high expression was grounded on divine reason; for a lying mouth is a stinking pit, and murders with the contagion it venteth. Beside, nothing is lasting that is feigned; it will have another face than it had, ere long. 5 As Euripides saith, "No lie ever grows old."

Nullum vitium sine patrocinio. It is strange there should be no vice without his patronage, that when we have no other excuse we will say, we love it, we cannot forsake it. As if that made it not more a fault. We 10 cannot, because we think we cannot, and we love it because we will defend it. We will rather excuse it than be rid of it. That we cannot is pretended; but that we will not is the true reason. How many have I known that would not have their vices hid; nay, and, to be 15 noted, live like Antipodes to others in the same city: never see the sun rise or set in so many years, but be as they were watching a corpse by torch-light; would not sin the common way, but held that a kind of rusticity. They would do it new, or contrary, for the infamy; they 20 were ambitious of living backward; and at last arrived at that, as they would love nothing but the vices, not the vicious customs. It was impossible to reform these natures; they were dried and hardened in their ill. They may say they desired to leave it, but do not trust them; 25 and they may think they desire it, but they may lie for

all that; they are a little angry with their follies now and then; marry, they come into grace with them again quickly. They will confess they are offended with their manner of living: like enough; who is not? When they 3o can put me in security that they are more than offended, that they hate it, then I'll hearken to them, and perhaps believe them but many now-a-days love and hate their ill together.

De vere argutis.—I do hear them say often: some 35 men are not witty, because they are not everywhere witty;

than which nothing is more foolish. If an eye or a nose be an excellent part in the face, therefore be all eye or nose? I think the eyebrow, the forehead, the cheek, chin, lip, or any part else are as necessary and natural in the place. But now nothing is good that is natural; right 5 and natural language seem[s] to have least of the wit in it ; that which is writhed and tortured is counted the more exquisite. Cloth of bodkin or tissue must be embroidered; as if no face were fair that were not pouldred or painted; no beauty to be had but in wresting and writh- 10 ing our own tongue. Nothing is fashionable till it be deformed; and this is to write like a gentleman. All must be affected and preposterous as our gallants' clothes, sweet-bags, and night-dressings, in which you would think our men lay in, like ladies, it is so curious.

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Censura de poetis Nothing in our age, I have observed, is more preposterous than the running judgments upon poetry and poets; when we shall hear those things commended and cried up for the best writings which a man would scarce vouchsafe to wrap any wholesome drug in he would never light his tobacco with them. And those men almost named for miracles, who yet are so vile that if a man should go about to examine and correct them, he must make all they have done but one blot. Their good is so entangled with their bad as forcibly one 25 must draw on the other's death with it. A sponge dipped in ink will do all :

Comitetur Punica librum

Spongia.

Et paulo post,

Non possunt . . . multæ,

una litura potest.

Yet their vices have not hurt them; nay, a great many they have profited, for they have been loved for nothing

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else. And this false opinion grows strong against the best men, if once it take root with the ignorant. Cestius, in his time, was preferred to Cicero, so far as the ignorant durst. They learned him without book, and had him often in their mouths; but a man cannot imagine that thing so foolish or rude but will find and enjoy an admirer; at least a reader or spectator. The puppets are seen now in despite of the players; Heath's epigrams and the Sculler's poems have their applause. There are never wanting that dare prefer the worst preachers, the worst pleaders, the worst poets; not that the better have left to write or speak better, but that they that hear them judge worse; Non illi pejus dicunt, sed hi corruptius judicant. Nay, if it were put to the question of the water-rimer's 15 works, against Spenser's, I doubt not but they would find. more suffrages; because the most favor common vices, out of a prerogative the vulgar have to lose their judgments and like that which is naught.

ΙΟ

way

of

Poetry, in this latter age, hath proved but a mean mis20 tress to such as have wholly addicted themselves to her, or given their names up to her family. They who have but saluted her on the by, and now and then tendered their visits, she hath done much for, and advanced in the their own professions - both the law and the gospel25 beyond all they could have hoped or done for themselves without her favor. Wherein she doth emulate the judicious but preposterous bounty of the time's grandees, who accumulate all they can upon the parasite or fresh-man in their friendship; but think an old client or honest 30 servant bound by his place to write and starve.

Indeed, the multitude commend writers as they do fencers or wrastlers, who, if they come in robustiously and put for it with a deal of violence, are received for the braver fellows; when many times their own rude35 ness is a cause of their disgrace, and a slight touch of

their adversary gives all that boisterous force the foil. But in these things the unskilful are naturally deceived, and judging wholly by the bulk, think rude things greater than polished, and scattered more numerous than composed. Nor think this only to be true in the sordid multitude, but the neater sort of our gallants; for all are the multitude, only they differ in clothes, not in judgment or understanding.

ΙΟ

De Shakespeare nostrat[i].—I remember the players have often mentioned it as an honor to Shakespeare, that in his writing, whatsoever he penned, he never blotted out a line. My answer hath been, "Would he had blotted a thousand," which they thought a malevolent speech. I had not told posterity this but for their ignorance, who chose that circumstance to commend their 15 friend by wherein he most faulted; and to justify mine own candor, for I loved the man, and do honor his memory on this side idolatry as much as any. He was, indeed, honest, and of an open and free nature; had an excellent fancy, brave notions, and gentle expressions, 20 wherein he flowed with that facility that sometime it was necessary he should be stopped. "Sufflaminandus erat," as Augustus said of Haterius. His wit was in his own power; would the rule of it had been so too. Many times he fell into those things, could not escape 25 laughter, as when he said in the person of Cæsar, one speaking to him: "Cæsar, thou dost me wrong.” replied: "Cæsar did never wrong but with just cause;" and such like, which were ridiculous. But he redeemed his vices with his virtues. There was ever more in him to be praised than to be pardoned.

He

Ingeniorum discrimina. In the difference of wits I have observed there are many notes; and it is a little maistry to know them, to discern what every nature,

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every disposition will bear: for before we sow our land we should plough it. There are no fewer forms of minds than of bodies amongst us. The variety is incredible, and therefore we must search. Some are fit to 5 make divines, some poets, some lawyers, some physicians; some to be sent to the plough, and trades. There is no doctrine will do good where nature is wanting. Some wits are swelling and high; others low and still; some hot and fiery; others cold and dull; one must have a 10 bridle, the other a spur.

There be some that are forward and bold; and these will do every little thing easily: 'I mean that is hard by and next them, which they will utter unretarded without any shamefastness. These never perform much, 15 but quickly. They are what they are on the sudden; they show presently, like grain that, scattered on the top of the ground, shoots up, but takes no root, has a yellow blade, but the ear empty. They are wits of good promise at first, but there is an ingenistitium; they stand 20 still at sixteen, they get no higher.

You have others that labor only to ostentation; and are ever more busy about the colors and surface of a work than in the matter and foundation, for that is hid, the other is seen.

25 Others that in composition are nothing but what is rough and broken. Quæ per salebras, altaque saxa cadunt. And if it would come gently, they trouble it of purpose. They would not have it run without rubs, as if that style were more strong and manly that stroke the ear with a kind of unevenness. These men err not by chance, but knowingly and willingly; they are like men that affect a fashion by themselves; have some singularity in a ruff, cloak, or hat-band; or their beards specially cut to provoke beholders, and set a mark upon 35 themselves. They would be reprehended while they are