[Page 1] PRotogenes can know Apel­les by his line though he se him not, and wise men can consider by the Penn the aucthoritie of the wri­ter thoughe they know him not. the Rubie is discerned by his pale red­nes, and who hath not hard that the Lyon is knowne by hys clawes. though Aesopes craf­tie crowe be neuer so defil [...]e decked, yet is his double dealing esely desiphered: & though men neuer so perfectly pollish there wry­tings with others sentences, yet the simple truth wil discouer the shadow of ther follies: and bestowing euery fether in the bodye of the right M. tourne out the naked dissem­bler into his owen cote, as a spectacle of fol­lye to all those which can rightlye Iudge what imperfections be. There came to my hands lately a litle (woulde God a wittye) pamphelet, baring a fayre face as though it were the scoole of a buse but being by me aduisedly wayed I fynd it the oftscome of imperfections, the writer fuller of wordes then iudgement, the matter certaiuely as ri­diculus as serius. asuredly his mother witte wrought this wonder, the child to disprayse his father the dogg to byte his mayster for [Page 2] his dainty morcell. but I se (with Seneca) y ^• the wrong is to be suffered, since he dispray­seth, who by costome hath left to speake well. but I meane to be short: and teach the Maister what he knoweth not, partly that he may se his own follie, and partly that I may discharge my promise, both binde me. therefore I would wish the good scholmay­ster to ouer looke his abuses againe with me, so shall he see an ocean of inormities which begin in his first prinsiple in the dis­prayse of poetry. And first let me familiarly consider with this find faulte what the lear­ned haue alwayes esteemed of poetrie. Sene­ca theughe a stoike would haue a poeticall sonne, and amongst the auncientest Homer was no les accompted then Humanus deus. what made Alexander I pray you esteme of him so much? why allotted he for his works so curious a closset? was ther no fitter vnter prop for his pillow thē a simple pamphelet? in all Darius cofers was there no Iewell so costly? forsoth my thinks these two (the one the father of Philosophers, the other the cheftaine of chiualrie) were both deceiued if all were as a Gosson would wish them, yf poets paynt naughte but palterie toyes in vearse, their studies tended to folishnesse, [Page 3] and in all their indeuors they did naught els but agendo nihil agere. Lord howe Virgils poore gnatt pricketh him, and how Ouids fley byteth him, he can beare no bourde, he hath raysed vp a new sect of serius stoikes, that can abide naught but their owen sha­dowe, and alow nothing worthye, but what they conceaue. Did you neuer reade (my o­uer wittie frend) that vnder the persons of beastes many abuses were dissiphered? haue you not reason to waye? that whatsoeuer e­ther Virgil did write of his gnatt, or Ouid of his fley: was all couertly to declare abuse? but you are (homo literatus) a man of the letter little sauoring of learning, your giddy brain made you leaue your thrift, and your abuses in London some part of your hone­stie. You say that Ports are subtil, if so, you haue learned that poynt of them, you can well glose on a trifleling text. but you haue dronke perhaps of Lethe, your gramer lear­ning is out of your head, you forget your Accidence, you remēber not, that vnder the person of Aeneas in Virgil the practice of a dilligent captaine is discribed vnder y ^• sha­dow of byrds, beastes and trees, the follies of the world were disiphered, you know not, that the creation is signified in the Image [Page 4] of Prometbeus, the fall of pryde in the person of Narcissus, these are toyes because they sa uor of wisedome which you want. Marke what Campanus sayth, Mira fabularum va­nitas sed quae si introspiciantur videri possunt non vanoe. The vanitie of tales is won­derful, yet if we aduisedly looke into them they wil seme & proue wise, how wonderful are the pithie poemes of Cato? the curious comidies of Plautus? how brauely discoue­reth Terence our imperfectiō in his Eunuch? how neatly dissiphereth he Danus? how plea sauntly paynteth he out Gnatho? whom if we should seeke in our dayes, I suppose he would not be farr from your parson. But I see you woulde seeme to be that which you are not, and as the prouerb sayth Nodum in Cirpo quaerere: Poetes you say vse coullors to couer ther incouiences, and wittie senten­ces to burnish theyr bawdery, and you diui­nite to couer your knauerye. But tell mee truth Gosson speakest thou as thou thinkest? what coelers findest thou in a Poete not to be admitted? are his speaches vnperfect? sa­nor they of inscience. I think if thou hast a­ny shame thou canst not but like & approue thē, are ther gods displesant vnto thee? both Saturne in his maiesty moue thee? doth Iuno [Page 5] with her riches displease thee? doth Miner­ua with her weapon discomfort thee? doth Apollo with his harping harme thee? thou mayst say nothing les then harme thee be­cause they are not, and I thinke so to be­cause thou knowest them not. For wot thou that in the person of Saturne our decaying yeares are signified, in the picture of angry Iuno, our affections are dissiphered, in y ^t person of Minerua is our vnderstāding signifi­ed, both in respect of warre, as policie. when they faine that Pallas was begotten of the braine of Iupiter their meaning is none o­ther, but that al wisedome (as the learned say) is from aboue, and commeth from the father of Lights: in the portrature of Apollo all knowledge is denocated. so that, what so they wrot, it was to this purpose, in the way of pleasure to draw men to wisedome: for se­ing the world in those daies was vnperfect, yt was necessary that they like good Phisi­ons: should so frame their potions, that they might be appliable to the quesie stomaks of their werish patients. but our studientes by your meanes haue made shipwrack of theyr labors, our schoolemaisters haue so offended that by your iudgement they shall subire pae nam capitis for teaching poetry, the vniuer­sitie is litle beholding to you, al their practi­ces [Page 6] in teaching are friuolus. Witt hath wrought that in you, that yeares and studie neuer setled in the heàds of our sagest doc­tors. No meruel though you disprayse poe­trye, when you know not what it meanes. Erasmus will make that the path waye to to knowledge which you disprayse, and no meane fathers vouchsafe in their seriouse questions of deuinitie, to inserte poeticall sensures. I think if we shal wel ouerloke y ^e Philosophers, we shal find their iudgemēts not halfe perfect, Poetes you saye fayle in their fables, Philosophers in the verye se­crets of Nature. Though Plato could wish the expulsion of Poetes from his well pub­liques, which he might doe with reason, yet the wisest had not all that same