a defence of poesie and poems-第7章

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cur。　　Herodotus　and　Justin　do　both　testify；　that　Zopyrus；　King　Darius's　faithful　servant；　seeing　his　master　long　resisted　by　the　rebellious　Babylonians；　feigned　himself　in　extreme　disgrace　of　his　King；　for　verifying　of　which　he　caused　his　own　nose　and　ears　to　be　cut　off；　and　so　flying　to　the　Babylonians；　was　received；　and；　for　his　known　valour；　so　far　credited；　that　he　did　find　means　to　deliver　them　over　to　Darius。　Much…like　matters　doth　Livy　record　of　Tarquinius　and　his　son。　Xenophon　excellently　feigned　such　another　stratagem；　performed　by　Abradatus　in　Cyrus's　behalf。　　Now　would　I　fain　know；　if　occasion　be　presented　unto　you　to　serve　your　prince　by　such　an　honest　dissimulation；　why　do　you　not　as　well　learn　it　of　Xenophon's　fiction　as　of　the　other's　verity？　and；　truly；　so　much　the　better；　as　you　shall　save　your　nose　by　the　bargain；　for　Abradatus　did　not　counterfeit　so　far。　　So；　then；　the　best　of　the　historians　is　subject　to　the　poet；　for；　whatsoever　action　or　faction；　whatsoever　counsel；　policy；　or　war　stratagem　the　historian　is　bound　to　recite；　that　may　the　poet；　if　he　list；　with　his　imitation；　make　his　own；　beautifying　it　both　for　farther　teaching；　and　more　delighting；　as　it　please　him：　having　all；　from　Dante's　heaven　to　his　hell；　under　the　authority　of　his　pen。　　Which　if　I　be　asked；　What　poets　have　done　so？　as　I　might　well　name　some；　so　yet；　say　I；　and　say　again；　I　speak　of　the　art；　and　not　of　the　artificer。

Now；　to　that　which　commonly　is　attributed　to　the　praise　of　history；　in　respect　of　the　notable　learning　which　is　got　by　marking　the　success；　as　though　therein　a　man　should　see　virtue　exalted；　and　vice　punished：　　truly；　that　commendation　is　peculiar　to　poetry；　and　far　off　from　history；　for；　indeed；　poetry　ever　sets　virtue　so　out　in　her　best　colours；　making　fortune　her　well…waiting　handmaid；　that　one　must　needs　be　enamoured　of　her。　　Well　may　you　see　Ulysses　in　a　storm；　and　in　other　hard　plights；　but　they　are　but　exercises　of　patience　and　magnanimity；　to　make　them　shine　the　more　in　the　near　following　prosperity。　　And；　on　the　contrary　part；　if　evil　men　come　to　the　stage；　they　ever　go　out　（as　the　tragedy　writer　answered　to　one　that　misliked　the　show　of　such　persons）　so　manacled；　as　they　little　animate　folks　to　follow　them。　　But　history　being　captive　to　the　truth　of　a　foolish　world；　in　many　times　a　terror　from　well…　doing；　and　an　encouragement　to　unbridled　wickedness。　　For　see　we　not　valiant　Miltiades　rot　in　his　fetters？　the　just　Phocion　and　the　accomplished　Socrates　put　to　death　like　traitors？　the　cruel　Severus　live　prosperously？　the　excellent　Severus　miserably　murdered？　　Sylla　and　Marius　dying　in　their　beds？　　Pompey　and　Cicero　slain　then　when　they　would　have　thought　exile　a　happiness？　　See　we　not　virtuous　Cato　driven　to　kill　himself；　and　rebel　Caesar　so　advanced；　that　his　name　yet；　after　sixteen　hundred　years；　lasteth　in　the　highest　honour？　And　mark　but　even　Caesar's　own　words　of　the　forenamed　Sylla；　（who　in　that　only　did　honestly；　to　put　down　his　dishonest　tyranny）；　〃literas　nescivit：〃　as　if　want　of　learning　caused　him　to　do　well。　　He　meant　it　not　by　poetry；　which；　not　content　with　earthly　plagues；　deviseth　new　punishment　in　hell　for　tyrants：　　nor　yet　by　philosophy；　which　teacheth　〃occidentes　esse：〃　but；　no　doubt；　by　skill　in　history；　for　that；　indeed；　can　afford　you　Cypselus；　Periander；　Phalaris；　Dionysius；　and　I　know　not　how　many　more　of　the　same　kennel；　that　speed　well　enough　in　their　abominable　injustice　of　usurpation。

