a defence of poesie and poems-第14章

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hemselves；　they　have；　as　it　were；　a　kind　of　contrariety。　　For　delight　we　scarcely　do；　but　in　things　that　have　a　conveniency　to　ourselves；　or　to　the　general　nature。　　Laughter　almost　ever　cometh　of　things　most　disproportioned　to　ourselves　and　nature：　　delight　hath　a　joy　in　it　either　permanent　or　present；　laughter　hath　only　a　scornful　tickling。　　For　example：　　we　are　ravished　with　delight　to　see　a　fair　woman；　and　yet　are　far　from　being　moved　to　laughter；　we　laugh　at　deformed　creatures；　wherein　certainly　we　cannot　delight；　we　delight　in　good　chances；　we　laugh　at　mischances；　we　delight　to　hear　the　happiness　of　our　friends　and　country；　at　which　he　were　worthy　to　be　laughed　at　that　would　laugh：　　we　shall；　contrarily；　sometimes　laugh　to　find　a　matter　quite　mistaken；　and　go　down　the　hill　against　the　bias；　｛87｝　in　the　mouth　of　some　such　men；　as　for　the　respect　of　them；　one　shall　be　heartily　sorrow　he　cannot　choose　but　laugh；　and　so　is　rather　pained　than　delighted　with　laughter。　　Yet　deny　I　not；　but　that　they　may　go　well　together；　for；　as　in　Alexander's　picture　well　set　out；　we　delight　without　laughter；　and　in　twenty　mad　antics　we　laugh　without　delight：　　so　in　Hercules；　painted　with　his　great　beard　and　furious　countenance；　in　a　woman's　attire；　spinning　at　Omphale's　commandment；　it　breeds　both　delight　and　laughter；　for　the　representing　of　so　strange　a　power　in　love　procures　delight；　and　the　scornfulness　of　the　action　stirreth　laughter。

But　I　speak　to　this　purpose；　that　all　the　end　of　the　comical　part　be　not　upon　such　scornful　matters　as　stir　laughter　only；　but　mix　with　it　that　delightful　teaching　which　is　the　end　of　poesy。　　And　the　great　fault；　even　in　that　point　of　laughter；　and　forbidden　plainly　by　Aristotle；　is；　that　they　stir　laughter　in　sinful　things；　which　are　rather　execrable　than　ridiculous；　or　in　miserable；　which　are　rather　to　be　pitied　than　scorned。　　For　what　is　it　to　make　folks　gape　at　a　wretched　beggar；　and　a　beggarly　clown；　or　against　the　law　of　hospitality；　to　jest　at　strangers；　because　they　speak　not　English　so　well　as　we　do？　what　do　we　learn；　since　it　is　certain；


〃Nil　habet　infelix　pauperatas　durius　in　se；　Quam　qnod　ridiculos；　homines　facit。〃　｛88｝


But　rather　a　busy　loving　courtier；　and　a　heartless　threatening　Thraso；　a　self…wise　seeming　school…master；　a　wry…transformed　traveller：　　these；　if　we　saw　walk　in　stage　names；　which　we　play　naturally；　therein　were　delightful　laughter；　and　teaching　delightfulness：　　as　in　the　other；　the　tragedies　of　Buchanan　｛89｝　do　justly　bring　forth　a　divine　admiration。

But　I　have　lavished　out　too　many　words　of　this　play　matter；　I　do　it；　because；　as　they　are　excelling　parts　of　poesy；　so　is　there　none　so　much　used　in　England；　and　none　can　be　more　pitifully　abused；　which；　like　an　unmannerly　daughter；　showing　a　bad　education；　causeth　her　mother　Poesy's　honesty　to　be　called　in　question。

Other　｛90｝　sorts　of　poetry；　almost；　have　we　none；　but　that　lyrical　kind　of　songs　and　sonnets；　which；　if　the　Lord　gave　us　so　good　minds；　how　well　it　might　be　employed；　and　with　how　heavenly　fruits；　both　private　and　public；　in　singing　the　praises　of　the　immortal　beauty；　the　immortal　goodness　of　that　God；　who　giveth　us　hands　to　write；　and　wits　to　conceive；　of　which　we　might　well　want　words；　but　never　matter；　of　which　we　could　turn　our　eyes　to　nothing；　but　we　should　ever　have　new　budding　occasions。

But；　truly；　many　of　such　writings　as　come　under　the　banner　of　unresistible　love；　if　I　were　a　mistress；　would　never　persuade　me　they　were　in　love；　so　coldly　they　apply　fiery　speeches；　as　men　that　had　rather　read　lover's　writings；　and　so　caught　up　certain　swelling　phrases；　which　hang　together　like　a　man　that　once　told　me；　〃the　wind　was　at　north…west　and　by　south；〃　because　he　would　be　sure　to　name　winds　enough；　than　that；　in　truth；　they　feel　those　passions；　which　easily；　as　I　think；　may　be　bewrayed　by　the　same　forcibleness；　or　〃energia〃　（as　the　Greeks　call　it）；　of　the　writer。　　But　let　this　be　a　sufficient；　though　short　note；　that　we　miss　the　right　use　of　the　material　point　of　poesy。

