As Antipater Sidonius was famous for extemporall verse in Greeke, and Ouid for his Quicquid conabar dicere versus erat: so was our Tarleton, of whome Doctour Case that learned physitian thus speaketh in the seuenth Booke, & seuenteenth chapter of his Politikes; Aristoteles suum Theodoretum laudauit quendam peritum Tragadiarum actorem; Cicero suum Roscium: nos Angli Tarletonum, in cuius voce & vultu omnes iocosi affectus, in cuius cerebroso capite lepida facetiæ habitant. And so is now our wittie Wilson, who, for learning and extemporall witte in this facultie, is without compare or compeere, as to his great and eternall commendations he manifested in his chalenge at the Swanne on the Banke side. As Achilles tortured the deade bodie of Hector, and as Antonius, and his wife Fuluia tormented the liuelesse corps of Cicero: so Gabriell Haruey hath shewed the same inhumanitie to Greene that lies full low in his graue. As Eupolis of Athens vsed great libertie in taxing the vices of men so dooth Thomas Nash, witnesse the broode of the Harueys. As Acteon was wooried of his owne hounds: so is Tom Nash of his Ile of Dogs. Dogges were the death of Euripedes, but bee not disconsolate gallant young Iuuenall, Linus, the sonne of Apollo died the same death. Yet God forbid that so braue a witte should so basely perish, thine are but paper dogges, neither is thy banishment like Ouids, eternally to conuerse with the barbarous Getes. Therefore comfort thy selfe sweete Tom, with Ciceros glorious return to Rome, & with the counsel Aeneas giues to his sea beaten soldiors. Lib. 1. Aeneid. Pluck op thine heart, & driue from thence both feare and care away: To thinke on this may pleasure be perhaps another day. As Anacreon died by the pot: so George Peele by the pox. As Archesilaus Prytanaus perished by wine at a drunken feast, as Hermippus testifieth in Diogenes: so Robert Greene died of a surfet T surfet taken at Pickeld Herrings, & Rhenish wine, as witnesseth Thomas Nash who was at the fatall banquet. As Iodelle, a French tragical poet beeing an Epicure, and an Atheist, made a pitifull end: so our tragicall poet Marlow, for his Epicurisme and Atheisme, had a tragicall death; you may read of this Marlow more at large in the Theatre of Gods iudgments, in the 25. chapter entreating of Epicures and Atheists. As the poet Lycophron was shot to death by a certain riual of his so Christopher Marlow was stabd to death by a bawdy Seruingman, a riuall of his in his lewde loue. OBSERVATIONS in the Art of English Poesie. By Thomas Campion. Wherein it is demonstra tively prooved, and by example confirmed that the English toong will receive eight seuerall kinds of numbers, proper to it selfe, which are all in this booke set forth, and were neuer before this time by any man attempted. To the right noble and worthily THE LORD BUCKHURST, Int two things, right honorable, it is generally agreed that man excels all other creatures, in reason, and speech: and in them by how much one man surpasseth an other, by so much the neerer he aspires to a celestiall essence. Poesy in all kind of speaking is the chiefe beginner and maintayner of eloquence, not only helping the eare with the acquaintance of sweet numbers, but also raysing the minde to a more high and lofty conceite. For this end haue I studyed to induce a true forme of versefying into our language: for the vulgar and vnarteficiall custome of riming hath I know deter'd many excellent wits from the exercise of English Poesy. The obseruations which I haue gathered for this purpose, I humbly present to your Lordship, as to the noblest iudge of poesy, and the most honorable protector of all industrious learning; which if your honour shall vouchsafe to receiue, who both in your publick and priuate poemes haue so deuinely crowned your fame, what man will dare to repine, or not striue to imitate them? Wherefore with all humility I subiect my selfe and them to your gratious fauour, beseeching you in the noblenes of your mind to take in worth so simple a present, which by some worke drawne from my more serious studies I will hereafter endeuour to excuse. Your lordships humbly devoted THOMAS CAMPION. Clero, Dr Offic. i. 16. + Quintition, dust. Orat. |