opinion, it had bene better for him to haue sercht more narowly what the soule was, for his difini­tion was verye friuolus, when he would make it naught els but Substantiam intelec­tu predictam. if you say that Poetes did la­bour about nothing, tell me (I besech you) what wonders wroughte those your dunce Doctors in ther reasons de ente et non ente? in theyr definition of no force, and les witt? how sweate they power soules in makinge more things then cold be? that I may vse [Page 7] your owne phrase, did not they spende one candle by seeking another. Democritus, E­picurus, with ther scholler Metrodorus how labored they in finding out more worlds thē one? your Plato in midst of his presisnes wrought that absurdite that neuer may be redd in Poets, to make a yearthly creature to be are the person of the creator, and a cor­ruptible substaunce, an incomprehensible God: for determining of the principall cau­ses of all thinges, a made them naughte els but an Idea which if it be conferred wyth the truth, his sentence will sauour of Insci­ence. but I speake for Poetes, I answeare your abuse, therefore I will disproue, or dis­prayse naught, but wish you with the wise Plato, to disprayse that thing you offend not in. Seneca sayth that the studdie of Poets, is to make childrē ready to the vnderstanding of wisedom, and y ^e our auneients did teache artes Eleutberias. i. liberales, because the inst ructed childrē by the instrumēt of knowledg in time became homines liberi. i. Philosophye. it may be that in reding of poetry, it happe ned to you as it is with the Oyster, for she in her swimming receiueth no ayrs, and you in your reeding lesse instruction it is repor­ted that the shepe of Enboia want ther gale, [Page 8] and one the contrarye side that the beastes of Naxus haue distentum fel. Men hope that scollers should haue witt brought vpp in the Uniuersite, but your sweet selfe with the cattell of Enboia, since you left your College haue lost your learning. you disprayle Max iminns Tirius pollicey, and that thinge that that he wrott to manifest learned Poets me ning, you atribute to follye. O holy hedded man, why may not Iuno resemble the ayre? why not Alexander valour? why not Vlisses pollice? will you haue all for you owne tothe? must men write that you maye know theyr meaning? as though your wytt were to wrest all things? Alas simple Irus. begg at knowledge gate awhile, thou haste not wonne the mastery of learning. weane thy selfe to wisedome, and vse thy tallant in zeale not for enuie, abuse not thy knowledge in dispraysing that which is pereles: I shold blush from a player, to become an enuiouse preacher, if thou hadst zeale to preach, if for Sions sake thou coldst not holde thy tougue, thy true dealing were prayse worthy, thy re­uolting woulde counsell me to reuerence thee. pittie weare it, that poetrye should be displaced, full little could we want Buchan­nans workes, and Boetius comfortes may [Page 9] not be banish [...]d. what made Erasmus labor in Euripides tragedies? did he indeuour by painting them out of Greeke into Latine to manifest sinne vnto vs? or to confirme vs in goodues? Labor (I pray thee) in Pam­phelets more prayse worthy, thou haste not saued a Senator, therefore not worthye a Lawrell wreth, thou hast not (in disprouing poetry) reproued an abuse, and therfore not worthy commendation. Seneca sayth that Magna vitae pars elabitur male agentibus, maxima nihill agentibus, tota alind agenti­bus, the most of our life (sayd he) is spent e­ther in doing euill, or nothing, or that wee should not, and I would wish you weare ex­empted from this sensure, geue eare but a little more what may be said for poetrie, for I must be briefe, you haue made so greate matter that I may not stay on one thing to long, lest I leaue an other vntouched. And first whereas you say, y ^• Tullie in his yeres of more iudgement despised Poetes, harke (I pray you) what he worketh for them in his oratiō pro Archia poeta (but before you heare him least you fayle in the incounter, I would wysh you to to followe the aduise of the dasterdlye I [...]neumon of Aegipt, who when shee beholdeth the Aspis her enemye [Page 14] to drawe nighe, calleth her fellowes toge­ther, bismering her selfe with claye, against the byting and stroke of the serpent, arme your selfe, cal your witts together: want not your wepons, lest your inperfect iudgement be rewardede with Midas eares. you had neede play the night burd now, for you day Owl hath misconned his parte, and for to who now a dayes he cryes foole you: which hath brought such a sort of wondering birds about your eares, as I feare me will chat­ter you out of your Iuey bush. the worlde shames to see you, or els you are afrayde to shew your selfe. you thought poetrye should want a patron (I think) when you fyrste published this inuectiue, but yet you fynd al to many euē preter expectationē, yea though it can speake for it self, yet her patron Tul­lie now shall tell her tale, Haec studia (sayth he) adolescentiam alunt, Senectutem oblec­tant, secundas, res ornant, aduersis perfugium ac Solatium prebent, delectant domi, non im­pediunt foris, peruoctant nobiscum, peregri­antur, rustic antur. then will you disprayse y ^t which all men commend? you looke only vp on y ^e refuse of y ^e abuse, nether respecting the importance of y ^e matter nor the weight of y ^e wryter. Solon can fayne himselfe madde, to [Page 15] further the Athenians. Chaucer in pleasant vain can rebuke sin vncontrold, & though he be lauish in the letter, his sence is serious. who in Rome lamēted noc Roscius death? & cāst thou suck no plesure out of thy M. Clau dians writings? hark, what Cellarius a lear: ned father attributeth to it. acuit memoriam (saith he) it profiteth y ^• memory. yea & Tully atributeth it for prais to Archias y ^• vpon any theame he cold versify extēpory. who liketh not of the promptnes of Ouid? who not vn­worthely cold bost of himself thus Quicquid conabar dicere versus erat. who then doothe not wonder at poetry? who thinketh not y ^• it procedeth frō aboue? what made y ^• Chians & Colophonians fal to such controuersy? Why seke y ^• Smirnians, to recouer frō y ^• Salamini ans the prais of Homer? al wold haue him to be of ther city, I hope not for harme, but be­cause of his knoledge. Themistocles desireth to be acquainted w ^t those w ^t could best disci­pher his praises. euen Marius himselfe, tho neuer so cruel, accōpted of Plotinus poems. what made Aphricanus esteme Eunius? why did Alexander giue prais to Achilles but for y ^• prayses which he found writtē of hym by Homer? Why estemed Pompie so muche of Theophanes Mitilet [...]s or Brutus so greatlye the wrytinges [...] Accius? Fuluius [Page 12] was so great a fauorer of poetry, that after the Aetolian warres, he attributed to the