1.19. Of historicall Poesie, by which the famous acts of Princes and the vertuous and worthy liues of our forefathers were reported.
There is nothing in man of all the potential parts of his mind (reason will
except) more noble or more necessary to the actiue life then memory:
because it maketh most to a sound iudgement and perfect worldly wisedome,
examining and comparing the times past with the present, and by them both
considering the time to come, concludeth with a stedfast resolution, what
is the best course to be taken in all his actions and aduices in thie world: it
came vpon this reason, experience to be so highly commended in all
consultations of importance, and preferred before any learning or science,
and yet experience is no more than a masse of memories assembled, that is,
such trials as man hath made in time before. Right so no kinde of argument
in all the Oratorie craft, doth better perswade and more vniuersally satisfie
then example, which is but the representation of old memories, and like
successes happened in times past. For these regards the Poesie historicall
is of all other next the diuine most honorable and worthy, as well for the
common benefit as for the speciall comfort euery man receiueth by it. No
one thing in the world with more delectation reuiuing our spirits then to
behold as it were in a glasse the liuely image of our deare forefathers, their
noble and vertuous maner of life, with other things autentike, which because
we are not able otherwise to attaine to the knowledge of by any of our
sences, we apprehend them by memory, whereas the present time and things
so swiftly passe away, as they giue vs no leasure almost to looke into them,
and much lesse to know & consider of them throughly. The things
future, being also euents very vncertaine, and such as can not possibly be
knowne because they be not yet, can not be vsed for example nor for delight
otherwise then by hope. Though many promise the contrary, by vaine and
deceitfull arts taking vpon them to reueale the truth of accidents to come,
which if it were so as they surmise, are yet but sciences meerely
coniecturall, and not of any benefit to man or to the common wealth, where
they be vsed or professed. Therefore the good and exemplarie things and
actions of the former ages, were reserued only to the historicall reportes of
wise and graue men: those of the present time left to the fruition and
iudgement of our sences: the future as hazards and incertaine euentes
vtterly neglected and layd aside for Magicians and mockers to get their
liuings by: such manner of men as by negligence of Magistrates and
remisses of lawes euery countrie breedeth great store of. These historical
men neuerthelesse vsed not the matter so precisely to wish that al they
wrote should be accounted true, for that was not needefull nor expedient to
the purpose, namely to be vsed either for example or for pleasure:
considering that many times it is seene a fained matter or altogether
fabulous, besides that it maketh more mirth than any other, works no lesse
good conclusions for example then the most true and veritable: but often
times more, because the Poet hath the handling of them to fashion at his
pleasure, but not so of th'other which must go according to their veritie
& none otherwise without the writers great blame. Againe as ye know
mo and more excellent examples may fained in one day by a good wit, then
many ages through mans frailtie are able to put in vse, which made the
learned and wittie men of those times to deuise many historicall matters of
no veritie at all, but with purpose to do good and no hurt, as vsing them for a
maner of discipline and president of commendable life. Such was the
common wealth of
Plato, and Sir
Thomas Moores Vtopia,
resting all in deuise, but neuer put in execution, and easier to be wished
then to be performed. And you shall perceiue that histories were of three
sortes, wholly true and wholly false, and a third holding part of either, but
for honest recreation,
and good example they were all of them. And this may be apparent
to vs not onely by the Poeticall histories, but also by those that be written
in prose: for as
Homer wrate a fabulous or mixt report of the siege of
Troy, and another of
Ulisses errors or wandrings, so did
Museus
compile a true treatise of the life & loues of
Leander and
Hero, both of them
Heroick, and to none ill edification. Also as
Theucidides wrate a worthy and veritable historie, of the warres
betwixt the
Athenians and the
Peloponeses: so did
Zenophon, a most graue Philosopher, and well trained courtier and
counsellour make another (but fained and vntrue) of the childhood of
Cyrus king of
Persia, neuertheles both to one effect, that is for
example and good information of the posteritie. Now because the actions of
meane & base personages, tend in very few cases to any great good
example: for who passeth to follow the steps, and maner of life of a craftes
man, shepheard or sailer, though he were his father or dearest frend? yea
how almost is ti possible that such maner of men should be of any vertue
other then their profession requireth? Therefore was nothing committed to
historie, but matters of great and excellent persons & things that the
same by irritation of good courages (such as emulation causeth) might
worke more effectually, which occasioned the story writer to chuse an
higher stile fit for his subiect, the Prosaicke in prose, the Poet in meetre,
and the Poets was by verse exameter for his grauitie and statelinesse most
allowable: neither would they intermingle him with any other sorter
measure, vnlesse it were in matters of such qualitie, as became best to be
song with the voyce, and to some musicall instrument, as were with the
Greeks, all your Hymnes &
Encomia of
Pindarus &
Callimachus, not very histories but a maner of historicall reportes in
which cases they made those poemes in variable measures, & coupled a
short verse with a long to serue that purpose the better, and we our selues
who compiled this treatise haue written for pleasure a litle brief
Romance or historicall ditty in the English tong of the Isle of great
Britaine in short and long meetres, and by breaches or diuisions to be
more commodiously song to the harpe in places of assembly, where the
company shalbe desirous to heare of old aduentures & valiaunces of
noble knights in times past, as are those of king
Arthur and his
knights
of the round table, Sir
Beuys of
Southampton,
Guy of
Warwicke and others like. Such as haue not premonition hereof, and
consideration of the causes alledged, would peraduenture reproue and
disgrace euery
Romance, or short historically ditty for that they be
not written in long meeters or verses
Alexandrina, according to the
nature & stile of large histories, wherin they should do wrong for they
be sundry formes of poems and not all one.
