The Defence of Poesie.
of our conceits, which certainly is as absurd a surfet to the eares as is possible. For the force of a similitude not being to proue any thing to a contrary disputer, but onely to explaine to a willing hearer, when that is done, the rest is a moste tedious pratling, rather ouerswaying the memorie from the purpose whereto they were applied, then anie whit enforming the iudgement alreadie either satisfied, or by similitudes not to be satisfied. For my part, I doo not doubt, when Antonius and Crassus, the great forefathers of Cicero in eloquence, the one (as Cicero testifieth of them) pretended not to knowe Art, the other not to set by it, (because with a plaine sensiblenesse, they might winne credit of popular eares, which credit, is the nearest steppe to perswasion, which perswasion, is the chiefe marke of Oratorie) I do not doubt I say, but that they vsed these knacks verie sparingly, which who doth generally vse, any man may see doth dance to his owne musick, and so to be noted by the audience, more careful to speak curiously then truly. Vndoubtedly (at least to my opinion vndoubtedly) I haue found in diuers smal learned Courtiers, a more sound stile, then in some professors of learning, of which I can gesse no other cause, but that the Courtier following that which by practise he findeth fittest to nature, therein (though he know it not) doth according to art, thogh not by art: where the other vsing art to shew art and not hide art (as in these cases he shuld do) flieth from nature, & indeed abuseth art. But what? methinks I deserue to be poūded for straying from Poetrie, to Oratory: but both haue suchan
