A Reply to Stephen Gosson's Schoole of Abuse in Defence of Poetry, Musick, and Stage Plays.Thomas Lodge.
Note: this Renascence Editions text was transcribed by Risa S. Bear, July 2000, from the copy in the Huntington Museum, and compared with the text of Elizabethan & Jacobean Pamphlets, edited by George Saintsbury, 1892 (STC number 16663). Any errors that have crept into the transcription are the fault of the present publisher. The text is in the public domain. Content unique to this presentation is copyright © 2000 The University of Oregon. For nonprofit and educational uses only. Send comments and corrections to the Publisher.
A Reply to Stephen Gosson's Schoole of Abuse in Defence of Poetry, Musick, and Stage Plays.Thomas Lodge.There came to my hands lately a litle (woulde God a wittye) pamphlet, baring a fayre face as though it were the scoole of a buse, but being by me advisedly wayed I fynd it the oftscome of imperfections, the writer fuller of wordes than iudgement; the matter certainely as ridiculus as serius, assuredly his mother witte wrought this wonder, the child to disprayse his father the dogg to byte his mayster for his dainty morcell. But I se (with Seneca) yt 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 owne follie, and partly that I may discharge my promise, both binde me. therefore I would with the good scholmayster to over 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 have alwayes esteemed of poetrie. Seneca thoughe a stoike would haue a poeticall sonne, and amongst the auncientest Homer was no les accompted than Humanus deus. What made Alexander I pray you esteme of him so much? Why allotted he for his works so curious a closset? Was there no fitter vnder prop for his pillow the[n] a simple pamphelet? In all Darius cofers was there no Jewell so costly? Forsoth my thinks these two (the one the father of Philosophers, the other the cheftaine of chivalrie) were both deceived if all were as a Gosson would wish them, yf poets paynt naughte but paltrerie toyes in vearse, their studies tended to foolishnesse, and in all their indeuors they did naught els but agendo nihil agere. Lord howe Virgils poore gnatt pricketh him, and how Ovids fley byteth him, he can beare no bourde, he hath raysed up a new sect of serius stoikes, that can abide naught but their owen shadowe, and alow nothing worthye, but what they conceaue. Did you never reade (my over wittie frend) that under the persons of beastes many abuses were dissiphered? haue you not reason to waye? that whatsoever ether Virgil did write of his gnatt, or Ovid of his fley: was all covertly 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 Poets are subtil, if so, you have 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 reme[m]ber not, that under the person of Æneas in Virgil, the practice of a dilligent captaine is discribed, vnder ye shadow of byrds, beastes, and trees, the follies of the world were disiphered, you know not that the creation is signified in the Image of Prometheus, the fall of pryde in the person of Narcissus, these are toyes because they savour of wisedom which you want. Marke what Campanus sayth, Mira fabularum vanitas sed quæ si introspiciantur videri possunt non vanæ. The vanitie of tales is wonderful, yet if we aduisedly looke into them they wil seme and proue wise, how wonderful are the pithie poemes of Cato? the curious comidies of Plautus? how brauely discouereth Terence our imperfectio[n] in his Eunuch? how neatly dissiphereth he Danus? how pleasauntly 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 qærere: Poets you say vse coullors to couer their inco[nven]iences, and wittie sentences to burnish theyr bawdery, and you divinite to couer your knaverye. But tell mee truth Gosson speakest thou as thou thinkest? What coelers findest thou in a Poete not to be admitted? Are his speaches unperfect? Savor they of inscience[?] I think if thou hast any shame thou canst not but like & approue the[m], are ther gods displesant unto thee? doth Saturne in his maiesty moue thee? doth Iuno 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 ye person of Minerva is our understanding 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 unperfect, yt was necessary that they like good Phisi[ti]ons: 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 pœnam capitis for teaching poetry, the universitie is litle behoding to you, al their practices in teaching are frivolus. Witt hath wrought that in you, that yeares and studie never setled in the heads 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 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 overloke ye Philosophers, we shal find their judgeme[n]ts not halfe perfect, Poetes you say 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 could be? that I may vse 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 the[n] one? your Plato in midst of his precisnes wrought that absurdite that never may be redd