feare her, and thinke it a high point of policie to keepe her in contempt with their declamatory and windy inuectiues; shee shall out of iust rage incite her Seruants (who are Genus iritabile) to spout inke in their faces, that shall eate farder then their marrow, into their fames; and not 5 CINNAMVS the Barber, with his art, shall be able to take out the brands; but they shall liue, and be read, till the Wretches die, as Things worst deseruing of themselues in chiefe, and then of all mankind.

From my house in the Black-Friars

this 11. of February, 1607.

III. PREFACE TO THE ALCHEMIST

1612

TO THE READER

F thou beest more, thou art an Vnderstander, and then 10

IF

I trust thee. If thou art one that tak'st vp, and but a Pretender, beware at what hands thou receiu'st thy commoditie; for thou wert neuer more fair in the way to be cos'ned then in this Age in Poetry, especially in Playes: wherein, now, the Concupiscence of ligges and Daunces 15 so raigneth, as to runne away from Nature, and be afraid. of her, is the onely point of art that tickles the Spectators. But how out of purpose and place doe I name Art? when the Professors are growne so obstinate contemners of it, and presumers on their owne Naturalls, as they are 20 deriders of all diligence that way, and by simple mocking at the termes, when they vnderstand not the things, thinke to get of wittily with their Ignorance. Nay, they are esteem'd the more learned and sufficient for this by the Multitude through their excellent vice of iudgement. For 25 they commend Writers as they doe Fencers or Wrastlers, who, if they come in robustuously and put for it with

a great deale of violence, are receiu'd for the brauer fellowes when many times their owne rudenesse is the cause of their disgrace, and a little touch of their Aduersary giues all that boisterous force the foyle. I deny not but 5 that these men, who alwaies seeke to doe more then inough, may some time happen on some thing that is good and great; but very seldome: And when it comes it doth not recompence the rest of their ill. It sticks out perhaps, and is more eminent, because all is sordide and vile about Io it, as lights are more discern'd in a thick darknesse then a faint shadow. I speake not this out of a hope to doe good on any man against his will; for I know, if it were put to the question of theirs and mine, the worse would finde more suffrages, because the most fauour common But I giue thee this warning, that there is a great difference betweene those that (to gain the opinion of Copie) vtter all they can, how euer vnfitly, and those that vse election and a meane. For it is onely the disease of the vnskilful to thinke rude things greater then polish'd, or 20 scatter'd more numerous then compos'd.

15 errors.

IV. FROM TIMBER, OR DISCOVERIES

NOTHING in

1620-35 ?

de Poetis.

our Age, I have observ'd, is more pre- Censura posterous then the running Iudgements upon Poetry and Poets; when wee shall heare those things commended and cry'd up for the best writings, which a man would 25 scarce vouchsafe to wrap any wholsome drug in; hee would never light his Tobacco with them: And those men almost nam'd for Miracles, who yet are so vile that if a man should goe about to examine and correct them, hee must make all they have done but one blot. Their good 30 is so intangled with their bad, as forcibly one must draw

SPINGARN

Mart. 1. 4. epig. 10.

on the others death with it. A Sponge dipt in Inke will doe all:

Comitetur punica librum

Spongia.

Taylor.

Et paulò post,

5

Non possunt (....) multæ, una litura potest. Yet their vices have not hurt them; Nay, a great many they have profited, for they have beene lov'd for nothing else. And this false opinion growes strong against the best men, if once it take root with the Ignorant. Cestius, 10 in his time, was preferr❜d to Cicero, so farre as the Ignorant durst. They learn'd him without booke, and had him often in their mouthes: But a man cannot imagine that thing so foolish or rude but will find and enjoy an Admirer; at least, a Reader or Spectator. The Puppets 15 are seene now in despight of the Players; Heath's Epigrams and the Skullers Poems have their applause. There are never wanting that dare preferre the worst Preachers, the worst Pleaders, the worst Poets; not that the better have left to write or speake better, but that they 20 that heare them judge worse; Non illi pejus dicunt, sed hi corruptiùs judicant. Nay, if it were put to the question of the Water-rimers workes against Spencers, I doubt not but they would find more Suffrages; because the most favour common vices, out of a Prerogative the vulgar 25 have to lose their judgements, and like that which is naught.

