A Defence of Poesie and Poems | Page 8

are full. As of Albinus, the governor of our island, who,
in his childhood, met with this verse -
Arma amens capio, nec sat rationis in armis
and in his age performed it. Although it were a very vain and godless
superstition; as also it was, to think spirits were commanded by such
verses; whereupon this word charms, derived of "carmina," cometh, so
yet serveth it to show the great reverence those wits were held in; and
altogether not without ground, since both the oracles of Delphi and the
Sibyl's prophecies were wholly delivered in verses; for that same
exquisite observing of number and measure in the words, and that
high-flying liberty of conceit proper to the poet, did seem to have some
divine force in it.
And {10} may not I presume a little farther to show the

reasonableness of this word "vates," and say, that the holy David's
Psalms are a divine poem? If I do, I shall not do it without the
testimony of great learned men, both ancient and modern. But even the
name of Psalms will speak for me, which, being interpreted, is nothing
but Songs; then, that is fully written in metre, as all learned Hebricians
agree, although the rules be not yet fully found. Lastly, and principally,
his handling his prophecy, which is merely poetical. For what else is
the awaking his musical instruments; the often and free changing of
persons; his notable prosopopoeias, when he maketh you, as it were,
see God coming in His majesty; his telling of the beasts' joyfulness, and

hills leaping; but a heavenly poesy, wherein, almost, he sheweth
himself a passionate lover of that unspeakable and everlasting beauty,
to be seen by the eyes of the mind, only cleared by faith? But truly,
now, having named him, I fear I seem to profane that holy name,
applying it to poetry, which is, among us, thrown down to so ridiculous
an estimation. But they that, with quiet judgments, will look a little
deeper into it, shall find the end and working of it such, as, being
rightly applied, deserveth not to be scourged out of the church of God.
But {11} now let us see how the Greeks have named it, and how they
deemed of it. The Greeks named him [Greek text], which name hath, as
the most excellent, gone through other languages; it cometh of this
word [Greek text], which is TO MAKE; wherein, I know not whether
by luck or wisdom, we Englishmen have met with the Greeks in calling
him "a maker," which name, how high and incomparable a title it is, I
had rather were known by marking the scope of other sciences, than by
any partial allegation. There is no art delivered unto mankind that hath
not the works of nature for his principal object, without which they
could not consist, and on which they so depend as they become actors
and players, as it were, of what nature will have set forth. {12} So doth
the astronomer look upon the stars, and by that he seeth set down what
order nature hath taken therein. So doth the geometrician and
arithmetician, in their diverse sorts of quantities. So doth the musician,
in times, tell you which by nature agree, which not. The natural
philosopher thereon hath his name; and the moral philosopher standeth
upon the natural virtues, vices, or passions of man; and follow nature,
saith he, therein, and thou shalt not err. The lawyer saith what men
have determined. The historian, what men have done. The grammarian
speaketh only of the rules of speech; and the rhetorician and logician,
considering what in nature will soonest prove and persuade, thereon
give artificial rules, which still are compassed within the circle of a
question, according to the proposed matter. The physician weigheth the
nature of man's body, and the nature of things helpful and hurtful unto
it. And the metaphysic, though it be in the second and abstract notions,
and therefore be counted supernatural, yet doth he, indeed, build upon
the depth of nature. Only the poet, disdaining to be tied to any such
subjection, lifted up with the vigour of his own invention, doth grow, in

effect, into another nature; in making things either better than nature
bringeth forth, or quite anew; forms such as never were in nature, as the
heroes, demi-gods, Cyclops, chimeras, furies, and such like; so as he
goeth hand in hand with Nature, not enclosed within the narrow
warrant of her gifts, but freely ranging within the zodiac of his own wit.
{13} Nature never set forth the earth in so rich tapestry as divers poets
have done; neither with so pleasant rivers, fruitful trees, sweet-smelling
flowers, nor whatsoever else may make the toomuch -loved earth more
lovely; her world