in Poets, to make a yearthly creature to beare the person of the creator, and a corruptible substaunce, an incomprehensible God: for determining of the principall causes of all thinges, a made them naught els but an Idea which if it be conferred wyth the truth, his sentence will savour 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 childre[n] ready to the understanding of wisedom, and yt our auncients did teache artes Eleutherias. i. liberales, because the instructed childre[n] by the instrume[n]t of knowledg in time became homines liberi. i. Philosophye. it may be that in reding of poetry, it happened to you as it is with the Oyster, for she in her swimming receiveth no ayre, and you in your reeding lesse instruction. It is reported that the shepe of Euboia want ther gale, and one the contrarye side that the beastes of Naxus have distentum fel. Men hope that scollers should haue witt brought vpp in the Universite, but your sweet selfe with the cattell of E[u]boia, since you left your College haue lost your learning. you disprayse Maximin[u]s Tirius pollicey, and that thinge that he wrott to manifest learned Poets meaning, 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 yo[ur] 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 hast not wonne the mastery of learning. weane thyself 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 to[n]gue, 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 Buchanans workes, Boetius comfortes may not be banished. what made Erasmus labor in Euripides tragedies? did he indeuour by painting them out of Greeke into Latine to manifest sinne vnto us? or to confirm vs in goodnes? 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 vitæ 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, geve eare but a little more what may be said for poetrie, for I must be briefe. you have made so greate matter that I may not stay on one thing to long, lest I leaue an other untouched. And first whereas you say, yt Tullie in his yeres of more iudgement despised Poetes, harke (I pray you) what he worketh for them in his oratio[n] pro Archia poeta. (but before you heare him least you fayle in the incounter, I would wysh you to follow the aduise of the dasterdlye Ichneumon of Ægipt, who when shee beholdeth the Aspis her enemye 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 yo[n] 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 Ivey bush. the worlde shames to see you, or els yo[u] are afrayde to shew yourselfe. you thought poetrye should want a patron (I think) when you fyrste published this inuectiue, but yet you fynd al to many eve[n] preter expectatione[m], yea though it can speake for it self, yet her patron Tullie now shall tell her tale, Hæc studia (sayth he) adolescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant, secundas, res ornant, aduersis perfugium ac Solatium prebent, delectant domi, non impediunt foris, pernoctant nobiscum, peregri[n]antur, rusticantur. then will you disprayse yt which all men commend? you looke only upon ye refuse of ye abuse, nether respecting the importance of ye matter nor the weighe of ye wryter. Solon can fayne himself madde, to further the Athenians. Chaucer in pleasant vain can rebuke sin v[n]controld, & though he be lauish in the letter, his sence is serious. who in Rome lame[n]ted not Roscius death? & ca[n]st thou suck no plesure out of thy M. Claudians writings? hark, what Cellarius a learned father attributeth to it, acuit memoriam (saith he) it profiteth ye memory. Yea & Tully atributeth it for prais to Archias yt upon any theame he cold versify exte[m]pory. 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 yt it procedeth fro[m] aboue? What made ye Chians & Colophonians fal to such controuersy? Why seke ye Smirnians, to recouer fro[m] ye Salaminians 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 wt those wc could best discipher his praises. euen Marius himselfe, tho neuer so cruel, acco[m]pted of Plotinus poems. what made Aphricanus esteme Ennius? why did Alexander giue prais to Achilles but for ye prayes which he found writte[n] of hym by Homer? Why estemed Pompie so muche of Theophanes Mitiletus, or Brutus so greatlye the wrytinges of Accius? Fuluius was so great a favorer of poetry, that after the Aetolian warres, he attibuted 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 [with] sacrifice. Pindarus colledg is not fit for spoil of Alexander ouercome, nether feareth poetry ye persecutors sword. what made Austin so much affectate ye heavenly fury? not folly, for if I must needes speake, ill[u]d 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 book de arte poetica, all the answeares of the Oracles weare in verse. among the precise Jewes, you shall find Poetes, and for more maiestie Sibilla will prophesie in verse. Hiroaldus can witnes with me, that David was a poet, and that his vayne was in imitating (as S. Jerom witnesseth) Horace, Flaccus, & Pindarus, somtimes