Muses those spoiles that belonged to Mars, in all the Romaine conquest, hardest thou euer of a slayne Poete? nay rather the Em­perours honored them, beautified them with benefites, & decked their sanctuaries which sacrifice. Pindarus colledg is not fit for spoil of Alexander ouercome, nether feareth poe­try y ^• persecutors sword. what made Austin so much affectate y ^• heauenly fury? not folly, for if I must needes speake, illnd non ausim affirmare, his zeale was, in setting vp of the house of God, not in affectate eloquence, he wrot not, he accompted not, he honnored not, so much that (famous poetry) whyche we prayse, without cause, for if it be true that Horace reporteth in his booke de arte poetica, all the answeares of the Oracles weare in verse. among the precise Iewes, you shall find Poetes, and for more maiestie Sibilla will prophesie in verse. Hiroaldus can witnes with me, that Dauid was a poet, and that his vayne was in imitating (as S. Ierom witnesseth) Horace, Flaccus, & Pinda rus, somtimes his verse runneth in an I am bus foote, anone he hath recourse to a Saphi er vaine, aliquando, semipede ingreditur. [Page 13] ask Iosephus, and he wil tel you that Esay, Iob and Salomon, voutsafed poetical prac­tises, for (if Origen and he fault) not theyre verse was Hexameter, and pentameter. En­quire of Cassiodorus, he will say that all the beginning of Poetrye proceeded from the Scripture. Paulinus tho the byshop of No­lanum yet voutsafe the name of a Poet, and Ambrose tho he be a patriarke in mediolan [...] loueth versifing Beda shameth not y ^• science that shamelesse Gosson misliketh reade ouer Lactantius, his proofe is by poetry. & Paul voutsafeth to ouerlooke Epimenides let the Apostle preach at Athens he disdaineth not of Aratus authorite. it is a pretye sentence yet not so prety as pithy. Poetana scitur or a­tor fit as who should say, Poetrye commeth from aboue from a heauenly seate of a glo­rious God vnto an excellent creature man, an orator is but made by exercise. for if wee examine well what befell Ennius amonge the Romans, and Hesiodus among his con­trimen the Gretians, howe they came by theyr knowledge whence they receued their heauenly furye, the first will tell vs that sle­ping vpon the Mount of Parnassus he drea­med that he receiued the soule of Homer in­to him, after the which he became a Poete, [Page 10] the next will assure you that it commeth not by labor, nether that night watchings brin­geth it, but y ^• we must haue it thence whence he fetched it w ^t was (he saith) frō a wel of y ^• Muses w ^t Cabelimus calleth Porū, a draught whereof drewe him to his perfection, so of a shephard he becam an eloquēt poet. wel thē you see y ^• it commeth not by exercise of play making, nether insertiō of gawds, but from nature, and from aboue: and I hope y ^• Aris­totle hath sufficiently taught you: that Na­tura nihil fecit frustra. Perseus was made a poete diuino furore percitus and whereas the poets wer [...] sayde to call for the Muses helpe thermening was no other as Iodocus Badius reporteth, but to call for heauenly in spiration from aboue to direct theyr ende­deuors. nether were it good for you to sette light by the name of a port since y ^• oftspring from whence he cōmeth is so heauenly. Sibil la in hir answers to Aeneas against hir will as the poet telleth vs was possessed w ^t thys fury, ye wey consideratly but of the writing of poets, & you shal se that whē ther matter is most heauenly, their stile is most lo [...]tye. a strange token of the wonderfull efficacy of the same. I would make a long discourse vn to you of Platoes 4. furies but I leue them [Page 11] it pitieth me to bring a rodd of your owne making to beate you wythal. But mithinks while you heare thys I see you swallowe down your owne spittle for reuenge, where (God wot) my wryting sauoreth not of en­uye. in this case I coulde wyshe you fare farre otherwyse from your foe yf you please I wyll become your frende and see what a potion or receypt I can frame fytt for your diet. and herein I will proue my selfe a prac tiser, before I purdge you, you shall take a preparatiue to dis burden your heauy hedde of those grose follis you haue conceued: but the receipt is bitter, therfore I would wysh you first to tasteu your mouth with the Su­ger of perseuerāce: for ther is a cold collop y ^• must downe your throate yet suche a one as shall chaūge your complection quit. I wyll haue you therfore to tast first of y ^• cold riuer Phricus, in Thratia which as Aristotle re­porteth changeth blacke into white, or of Scamandar, which maketh gray yalow y ^• is of an e [...]ous mā a wel minded person, re prehending of zeale y ^• wherin he hath sinned by folly, & so being prepard, thy purgation wyll worke more easy, thy vnderstandinge wyll be more persit, thou shalt blush at thy abuse, and reclaime thy selfe by force of [Page 16] argument so will thou proue of clene reco­uered patient, and I a perfecte practiser in framing so good a potion. this broughte to passe I with the wil seeke out some abuse in poetry, which I wil seeke for to disproue by reason first pronounced by no smal birde euen Aristotle himself Poetae (sayth he) mul­tà mentiuntur and to further his opin [...]on se­uer Cato putteth in his cencure.

Admiranda canunt sed non credenda poetae. these were sore blemishes if obiected right­ly and heare you may say the streme runues a wronge, but if it be so by you leue. I wyll bring him shortly in his right chanel. My answere shall not be my owne, but a learned father shall tell my tale, if you wil know his name men call him Lactantius: who in hys booke de diuinis institutionibus reesoneth thus. I suppose (sayth he) Poets are full of credit, and yet it is requesite for those that wil vnderstand them to be admonished, that among them, not onely the name but the matter beareth a show of that it is not: forlif sayth he we examine the Scriptures litter allye nothing will seeme more falls, and if we way Poetes wordes and not ther mea­ning, our learning in them wilbe very mene you see nowe that your Catoes iudgement as [Page 1] of no force and that all your obiections you make agaynst poetrye be of no valor yet lest you should be altogether discoraged I wyll helpe you forwarde a little more, it pities me to consider the weaknes of your cause I wyll therfore make your strongest reason, more strong and after I haue builded it vp destroy it agayn. Poets you confesse are e­loquent but you reproue them in their wan­tonnesse, they write of no wisedom, you may say their tales are friuolus, they prophane holy thinges, they seeke nothing to the per­fection of our soules. theyr practise is in o­ther things, of lesse force: to this obiection I answer no otherwise then Horace doeth in his booke de arte poetica where he wryteth thus.

