which hath paffed through the labours of many, and therefore I cannot present as omitted. There are alfo other parts of Learning which are Appendices to Hiftory: for all the exterior proceedings of man confift of Words and Deeds; whereof History doth properly receive and retain in Memory the Deeds: and if Words, yet but as Inducements and paffages to Deeds: fo are there other Books and Writings, which are appropriate to the custody and receipt of Words only: which likewise are of three forts: Orations, Letters, and Brief Speeches or Sayings. Orations are Pleadings, Speeches of Counsel, Laudatives, Invectives, Apologies, Reprehenfions, Orations of Formality or Ceremony, and the like. Letters are according to all the variety of occafions, Advertisements, Advices, Directions, Propofitions, Petitions, Commendatory, Expoftulatory, Satisfactory; of Compliment, of Pleasure, of Discourse, and all other paffages of Action. And fuch as are Written from Wife men, are of all the words of Man, in my judgment, the beft; for they are more Natural than Orations and public fpeeches, and more advised than conferences or present speeches. So again Letters of Affairs from fuch as Manage them, or are privy to them, are of all others the beft inftructions for History, and to a diligent Reader the best Histories in themselves. For Apophthegms, it is a great lofs of that Book of Cafar's; for as his Hiftory, and those few Letters of his which we have, and those Apophthegms which were of his own, excel all men's else, so I suppose would his Collection of Apophthegms have done; for as for those which are Collected by others, either I have no taste in such Matters, or else their choice hath not been happy. But upon these three kinds of Writings I do not infift, because I have no deficiencies to propound concerning them. Thus much therefore concerning History; which is that part of Learning which anfwereth to one of the Cells, Domiciles, or offices of the mind of Man: which is that of the Memory. Poefy is a part of Learning in measure of Words for the most part restrained, but in all other points extremely licensed, and doth truly refer to the Imagination; which, being not tied to the Laws of Matter, may at pleasure join that which Nature hath fevered, and fever that which Nature hath joined; and fo make unlawful Matches and Divorces of things; Pictoribus atque Poetis, &c. It is taken in two fenfes in refpect of Words or Matter; in the first sense it is but a Character of style, and belongeth to Arts of speech, and is not pertinent for the present: in the latter, it is, as hath been said, one of the principal portions of Learning, and is nothing else but Feigned History, which may be styled as well in Profe as in Verfe. The Use of this Feigned Hiftory hath been to give some shadow of fatisfaction to the mind of Man in those points wherein the Nature of things doth deny it, the World being in proportion inferior to the foul; by reafon whereof there is, agree able to the spirit of Man, a more ample Greatness, a more exact Goodness, and a more absolute variety, than can be found in the Nature of things. Therefore, because the acts or events of true Hiftory have not that Magnitude which fatisfieth the mind of Man, Poesy feigneth Acts and Events Greater and more Heroical: because true History propoundeth the fucceffes and iffues of actions not fo agreeable to the merits of Virtue and Vice, therefore Poefy feigns them more just in Retribution, and more according to Revealed providence: because true Hiftory reprefenteth Actions and Events more ordinary, and less interchanged, therefore Poefy endueth them with more Rareness, and more unexpected and alternative Variations: fo as it appeareth that, Poefy ferveth and conferreth to Magnanimity, Morality, and to Delectation. And therefore it was ever thought to have some participation of Divinenefs, because it doth raife and erect the Mind, by fubmitting the shews of things to the defires of the Mind; whereas reafon doth buckle and bow the Mind unto the Nature of things. And we fee, that by these infinuations and congruities with man's nature and pleasure, joined also with the agreement and confort it hath with Mufic, it hath had accefs and eftimation in rude times and barbarous Regions, where other Learning stood excluded. The divifion of Poefy which is aptest in the propriety thereof, (befides those divifions which are common unto it with Hiftory, as feigned Chroni cles, feigned Lives, and the Appendices of Hiftory, as feigned Epistles, feigned Orations, and the reft) is into Poefy Narrative, Representative, and Allufive. The Narrative is a mere imitation of History, with the exceffes before remembered; choofing for fubject commonly Wars and Love, rarely State, and fometimes Pleasure or Mirth. Representative is as a visible History; and is an Image of Actions as if they were present, as Hiftory is of actions in nature as they are, that is past. Allufive or Parabolical is a Narration applied only to express some special purpose or conceit: which latter kind of Parabolical wisdom was much more in use in the ancient times, as by the Fables of Esop, and the brief sentences of the Seven, and the ufe of Hieroglyphics, may appear. And the cause was, for that it was then of neceffity to express any point of reafon, which was more sharp or fubtile than the vulgar in that manner; because men in those times wanted both variety of examples and fubtilty of Conceit and as Hieroglyphics were before Letters, fo Parables were before Arguments: And nevertheless now, and at all times, they do retain much life and vigour; because reason cannot be so sensible, nor examples so fit. But there remaineth yet another use of Poefy Parabolical, oppofite to that which we last mentioned: for that tendeth to demonftrate and illuftrate that which is taught or delivered, and this other to re tire and obfcure it: that is, when the Secrets and Mysteries of Religion, Policy, or Philosophy, are involved in Fables or Parables, Of this in Divine Poefy we see the use is authorized. In Heathen Poefy we see the expofition of Fables doth fall out sometimes with great felicity; as in the Fable that the Giants being overthrown in their War against the Gods, the Earth their mother in revenge thereof brought forth Fame : Illam Terra Parens, irâ irritata Deorum, Extremam, ut perhibent, Cœo Enceladoque Sororem expounded, that when Princes and Monarchs have suppressed actual and open Rebels, then the malignity of the people, which is the mother of Rebellion, doth bring forth Libels and flanders, and taxations of the State, which is of the fame kind with Rebellion, but more Feminine. So in the Fable, that the rest of the Gods having conspired to bind Jupiter, Pallas called Briareus with his hundred hands to his aid, expounded, that Monarchies need not fear any curbing of their absoluteness by Mighty Subjects, as long as by Wisdom they keep the hearts of the people, who will be fure to come in on their fide. So in the Fable, that Achilles was brought up under Chiron the Centaur, who was part a Man and part a Beaft, Expounded Ingeniously, but corruptly by Machiavel, that it belongeth to the education and discipline of Princes to know as well how to play the part of the Lion |