The Arte of English Poesie | Page 2

wit or by much
experience and obseruation of the world, and course of kinde, or
peradventure by all or most part of them. Otherwise how was it
possible that Homer being but a poore priuate man, and as some say, in
his later age blind, should so exactly set foorth and describe, as if he

had bene a most excellent Captaine or Generall, the order and array of
battels, the conduct of whole armies, the sieges and assaults of cities
and townes? or as some great Princes maiordome and perfect
Surueyour in Court, the order, sumptuousnesse and magnificence of
royal bankers, feasts, weddings, and enteruewes? or as a Polititian very
prudent, and much inured with the priuat and publique affaires, so
grauely examine the lawes and ordinances Ciuill, or so profoundly
discourse in matters of estate, and formes of all politique regiment?
Finally how could he so naturally paint out the speeches, countenance
and maners of Princely persons and priuate, to wit, the wrath of
Achilles, the magnanimitie of Agamemnon_, the prudence of
_Menelaus_, the prowesse of _Hector, the maiestie of king Priamus_,
the grauitie of _Nestor, the pollicies and eloquence of Vlysses_, the
calamities of the distressed _Queenes, and valiance of all the Captaines
and aduenturous knights in those lamentable warres of Troy? It is
therefore of Poets thus to be conceiued, that if they be able to deuise
and make all these things of them selues, without any subiect of veritie,
that they be (by maner of speech) as creating gods. If they do it by
instinct diuine or naturall, then surely much fauoured from aboue. If by
their experience, then no doubt very wise men. If by any president or
paterne layd before them, then truly the most excellent imitators &
counterfaitors of all others. But you (Madame) my most Honored and
Gracious: if I should seeme to offer you this my deuise for a discipline
and not a delight, I might well be reputed, of all others the most
arrogant and iniurious: your selfe being alreadie, of any that I know in
our time, the most excellent Poet. Forsooth by your Princely
pursefauours and countenance, making in maner what ye list, the poore
man rich, the lewd well learned, the coward couragious, and vile both
noble and valiant. Then for imitation no lesse, your person as a most
cunning counterfaitor liuely representing Venus_ in countenance, in life
Diana, Pallas_ for gouernement, and Iuno in all honour and regall
magnificence.
CHAP. II.
_That there may be an Art of our English Poesie, as well as there is of
the Latine and Greeke._

Then as there was no art in the world till by experience found out: so if
Poesie be now an Art, & of al antiquitie hath bene among the Greeks
and Latines, & yet were none, vntill by studious persons fashioned and
reduced into a method of rules & precepts, then no doubt may there be
the like with vs. And if th'art of Poesie be but a skill appertaining to
vtterance, why may not the same be with vs as wel as with them, our
language being no lesse copious pithie and significatiue then theirs, our
conceipts the same, and our wits no lesse apt to deuise and imitate then
theirs were? If againe Art be but a certaine order of rules prescribed by
reason, and gathered by experience, why should not Poesie be a vulgar
Art with
vs as well as with the Greeks and Latines, our language
admitting no fewer rules and nice diuersities then theirs? but
peraduenture moe by a peculiar, which our speech hath in many things
differing from theirs: and yet in the generall points of that Art, allowed
to go in common with them: so as if one point perchance which is their
feete whereupon their measures stand, and in deede is all the beautie of
their Poesie, and which feete we haue not, nor as yet neuer went about
to frame (the nature of our language and wordes
not permitting it) we
haue in stead thereof twentie other curious points in that skill more then
they euer had, by reason of our rime and tunable concords or simphonie,
which they neuer obserued. Poesie therefore may be an Art in our
vulgar, and that verie methodicall and commendable.
CHAP. III.
_How Poets were the first priests, the first prophets, the first
Legislators and politicians in the world._
The profession and vse of Poesie is most ancient from the beginning,
and not as manie erroniously suppose, after, but before any ciuil society
was among men. For if it was first that Poesie was th'originall cause
and occasion of their first assemblies; when before the people remained
in the woods and mountains, vagarant and dipersed like the wild beasts;
lawlesse and naked, or verie