felves, for the popularity of statesinen is not fo We have obferved, that the people fince the latfrequent as that of generals; or if by rare futh ter time of Chriftian religion, are more unquiet ciency of art it be gained; yet the force of crowds than in former ages; fo difobedient and fierce, as in cities, compared to the validity of men of arms if they would thake off the ancient imputation of and difcipline, would appear like the great num- being beafts, by fhowing their masters they know ber of sheep to a few wolves, rather a cause of their own ftrength: and we shall not err by sup comfort than of terror. They think that chief pofing that this conjunction of fourfold power hath minifters of law by unskilful integrity, or love of failed in the effects of authority, by a mifapplica. popularity (which shows the mind as meanly born tion, for it hath rather endeavoured to prevail upas bred) fo earnestly pursue the protection of the on their bodies than their minds, forgetting that people's right, that they neglect the public in the martial art of constraining is the beat, which tereft; and though the people's right and public affaults the weaker part, and the weakest part of intereft be the fame, yet ufually by the people, the people is their minds, for want of that wh.ch the minifters of law mean private men, and by the is the mind's only ftrength, education; but their other the ftate; and fo the ftate and the people bodies are ftrong by continual labour, for labour are divided, as we may fay a man is divided with- is the education of the body. Yet when I mention in himself, when reafon and paffion difpute about the mifapplication of force, I should have faid they confequent actions; and if we were called to affifthave not only failed by that, but by a main error, at fuch inteftine war, we muft fide with reafon because the subject on which they should work is according to our duty, by the law of nature, and the mind, and the mind can never be contrained nature's law, though not written in ftone (as was though it may be gained by perfuafion; and since the law of religion) hath taken deep impreffion in perfuafion is the principal instrument which can the heart of man, which is harder than marble of bring to fashion the brittle and mishapen memount Sinai. tal of the mind, none are fo fit aids to this important work as poets, whofe art is more than any, enabled with a voluntary and cheerful ailiftance of nature, and whofe operations are as reftlefs, fecret, eafy, and subtle, as is the influence of planets. Chief ministers of law, think divines in government should, like the penal statutes, be choicely. and but feldom ufed; for as thofe ftatutes are rigorously inquifitive after venial faults, (punishing our manners and weak conftitution, as well as infolent appetite; fo divines that are made vehement with contemplating the dignity of the of fenced, more than the frailty of the offender) govern as if men could be angels, ere they come to heaven. I must not forget (left I be prevented by the vigilence of the reader) that I have profeffed not to reprefent the beauty of virtue in my poem, with hope to perfuade common men; and I have faid that divines have failed in difcharging their share Great ministers of law, think likewife that of government, by depending upon the effects of leaders of armies are like ill phyficians, only fit perfuafion, and that statesmen in managing the for desperate cures, whose boldness calls in the af- people, rely not upon the persuasion of divines, fistance of fortune, during the fears and troubles but upon force. In my despair of reducing the of art; yet the health they give to a distempered minds of common men, I have not confeffed any ftate is not more accidental than the prefervation weakness of poefy in the general science, but raof it is certain, because they often grow vain with ther inferred the particular strength of the heroic, fuccefs, and encourage a restored ftate to fuch ha- which hath a force that overmatches the infancy zards, as how like irregularity of life in other re- of fuch minds as are not enabled by degrees of covered bodies, fuch as the cautious and an-education; but there are leffer forces in other cient gravity of law diffuaded: for law (whofe temperate defign is fafety) rather prevents by conftancy of medicine (like a continued diet) diseases in the body-politic, than depends after a permitted fickness upon the chance of recovery. They think ftateimen ftrive to be as much judges of law as themselves, being chief minifters of law, are judges of the people; and that even good statesmen per- In faying that divines have vainly hoped to convert the law more than evil judges, for law