The Defence of Poesie.
of other sciences, thē by any partial allegatiō. There is no Art deliuered vnto mankind that hath not the workes of nature for his principall obiect, without which they could not consist, and on which they so depend, as they become Actors & Plaiers, as it were of what nature will haue set forth. So doth the Astronomer looke vpon the starres, and by that he seeth set downe what order nature hath taken therein. So doth the Geometritian & Arithmititian, in their diuers sorts of quantities. So doth the Musitians in times tel you, which by nature agree, which not. The natural Philosopher thereon hath his name, and the (morall Philosopher standeth vppon the naturall vertues, vices, or passions of man: and follow nature saith he therein, and thou shalt not erre. The Lawier saith, what men haue determined. The Historian, what men haue done. The Gramarian, speaketh onely of the rules of speech, and the Rhetoritian and Logitian, considering what in nature wil soonest prooue, and perswade thereon, giue artificiall rules, which still are compassed within the circle of a question, according to the proposed matter. The Phisitian wayeth the nature of mans bodie, & the nature of things helpfull, or hurtfull vnto it. And the Metaphisicke though it be in the second & abstract Notions, and therefore be counted supernaturall, yet doth hee indeed build vpon the depth of nature. Only the Poet disdeining to be tied to any such subiectiō, lifted vp with the vigor of his own inuention, doth grow in effect into an other nature: in making things either better then nature bringeth foorth, or quite a new, formes such as neuer were in nature: as the Heroes,Demi-
