rich our minds with the contemplation therein, which he thought moft precious. But with none, I remember, mine ears were at any time more loaden, than when (either angred with flow payment, or moved with our learner-like admiration) he exercised his speech in the praise of his faculty.

He faid, Soldiers were the noblest estate of mankind, and horsemen the nobleft of foldiers. He faid, they were the masters of war, and ornaments of peace, speedy goers, and ftrong abiders, triumphers both in camps and courts: nay, to fo unbelieved a point he proceeded, as that no earthly thing bred fuch wonder to a prince, as to be a good horfeman: Skill of government, was but a Pedanteria in comparison. Then would he add certain praifes, by telling what a peerless beaft the horse was, the only serviceable courtier, without flattery, the beaft of most beauty, faithfulness, courage; and fuch more, that if I had not been a piece of a Logician before I came to him, I think he would have perfuaded me to have wifhed myself a horse. But thus much, at leaft, with his no few words, he drove into me, That felf love is better than any gilding, to make that feem gorgeous wherein ourselves be parties.

Wherein, if Pugliano's ftrong affection, and weak arguments, will not fatisfy you, I will

give you a nearer example of myfelf; who, I know not by what mifchance, in these my not old years and idlest times, having flipped into the title of a Poet, am provoked to say something unto you in the defence of that my unelected vocation; which if I handle with more good will, than good reafons, bear with me; fince the scholar is to be pardoned that followeth the fteps of his master.

And yet I must say, That as I have more just cause to make a pitiful defence of poor Poetry, which, from almost the highest estimation of learning, is fallen to be the laughing-stock of children fo have I need to bring fome more available proofs, fince the former is by no man barred of his deferved credit, whereas the filly latter hath had even the names of Philofophers ufing to the defacing of it, with great danger of civil war among the Mufes.

And firft, truly, to all them that, profeffing learning, inveigh against Poetry may justly be objected, That they go very near to ungratefulnefs, to seek to deface that, which, in the nobleft nations and languages that are known, hath been the first light-giver to ignorance, and first nurse, whofe milk by little and little, enabled them to feed afterwards of tougher knowledges. And will you play the hedg-hog, that being received into the den, drove out his hoft?

B 2

or

for rather the vipers, that with their birth kill their parents?

...Let learned Greece, in any of her manifeft fciences, be able to fhew me one book before Mufaus, Homer, and Hefiod; all three nothing elfe but poets. Nay, let any history be brought, that can fay any writers were there before them, if they were not men of the fame skill, as Orpheus, Linus, and fome others are named, who having been the first of that country that made pens deliverers of their knowledge to posterity, may juftly challenge to be called their Fathers in learning. For not only in time they had this priority (although in itself antiquity be venerable) but went before them, as caufes to draw, with their charming fweetnefs, the wild untamed wits to an admiration of knowledge. So as Amphion was said to move ftones with his poetry to build Thebes, and Orpheus to be liftened to by beafts, indeed ftony and beastly people : So among the Romans were Livius Andronicus, and Ennius: So in the Italian language, the first that made it to afpire to be a treafure-house of fcience, were the poets Dante, Boccace, and Petrarch: So in our English; were Gower, and Chaucer; after whom, encouraged and delighted with their excellent foregoing, others have followed to beautify our mother tongue, as well in the fame kind, as other arts.

This

This did fo notably fhew itself, that the Philo fophers of Greece durft not a long time appear to the world, but under the mask of Poets: So Thales, fict Empedocles, and Parmenides, fang their natural philosophy in verfes: So did Pythagoras and Phocylides their moral counfels: So did Tyrtaus in war matters, and Solon in matters of policy; or rather, they being poets, did exercise their delightful vein in those points of highest knowledge, which before them lay hidden to the world: For that wife Solon was directly a poet, it is manifeft, having written, in verse, the noble fable of the Atlantick island, which was continued by Plato. And, truly, even Plato, whofoever well confidereth, fhall find, that in the body of his work, though the infide and ftrength were Philofophy, the skin, as it were, and beauty, depended most of Poetry. For all ftands upon Dialogues; wherein he feigns, many honeft burgeffes of Athens fpeaking of fuch matters, that if they had been set on the rack, they would never have confeffed them: befides, his poetical defcribing the circumstances of their meetings, as the well ordering of a banquet, the delicacy of a walk, and interlacing mere tales, as Gyges's Ring, and others; which, who knows not to be flowers of poetry, did never walk into Apollo's garden.

3

And even Hiftoriographers, although their lips B 3 found

6

THE DEFENCE

found of things done, and verity be written in their fore-heads, have been glad to borrow, both fashion, and, perchance, weight, of the Poets: So Herodotus intituled the Books of his history by the names of The nine Mufes; and both he, and all the reft that followed him, either stole or ufurped, of poetry, their paffionate describing of paffions, the many particularities of battles which no man could affirm; or, if that be denied me, long orations, put in the mouths of great kings and captains, which, it is certain, they never pronounced.

So that, truly, neither Philofopher, nor Historiographer, could, at the firft, have entered into the gates of popular judgments, if they had not taken a great difport of Poetry; which in all nations, at this day, where learning flourisheth not, is plain to be seen in all which, they have

fome feeling of Poetry. In Turkey, befides their law-giving divines, they have no other writers but poets. In our neighbouring country Ireland, where, truly, learning goes very bare, yet are their poets held in a devout reverence. Even among the most barbarous and fimple Indians, where no writing is, yet have they their poets, who make, and fing fongs, which they call Arentos, both of their ancestors deeds, and praises of their gods. A fufficient probability, that if ever learning come among them, it must

be