English poetry -- History and criticism; Poetry -- Early works to 1800
other name in our English could be found to serue the turne better. Againe
if to auoid the hazard of this blame I should haue kept the Greek or Latin
still it would haue appeared a little too scholasticall for our makers,
and a peece of worke more fit for clerkes then for Courtiers for whose
instruction this trauaile is taken: and if I should haue left out both the
Greeke and Latine name, and put in none of our owne neither: well
perchance might the rule of the figure haue bene set downe, but no
conuenient name to hold him in memory. It was therefore expedient we
deuised for euery figure of importance his vulgar name, and to ioyne the
Greeke or Latine originall with them; after that sort much better
satisfying aswel the vulgar as the learned learner, and also the authors
owne purpose, which is to make of a rude rimer, a learned and a Courtly
Poet.
_CHAP. X._
_A division of figures, and how they serue in exornation of language._
And because our chiefe purpose herein is for the learning of Ladies and
young Gentlewomen, or idle Courtiers, desirous to become skilful in their
owne mother tongue, and for their priuate recreation to make now & then
ditties of pleasure, thinking for our parte none other science so fit for
them & the place as that which teacheth _beau_ semblant, the chiefe
profession aswell of Courting as of poesie: since to such manner of mindes
nothing is more combersome then tedious doctrines and schollarly methodes
of discipline, we haue in our owne conceit deuised a new and strange
modell of this arte, fitter to please the Court then the schoole, and yet
not vnnecessarie for all such as be willing themselues to become good
makers in the vulgar, or to be able to iudge of other mens makings:
wherefore, intending to follow the course which we haue begun, thus we
say: that though the language of our Poet or maker being pure & clenly, &
not disgraced by such vicious parts as haue bene before remembred in the
Chapter of language, be sufficiently pleasing and commendable for the
ordinarie vse of speech; yet is not the same so well appointed for all
purposes of the excellent Poet, as when it is gallantly arrayed in all his
colours which figure can set vpon it, therefore we are now further to
determine of figures and figuratiue speeches. Figuratiue speech is a
noueltie of language euidently (and yet not absurdly) estranged from the
ordinarie habite and manner of our dayly talke and writing and figure it
selfe is a certaine liuely or good grace set vpon wordes, speaches and
sentences to some purpose and not in vaine, giuing them ornament or
efficacie by many maner of alterations in shape, in sounde, and also in
sence, sometime by way of surplusage, sometime by defect, sometime by
disorder, or mutation, & also by putting into our speaches more pithe and
substance, subtilitie, quicknesse, efficacie or moderation, in this or
that sort tuning and tempring them, by amplification, abridgement,
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