Plato in HENRY PEACHAM FROM THE COMPLEAT GENTLEMAN 1622 CHAP. 10. Of Poetrie To sweeten your seuerer studies, by this time vouchsafe Poetry your respect, which howsoeuer censured and seemeth fallen from the highest Stage of Honour to the lowest staire of disgrace, let not your iudgement be infected with that pestilent ayre of the common breath; to 5 be an infidell in whose beleefe, and doer of their contrary Actions, is to be religious in the right, and to merit, if it were possible, by good workes. The Poet, as that Laurell Maia dreamed of, is made by miracle from his mothers wombe, and like the Diamond 10 onely polished and pointed of himselfe, disdaining the file and midwifery of forraine helpe. Hence Tullie was long ere he could be deliuered of a few verses, and those poore ones too; and Ovid, so backeward in prose that he could almost speake nothing 15 but verse. And Experience daily affordeth vs many excellent yong and growing wits, as well from Plow as the Pallace, endued naturally with this Diuine and heauenly guift, yet not knowing (if you should aske the question) whether a Metaphore be flesh or fish. 20 If bare saying Poetrie is an heauenly gift be too weake a proppe to vphold her credite with those buzzardly poore ones, who hauing their feathers moulted can creepe no farther then their owne puddle, able onely to enuie this Imperiall Eagle for sight and flight, let them, if they can, looke 25 backe to all antiquitie, and they shall finde all learning by diuine instinct to breathe from her bosome, as both Plato eîa kai and Tullie in his Tusculanes affirme. Strabo saith Poetrie was the first Philosophie that euer was taught; nor were there euer any writers thereof 5 knowne before Musaus, Hesiod, and Homer, by whose authoritie Plato, Aristotle, and Galen determine their weightiest controuersies, and confirme their reasons in Philosophie. And what were the songs of Linus, Orpheus, Amphion, Olympus, and that dittie Iopas sang to his harpe 10 at Dido's banquet, but Naturall and Morall Philosophie, sweetened with the pleasaunce of Numbers, that Rudenesse and Barbarisme might the better taste and digest the lessons of ciuilitie? according to Lucretius, Italianized by Ariosto, and englished by Sir John Harrington: 15 20 Sed veluti pueris absynthia tetra medentes Cum dare conantur, priùs oras pocula circum As Leaches, when for children they appoint ὁρμή, in Parmenide. Psalm. Neither hath humane knowledge beene the onely subiect of this Diuine Art, but euen the highest Mysteries of 25 Diuinitie. What are the Psalmes of Dauid (which S. Hillarie so aptly compareth to a bunch of keies, in regard Hil. in of the seuerall doores, whereby they giue the soule entrance Prologo either to Prayer, Reioycing, Repentance, Thanksgiuing, &c.) but a Diuine Poeme, going sometime in one measure, 30 sometime in another? What liuely descriptions are there of the Maiestie of God, the estate and securitie of Gods Psal. 80. children, the miserable condition of the wicked! What Psal. 90. liuely similitudes & comparisons, as the righteous man to Psalm. 104. a baie tree, the Soule to a thirstie Hart, vnitie to oyntment 35 and the dew of Hermon! What excellent Allegories, as Psal. I. the vine planted in Egypt; what Epiphonema's, prosopopoea's, and whatsoeuer else may be required to the texture of so rich and glorious a peece! And the song of Salomon, which is onely left vs of a thousand, is it not a continued Allegorie of the 5 Mysticall loue betwixt Christ and his Church? Moreouer, the Apostles themselues haue not disdained to alledge the authoritie of the heathen Poets, Aratus, Menander, and Epimenides. As also the fathers of the Church, Nazianzen, S. Augustine, Bernard, Prudentius, with many others, 10 beside the allowance they haue giuen of Poetrie, they teach vs the true vse and end thereof, which is to compose the Songs of Sion, and addresse the fruite of our inuention to his glorie, who is the author of so goodly a gift, which we abuse to our loues, light fancies, and basest 15 affections. And if Mechanicall Arts hold their estimation by their effects in base subiects, how much more deserueth this to be esteemed that holdeth so soueraigne a power ouer the minde, can turne brutishnesse into Ciuilitie, make the lewd 20 honest (which is Scaligers opinion of Virgils Poeme), turne hatred to loue, cowardise into valour, and in briefe, like a Queene, command ouer