was tinue the peace of goverment by perfuafion, I have anciently meant a defenfive armour, and the people implied fuch perfuafions as are accompanied with took it as from the magazine of juftice, to keep them threatenings, and feconded by force, which are the fafe from each others violence; but ftatefmen ufe perfuafions of pulpits, where is prefented to the it as offenfive arms, with which in foraging to get obftinate, hell after death; and the civil magifrelief for fupreme power, they often wound thepublic. trate during life constrains fuch obedience as the Thus we have firft obferved the four chief aids church doth ordain. But the perfuafions of poety, of government, (religion, arms, policy, and law) de-inftead of menaces, are harmonious and delightful fectively applied, and then we have found them weak infinuations, and never any constraint, unless the by an emulous war amongst themselves: it follows ravishment of reason may be called force; and fuch next, we should introduce to ftrengthen thofe prin- force, (contrary to that which divines, comcipal aids (itill making the people our direct ob-manders, ftateimen, and lawyers use) begets fuch ject) fome collateral help, which I will fafely obedience as is never weary or grieved. preiume to confift in poely. In declaring that statesmen think not the state kinds of poefy, by which they may train and prepare their understandings: and princes and nobles being reformed and made angelical by the heroic, will be predominant lights, which the people cannot choose but ufe for direction; as gloworms take in and keep the fun's beams till they shine, and make day to themfelves. wholly fecure by fuch manners as are bred from the perfuafions of divines, but more willingly make government rely upon military force, I have neither concluded that poets are unprofitable, nor that statesmen think fo; for the wisdom of poets would firft make the image of virtue fo amiable, that her beholders should not be able to look off (rather gently, and delightfully infufing, than inculcating precepts), and then when the mind is conquered, like a willing bride, force fhould fo behave itself as noble husbands use their power; that is, by let ting their wives fee the dignity and prerogative of our fex (which is the husband's harmlefs conqueft of peace) continually maintained to hinder difobe dience, rather than rigorously impofe duty: but to fuch an eafy government, neither the people (which are fubjects to kings and ftates, nor wives which are fubject to husbands) can peaceably yield, unless they are firft conquered by virtue and the conquefts of virtue be never eafy but where her forces are commanded by poets. It may be objected that the education of the people's minds (from whence virtuous manners are derived) by the feveral kinds of poely, (of which the dramatic hath been in all ages very fuccefsful) is oppofite to the received opinion, that the people ought to be continued in ignorance; a maxim founding like the little fubtilty of one that is a ftatefman only by birth or beard, and merits not his place by much thinking: for ignorance is rude, cenforious, jealous, obftinate, and proud; these being exactly the ingredients of which difobedience is made, and obedience proceeds from ample confideration, of which knowledge confifts, and knowledge will foon put into one fcale the weight of oppreffion, and in the other, the heavy burden which difobedience lays on us in the effects of civil war: and then even tyranny will feem much lighter, when the hand of fupreme power binds up our load, and lays it artfully on us, then disobedience (the parent of confufion) when we all load one another; in which every one irregularly increases his fellows burden to leffen his own. Others may object that poefy on our ftage, or the heroic in mufic (for fo the latter was anciently ufed) is prejudicial to a state; as begetting levity, and giving the people too great a diverfion by pleafure and mirth. To thefe (if they be worthy of fatisfaction) I reply; that whoever in government endeavours to make the people ferious and grave, which are attributes that may become the people's reprefentatives, but not the people), doth practise a new way to enlarge the ftate, by making every fubject a statesman and he that means to govern fo mournfully (as it were, without any mufic in his dominion) muft lay but light burdens on his fubjects; or elfe he wants the ordinary wisdom of thofe, who to their beasts that are much loaden, whistle all the day to encourage their travel. For that fupreme power which expects a firm obedience in those who are not used to rejoicing, but live fadly, as if they were ftill preparing for the funeral of peace, hath