I cannot leaue Tirtheus pollicy vntouched, who by force of his pen could incite men to the defence of theyr countrye. if you require of y ^e Oracle of Apollo what successe you shal haue: respondet bellicoso numine lo now you see your obiections my answers, you behold or may perceiue manifestlye, that Poetes were the first raysors of cities, prescribers of good lawes, mayntayners of religion, disturbors [Page 19] of the wicked, aduancers of the wel dis­posed, inuētors of laws, & lastly the very fot paths to knowledg. & vnderstāding ye if we shold beleue Herome he wil make Platos ex iles honest mē, & his pestiferous poets good preachers: for he accounteth Orpheus Mus­eus, & Linus, Christians, therefore Virgil (in his 6. boke of Aeneiados wher he lernedly de scribeth y ^• iourny of Aeneas to Elisum) asser­teneth vs, y ^• among them y ^• were ther for the zeale they beare toward there country, ther wer found Quinque pij vates et Phaebo digna loquti but I must answer al obiectiōs, I must fil euery nooke. I must arme my self now, for here is the greatest bob I can gather out of your booke forsoth Ouids abuses, in descry­bing whereof you labour very vehementlye termig him letcher, & in his person dispraise all poems, but shall on mans follye destroye a vniuerlsal cōmodity? what gift what perfit knowledg hath ther bin, emong y ^• professors of w ^t ther hath not bin a bad, on the Angels haue sinned in heauē, Ada & Eue in earthly pa radise, emōg y ^• holy apostles vngratious Iu das. I reson not y ^• al poets are holy but I af firme y ^• poetry is a heauēly gift, a perfit gift then w ^t I know not greater plesure. & surely if I may speak my mind I thik we shal find [Page 20] but few poets if it were exactly wayd what they oughte to be your Muscouian straun­gers, your Scithian monsters wonderful by one Eurus brought vpon one stage in ships made of Sheepeskins, wyll not proue you a poet nether your life alow you to bee of that learning if you had wisely wayed y ^• abuse of poetry if you had reprehended y ^• foolish fan­tasies of our poets nomine non re which they bring forth on stage, my self wold haue liked of you & allowed your labor. but I perceiue nowe y ^• all red colloured stones are not Ru­bies, nether is euery one Alexandar y ^• hath a stare in his cheke, al lame men are not V­ulcans, nor hooke nosed men. Ciceroes nether each professer a poet, I abhore those poets that sauor of ribaldry, I will with the zea­lous admit the expullcion of suche enormi­ties poetry is dispraised not for the folly that is in it, but for the abuse whiche manye ill Wryters couller by it. Beleeue mee the magestrats may take aduise, (as I knowe wisely can) to roote out those odde rymes which runnes in euery rascales mouth. Sa­uoring of rybaldry, those foolishe ballets, that are admitted, Make poets good and godly practises to be refused. I like not of a wicked Nero that wyll expell Lucan, yet ad­mit [Page 21] I of a zealous gouernour that wil seke to take away the abuse of poetry. I like not of an angrye Augustus which wyll banishe Ouid for enuy, I loue a wise Senator, which in wisedome wyll correct him and with ad­uise burne his follyes: vnhappy were we yf like poore Scaurus we shoulde find Tiberius that wyll put vs to death for a tragedy ma­king but most blessed were we, if we might find a iudge that seuerely would amende the abuses of Tragedies, but I leaue the refor­mation thereof to more wyser than my selfe, And retourne to Gosson whom I wyshe to be fully perswaded in this cause, and there­fore I will tell hym a prety story, which Iu­stin wryteth in the prayse of poetrye. The Lacedemonians when they had loste many men in diuers incountryes with theyr ene­myes soughte to the Oracles of Apollo re­quiring how they myght recouer theyr los­ses, it was answered that they mighte ouer­come if so be that they could get an Atheni­an gouernor, whereupon they sent Orators vnto the Athenians humbly requesting them that they woulde appoynt them out one of theyr best captaynes: the Athenians owinge them old malice, sent them in steede of a sol­dado vechio a scholar of the Muses. in steede [Page 22] of a worthy warrior a poore poet, for a cou­ragious Themistocles a silly Tirthetus, a man of great eloquence and singuler wytte, yet was he but a lame lymde captaine more fit for the coche then the field, the Lacedemo­nians trusting the Oracle, receued the cham pion, and fearing the gouernment of a stran­ger, made him ther Citizen. which once don and he obteining the Dukdome, he assended the theater, and ther very learnedly, wysh­ing them to forget theyr folly, and to thinke on victory they being acuate by his eloquēce waging battail won the fielde. Lo now you see that the framing of common welthes, & defence therof, proceedeth from poets, how dare you therfore open your mouth against them? how can you disprayse the preseruer of a countrye? you compare Homer to Me­thecus, cookes to Poetes, you shame your selfe in your vnreueren similituds, you may see your follyes verbum sapienti sat. where as Homar was an ancient poet, you disalow him, and accompte of those of lesser iudge­ment. Strabo calleth poetry, primam sapi­entiam. Cicero in his firste of hys Tuscu­lans attributcth y ^• inuencion of philosophy, to poets. God keepe vs from a Plato that should expel such men. pittie were it that the [Page 23] memory of these valiant victours should be hidden, which haue dyed in the behalfe of ther countryes: miserable were our state yf we wanted those worthy volumes of poetry could the learned beare the losse of Homer? or our younglings the wrytings of Man­tuan? or you your volumes of historyes? be­leue me yf you had wanted your Mysteries of nature, & your stately storyes, your booke would haue scarce bene fedde wyth matter. if therefore you will deale in things of wis­dome, correct the abuse, honor the science, re newe your schoole, crye out ouer Hieru­salem wyth the prophet, the woe that he pro nounced, wish the teacher to reforme hys lyfe, that his weake fcholler may proue the wyser, cry out against vnsaciable desyre in rich men, tel the house of Iacob theyr iniqui ties, lament with the Apostle the want of laborers in the Lords vineyards, cry out on those dume doggs that will not barke, wyll the mightye that they ouermayster not the poore, and put downe the beggers prowde heart by thy perswasions. Thunder oute wyth the Prophete Micha the mesage of the LORD, and wyth hym desyre the Iudges to heare thee, the Prynces of Iacob to hearken to thee, and those of [Page 24] the house of Israell to vnderstande then tell them