Poetry, in this latter Age, hath prov'd but a meane Mistresse to such as have wholly addicted themselves to her, or given their names up to her family. They who 30 have but saluted her on the by, and now and then tendred their visits, shee hath done much for, and advanced in the way of their owne professions (both the Law and the Gospel) beyond all they could have hoped or done for themselves without her favour, Wherein she doth emulate the 35

judicious but preposterous bounty of the times Grandes, who accumulate all they can upon the Parasite or Freshman in their friendship, but thinke an old Client or honest servant bound by his place to write and starve. 5 Indeed, the multitude commend Writers as they doe Fencers or Wrastlers, who, if they come in robustiously and put for it with a deale of violence, are received for the braver-fellowes; when many times their owne rudenesse is a cause of their disgrace, and a slight touch of their 10 Adversary gives all that boisterous force the foyle. But in these things the unskilfull are naturally deceiv'd, and judging wholly by the bulke, thinke rude things greater then polish'd, and scatter'd more numerous then composed. Nor thinke this only to be true in the sordid multitude, 15 but the neater sort of our Gallants; for all are the multitude, only they differ in cloaths, not in judgement or understanding.

nostrat.

I remember the Players have often mentioned it as an De Shakehonour to Shakespeare, that in his writing, whatsoever he speare 20 penn❜d, hee never blotted out (a) line. My answer hath beene, would he had blotted a thousand: Which they thought a malevolent speech. I had not told posterity this, but for their ignorance who choose that circumstance to commend their friend by wherein he most faulted; And 25 to justifie mine owne candor, for I lov'd the man, and doe honour his memory, on this side Idolatry, as much as any. He was indeed honest, and of an open and free nature, had an excellent Phantsie, brave notions, and gentle expressions, wherein hee flow'd with that facility that sometime it was 30 necessary he should be stop'd: Sufflaminandus erat, as Augustus said of Haterius. His wit was in his owne power; would the rule of it had beene so too. Many times hee fell into those things, could not escape laughter; As when hee said in the person of Cæsar, one speaking to 35 him: Cæsar, thou dost me wrong. Hee replyed: Cæsar

Ingeniorum discrimina.

Not. 1.

Not. 2.

A witstand.

Not. 3.

Not. 4. Martial. lib. II.

epig. 90.

did never wrong but with just cause; and such like, which were ridiculous. But hee redeemed his vices with his There was ever more in him to be praysed then to be pardoned.

vertues.

In the difference of wits, I have observ'd there are many 5 notes: And it is a little Maistry to know them, to discerne what every nature, every disposition will beare: For before wee sow our land, we should plough it. There are no fewer formes of minds then of bodies amongst us. The variety is incredible, and therefore wee must search, 10 Some are fit to make Divines, some Poets, some Lawyers, some Physicians, some to be sent to the plough and trades. There is no doctrine will doe good where nature is wanting. Some wits are swelling and high, others low and still: Some hot and fiery, others cold and dull: One 15 must have a bridle, the other a spurre.

There be some that are forward and bold, and these will doe every little thing easily: I meane that is hard by, and next them, which they will utter unretarded without any shamefastnesse. These never performe much, but quickly. 20 They are what they are on the sudden; they shew presently like Graine that, scatter'd on the top of the ground, shoots up, but takes no root, has a yellow blade, but the eare empty. They are wits of good promise at first, but there is an Ingeni-stitium: They stand still at 25 sixteene, they get no higher.

You have others that labour onely to ostentation, and are ever more busie about the colours and surface of a worke then in the matter and foundation: For that is hid, the other is seene. 30

Others that in composition are nothing but what is rough and broken: Quæ per salebras altaque saxa cadunt. And if it would come gently, they trouble it of purpose. They would not have it run without rubs, as if that stile were more strong and manly, that stroke the eare with 35