his verse runneth in an Iambus foote, anone he hath recourse to a Saphier vaine, and aliquando, semipede ingreditur. Ask Iosephus, and he will tel you that Esay, Job 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 patriake in mediolanu[m] loveth versifying Beda shameth not ye 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, Poeta nascitur orator fit as who should say, Poetry 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, ho[w]e they came by theyr knowledge whence they receued their heauenly furye, the first will tell us that sleping upon the Mount of Parnassus he dreamed that he recei[u]ed the soule of Homer into him, after the which he became a Poete, the next will assure you that it commeth not by labor, nether that night watchings bringeth it, but yt we must haue it thence whence he fetched it wc was (he saith ) fro[m] a wel of ye Muses wc Cabelimus calleth Poru[m], a draught whereof drewe him to his perfection, so of a shephard he becam an eloque[n]t poet. wel the[n] you see yt it commeth not by execise of play making, nether insertio[n] of gawds, but from nature, and from aboue: and I hope yt Aristotle hath sufficiently taught you: that Natura nihil fecit frustra. Perseus was made a poete divino furore percitus. and whereas the poets were sayde to call for the Muses helpe ther mening was no other as Iodocus Badius reporteth, but to call for heauenly inspiration from aboue to direct theyr endeuors. Nether were it good for you to sette light by the name of a poet since yeoftspring from whence he com[m]eth is so heauenly. Sibilla in hir answers to Æneas against hir will as the poet telleth vs was possessed wt thys fury, ye wey consideratly but of the writing of poets, and you shall se that whe[n] ther matter is most heavenly, their stile is most loftye, a strange token of the wonderfull efficacy of the same. I would make a long discourse vnto you of Platoes 4. furies but I leue them 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. If 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 practiser, 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, therefore I would wysh you first to taste[n] your mouth with the Suger of persevera[n]ce: for ther is a cold collop yt must downe your throate yet such a one as shall chau[n]ge your complection quit. I wyll have you therfore to tast first of yt cold river Phricus, in Thratia which as Aristotle reporteth changeth blacke into white, or of Scamandar, which maketh gray yalow yt is of an env[i]ous ma[n] a wel minded person, reprehending of zeale yt wherin he hath sinned by folly, & so being prepard, thy purgation wyll worke more easy, thy vnderstandinge wyll be more perfit, thou shalt blush at thy abuse, and reclaime thy selfe by force of argument so will thou proue of clene recouered patie[n]t, 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 will seeke for to disproue by reason first pronounced by no smal birde euen Aristotle himself[.] Poetae (sayth he) multa mentiuntur and to further his opinion seuer Cato putteth in his cencure. Admiranda canunt sed non credenda poetæ. These were sore blemishes if obiected rightly and heare you may say the streme run[n]es a wronge, but if it be so by you[r] leve 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 book 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: for if sayth he we examine the Scriptures litterallye 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 [i]s of no force and that all your obiections you make agaynst poetry 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 stro[n]g 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 friuolous, 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.
Sedibus, et victu fædo deterruit orpheus. Dictus ob hoc lenire Tigres rabidosque leones. Dictus et Amphion Thebanæ condit vrbis Saxa mouere sono, testudius et prece blanda Ducere quo vellet fuit hoc sapientia quondam. Publica priuatis secernere sacra prophanis. Concubitu prohibere vago, dare Iura maritis, O pida moliri leges, niscidere ligno. The holy spokesman of the Gods I cannot leave Tirtheus pollicy untouched, who by
force of his pen
could incite men to the defence of theyr countrye. If you require of ye
Oracle of Apollo what successe you shal haue: respondet
bellicoso numine. o 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 of the wicked, advancers of the wel disposed, inve[n]tors of
laws, and lastly the very fotpaths to knowledg. & vndersta[n]ding
ye if we shold beleue Herome he wil make Platos exiles honest
me[n], & his pestiferous poets good preachers: for he accounteth Orpheus
Museus & Linus, Christians, therefore Virgil
(in his 6 boke of Æneiados wher he lernedly describeth ye
journey of Æneas to Elis[i]um) asserteneth us, yt
among them yt were ther for the zeale they beare toward
there country, ther wer found Quinque pij vates et Phæbo
digna loquti but I must answer al obiectio[n]s, I must fil every nooke.
