And first let me familiarly consider with this find faulte what the learned have alwayes esteemed of poetrie. _Seneca_ thoughe a stoike would have a poeticall sonne, and amongst the auncientest _Homer_ was no les accompted than _Humanus deus_. What made Alexander I pray you esteme of him so much? Why allotted he for his works so curious a closset? Was ther no fitter under prop for his pillow the[n] a simple pamphelet? In all _Darius_ cofers was there no Jewell so costly? Forso[o]th my thinks these two (the one the father of Philosophers, the other the cheftaine of chivalrie) were both deceived if all were as a _Gosson_ would wish them, yf poets paynt naughte but palterie toyes in vearse, their studies tended to folishnesse, and in all their inde[a]vors they did naught els but _agendo nihil agere_. Lord how Virgil's poore gnatt pricketh him, and how Ovid's fley byteth him, he can beare no bourde, he hath raysed up a new sect of seri[o]us stoikes, that can abide naught but their owen shadowe, and alow nothing worthye, but what they conceave. Did you never reade (my over wittie frend) that under the persons of beastes many abuses were dissiphered? Have you not reason to waye? that whatsoever e[i]ther Virgil did write of his gnatt, or Ovid of his fley, was all covertly to declare abuse? But you are (_homo literatus_) a man of the letter, little savoring of learning, your giddy brain made you leave your thrift, and your abuses in London some part of your honestie. You say that Poets are subtil, if so, you have learned that poynt of them, you can well glose on a trifleling text: but you have dronke perhaps of _Lethe_, your gram[m]er learning is out of your head, you forget your Accidence, you reme[m]ber not that under the person of _Æneas_ in Virgil, the practice of a dilligent captaine is discribed, under ye shadow of byrds, beastes, and trees, the follies of the world were disiphered, you know not that the creation is signified in the Image of _Prometheus_, the fall of pryde in the person of _Narcissus_, these are toyes because they savour of wisedom which you want. Marke what _Campanus_ sayth, _Mira fabularum vanitas sed quæ si introspiciantur videri possunt non vanæ_. The vanitie of tales is wonderful, yet if we advisedly looke into them they wil seme and prove wise. How wonderful are the pithie poems of _Cato_! the curious comidies of _Plautus_! how bravely discovereth _Terence_ our imperfectio[n] in his _Eunuch_! how neatly dissiphereth he _Dauus_! how pleasauntly paynteth he out _Gnatho_! whom if we should seeke in our dayes, I suppose he would not be farr from your parson. But I see you woulde seeme to be that which you are not, and as the proverb sayth _Nodum in Cirpo quærere_. Poets you say use coullors to cover their incoviences, and wittie sentences to burnish theyr bawdery, and you divinite to cover your knaverye.