little skill in contriving the laftingness of government, which is the principal work of art; and lefs hath that power confidered nature, as if fuch new aufterity did feem to tax even her, for want of gravity, in bringing in the fpring fo merrily with a mufical variety of birds; and fuch fullen power doth forget that battles (the moft folemn and serious bufinefs of death) are be gun with trumpets and fifes; and anciently were continued with more diverfity of music. And that the Grecian laws (laws being the wifeft endeavour of human counfels, for the ease of life) were long before the days of Lycurgus (to make them more pleasant to memory) published in verse: and that the wife Athenians (dividing into three parts the public revenue) expended one in plays and shows, to divert the people from meeting to confult of their rulers merit, and the defects of government > and that the Romans had not fo long continued their empire, but for the fame diverfions, at a vafter charge. Again, it may be objected, that the precepts of Chriftian religion are fufficient towards our regulation, by appointment of manners; and towards the ease of life by impofing obedience, so that the moral affiftance of poefy is but vainly intruded. To this I may answer: that as no man fhould fufpect the fufficiency of religion by its infuccefsfulness, fo if the infuccefsfulness be confeffed, we shall as little difparage religion, by bringing in more aids when it is in action, than a general dishonours himself by endeavouring with more of his own forces, to make fure an attempt that hath a while miscarried; for poefy, which (like contracted effences feems the utmoft ftrength and activity of nature} is as all good arts, fubfervient to religion; all marching under the fame banner, though of lefs difcipline and efteem. And as poefy is the beft expofitor of nature (nature being mysterious to fuch as ufe not to confider) fo nature is the best interpreter of God, and more cannot be said of religion. And when the judges of religion (which are the chiefs of the church) neglect the help of moralifts in reforming the people, (and poets are of all moralifts the most useful) they give a fentence against the law of nature: for nature performs all things by correfpondent aids and harmony. And it is injurious not to think poets the most useful moralifts, for as poefy is adorned and fublimed by mufic, which makes it more pleasant and acceptable; fo morality is sweetened and made more amiable by poefy. And the aufterity of fome divines, may be the caufe why re ligion hath not more prevailed upon the manners of men: for great doctors fhould rather comply with things that please (as the wife apostle did with ceremonies) than lose a profylite. And even honour (taught by moral philofophers, but more delightfully infufed by poets) will appear (notwithstanding the fad feverity of fome latter divines) no unfafe guide towards piety; for it is as wary and nice as confcience, though more cheerful and courageous. And however honour be more pleafing to flesh and blood, because in this world it finds applaufe, yet it is not fo mercenary as piety, for piety (being of all her expectations inwardly affured) expects a reward in heaven; to which all earthly payments compared, are but fhadows and fand. And it appears that poefy hath for its natural 1 mind, poefy is the most natural and delightful interpreter. God) nor nature (which is God's first law to man, When neither religion (which is our art towards though by man leaft ftudied) nor when reaten (which is nature, and made art by experience) against it, than fome (whofe frowardness will not can by the enemies of poely be fufficiently urged let them quit an evil caufe) plead written authority, and though fuch authority be a weapon, which even in the war of religion diftreffed dif 780 THE WORKS OF DAVENANT. Prevailings over the understandings of men, (fometimes making her conquefts with eafy plainnefs, like native country beauty) been very fuccessful in the most grave and important occafions, that the neceflities of states or mankind have produced. For it may be faid that Demofthenes faved the Athenians by the fable or parable of the dogs and wolves, in anfwer to king Philip's propofition; and that Menias Agrippa faved the fenate, if not Rome, by that of the belly and the hands: and that even our Saviour was pleafed (as the most prevalent way of doctrine) wholly to use fuch kind of para-puters take up as their laft fhift; yet here we bles in his converting, or faving of fouls; it being written, without a parable fpake he not to them. And had not the learned apostle thought the wif dom of poets worthy his remembrance, and instructive, not only to