The Defence of Poesie.
holy Dauids Psalms are a diuine Poeme? If I do, I shal not do it without the testimony of great learned mē both auncient and moderne. But euen the name of Psalmes wil speak for me, which being interpreted, is nothing but Songs: then that it is fully written in meeter as all learned Hebritians agree, although the rules be not yet fully found. Lastly and principally, his handling his prophecie, which is meerly Poeticall. For what else is the awaking his musical Instruments, the often and free chaunging of persons, his notable Prosopopeias, whē he maketh you as it were see God comming in his maiestie, his telling of the beasts ioyfulnesse, and hils leaping, but a heauenly poesie, wherin almost he sheweth himselfe a passionate louer of that vnspeakable and euerlasting bewtie, to be seene by the eyes of the mind, onely cleared by faith? But truly now hauing named him, I feare I seeme to prophane that holy name, applying it to Poetry, which is among vs throwne downe to so ridiculous an estimation. But they that with quiet iudgements wil looke a litle deeper into it, shal find the end & working of it such, as being rightly applied, deserueth not to be scourged out of the Church of God. But now let vs see how the Greekes haue named it, and how they deemed of it. The Greekes named him ποιητὴν, which name, hath as the most excellent, gone through other languages, it commeth of this word ποιεὶν which is to make: wherin I know not whether by luck or wisedome, we Englishmen haue met with the Greekes in calling him a Maker. Which name, how high and incomparable a title it is, I had rather were knowne by marking the scopeof
