a defence of poesie and poems-第5章

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　which　must　be　the　right　describing　note　to　know　a　poet　by。　　Although；　indeed；　the　senate　of　poets　have　chosen　verse　as　their　fittest　raiment；　meaning；　as　in　matter　they　passed　all　in　all；　so　in　manner　to　go　beyond　them；　not　speaking　table…talk　fashion；　or　like　men　in　a　dream；　words　as　they　changeably　fall　from　the　mouth；　but　piecing　each　syllable　of　each　word　by　just　proportion；　according　to　the　dignity　of　the　subject。

Now；　｛24｝　therefore；　it　shall　not　be　amiss；　first；　to　weight　this　latter　sort　of　poetry　by　his　WORKS；　and　then　by　his　PARTS；　and　if　in　neither　of　these　anatomies　he　be　commendable；　I　hope　we　shall　receive　a　more　favourable　sentence。　　This　purifying　of　wit；　this　enriching　of　memory；　enabling　of　judgment；　and　enlarging　of　conceit；　which　commonly　we　call　learning　under　what　name　soever　it　come　forth；　or　to　what　immediate　end　soever　it　be　directed；　the　final　end　is；　to　lead　and　draw　us　to　as　high　a　perfection　as　our　degenerate　souls；　made　worse　by；　their　clay　lodgings；　｛25｝　can　be　capable　of。　This；　according　to　the　inclination　of　man；　bred　many　formed　impressions；　for　some　that　thought　this　felicity　principally　to　be　gotten　by　knowledge；　and　no　knowledge　to　be　so　high　or　heavenly　as　to　be　acquainted　with　the　stars；　gave　themselves　to　astronomy；　others；　persuading　themselves　to　be　demi…gods；　if　they　knew　the　causes　of　things；　became　natural　and　supernatural　philosophers。　Some　an　admirable　delight　drew　to　music；　and　some　the　certainty　of　demonstrations　to　the　mathematics；　but　all；　one　and　other；　having　this　scope　to　know；　and　by　knowledge　to　lift　up　the　mind　from　the　dungeon　of　the　body　to　the　enjoying　his　own　divine　essence。　　But　when；　by　the　balance　of　experience；　it　was　found　that　the　astronomer；　looking　to　the　stars；　might　fall　in　a　ditch；　that　the　enquiring　philosopher　might　be　blind　in　himself；　and　the　mathematician　might　draw　forth　a　straight　line　with　a　crooked　heart；　then　lo！　did　proof；　the　over…ruler　of　opinions；　make　manifest　that　all　these　are　but　serving　sciences；　which；　as　they　have　a　private　end　in　themselves；　so　yet　are　they　all　directed　to　the　highest　end　of　the　mistress　knowledge；　by　the　Greeks　called　＇Greek　text＇；　which　stands；　as　I　think；　in　the　knowledge　of　a　man's　self；　in　the　ethic　and　politic　consideration；　with　the　end　of　well　doing；　and　not　of　well　knowing　only；　even　as　the　saddler's　next　end　is　to　make　a　good　saddle；　but　his　farther　end　to　serve　a　nobler　faculty；　which　is　horsemanship；　so　the　horseman's　to　soldiery；　and　the　soldier　not　only　to　have　the　skill；　but　to　perform　the　practice　of　a　soldier。　So　that　the　ending　end　of　all　earthly　learning　being　virtuous　action；　those　skills　that　most　serve　to　bring　forth　that　have　a　most　just　title　to　be　princes　over　all　the　rest；　wherein；　if　we　can　show　it　rightly；　the　poet　is　worthy　to　have　it　before　any　other　competitors。　｛26｝

Among　｛27｝　whom　principally　to　challenge　it；　step　forth　the　moral　philosophers；　whom；　methinks；　I　see　coming　toward　me　with　a　sullen　gravity　（as　though　they　could　not　abide　vice　by　daylight）；　rudely　clothed；　for　to　witness　outwardly　their　contempt　of　outward　things；　with　books　in　their　hands　against　glory；　whereto　they　set　their　names；　sophistically　speaking　against　subtlety；　and　angry　with　any　man　in　whom　they　see　the　foul　fault　of　anger。　　These　men；　casting　largesses　as　they　go；　of　definitions；　divisions；　and　distinctions；　with　a　scornful　interrogative　do　soberly　ask：　　Whether　it　be　possible　to　find　any　path　so　ready　to　lead　a　man　to　virtue；　as　that　which　teacheth　what　virtue　is；　and　teacheth　it　not　only　by　delivering　forth　his　very　being；　his　causes　and　effects；　but　also　by　making　known　his　enemy；　vice；　which　must　be　destroyed；　and　his　cumbersome　servant；　passion；　which　must　be　mastered；　by　showing　the　generalities　that　contain　it；　and　the　specialities　that　are　derived　from　it；　lastly；　by　plain　setting　down　how　it　extends　itself　out　of　the　limits　of　a　man's　own　little　world；　to　the　government　of　families；　and　maintaining　of　public　societies？

