The Arte of English Poesie | Page 9

to armes and practises of
hostilitie, or to entend to the right pollicing of their states, and haue not
one houre to bestow vpon any other ciuill or delectable Art of naturall
or morall doctrine: nor scarce any leisure to thincke one good thought
in perfect and godly contemplation, whereby their troubled mindes
might be moderated and brought to tranquillitie. So as, it is hard to find
in these dayes of noblemen or gentlemen any good Mathematician_, or
excellent _Musitian_, or notable _Philosopher, or els a cunning Poet:
because we find few great Princes much delighted in the same studies.
Now also of such among the Nobilitie or gentrie as be very well seene
in many laudable sciences, and especially in making of Poesie, it is so
come to passe that they haue no courage to write & if they haue, yet are
they loath to be a knowen of their skill. So as I know very many
notable Gentlemen in the Court that haue written commendably, and
suppressed it agayne, or els suffred it to be publisht without their owne
names to it: as if it were a discredit for a Gentleman, to seeme learned,
and to shew himselfe amorous of any good Art. In other ages it was not
so, for we read that Kinges & Princes haue written great volumes and
publisht them vnder their owne regall titles. As to begin with Salomon
the wisest of Kings, Iulius Caesar_ the greatest of Emperours,
_Hermes Trisingistus the holiest of Priestes and Prophetes, Euax_ king
of _Arabia wrote a booke of precious stones in verse, prince Auicenna
of Phisicke and Philosophie, Alphonsus king of Spaine his
Astronomicall Tables, Almansor_ a king of _Marrocco diuerse
Philosophicall workes, and by their regall example our late soueraigne
Lord king Henry the eight wrate a booke in defence of his faith, then
perswaded that it was the true and Apostolicall doctrine, though it hath
appeared otherwise since, yet his honour and learned zeale was nothing
lesse to be allowed. Queenes also haue bene knowen studious, and to

write large volumes, as Lady Margaret of Fraunce Queene of Nauarre
in our time. But of all others the Emperour Nero was so well learned in
Musique and Poesie, as when he was taken by order of the Senate and
appointed to dye, he offered violence to him selfe and sayd, O quantus
artifex pereo! as much to say, as, how is it possible a man of such
science and learning as my selfe, should come to this shamefull death?
Th'emperour Octauian being made executor to Virgill who had left by
his last will and testament that his bookes of the Aeneidos should be
committed to the fire as things not perfited by him, made his excuse for
infringing the deads will, by a nomber of verses most excellently
wntten, whereof these are part.
_Frangatur potius legure, veneranda
potestas,
Quam tot congestos noctesque diesque labores
Hauserit
vna dies_.
And put his name to them. And before him his vncle & father adoptiue
Iulius Caesar, was not ashamed to publish vnder his owne name, his
Commentaries of the French and Britaine warres. Since therefore so
many noble Emperours, Kings and Princes haue bene studious of
Poesie and other ciuill arts, & not ashamed to bewray their skils in the
same, let none other meaner person despise learning, nor (whether it be
in prose or in Poesie, if they them selues be able to write, or haue
written any thing well or of rare inuention) be any whit squeimish to let
it be publisht vnder their names, for reason serues it, and modestie doth
not repugne.
CHAP. IX.
_How Poesie should not be imployed vpon vayne conceits or vicious or
infamous._
Wherefore the Nobilitie and dignitie of the Art considered aswell by
vniuersalitie as antiquitie and the naturall excellence of it selfe, Poesie
ought not to be abased and imployed vpon any vnworthy matter &
subject, nor vsed to vaine purposes, which neuerthelesse is dayly seene,
and that is to vtter contents infamous & vicious or ridiculous and
foolish, or of no good example & doctrine. Albeit in merry matters (not
vnhonest) being vsed for mans solace and recreation it may well be

allowed, for as I said before, Poesie is a pleasant maner of vtterance
varying from the ordinarie of purpose to refresh the mynde by the eares
delight. Poesie also is not onely laudable, because I said it was a
metricall speach vsed by the first men, but because it is a metricall
speech corrected and reformed by discreet iudgements, and with no
lesse cunning and curiositie than the Greeke and Latine Poesie, and by
Art bewtified & adorned, & brought far from the primitiue rudenesse of
the first inuentors, otherwise it might be sayd to me that Adam_ and
_Eues