Heathens, but to Chriftians, he had not cited Epimenides to the Cretans, as well as Aratus to the Athenians. would protest against it, but that we find it make a falfe defence, and leaves the enemy more open. Plato, and him fome have maliciously quoted; as This authority (which is but single too) is from if in his feigned commonwealth he had banished all poets, but Plato fays nothing against poets in I cannot alfo be ignorant that divers (whofe to Homer and Hefiod) only condemns fuch errors general; and in his particular quarrel, (which is confcientious melancholy amazes and difcourages as we mentioned in the beginning of this preface, others devotion) will accufe poets as the admirers when we looked upon the ancients; and thofe of beauty, and inventors or provokers of that which by way of afperfion they call love. But errors confift in their abufing religion, by reprefuch, in their firft accufation feem to look carelessfenting the gods in evil proportion, and their hely and unthankfully upon the wonderful works of vices into fashion, by intermixing them with the roes with as unequal characters: and so brought God; or elfe through low education or age, be- virtues of great perfons. Yet even during this dicome incompetent judges of what is the chief of vine anger of Plato, he concludes not against poefy, his works upon earth. And poets when they praise but the poems then moft in requeft, for these be beauty, are at leaft as lawfully thankful to God, the words of his law: If any man (having ability as when they praife feas, woods, rivers, or any other parts that make up a profpect of the world. both good and evil, let him be reverenced as a fato imitate what he pleases) imitate in his poems Nor can it be imagined but that poets in praifing cred, admirable, and pleasant perfon: but be it them, praise wholly the Maker; and fo in praifing likewife known, he must have no place in our beauty: for that woman who believes fhe is praif- commonwealth. And yet before his banishment ed when her beauty is commended, may as well he allows him the honour of a diadem, and fweet fuppofe that poets think the created herself; and odours to anoint his head, and afterwards fays: he that praifes the inward beauty of women, which Let us make use of more profitable, though more is their virtue, doth more perform his duty than fevere and lefs pieafant poets, who can imitate before: for our envious filence in not approving, that which is for the honour and benefit of the and fo encouraging what is good, is the caufe that commonwealth. But thofe who make ufe of this vice is more in fashion and countenance than vir.juft indignation of Plato, to the unjust scandal of tue. But when poets praife that which is not beauty, or the mind which is not virtuous, they err, through their mistake, or by flattery; and flattery is a crime fo much more profperous in others who are companions to greatnefs, that it may be held in poets rather kindness than defign. poefy, have the common craft of falfe witneffes, enlarging every circumstance, when it may hurt, and concealing all things that may defend him they oppofe; for they will not emember how much the scholar of Plato (who, like an absolute throughout the schools of Europe) labours to make monarch over arts, hath almoft filenced his master poefy univerfally current, by giving laws to the fcience: nor will they take notice, in what dignity it continued, whilft the Greeks kept their docherished even the public repetition of verses, nor minion or language; and how much the Romans will they vouchiafe to obferve (though Juvenal takes care to record it) how gladly all Rome (during that exercife) ran to the voice of Statius. They who accufe poets as provokers of love, are enemies to nature, and all affronts to nature are offences to God, as infolences to all fubordinate officers to the crown, are rudeness to the king. Love (in the most obnoxious interpretation) is nature's preparative to her greatest work, which is the making of life. And fince the fevereft divines of thefe latter times, have not been afhamed publicly to command and define the most secret duty, and entertainments of love in the married; why Thould not poets civilly endeavour to make a Thus having taken measure (though haftily) of friendship between the guests before they meet, the extent of thofe great profeffions, that in goby teaching them to dignify each other with the lawful pleasures of men; and finding poefy as ufevernment contribute to the neceffities, eafe, and utmost of estimation. And marriage in mankind, ful now (as the ancients found it towards perfecwere as rude and unprepared as the hafty election and happiness; I will, Sir, (unless with these