I　conclude；　therefore；　that　he　excelleth　history；　not　only　in　furnishing　the　mind　with　knowledge；　but　in　setting　it　forward　to　that　which　deserves　to　be　called　and　accounted　good：　　which　setting　forward；　and　moving　to　well…doing；　indeed；　setteth　the　laurel　crowns　upon　the　poets　as　victorious；　not　only　of　the　historian；　but　over　the　philosopher；　howsoever；　in　teaching；　it　may　be　questionable。　For　suppose　it　be　granted；　that　which　I　suppose；　with　great　reason；　may　be　denied；　that　the　philosopher；　in　respect　of　his　methodical　proceeding；　teach　more　perfectly　than　the　poet；　yet　do　I　think；　that　no　man　is　so　much　＇Greek　text＇；　as　to　compare　the　philosopher　in　moving　with　the　poet。　　And　that　moving　is　of　a　higher　degree　than　teaching；　it　may　by　this　appear；　that　it　is　well　nigh　both　the　cause　and　effect　of　teaching；　for　who　will　be　taught；　if　he　be　not　moved　with　desire　to　be　taught？　　And　what　so　much　good　doth　that　teaching　bring　forth　（I　speak　still　of　moral　doctrine）　as　that　it　moveth　one　to　do　that　which　it　doth　teach。　　For；　as　Aristotle　saith；　it　is　not　＇Greek　text＇　but　＇Greek　text＇　｛39｝　must　be　the　fruit：　　and　how　＇Greek　text＇　can　be；　without　being　moved　to　practise；　it　is　no　hard　matter　to　consider。　　The　philosopher　showeth　you　the　way；　he　informeth　you　of　the　particularities；　as　well　of　the　tediousness　of　the　way　and　of　the　pleasant　lodging　you　shall　have　when　your　journey　is　ended；　as　of　the　many　by…turnings　that　may　divert　you　from　your　way；　but　this　is　to　no　man；　but　to　him　that　will　read　him；　and　read　him　with　attentive；　studious　painfulness；　which　constant　desire　whosoever　hath　in　him；　hath　already　passed　half　the　hardness　of　the　way；　and　therefore　is　beholden　to　the　philosopher　but　for　the　other　half。　　Nay；　truly；　learned　men　have　learnedly　thought；　that　where　once　reason　hath　so　much　over…mastered　passion；　as　that　the　mind　hath　a　free　desire　to　do　well；　the　inward　light　each　mind　hath　in　itself　is　as　good　as　a　philosopher's　book：　　since　in　nature　we　know　it　is　well　to　do　well；　and　what　is　well　and　what　is　evil；　although　not　in　the　words　of　art　which　philosophers　bestow　upon　us；　for　out　of　natural　conceit　the　philosophers　drew　it；　but　to　be　moved　to　do　that　which　we　know；　or　to　be　moved　with　desire　to　know；　〃hoc　opus；　hic　labor　est。〃

Now；　｛40｝　therein；　of　all　sciences　（I　speak　still　of　human　and　according　to　the　human　conceit）；　is　our　poet　the　monarch。　　For　he　doth　not　only　show　the　way；　but　giveth　so　sweet　a　prospect　into　the　way；　as　will　entice　any　man　to　enter　into　it；　nay；　he　doth；　as　if　your　journey　should　lie　through　a　fair　vineyard；　at　the　very　first　give　you　a　cluster　of　grapes；　that　full　of　that　taste　you　may　long　to　pass　farther。　　He　beginneth　not　with　obscure　definitions；　which　must　blur　the　margin　with　interpretations；　and　load　the　memory　with　doubtfulness；　but　he　cometh　to　you　with　words　set　in　delightful　proportion；　either　accompanied　with；　or　prepared　for；　the　well…　enchanting　skill　of　music；　and　with　a　tale；　forsooth；　he　cometh　unto　you　with　a　tale　which　holdeth　children　from　play；　and　old　men　from　the　chimney…corner；　｛41｝　and；　pretending　no　more；　doth　intend　the　winning　of　the　mind　from　wickedness　to　virtue；　even　as　the　child　is　often　brought　to　take　most　wholesome　things；　by　hiding　them　in　such　other　as　have　a　pleasant　taste；　which；　if　one　should　begin　to　tell　them　the　nature　of　the　aloes　or　rhubarbarum　they　should　receive；　would　sooner　take　their　physic　at　their　ears　than　at　their　mouth；　so　it　is　in　men　（most　of　them　are　childish　in　the　best　things；　till　they　be　cradled　in　their　graves）；　glad　they　will　be　to　hear　the　tales　of　Hercules；　Achilles；　Cyrus；　AEneas；　and　hearing　them；　must　needs　hear　the　right　description　of　wisdom；　valour；　and　justice；　which；　if　they　had　been　barely　（that　is　to　say；　philosophically）　set　out；　they　would　swear　they　be　brought　to　school　again。　　That　imitation　whereof　poetry　is；　hath　the　most　conveniency　to　nature　of　all　other；　insomuch　that；　as　Aristotle　saith；　those　things　which　in　themselves　are　horrible；　as　cruel　battles；　unnatural　monsters；　are　made；　in　poetical　imitation；　delightful。　　Truly；　I　have　known　men；　that　even　with　reading　Amadis　de　Gaule；　which；　God　knoweth；　wanteth　much　of　a　perfect　poesy；　have　found　their　hearts　moved　to　the　exercise　of　courtesy；　liberality；　and　especially　courage。　　Who　readeth　AEneas　carrying　old　Anchises　on　his　back；　that　wisheth　not　it　were　his　fortune　to　perform　so　excellent　an　act？　　Whom　doth　not　those　words　of　Turnus　move　（the　tale　of　Turnus　having　planted　his　image　in　the　imagination）


〃fugientem　haec　terra　videbit？　Usque　adeone　mori　miserum　est？〃　｛42｝


Where　the　philosophers　（as　they　think）　scorn　to　delight；　so　much　they　be　content　little　to　move；　saving　wrangling　whether　〃virtus〃　be　the　chief　or　the　onl