all affections. Moreouer, the Muse, Mirth, Graces, and perfect Health haue euer an affinitie each with either. I remember 25 Plutarch telleth vs of Telesilla, a noble and braue Ladie, who, being dangerously sicke, and imagined past recouerie, was by the Oracle aduised to apply her minde to the Muse and Poetrie; which shee diligently obseruing, recouered in a short space, and withall grew so sprightly couragious, 30 that hauing well fortified Argos with diuers companies of women onely, her selfe with her companions sallying out, entertained Cleomenes, K. of the Lacedæmonians, with such a Camisado, that he was faine to shew his back, leauing a good part of his people behinde to fill ditches; and 35 5 then by plaine force of Armes draue out Demaratus, another king, who lay very strong in garrison within. Alexander, by the reading of Homer, was especially moued to goe thorough with his conquests. Leonidas, also, that braue King of the Spartanes, being asked how Tirtaus (who wrote of warre in verse) was esteemed among Poets, replied: excellently. For my souldiers, quoth he, mooued onely with his verses, runne with a resolute courage to the battaile, fearing no perill 10 at all. 15 What other thing gaue an edge to the valour of our ancient Britons but their Bardes (rememberd by Athenæus, Lucan, and sundry other), recording in verse the braue exploits of their nation, and singing the same vnto their Harpes at their publike feasts and meetings, amongst whom Taliessin, a learned Bard, and Master to Merlin, sung the life and actes of King Arthur? Hence hath Poetry neuer wanted her Patrones, and euen the greatest Monarches and Princes, as well Christian 20 as Heathen, haue exercised their Inuention herein; as that great Glorie of Christendome, Charlemaine, who, among many other things, wrote his Nephew Roulands Epitaphe, after he was slaine in a battell against the Sarracens, among the 'Pyrenæan hills; Alphonsus, King of Naples, Panor25 whose onely delight was the reading of Virgil; Robert, lib. I. de King of Sicilie; and that thrice renowned and learned gestis French King, who, finding Petrarchs Toombe without any inscription or Epitaphe, wrote one himselfe (which yet remaineth) saying: Shame it was, that he who sung his 30 Mistresse praise seauen yeares before her death, and twelue yeares should want an Epitaphe! Among the Heathen are 1 The place to this day is called Rowlands vallis, and was in times past a great pilgrimage; there being a Chappell built ouer the tombe, & dedicated to our Ladie, called commonly but corruptly our Ladie of Ronceuall. mitan. Alphonsi. eternized for their skill in Poesie, Augustus Cæsar, Octauius, Adrian, Germanicus. Euery child knoweth how deare the workes of Homer were vnto Alexander, Euripides to Amyntas, King of Macedon, Virgil to Augustus, Theocritus to Ptolemey and 5 Berenice, King and Queene of Ægypt, the stately Pindar to Hiero King of Sicilie, Ennius to Scipio, Ausonius to Gratian, who made him Pro-consull; in our owne Countrey, Chaucer to1 Richard the second, Gower to Henrie the fourth, with others I might alledge. IO The Lady Anne of Bretaigne, who was twice French Queene, passing through the Presence in the Court of France, espying Chartier, the Kings Secretarie and a famous Poet, leaning vpon his elbow at a Tables end fast asleepe, shee, stooping downe and openly kissing him, 15 said: We must honour with our kisse the mouth from whence so many sweete verses and golden Poems haue proceeded. But some may aske me, How it falleth out that Poets now adaies are of no such esteeme as they haue beene in former times? I answere, because vertue, in our declining 20 and worser daies, generally findeth no regard: Or rather more truly with Aretine (being demaunded why Princes were not so liberall to Poesie and other good Arts as in former times), Because their conscience telleth them how unworthy they are of the praises giuen them by Poets; as for 25 other Arts, they make no account of that they know not. But since we are heere (hauing before ouer-runne the Champaigne and large field of Historie) let vs a while rest our selues in the garden of the Muses, and admire the bountie of heauen, in the seuerall beauties of so many 30 diuine and fertile wits. We must beginne with the King of Latine Poets, whom 1 Who gaue him, it is thought, his Mannor of Ewhelme in Oxfordshire. 2 To Charles the eight & Lewis the twelfth. |
