanicus；　not　only　to　favour　poets；　but　to　be　poets；　and　of　our　nearer　times　can　present　for　her　patrons；　a　Robert；　King　of　Sicily；　the　great　King　Francis　of　France；　King　James　of　Scotland；　such　cardinals　as　Bembus　and　Bibiena；　such　famous　preachers　and　teachers　as　Beza　and　Melancthon；　so　learned　philosophers　as　Fracastorius　and　Scaliger；　so　great　orators　as　Pontanus　and　Muretus；　so　piercing　wits　as　George　Buchanan；　so　grave　councillors　as；　besides　many；　but　before　all；　that　Hospital　｛77｝　of　France；　than　whom；　I　think；　that　realm　never　brought　forth　a　more　accomplished　judgment　more　firmly　builded　upon　virtue；　I　say　these；　with　numbers　of　others；　not　only　to　read　others'　poesies；　but　to　poetise　for　others'　reading：　　that　poesy；　thus　embraced　in　all　other　places；　should　only　find　in　our　time　a　hard　welcome　in　England；　I　think　the　very　earth　laments　it；　and　therefore　decks　our　soil　with　fewer　laurels　than　it　was　accustomed。　　For　heretofore　poets　have　in　England　also　flourished；　and；　which　is　to　be　noted；　even　in　those　times　when　the　trumpet　of　Mars　did　sound　loudest。　　And　now　that　an　over…faint　quietness　should　seem　to　strew　the　house　for　poets；　they　are　almost　in　as　good　reputation　as　the　mountebanks　at　Venice。　Truly；　even　that；　as　of　the　one　side　it　giveth　great　praise　to　poesy；　which；　like　Venus　（but　to　better　purpose）；　had　rather　be　troubled　in　the　net　with　Mars；　than　enjoy　the　homely　quiet　of　Vulcan；　so　serveth　it　for　a　piece　of　a　reason　why　they　are　less　grateful　to　idle　England；　which　now　can　scarce　endure　the　pain　of　a　pen。　　Upon　this　necessarily　followeth　that　base　men　with　servile　wits　undertake　it；　who　think　it　enough　if　they　can　be　rewarded　of　the　printer；　and　so　as　Epaminondas　is　said；　with　the　honour　of　his　virtue；　to　have　made　an　office　by　his　exercising　it；　which　before　was　contemptible；　to　become　highly　respected；　so　these　men；　no　more　but　setting　their　names　to　it；　by　their　own　disgracefulness；　disgrace　the　most　graceful　poesy。　　For　now；　as　if　all　the　Muses　were　got　with　child；　to　bring　forth　bastard　poets；　without　any　commission；　they　do　post　over　the　banks　of　Helicon；　until　they　make　their　readers　more　weary　than　post…horses；　while；　in　the　meantime；　they；


〃Queis　meliore　luto　finxit　praecordia　Titan；〃　｛78｝


are　better　content　to　suppress　the　outflowings　of　their　wit；　than　by　publishing　them　to　be　accounted　knights　of　the　same　order。

But　I　that；　before　ever　I　durst　aspire　unto　the　dignity；　am　admitted　into　the　company　of　the　paper…blurrers；　do　find　the　very　true　cause　of　our　wanting　estimation　is　want　of　desert；　taking　upon　us　to　be　poets　in　despite　of　Pallas。　　Now；　wherein　we　want　desert；　were　a　thankworthy　labour　to　express。　　But　if　I　knew；　I　should　have　mended　myself；　but　as　I　never　desired　the　title　so　have　I　neglected　the　means　to　come　by　it；　only；　overmastered　by　some　thoughts；　I　yielded　an　inky　tribute　unto　them。　　Marry；　they　that　delight　in　poesy　itself；　should　seek　to　know　what　they　do；　and　how　they　do；　especially　look　themselves　in　an　unflattering　glass　of　reason；　if　they　be　inclinable　unto　it。

For　poesy　must　not　be　drawn　by　the　ears；　it　must　be　gently　led；　or　rather　it　must　lead；　which　was　partly　the　cause　that　made