I must arme myself now, for here is the greatest bob I can gather out
of your booke forsoth Ouids abuses, in descrybing whereof you
labour very vehementlye termi[n]g him letcher, & in his person
dispraise all poems, but shall on mans follye destroye a univer[sall]
co[m]modity? What gift what perfit knowledg hath ther bin, emong ye
professors of wc ther hath not bin a bad on[,] the Angels
have sinned in heaue[n], Ada[m] & Eve in earthly
paradise, emo[n]g ye holy apostles vngratious Iudas. I reson
not yt al poetes are holy but I affirme yt poetry
is a heave[n]ly gift, a perfit gift then which I know not greater
plesure. & surely if I may speak my mind I thi[n]k we shall find
but few poets if it were exactly wayd what they oughte to be your Muscovian
straungers, your Scithian monsters wonderful by one Eurus
brought upon 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 ye abuse of poetry if you had reprehended ye
foolish fantasis of our poets nomine non re which they bring
forth on stage, my self wold have liked of you & allowed your
labor. But I perceiue nowe yt all red colloured stones are
not Rubies, nether is every one Alexandar yt 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 savor 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 Writers couller by
it. Beleeve me the magestrats may take advise, (as I knowe wisely can)
to roote out those odde rymes which runnes in euery rascales mouth.
Sovoring 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 I of a zealous governour that
wil seke to take away the abuse of poetry. I like not of an angry Augustus
which wyll banishe Ovid for envy, I love a wise Senator, which
in wisedome wyll correct him and with advise burne his follyes: unhappy
were we yf like poore Scaurus we shoulde find Tiberius
that wyll put us 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 leave 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 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 co[u]che then the
field, the Lacedemonians trusting the Oracle, receued the
champion, and fearing the government 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 eloque[n]ce waging
battail won the fielde. Lo now you see that the framing of common
welthes, & defence thereof, 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 vnreverent similituds,
you may see your follyes verbum sapienti sat: whereas Homar
was an ancient poet, you disalow him, and accompte of those of lesser
judgement. Strabo calleth poetry, primam sapientiam. Cicero
in his firste of his Tusculans attributeth ye invencion of
philosophy, to poets. God keepe us from a Plato that should expel such
men. pittie were it that the memory of these valiant victours should be
hidden, which haue dyed in the behalfe of ther countryes: miserable
wereour 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 have scarce bene fedde wyth matter. if
therefore you will deale in things of wisdome, correct the abuse, honor
the science, renewe your schoole, crye out over Hierusalem wyth the
prophet, the woe that he pronounced, wish the teacher to reforme hys
lyfe, that his weake scholler may proue the wyser, cry out against
unsaciable desyre in rich men, tel the house of Iacob theyr iniquities,
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 overmayster not the poore, and put downe the beggers prowde heart
by thy perswasions. Thunder oute with the Prophete Micha the
mesage of the L O R D, and with
hym desyre the Iudges to heare thee, the Prynces of Iacob to heaken to
thee, and those of the house of Israell to understande then tell them
that they abhorre iudgement, and prevent 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 Lord is wyth
them, and that no evil 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 raise up another Zenacharib, shew
the[m] that Salomons kingdome was but for a season and that aduersitie
cometh ere we espye it. these be the songs of Sion, these be those
rebukes which you oughte to add to abuses[;] recover the body, for it
is sore, the appendices thereof will easely be reformed, if that wear
at a staye, but other matters call me and I must not staye upon 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 overstay of life,
is displesant to your person, musik may not stand in your presence,
whereas all the learned Philosophers haue alwayes had it in reuerence. Homar
commendeth it highly, referring to the prayses of the Gods whiche
Gosson accompteth folishnesse, looke uppon the harmonie of the Heavens?