that they abhorre iudgement, and pre­uent equitie, that they iudge for rewardes, and that theyr priests teach for hyre, and the prophets thereof prophesie for money, and yet that they saye the Lorde is wyth them, and that no euil can befall them, breath out the sweete promises to the good, the cursses to the badde, tell them that a peeace muste needes haue a warre, and that God can rayse vp another Zenacharib, shew thē that Salamons kingdome was but for a sea­son and that aduersitie cometh ere we espye it. these be the songes of Sion, these be those rebukes which you oughte to add to abuses recouer the body, for it is sore, the appedices thereof will easely be reformed, if that wear at a staye, but other matter call me and I must not staye vpon this onely, there is an easier task in hand for me, and that which if I may speak my conscience, fitteth my vain best, your second abuse Gosson, your second abuse your disprayses of Musik, which you vnaduisedly terme pyping: that is it wyll most byte you, what so is a ouerstay of life, is displesant to your person, musik may not stand in your presence, whereas all the lear ned Philosophers haue alwayes had it in [Page 25] reuerence. Homar commendeth it highly, re­ferring to the prayses of the Gods whiche Gosson accompteth folishnesse, looke vppon the harmonie of the Heauens? hange they not by Musike? doe not the Spheares moue? the primus motor gouerne. be not they in­feriora corpora affected quadam sumpathia and agreement? howe can we measure the debilitie of the patient but by the disordered motion of the pulse? is not man worse ac­compted of when he is most out of time? is there any thinge that more affecteth the sence? doth there any pleasure more acuat our vnderstanding. can the wonders y ^• hath wroughte and which you your selfe confesse no more moue you? it fitteth well nowe that the learned haue sayd, musica requirit gene­rosum animū which since it is fat from you, no maruel though you fauor not that profes­sion. it is reported of the Camelion that shee can chaunge her selfe vnto all coollors saue whyte, and you can accompte of all thinges saue such as haue honesty. Plutarch your good Mayster may bare me witnes, that the ende whereto Musick was, will prooue it prayes worthy, O Lorde howe maketh it a man to remember heauenly things. to wō ­der at the works of the creator, Eloquence [Page 26] can stay the souldiars sworde from slayinge an Orator, and shall not musike be magni­fied which not onely saueth the bodye but is a comfort to the soule? Dauid reioyseth sin­geth and prayseth the Lorde by the Harpe, the Simbale is not remoued from his sanc tuary, the Aungels syng gloria in excelsis. Surely the imagination in this present in­stant, calleth me to a deepe consideration of my God. looke for wonders where musike worketh, and wher harmonie is ther folow­eth increcible delectation. the bowels of the earth yeld. where the instrument soundeth and Pluto cannot keepe Proserpina if Orphe us recorde. The Seas shall not swallowe Arion whilst he singeth, nether shall hee pe­rish while he harpeth, a doleful tuner yf a di ing musition can moue a Monster of y ^• sea. to mourne. a Dolphin respectet a heauen­lye recorde. call your selfe home therefore and reclayme thys follye, it is to foule to bee admitted, you may not mayntaine it. I hadd well hoped you woulde in all these thynges haue wiselye admytted the thyng, and disalowe naughte but the abuse, but I see your mynde in your wrytinge was to penn somewaht you knowe not what, [Page 27] and to confyrme it I wot not howe, so that your selfe hath hatched vs an Egge yet so that it hath blest vs wyth a monsterus chic­kin, both wythoute hedde, and also tayle, lyke the Father, full of imperfection and lesse zeale. well marke yet a lyttle more, beare with me though I be bytter, my loue is neuer the lesse for that I haue learned of Tullye, that Nulla remedia tam faciunt dolorem quam quae sunt salutaria, the shar­per medycine the better it cures, the more you see your follye, the sooner may you a­mende it. Are not the straines in Musike to tickle and delyght the eare? are not our warlike instruments to moue men to valor? You confesse they mooue vs, but yet they delight not our eares, I pray you whence grew that poynt of Phylosophy? it is more then euer my Mayster taught mee, that a thynge of sounde shoulde not delyghte the eare. belyke yee suppose that men are mon­sters, withoute eares, or else I thyake you wyll saye they heare with theire heeles, it may bee so, for indeede when wee are are delighted with Musike, it maketh our heart to scypp for ioye, and it maye bee perhaps by assending from the heele to the hygher partes, it may moue vs, good [Page 28] policy in sooth, this was of your owne coy­ning your mother neuer taught it you, but I wyll not deale by reason of philosophye wyth you for that confound your sences, but I can asure you this one thinge, that this principle will make the wiser to mislike your inuention, it had bene a fitter iest for your howlet in your playe, then an ornamēt in your booke. but since you wrote of abuses we may licence you to lye a little, so y ^• abuse will be more manifest. lord with how good­ly a cote haue you clothed your conceiptes, you abound in storyes but impertinent, they bewray your reeding but not your wisedom would God they had bin well aplyed. But now I must play the musitian right nolesse buggs now come in place but pauions and mesures, dumps & fancies & here growes a great question, what musick Homer vsed in curing y ^• diseased gretians, it was no dump you say, & so think I, for y ^• is not apliable to sick men, for it fauoreth Malancholie. I am sure, it was no mesure, for in those days they were not such good dāsers for soth thē what was it? if you require me. if you name me the instrumēt, I wyl tel you what was y ^• musik, mean while a gods name let vs both dout, y ^• it is no part of our saluation to know what it [Page 29] was nor how it went? when I speak wyth Homer next you shall knowe his answere. But you can not be content to erre but you must maintain it to. Pithagoras you say a­lowes not that musik is decerned by eares, but hee wisheth vs to assend vnto the sky & marke that harmony. surely thys is but one doctors opinion (yet I dislike not of it) but to speake my conscience my thinkes musike best pleaseth me when I heare it, for other­wise the catter walling of Cats, were it not for harmonie: should more delight mine eies then the tunable voyces of men. but these things are not the chiefest poynts you shote at, thers somewhat els