Now　｛91｝　for　the　outside　of　it；　which　is　words；　or　（as　I　may　term　it）　diction；　it　is　even　well　worse；　so　is　that　honey…flowing　matron　eloquence；　apparelled；　or　rather　disguised；　in　a　courtesan…like　painted　affectation。　　One　time　with　so　far…fetched　words；　that　many　seem　monsters；　but　most　seem　strangers　to　any　poor　Englishman：　another　time　with　coursing　of　a　letter；　as　if　they　were　bound　to　follow　the　method　of　a　dictionary：　　another　time　with　figures　and　flowers；　extremely　winter…starved。

But　I　would　this　fault　were　only　peculiar　to　versifiers；　and　had　not　as　large　possession　among　prose　printers：　　and；　which　is　to　be　marvelled；　among　many　scholars；　and；　which　is　to　be　pitied；　among　some　preachers。　　Truly；　I　could　wish　（if　at　least　I　might　be　so　bold　to　wish；　in　a　thing　beyond　the　reach　of　my　capacity）　the　diligent　imitators　of　Tully　and　Demosthenes；　most　worthy　to　be　imitated；　did　not　so　much　keep　Nizolian　paper…books　｛92｝　of　their　figures　and　phrases；　as　by　attentive　translation；　as　it　were；　devour　them　whole；　and　make　them　wholly　theirs。　　For　now　they　cast　sugar　and　spice　upon　every　dish　that　is　served　at　the　table：　　like　those　Indians；　not　content　to　wear　ear…rings　at　the　fit　and　natural　place　of　the　ears；　but　they　will　thrust　jewels　through　their　nose　and　lips；　because　they　will　be　sure　to　be　fine。

Tully；　when　he　was　to　drive　out　Catiline；　as　it　were　with　a　thunderbolt　of　eloquence；　often　useth　the　figure　of　repetition；　as　〃vivit　et　vincit；　imo　in　senatum　venit；　imo　in　senatum　venit；〃　&c。　｛93｝　　Indeed；　inflamed　with　a　well…grounded　rage；　he　would　have　his　words；　as　it　were；　double　out　of　his　mouth；　and　so　do　that　artificially　which　we　see　men　in　choler　do　naturally。　　And　we；　having　noted　the　grace　of　those　words；　hale　them　in　sometimes　to　a　familiar　epistle；　when　it　were　too　much　choler　to　be　choleric。

How　well；　store　of　〃similiter　cadences〃　doth　sound　with　the　gravity　of　the　pulpit；　I　would　but　invoke　Demosthenes'　soul　to　tell；　who　with　a　rare　daintiness　useth　them。　　Truly；　they　have　made　me　think　of　the　sophister；　that　with　too　much　subtlety　would　prove　two　eggs　three；　and　though　he　may　be　counted　a　sophister；　had　none　for　his　labour。　　So　these　men　bringing　in　such　a　kind　of　eloquence；　well　may　they　obtain　an　opinion　of　a　seeming　fineness；　but　persuade　few；　which　should　be　the　end　of　their　fineness。

Now　for　similitudes　in　certain　printed　discourses；　I　think　all　herbalists；　all　stories　of　beasts；　fowls；　and　fishes　are　rifled　up；　that　they　may　come　in　multitudes　to　wait　upon　any　of　our　conceits；　which　certainly　is　as　absurd　a　surfeit　to　the　ears　as　is　possible。　For　the　force　of　a　similitude　not　being　to　prove　anything　to　a　contrary　disputer；　but　only　to　explain　to　a　willing　hearer：　　when　that　is　done；　the　rest　is　a　most　tedious　prattling；　rather　overswaying　the　memory　from　the　purpose　whereto　they　were　applied；　than　any　whit　informing　the　judgment；　already　either　satisfied；　or　by　similitudes　not　to　be　satisfied。

For　my　part；　I　do　not　doubt；　when　Antonius　and　Crassus；　the　great　forefathers　of　Cicero　in　eloquence；　the　one　（as　Cicero　testifieth　of　them）　pretended　not　to　know　art；　the　other　not　to　set　by　it；　because　with　a　plain　sensibleness　they　might　win　credit　of　popular　ears；　which　credit　is　the　nearest　step　to　persuasion　（which　persuasion　is　the　chief　mark　of　oratory）；　I　do　not　doubt；　I　say；　but　that　they　used　these　knacks　very　sparingly；　which　who　doth　generally　use；　any　man　may　see；　doth　dance　to　his　own　music；　and　so　to　he　noted　by　the　audience；　more　careful　to　speak　curiously　than　truly。　　Undoubtedly　（at　least　to　my　opinion　undoubtedly）　I　have　found　in　divers　small…　learned　courtiers　a　more　sound　style　than　in　some　professors　of　learning；　of　which　I　can　guess　no　other　cause；　but　that　the　courtier　following　that　which　by　practice　he　findeth　fittest　to　nature；　therein　（though　he　know　it　not）　doth　according　to　art；　though　not　by　art：　　where　the　other；　using　art　to　show　art；　and　not　hide　art　（as　in　these　cases　he　should　do）；　flieth　from　nature；　and　indeed　abuseth　art。

But　what！　methinks　I　deserve　to　be　pounded　｛94｝　for　straying　from　poetry　to　oratory：　　but　both　have　such　an　affinity　in　the　wordish　considerations；