From Stephen Gosson, The School of Abuse, containing a pleasant invective against Poets, Pipers, Plaiers, Jesters and such like Caterpillars of the Commonwealth (1579)

 

I must confesse that poets are the whetstones of wit, notwithstanding that wit is dearely bought. Where honie and gall are mixt it will be hard to sever the one from the other. The deceitfull phisition geveth sweete syrroppes to make his poyson goe downe the smoother; the jugler casteth a myst to work the closer; the Syrens songue is the saylers wracke; the fowlers whistle the birdes death; the wholesome baite the fishes bane; The Harpies have virgin faces and vultures talents; Hyena speakes like a friend and devours like a foe; the calmest seas hide dangerous rockes; the woolfe jets in weathers felles. Manie good sentences are spoken by Davus to shadowe his knaverie and written by poets as ornaments to beautifie their woorkes and sette their trumperie to sale without suspect.              

I must confess that poets are the whetstones of wit, notwithstanding that wit is dearly bought. Where honey and gall are mixed it will be hard to sever the one from the other. The deceitful physician gives sweet syrups to make his poison go down the smoother; the juggler casts a mist to work the closer; the Sirens’ song is the sailor’s wreck; the fowlers whistle the birds’ death; the wholesome bait, the fish’s bane; The Harpies have virgin faces and vultures’ talons; Hyena speaks like a friend and devours like a foe; the calmest seas hide dangerous rocks; the wolf jets in wether’s fells. Many good sentences are spoken by Davus to shadow his knavery and written by poets as ornaments to beautify their works and set their trumpery to sale without suspicion.

 

But if you looke well to Epaeus’s horse you shall finde in his bowels the destruction of Troy; open the sepulchre of Semyramis, whose title promiseth suche wealth to the kynges of Persia, you shall see nothing but dead bones; rip up the ball that Nero consecrated to Jupiter Capitollinus, you shall have it stuffed with the shavinges of his bearde; pull off the visard that poets maske in, you shall disclose their reproach, bewray their vanitie, loathe their wantonnesse, lament their folly, and perceive their sharpe sayinges to be placed as pearles in dunghills, fresh pictures on rotten walles, chaste matrons’ apparel on common courtesans. These are the cuppes of Circe that turne reasonable creatures into brute beastes, the balles Hippomenes that hinder the course of Atalanta, and the blocks of the Devil that are cast in our wayes to cut of the race of toward wits. No marveyle though Plato shut them out of his schoole and banished them quite from his commonwealth as effeminate writers, unprofitable members, and utter enemies to vertue.

But if you look well to Epaeus’s horse you shall find in his bowels the destruction of Troy; open the sepulcher of Semiramis, whose title promises such wealth to the kings of Persia, you shall see nothing but dead bones; rip up the ball that Nero consecrated to Jupiter Capitollinus, you shall find it stuffed with the shavings of his beard; pull off the vizard that poets mask in, you shall disclose their reproach, bewray their vanity, loathe their wantonness, lament their folly, and perceive their sharp sayinge to be placed as pearle in dunghills, fresh pictures on rotten walls, chaste matrons’ apparel on common courtesans. These are the cuppe of Circe that turn reasonable creatures into brute beasts, the balls of Hippomenes that hinder the course of Atalanta, and the blocks of the Devil that are cast in our ways to cut off the race of toward wits. No marvel though Plato shut them out of his school and banished them quite from his commonwealth as effeminate writers, unprofitable members, and utter enemies to virtue.

 

 

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