The　historian　｛28｝　scarcely　gives　leisure　to　the　moralist　to　say　so　much；　but　that　he　（laden　with　old　mouse…eaten　records；　authorizing　｛29｝　himself；　for　the　most　part；　upon　other　histories；　whose　greatest　authorities　are　built　upon　the　notable　foundation　of　hearsay；　having　much　ado　to　accord　differing　writers；　and　to　pick　truth　out　of　partiality；　better　acquainted　with　a　thousand　years　ago　than　with　the　present　age；　and　yet　better　knowing　how　this　world　goes　than　how　his　own　wit　runs；　curious　for　antiquities；　and　inquisitive　of　novelties；　a　wonder　to　young　folks；　and　a　tyrant　in　table…talk）　denieth；　in　a　great　chafe；　that　any　man　for　teaching　of　virtue　and　virtuous　actions；　is　comparable　to　him。　　I　am　〃Testis　temporum；　lux　veritatis；　vita　memoriae；　magistra　vitae；　nuncia　vetustatis。〃　｛30｝　　The　philosopher；　saith　he；　teacheth　a　disputative　virtue；　but　I　do　an　active；　his　virtue　is　excellent　in　the　dangerless　academy　of　Plato；　but　mine　showeth　forth　her　honourable　face　in　the　battles　of　Marathon；　Pharsalia；　Poictiers；　and　Agincourt：　　he　teacheth　virtue　by　certain　abstract　considerations；　but　I　only　bid　you　follow　the　footing　of　them　that　have　gone　before　you：　　old…aged　experience　goeth　beyond　the　fine…witted　philosopher；　but　I　give　the　experience　of　many　ages。　　Lastly；　if　he　make　the　song　book；　I　put　the　learner's　hand　to　the　lute；　and　if　he　be　the　guide；　I　am　the　light。　　Then　would　he　allege　you　innumerable　examples；　confirming　story　by　stories；　how　much　the　wisest　senators　and　princes　have　been　directed　by　the　credit　of　history；　as　Brutus；　Alphonsus　of　Aragon　（and　who　not？　if　need　be）。　　At　length；　the　long　line　of　their　disputation　makes　a　point　in　this；　that　the　one　giveth　the　precept；　and　the　other　the　example。

Now　｛31｝　whom　shall　we　find；　since　the　question　standeth　for　the　highest　form　in　the　school　of　learning；　to　be　moderator？　　Truly；　as　me　seemeth；　the　poet；　and　if　not　a　moderator；　even　the　man　that　ought　to　carry　the　title　from　them　both；　and　much　more　from　all　other　serving　sciences。　　Therefore　compare　we　the　poet　with　the　historian；　and　with　the　moral　philosopher；　and　if　he　go　beyond　them　both；　no　other　human　skill　can　match　him；　for　as　for　the　Divine；　with　all　reverence；　he　is　ever　to　be　excepted；　not　only　for　having　his　scope　as　far　beyond　any　of　these；　as　eternity　exceedeth　a　moment；　but　even　for　passing　each　of　these　in　themselves；　and　for　the　lawyer；　though　〃Jus〃　be　the　daughter　of　Justice；　the　chief　of　virtues；　yet　because　he　seeks　to　make　men　good　rather　〃formidine　poenae〃　than　〃virtutis　amore；〃　or；　to　say　righter；　doth　not　endeavour　to　make　men　good；　but　that　their　evil　hurt　not　others；　having　no　care；　so　he　be　a　good　citizen；　how　bad　a　man　he　be：　therefore；　as　our　wickedness　maketh　him　necessary；　and　necessity　maketh　him　honourable；　so　is　he　not　in　the　deepest　truth　to　stand　in　rank　with　these；　who　all　endeavour　to　take　naughtiness　away；　and　plant　goodness　even　in　the　secretest　cabinet　of　our　souls。　　And　these　four　are　all　that　any　way　deal　in　the　consideration　of　men's　manners；　which　being　the　supreme　knowledge；　they　that　best　breed　it　deserve　the　best　commendation。

The　philosopher；　therefore；　and　the　historian　are　they　which　would　win　the　goal；　the　one　by　precept；　the　other　by　example；　but　both；　not　having　both；　do　both　halt。　　For　the　philosopher；　setting　down　with　thorny　arguments　the　bare　rule；　is　so　hard　of　utterance；　and　so　misty　to　be　conceived；　that　one　that　hath　no　other　guide　but　him　shall　wade　in　him　until　he　be　old；　before　he　shall　find　sufficient　cause　to　be　honest。　　For　his　knowledge　standeth　so　upon　the　abstract　and　general；　that　happy　is　that　man　who　may　understand　him；　and　more　happy　that　can　apply　what　he　doth　understand。　　On　the　other　side　the　historian；　wanting　the　precept；　is　so　tied；　not　to　what　should　be；　but　to　what　is；　to　the　particular　truth　of　things；　and　not　to　the　general　reason　of　things；　that　his　example　draweth　no　necessary　consequence；　and　therefore　a　less　fruitful　doctrine。

Now　｛32｝　doth　the　peerless　poet　perform　both；　for　whatsoever　the　philosopher　saith　should　be　done；　he　giveth　a　perfect　picture　of　it；　by　some　one　by　whom　he　pre…supposeth　it　was　done；　so　as　he　coupleth　the　general　notion　with　the　particular　example。　　A