sticketh in your sto­mak God graunt it hurt you not, from the daunce you runn to the pype, from 7. to 3. which if I shoulde add I beleeue I coulde wrest out halfe a score incōueniences more out of your booke. our pleasant consortes do discomfort you much, and because you lyke not thereof, they arr discomendable, I haue heard it is good to take sure fotinge when we trauel vnknowen countryes, for when we wade aboue our shoe latchet Appelles wyll reprehende vs for coblers, if you had bene a father in musick and coulde haue de­cerned of tunes I would perhaps haue like [Page 30] your opinion sumwhat where now I abhor it, if you wear a professor of that practise. I would quickly perswade you, that the ad­ding of strings to our instrument make the sound more hermonious, and that the mix­ture of Musike maketh a better concent. but to preach to vns killfull is to perswad y ^• brut beastes, I wyl not stand long in thys point although the dignitye thereof require a vo­lume, but howe learned men haue esteemed this heauenly gift, if you please to read you shall see. Socrates in hys old age will not dis­dain to learn y ^• science of Musik amōg child ren, he can abide their correctiōs to, so much accoūted he that, w ^t you contemn, so profita­ble thought he y ^•, w ^t you mislik. Solon wil e­steme so much of y ^• knowledg of singing, y ^• he wil soner forget to dye thē to sing. Pithago­ras liks it so wel y ^• he wil place it in Greace. and Aristoxenus will saye y ^• the soule is mu­sik. Plato (in his booke de legibus) will af­firme that it can not be handled without all scie [...]ces, the Lacedemonians & Cretensis wer sturred to warre by Anapestus foote, and Timotheus with the same incensed kinge Alexander to batel, ye yf Boetyus fitten not, on Tauromitanus (by this Phrigian sound) hastened to burn a house wher a strūpet was hidden, so litle abideth this heauēly harmony [Page 31] our humane filthines, y ^• it worketh wonders as you may perceue most manifestly by the history of Agamemnon who going to y ^e Troi­an war, left at home a musitian y ^• playde the Do [...]ian tune, who w ^t the foote Spondeus pre­serued his wife Clitemnestra in chastity & ho nesty, wherfore she cold not bee deflowred by Aegistus, before he had wickedly slain the musitian. so y ^t as the magnetes draweth Ior ne, & the Theamides (w ^t groweth in Aegipt) driueth it away: so musik calleth to it selfe al honest plesures, & dispelleth frō it all vaine misdemanors. y ^t matter is so plētiful that I cannot find wher to end, as for beginnings they be infinite, but these shall suffice. I like not to long circūstances wher les doe serue. only I wish you to accompt wel of this hea­uēly concent, w ^t is ful of perfettiō, proceding frō aboue, drawing his original frō the mo­tion of y ^t stars, frō the agrement of the pla­nets, frō the whisteling winds & frō al those celestial circles, where is ether perfit agree­mēt or any Sumphonia. but as I like musik so admit I not of thos that depraue the same your pipers are as odius to mee as your selfe, nether alowe I your harpinge merye beggers: although I knewe you my selfe a professed play maker, & a paltry actor. since which y ^t windmil of your wit hath bin tornd [Page 32] so long wyth the wynde of folly, that I fear me we-shall see the dogg returne to his vo­mit, and the clensed sow to her myre, and the reformed scholemayster to hys old teaching of follye. beware it be not so, let not your booke be a blemish to your own profession. Correct not musik therfore whē it is praies worthy, least your worthlesse misliking be­wray your madnes. way the abuse and that is matter sufficient to serue a magistrates animaduersion. heere may you aduise well, and if you haue any stale rethorik flo­rish vpon thys text, the abuse is, when that is a pplyed to wantonnesse, which was created to shewe Gods worthinesse. When y ^t shamefull resorts of shameles curtezanes in sinful sonnets, shall prophane vertue these are no light sinnes, these make many goodmen lament, this cauleth parents hate there right borne children, if this were refor med by your policie I should esteme of you as you wysh. I feare me it fareth far other wyse, latet anguis in herba, vnder your fare show of conscience take heede you cloake not your abuse, it were pittie the learned should be ouerseene in your simplenesse, I feare me you will be politick wyth Macha­nel not zealous as a prophet. Well I will [Page 33] not stay long vpon the abuse, for that I see it is to manifest, the remembraunce thereof is discommendable among the godly, and I my self am very loth to bring it in memory. to the wise aduised reader these mai suffice, to flee the Crocodel before hee commeth, lest we be bitten, and to auoyde the abuse of musik, since we se it, lest our-misery be more When we fall into folly. [...]ctus piscaror sa­pit, you heare open confession, these abuses are disclaimed by our Gosson, he is sory that hee hath so leudlye liued, & spent the oyle of his perfection in vnsauery Lampes he hath Argus eyes to watch him now, I wold wish him beware of his Iflington, and such lyke resorts, if now he retourne from his repen­tedlye to his old folly, Lord how fo [...]e wil be his fall, men know more then they speak if they be w [...]e, I feare me some will [...] that readeth this, if he be bitten, wold God Gosson at that instant might haue a watch­man. but I see it were needelesse; perhaps [...] [...] [...] [...], and then what auayleth [...] [...]. [...], I [...] this poynt [...] I know further of your mynde, mean while I must talke a little wyth you about y ^•, thyrd abuse, [...]or the [...]ater co [...]ens of pypers, theyr [...] (as you terme them) be players, & I [Page 34] thinke as you doe, for your experience is suf ficient to enforme me. but here I must loke about me, quacunque te tig [...]ris vlcus est, here is a task that requireth a long treatis, and what my opinion is of players ye now shall plainly perceue. I must now lerch my wits, I see this shall passe throughe many seuere sensors handling, I must aduise me what I write, and write that I would wysh. I way wel the seriousnes of the cause, and regarde verymuch the Iudges of my endeuor, whom if I could I would perswade, that I woulde not nourish abuse, nether mayntaine that which should be an vniuersall discomoditye. I hope they wil not iudge before they read, nether condemne without occasion The wi­sest wil alwais carry to eares, in y ^t they are to diserue two indifferent causes, I meane not to hold you in suspēc, (seuere Iudges) if you gredely expect my verdit brefely this it is.