tions of other creatures, but for acquaintance and converfation before it, and that must be an acquaintance of minds, not of bodies; and of the two books you return me a difcouragement) cheer- prefs, I am refolved rather to hazard the inconve- | nience which expectation breeds, (for divers with no ill fatisfaction have had a tafte of Gondibert) than endure that violent envy which affaults all writers whilft they live, though their papers be but filled with very negligent and ordinary thoughts; and therefore I delay the publication of any part of the poem, till I can fend it you from America, whither I now fpeedily prepare, having the folly to hope that when I am in another world (though not in the common fenfe of my dying (I fhall find my readers (even the poets of the prefent age) as temperate and benign, as we are all to the dead, whofe remote excellence cannot hinder our repu THE ANSWER OF MR. HOBBES, TÒ SIR WILLIAM DAVENANT'S PREFACE BEFORE GONDIBERT. SIR, IF to commend your poem, I fhould only fay (in | general) that in the choice of your argument, the difpofition of the parts, the maintenance of the characters of your perfons, the dignity and vigour of your expreffion; you have performed all the parts of various experience, ready memory, clear judgment, fwift and well governed fancy, though it were enough for the truth, it were too little for the weight and credit of my testimony. For I lie open to two exceptions, one of an incompetent, the other of a corrupted witnefs. Incompetent, because I am not a poet; and corrupted, with the honour done me by your preface. The former obliges me to fay fomething (by the way) of the nature and differences of poefy. As philofophers have divided the universe (their fubject) into three regions, celeftial, aerial and terreftrial, fo the poets (whose work it is by imitating human life, in delightful and measured lines, to avert men from vice, and incline them to virtuous and honourable actions), have lodged them felves in the three regions of mankind, court, city, and country, correfpondent in fome, in proportion, to those three regions of the world. For there is in princes, and men of confpicuous power (anciently called heroes), a luftre and influence upon the rest of men, resembling that of the heavens; and an infincereness, inconftancy, and troublesome humour of those that dwell in populous cities, like the mobility, bluftering, and impurity of the air; and a plainnefs, and (though dull) yet a nutritive faculty in rural people, that endures a comparison with the earth they labour. From hence have proceeded three forts of poefy, heroic, fcomatic, and paftoral. Every one of these is diftinguished again in the manner of reprefentation, which fometimes is narrative, wherein the poet himself relateth; and fometimes dramatic, as when the perfons are every one adorned and brought upon the theatre, to speak and act their own parts. There is therefore neither more nor lefs than fix forts of poefy. For the heroic poem narrative (such as is yours) is called an epic poem. The heroic poem dramatic, is tragedy. The fcomatic narrative is fatire; dramatic is comedy. The pastoral narrative is called fimply paftoral, (anciently beucolic) the fame dramatic, paftoral comedy. The figure therefore of an epic poem, and of a tragedy, ought to be the fame, for they differ no more but in that they are pronounced by one or many perfons; which I infert to justify the figure of yours, confifting of five books divided into fongs or cantos, as five acts divided into scenes has ever been the approved figure of a tragedy. They that take for poefy whatsoever is writ in verfe will think this divifion imperfect, and call in fonnets, epigrams, eclogues, and the like pieces, (which are but effays and parts of an entire poem), and reckon Empedocles and Lucretius (natural philofophers), for poets, and the moral precepts of Phocylides Theognis, and the quatrains of Pybrach, and the hiftory of Lucan, and others of that kind amongst poems; bestowing on such writers for honour the name of poets rather than of historians or philofophers. But the fubject of a poem is the manners of men, not natural causes; manners prefented, not dictated;, and manners feigned, (as the name of poefy imports), not found in men. They that give entrance to fictions writ in profe err not fo much, but they err; for profe requireth delightfulness not only of fiction, but of ftyle; in which if profe contend with verfe, it is with difadvantage (as it were) on foot against the ftrength and wings of Pegafus. The verse which the Greeks and Latins (confi dering the nature of their own languages), `found by experience moft grave, and for an epic poem moft