353 [from Musophilus]
PHILOCOSMUS.
Fond man Musophilus, that thus dost spend
In an ungainefull arte thy deerest daies,
Tyring thy wits and toiling to no end,
But to attaine that idle smoake of praise;
5 Now when this busie world cannot attend
Th’untimely musicke of neglected layes.
Other delights then these, other desires
This wiser profit-seeking age requires.…
[PHILOCOSMUS]
Men find that action is another thing
10 Then what they in discoursing papers reade,
The worlds affaires require in managing
More arts then those wherin you Clearks proceed,
Whilst timorous knowledge stands considering,
Audacious ignorance hath done the deed.
15 For who knowes most, the more he knows to doubt,
The least discourse is commonly most stout.
This sweet inchaunting knowledge turnes you cleene
Out from the fields of naturall delight,
And makes you hide unwilling to be seene
20 In th’open concourse of a publike sight:
This skill wherewith you have so cunning beene,
Unsinewes all your powres, unmans you quite.
Publike societie and commerce of men
Require another grace, another port:
25 This eloquence, these rymes, these phrases then
Begot in shades, do serve us in no sort,
Th’unmateriall swellings of your pen
Touch not the spirit that action doth import:
A manly stile fitted to manlie eares
30 Best grees with wit, not that which goes so gay,
And commonly the gaudie liv’rie weares
Of nice corruptions which the times do sway,
And waites on th’humor of his pulse that beares
His passions set to such a pleasing kay;
35 Such dainties serve onely for stomacks weake,
For men do fowlest when they finest speake.…
[MUSOPHILUS]
Powre above powres, O heavenly Eloquence,
That with the strong reine of commanding words,
Dost manage, guide, and master th’eminence
40 Of mens affections, more then all their swords:
Shall we not offer to thy excellence
The richest treasure that our wit affoords?
Thou that canst do much more with one poor pen
Then all the powres of princes can effect:
45 And draw, divert, dispose, and fashion men
Better then force or rigour can direct:
Should we this ornament of glorie then
As th’unmateriall fruits of shades, neglect?
Or should we carelesse come behind the rest
50 In powre of wordes, that go before in worth,
When as our accents equall to the best
Is able greater wonders to bring forth:
When all that ever hotter spirits exprest
Comes bettered by the patience of the North?
55 And who in time knowes whither we may vent
The treasure of our tongue, to what strange shores
This gaine of our best glorie shal be sent,
T’inrich unknowing Nations with our stores?
What worlds in th’yet unformed Occident
60 May come refin’d with th’accents that are ours?
Or who can tell for what great worke in hand
The greatnes of our stile is now ordain’d?
What powres it shall bring in, what spirits command,
What thoughts let out, what humors keep restrain’d
65 What mischiefe it may powrefully withstand,
And what faire ends may thereby be attain’d.
And as for Poesie (mother of this force)
That breeds, brings forth, and nourishes this might,
Teaching it in a loose, yet measured course,
70 With comely motions how to go upright:
And fostring it with bountifull discourse Adorns it thus in fashions of delight,
What should I say? since it is well approv’d
The speech of heaven, with whom they have commerce
75 That only seeme out of themselves remov’d,
And do with more then humane skils converse:
Those numbers wherewith heaven and earth are mov’d,
Shew, weakenes speaks in prose, but powre in verse.