wil seke to take away the abuse of poetry. I like not of an angrye _Augustus_ which wyll banishe _Ovid_ for envy. I love a wise Senator, which in wisedome wyll correct him and with advise burne his follyes: unhappy were we yf like poore _Scaurus_ we shoulde find _Tiberius_ that wyll put us to death for a tragedy making, but most blessed were we if we might find a judge that severely would amende the abuses of Tragedies. But I leave the reformation thereof to more wyser than my selfe, and retourne to Gosson whom I wyshe to be fully perswaded in this cause, and therefore I will tell hym a prety story, which _Justin_ wryteth in the prayse of poetrye. The _Lacedemonians_ when they had loste many men in divers incountryes with theyr enemyes soughte to the Oracles of Apollo requiring how they myght recover theyr losses, it was answered that they mighte overcome if so be they could get an _Athenian_ governor, whereupon they sent Orators unto the _Athenians_ humbly requesting them that they woulde appoynt them out one of theyr best captaynes: the _Athenians_ owinge them old malice, sent them in steede of a _soldado vechio_ a scholar of the Muses: in steede of a worthy warrior a poore poet; for a couragious _Themistocles_ a silly _Tirthetus_, a man of great eloquence and singuler wytte, yet was he but a lame lymde captaine more fit for the co[u]che than the field. The _Lacedemonians_ trusting the Oracle, received the champion, and fearing the government of a stranger, made him ther Citizen. Which once done and he obteining the Dukdome, he assended the theater, and ther very learnedly, wyshing them to forget theyr folly, and to thinke on victory, they being acuate by his eloque[n]ce waging battail won the fielde. Lo now you see that the framing of common welthes, and defence thereof proceedeth from poets, how dare you therfore open your mouth against them? How can you disprayse the preserver of a countrye? You compare _Homer_ to _Methecus_, cookes to Poetes, you shame your selfe in your unreverent similitud[e]s, you may see your follyes _verbum sapienti sat_: whereas _Homar_ was an ancient poet you disalow him, and accompte of those of lesser judgement. _Strabo_ calleth poetry _primam sapientiam_. Cicero in his firste of his Tusculans attributeth ye invencion of philosophy to poets. God keepe us from a Plato that should expel such men. Pittie were it that the memory of these valiant victours should be hidden, which have dyed in the behalfe of ther countryes: miserable were our state yf we wanted those worthy volumes of poetry. Could the learned beare the losse of Homer? or our younglings the wrytings of the _Mantuan_? or you your volumes of historyes? beleve me yf you had wanted your Mysteries of nature, and your stately storyes, your booke would have scarce bene ledde wyth matter. If therefore you will deale in things of wisdome, correct the abuse, honor the science, renewe your schoole, crye out over Hierusalem wyth the