decent, was their hexameter, a verfe limited not only in the length of the line, but also in the quantity of the fyllables. Instead of which, we ufe the line of ten fyllables, recompencing the neglect of their quantity, with the diligence of rhyme. And this meafure is fo proper for an heroic poem, as without fome lofs of gravity and dignity, it was never changed. A longer is not far from ill profe and a fhorter is a kind of whisking (you know) like the unlacing, rather than the finging of a mufe. In an epigram or a fonnet a man may vary his measures, and feek glory from a needlets difficulty, as he that contrived verfes into the forms of an organ, a hatchet, an egg, an altar, and a pair of wings; but in fo great and noble a work as is an epic poem, for a man to obstruct his own way with unprofitable difficulties, is great imprudence. So likewife to choose a needlefs and difficult correfpondence of rhyme is but a difficult toy, and forces a man fometimes for the stopping of a chink to fay fomewhat he did never think; I cannot therefore but very much approve your stanza, wherein the fyllables in every verfe are ten, and the rhyme alternate. For the choice of your fubject you have fufficiently juftified yourfelf in your preface. But becaufe I have obferved in Virgil that the honour done to Aneas and his companions has fo bright a reflexion upon Auguftus Cæfar, and other great Romans of that time, as a man may fufpect him not conftantly poffeffed with the noble fpirit of thofe his heroes, and believe you are not acquainted with any great man of the race of Gondibert, I add to your juftification the purity of your purpofe, in having no other motive of your labour, but to adorn virtue, and procure her lovers, than which there cannot be a worthier defign, and more becoming noble poefy. For verfe amongst the Greeks was appropriated anciently to the fervice of their gods, and was the holy style, the style of the oracles, the flyle of the laws, and the ftyle of men that publicly recommended to their gods the vows and thanks of the people, which was done in their holy fongs called hymns; and the composers of them were called prophets and priests, before the name of poet was known. When, afterwards, the majesty of that ftyle was obferved, the poets chofe it as best becoming their high invention. And for the antiquity of verfe, it is greater than the antiquity of letters. For it is certain that Cadmus was the firft that (from Phoenicia, a country that neighbour-invoke a mufe or fome other deity that fhould diceth Judea), brought the use of letters into Greece. But the fervice of the gods, and the laws (which by measured founds were easily committed to the memory), had been long time in ufe before the arrival of Cadmus there. There is befides the grace of style, another cause why the ancient poets chofe to write in measured language, which is this. Their poems were made at first with intention to have them fung, as well epic as dramatic, (which custom hath been long time laid afide, but began to be revived in part, of late years in Italy), and could not be made commenfurable to the voice or inftruments in profe; the ways and motions whereof are fo uncertain and undiftinguished, (like the way and motion of a ship in the fea), as not only to difcompose the best composers, but also to disappoint fometimes the most attentive reader, and put him to hunt counter for the fenfe. It was therefore neceffary for poets in thofe times to write in verfe. In that you make so small account of the example of almost all the approved poets ancient and modern, who thought fit in the beginning, and fometimes alfo in the progrefs of their poems, to tate to them or affift them in their writings, they that take not the laws of art, from any reafon of their own, but from the fashion of precedent times, will perhaps accufe your fingularity. For my part, I neither fubfcribe to their accufation, nor yet condemn that heathen cuftom otherwise than as acceffary to their falfe religion. For their poets were their divines; had the name of prophets exercised amongst the people a kind of fpiritual authority, would be thought to speak by a divine fpirit; have their works which they writ in verfe (the divine ftyle) pafs for the word of God, and not of man, and to be hearkened to with reverence. Do not our divines (excepting the ftyle) do the fame, and by us that are of the fame religion cannot justly be reprehended, for it? Befides, in the use of the fpiritual calling of divines, there is danger fometimes to be feared from want of fkill, fuch as is reported of uníkilful conjurers, that mistaking the rites and ceremonious points of their art, call up such spirits that they |