Demostines thoughte not that Phillip shoulde ouercome when he reproued hym, nether feared Cicera Anthonies force, when in the Senate hee rebuked hym. To the ig­norant ech thinge that is vnknowne semes vnprofitable, but a wise man can foresee and prayse by proofe. Pythagoras could spy oute [Page 35] in womens eyes two kind of teares, the one of grefe the other of disceit: & those of iudge ment can from the same flower suck honey with the bee, from whence the Spyder (I mean the ignorant) take their poison. men y ^t haue knowledge what comedies & tragedis be, wil comend thē, but it is sufferable in the folish to reproue that they know not, becaus ther mouthes wil hardly be stopped. Firste therfore if it be not tedious to Gosson to har ken to the lerned, the reder shal perceiue the antiq uity of playmaking, the inuentors of comedies, and therewithall the vse & como­ditye of thē. So that in y ^t end I hope my la­bor shall be liked, and the learned wil soner coneeue his folly. For tragedies & comedies Donate the gramarian sayth, they wer inuen ted by lerned fathers of the old time to no o­ther purpose, but to yeelde prayse vnto God for a happy haruest, or plentifull yeere. and that thys is [...] the name of Tragedye doeth importe, for if you consider whence it came, you shall perceiue (as Iodocus Badius reporteth) that it drewe his original of Tragos, Hircus, & Ode, Cantus, (so called) for that the actors thereof had in rewarde for theyr labour, a Gotes skynne fylled wyth wyne. You see then that the fyrste [Page 36] matter of Tragedies was to giue thankes and prayses to GOD, and a gratefull prayer of the countrymen for a happye haruest▪ and this I hope was not discom [...] mendable. I knowe you will iudge is far­th [...] from a [...]use but to wave farther, thys fourme of in [...]ention being found out, as the dayes wherein it was vsed did decay, and the world grew to more perfection, so y ^• wi [...]t of the younger sorte became more riper, for they leauing this fourme, inuented an other, in the which they altered the nature but not y ^• name: for for sonnets in prayse of y ^• gods, they did set [...]orth the [...]ower fortúne of many [...]es, the miserable fal of haples princes, The reuino [...]s decay of many [...], y [...]t not content with this, they presented the liues of S [...]rs, So that they [...]ight wisely [...] vnder the abuse of that na [...] discouer [...] [...] lies of [...] theyr [...]sh fellow [...] [...] those monsters were the [...] [...] par [...] ar [...] now aday [...]: suche, as wi [...] pleasure [...] pr [...]hended abuse as for [...] because they bear a more pl [...]santer vain, I wil leaue the other to speake of them. Tully defines them thus▪ [...]omedia (saith he) is Imitatio [...] [...], [...]peculum consu [...]tudinis, & imago veri­tatis, and it is sayde to be termed of Coma [...], [Page 37] (emongste the Greekes) whiche [...] Pagos. [...] [...]. Cantus▪ for that they were ex­ercised in the fielde they had they beginning wyth tragedies, but their matter was more plessaunt, for they were suche as did repre­hend, yet quodam lepore. These first very rud­ly were inuented by Susarion Bullus, & Mag nes, to auncient poets, yet so, that they were meruelous profitable to the reclamynge of abuse: whereupon Eupolis with Cartinus, & Aristophanes, began to write, and with ther eloquenter vaine and perfection of stil, dyd more seuerely speak agaynst the abuses thē they: which Horace himselfe witnesseth. For sayth he ther was no abuse but these men re­prehended it. a thefe was loth to be seene one there spectacle. a coward was neuer present at theyr assemblies. a backbiter abhord that company. and I my selfe could not haue bla med your (Gosson) for exempting your selfe from this theater, of troth I shoulde haue lykt your pollicy. These therefore, these wer they that kept men in awe, these restrayned the vnbridled cominaltie, whervpon Horace wisely sayeth.

Yea would God our realme could light vp­pon a Lucillius, then should the wicked bee poynted out from the good, a harlot woulde seeke no harbor at stage plais, lest she shold here her owne name growe in question: and the discourse of her honesty cause her to bee hated of the godly. as for you I am sure of this one thing, he would paint you in your players ornamēts, for they best becam you. But as these sharpe corrections were disa­nulde in Rome when they grewe to more licenciousnes: So I fear me if we shold prac tise it in our dayes, the same intertainmente would followe. But in ill reformed Rome what comedies now? a poets wit can cor­rect, yet not offend. Philemon will mitigate the corrections of sinne, by reprouing them couertly in shadowes. Menandar dare not offend y ^• Senate openly, yet wants he not a parasite to touch them prinely. Terence wyl not report the abuse of harlots vnder there proper stile, but he can finely girde thē vnder the person of Thais. hee dare not openly tell the Rich of theyr couetousnesse and seuerity rewards their children, but he can controle [Page 39] them vnder the person of Durus Demeas. he must not shew the abuse of noble yong gen­tilmen vnder theyr owne title, but he wyll warne them in the person of Pamphilus. wil you learne to know a parasite? Looke vpon his Dauus. wyl you seke the abuse of courtly flatterers? behold Gnato. and if we had some Satericall Poetes nowe a dayes to penn ou [...] commedies, that might be admitted of zeale, to discypher the abuses of the worlde in the person of notorious offenders. I know we should wisely ryd our assemblyes of ma­ny of your brotherhod. but because you may haue a full scope to reprehende, I will [...] vp a rablem [...]t of playmakers, whose wrigh­tinges I would wishe you ouerlooke, and seeke out theyr abuses. can you mislike of Cecillius? or dispise Plinius? or amend Ne­uius? or find fault with Licinius? where in of­fended Actilius? I am sure you can not but wonder at Terrence? wil it please you to like of Turpelius? or alow of Trabea? you muste needs make much of Ennius for ouerloke al thes, & you shal find ther volums ful of wit if you examin thē: so y ^• if you had no other mas ters, you might deserue to be a doctor, wher now you are but a folishe scholemaister. but I wyll deale wyth you verye freendlye, [Page 40] I wil resolue eueri doubt that you find, those instrumentes which you mislike in playes grow of auncient custome, for when Rossius was an Actor, [...]e sure that as with his tears he moued affections, so the Musitian in the Theater before the entrance, did mornefully record it in melody (as Seruius reporteth.) Theactors in Rome had also gay clothing & euery mās apar [...]l was apliable to his part & person. The old men in white, y ^• rich men in purple, the parasite disguisedly, the yong men in gorgeous coulours, ther wanted no deuise nor good iudgemēt of y ^• comedy, whēc I suppose our players, both drew ther plai­es & [...]ourme of garments. as for the appoin ted dayes wherin comedies wer showen, I reede that the Romaynes appoynted them on the festiual dayes, in such repu [...]ation were they had at that time. Also Iodocus Badius will assertain you that the actors for shewing pleasure receued some profite. but let me apply those dayes to ours, their ac­tors to our players, their autors to ours▪ surely we want not a R [...]ssius, nether ar ther great scarsity of Terrences prosessiō but yet [...]ur men dare not nowe a dayes presume so much, as the old Poets might. and therfore they apply ther writing to the peoples v [...]in [Page 41] wheras, if in the beginning they had ruled, we should now adaies haue found smal spec tacles of folly. but (of truth) I must confes with Aristotle, that men are greatly deligh­ted with imitation, and that it were good to bring those things on stage, that were al to­gether tending to vertue: all this I admit, & hartely wysh, but you say vnlesse the thinge be taken away the vice wili continue, nay I say if the style were changed the practise would profit and sure I thinke our theaters fit, that Ennius seeing our wā [...]on Glicerium may rebuke her, if our poetes will nowe be­come seuere, and for prophaue things write of vertue: you I hope shoulde s [...]e a reformed state in those thinges, which I feare me yf they were not, the idle hedded commones would worke more mischiefe. I wish as zea lously as the best that all abuse of playinge weare abolished, but far the thing, the anti­quitie causeth me to allow it, so it be vsed as it should be. I cannot allow the prophaning of the Sabaoth, I praise your reprehension in that, you did well in discommen [...]ing the abuse, and surely I wysh that that folly wer disclaymed, it is not to be admitted, it maks those sinne, whiche perhaps if it were not, would haue [...]inne present at a good sermon. [Page 42] it is in the Magistrate to take away that or der, and appoynt it otherwyse. but sure it were pittie to abolish y ^t which hath so great vertue in it. because it is abused. The Ger­manes when the vse of preaching was for­bidden them, what helpe had they I pray you? forsoth the learned were fayne couertly in comodies to declare abuses, and by play­ing to incite the people to vertues, whē they might heare no preaching. Those were la­mentable dayes you will say, and so thinke I, but was not this I pray you a good help in reforming the decaying Gospel? you see then how comedies (my seuere iudges) are requesit both for ther antiquity, and for ther commoditye. for the dignity of the wrigh­ters, and the pleasure of the hearers. But after your discrediting of playmaking, you salue vppon the sore somewhat, and among many wise workes there be some that fitte your vaine: the practise of parasites is one, which I meruel it likes you so well since it bites you so sore. but sure in that I like your iudgement, and for the rest to, I approue your wit, but for the pigg of your own sow, (as you terme it) assuredly I must discom­mend your verdit, tell me Gosson was all your owne you wrote there: did you borow [Page 43] nothing of your neyghbours? out of what booke patched you out Ciceros oration? whence fet you Catulins inuectiue. Thys is one thing, aliena [...] olet lucerni non tuam, so that your helper may wisely reply vpon you with Virgil.

