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.
Notes: