Peacham, Henry: The compleat gentleman : fashioning him absolute in the most necessary and commendable qualities, concerning mind, or body, that may be required in a person of honor. To which is added the gentlemans exercise or, an exquisite practise, as well for drawing all manner of beasts, as for making colours, to be used in painting, limming, &c (London, 1661)

QfPtetry,

Plato fa Pha-
droi

0*7ct £ if fin
in Parmenide.

CHAP. X.
OfVottrj.
TOsweeten yoursevererstudies,by this time vouch-
sase Poetry your respe&; which howsoerer cen-
sured and seeming fallen from the highest Stage of
Honour, to the iowest stair of disgracc, let not your
judgment be infe&ed with that peflilent ayr of the
common breath: To be an infidel! in whose beliefe,
and doer of their contrary A&ions, is to be religi-
ous in the right, and to merit, if it were pollible, by
good works.
The Poet, as that Laurell Mata, dreamed of, is
made by miracle from his mother’s womb, and like
the Diamond only polished and pointed of himself,
disdaining the file and midwifery of sorrain help.
Hence Tally was long ere he could be delivered of
a few verses, and those poor ones too: and Ovid, so
backward in prose, that he could almost speak no-
thing hut verse. And experience daily affordeth us
many excellent young and growing wits, as well from
the Plow as Pallace, endued naturally with this Di-
vine and heavenly gift, yet not knowing, ( if you
should ask the question ) whether a Metaphor* be ssesh,
or sish.
If bare saying, Poetry is an heavenly gift, be too
weak a proppe to uphold her credit with those huz-
zardly poor ones,, who having their seathers moulted,
can creep no sarther than their own puddle, able only to
envy thisXmperiall Eagle for sight and ssight; let them,
if they can, Jook back to all antiquity, and they (hall
find all learning by divine instinft to breathe from her
bosome .* as both Plato and Tullyin his Tusculanes af-
firm,
Strah saith, Poetry was the first Philosophy that
ever