hange they not by Musike? doe not the Spheares moue? the primus
motor governe, be not they inferiora corporaaffected 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 tune? is there any thinge that more
affecteth the sence? doth there any pleasure more acuat our
understanding. can the wonders yt hath wroughte and which
you your selfe confesse no more moue you? it fitteth well nowe that the
learned have sayd, musica requirit generosum animu[m] which
since it is far from you, no maruel though you favor not that
profession. It is reported of the Camelion that shee can
chaunge her selfe unto all coollors saue whyte, and you can accompte of
all thinges saue such as have honesty. Plutarch your good
Mayster may bare me witnes, that the ende whereto Musick was, will
proove it prayes worthy, O Lord howe maketh it a man to remember
heauenly things. to wo[n]der at the works of the creator, Eloquence
can stay the souldiars sworde from slayinge an Orator, and shall not
musicke be magnified which not onely saueth the bodye but is a comfort
to the soule? David reioyseth singeth and prayeth the Lorde by the
Harpe, the Simbale is not removed from his sanctuary, 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 followeth increcible
delectation. The bowels of the earth yeld, where the instrument
soundeth and Pluto cannot keepe Proserpina if Orpheus
recorde. The Seas shall not swallowe Arion whilst he singeth,
nether shall he perish while he harpeth, a doleful tuner yf a diing
musition can moue a Monster of ye sea, to mourne. A Dolphin
respectet a heavenly 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 youre wrytinge was to penn somewhat you knowe not
what, and to confyrme it I wot not howe, so that yourselfe hath hatched
vs an Egge yet so that it hath blest us 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 never the lesse for that I haue learned of Tullye,
that Nulla remedia tam faciunt dolorem quam qæ sunt
salutaria, the sharper medycine the better it cures, the more you
see your follye, the sooner may you amend it. Are not the straines in
Musike to tickle and delyght the eare? are not our warlike instruments
to move men to valor? You confess they mooue us, but yet they delight
not our eares, I pray you whence grew that poynt of Phylosophy? it is
more then ever my Maister taught mee, that a thynge of sounde shoulde
not delyghte the eare. belyke yee suppose that men are monsters,
withoute eares, or else I thynke you wyll saye they heare with theire
heeles, it may bee so; for indeede when wee 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 us, good
policie in sooth, this was of your owne coyning, your mother never
taught it you, but I wyll not deale by reason of philosophye wyth you
for that confound your senses, but I can asure you this one thinge,
that this principle will make the wiser to mislike your invention, it
had bene a fitter iest for your howlet in your playe, then an
orname[n]t in your booke. but since you wrote of abuses we may licence
you to lye a little, so ye abuse will be more manifest. lord
with how goodly a cote have 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 ye diseased gretians, it was no dump you say,
and so think I, for yt is not apliable to sick men, for it
favoreth Malancholie. I am sure, it was no mesure, for in those days
they were not such good da[n]sers for soth the[n] what was it? if you
require me, if you name me the instrume[n]t, I wyl tel you what was ye
musik. Meanwhile a gods name let us both dout, yt is no part
of our saluation to know what it was nor how it went? when I speak with
Homer next you shall knowe his answere.
Oderunt peccare mali, formidine penæ. The good did hate al sinne for vertues loue,
Cum propter plurima, tum his Præcipue causis: vt linguas mancipiorum Contenas. Na[m] lingua mali pars pessima serui. We ought to leade our liues aright,
datum est, pax vna triumphis Innumeris potior, pax custodire salutem. Et ciues æquare potens. No better thing to man did nature
To men doth heauenly peace pertaine, Well as I wish it to haue continuance, so I praye God wyth the Prophet it be not abused. and because I think my selfe to haue sufficiently answered that I supposed, I 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 his graces in her, that the daies of her rule may be continued in the bonds of peace, that the house of the chosen Israelites may be maynteyned in happinesse: lastly I frendly bid Gosson farwell, wyshinge him to temper his penn with more discretion.
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