Hos ego versiculos feci tulit alter bonores.

I made these verses other bear the name. beleue me I should preferr Wilsons. shorte and sweete if I were iudge, a peece surely worthy prayse, the practise of a good schol­ler, would the wiser would ouerlooke that, they may perhaps cull some wisedome. out of a players toye. Well, as it is wisedome to commend where the cause requireth, so it is a poynt of folly to praise without deserte. you dislike players very much, theyr dea­lings be not for your commodity. whom if I myghte aduise they should learne thys of I [...]enal.

Methinks I heare some of them veri [...]ing these verses vpon you, if it be so that I hear them, I wil concele it, as for the statute of apparrell and the abuses therof, I see it ma­nifestly broken. and if I should seeke for ex­ample, you cannot but offend my eyes. For if you examine the statuts exactly, a simple cote should be fitted to your backe. we shold bereue you of your brauerye, and examine your aūcestry, & by profession in respect of y ^e statute, we should find you catercosens with a, (but hush) you know my meaning, I must for pitie fauor your credit in that you weare once a scholler. you runne farther to Car­ders, dicers, fencers, bowlers, daunsers, & tomblers. whose abuses I wold rebuke with you, had not your self moued other matters. but to eche I say thus, for dicing I wyshe those that know it not to leaue to learn it, & let the fall of others make them wiser. Yf [Page 45] they had an Alexander to gouern they shold be punished, and I could wish them not to a buse the [...]euitie of their prince. Cicero for a great [...]nish reputeth that which our gen­tilmen vse for brauery, but sufficit ista leui­ter attigisse, a word against fencers, & so an▪ end. whom I wish to beware with Demonax lest admitting theyr fencing delightes, they destroy (with the Athenians) the alters of peace, by raysing quarrellous causes, they worke vprores: but you and I reproue thē in abuse, yet I (for my part) cannot but al­low the practise so it be well vsed. as for the filling of our gracious princes cofers with peace, as it pertaineth not to me, because I am none of her receiuors, so men think vn­lesse it hath vine lately you haue not bene of her maiesties counsel. But now here as you begin [...]shly, so surely you end vnlernedly [...] [...] before peace? the sword be [...] [...]? the rule of a Tyrant, be­fo [...] [...] happy days of our gracious Queens you [...] [...] [...]sophers are against you, yet [...] you stand in handy grips wyth Ci­c [...] you know that for [...]e is but an instrumēt when counsell fayleth, and if wisedome win n [...], fa [...] warre. Aske Alphonsus what counsellors he lyketh of? hee will say his [Page 46] bookes. and hath not I pray you pollicy al­wais ouermastered force? who subdued Ha­nibal in his great royalty? he y ^t durst knock at Rome gates to haue thē opened is nowe become a pray to a sylly senator. Appius Claudius et senex et caecus a father full of wisedome can releue the state of decaying Rome and was it force that subdued Marius? or armes that discouered Catulins con­spiracies? was it rash reuendg in punishing Cethegus? or want of witt in the discouerye of treason? Cato can correct himselfe for tra­ueling by Sea, when the land profereth passage, or to be fole hardy in ouer mutch ha­zard. Aristotle accompteth counsell holye, & Socrates can terme it the key of certentye. what shal we count of war but wrath, of battel but hastines, and if I did rule (with Au­gustus Caesar) I woulde refuse these coun­selers. what made y ^t oracle I praye you ac­compt of Calchas so much? was it not for his wisedome? who doth not like of the go­uerner that had rather meete with V [...]m Nestorem then decem Aiaces? you cannot tame a Lyon but in tyme, neither a Tigres in few dayes. Counsell in Regulus will pre­ferring the liberty of his country before his lyfe, not remit the deliuery of Carthaginian [Page 47] captiues, Hanibal shall flesh himselfe on an olde mans carkas, whose wisedome preser­ued his [...]ye. Adrian with letters can go­uerne hys legions, and rule peasablye his prouinces by policye. aske Siluius Italicus what peace is and he will say?

Well as I wish it to haue continuance, so I praye God wyth the Prophet it be not a buled. and because I think my selfe to haue sufficiently answered that I supposed, I [Page 48] conclude wyth this. God preserue our peac­able princes, & confound her enemies. God enlarge her wisedom, that like Saba she may seeke after a Salomon: God confounde the i­maginations of her enemies, and perfit [...] graces in her, that the daies of her rule may be continued in the bonds of peace, that the house of the chosen Isralites may be mayn­teyned in happinesse: lastly I frendly bid Gosson fa [...]well, wyshinge him to [...]per his [...] with more discre­tion.