So said another of our rimers, meaning to shew the great annoy and difficultie of those warres of Troy, caused for _Helenas_ sake. _Nor Menelaus was vnwise, Or troupe of Troians mad, When he with them and they with him, For her such combat had._ The clauses (_he with them and they with him_) are surpluage, and one of them very impertinent, because it could not otherwise be intended, but that _Menelaus_, fighting with the Troians, the Troians must of necessitie fight with him. [Sidenote: _Periergia_, or Ouerlabor, otherwise called the curious.] Another point of surplusage lieth not so much in superfluitie of your words, as of your trauaile to describe the matter which yee take in hand, and that ye ouer-labour your selfe in your businesse. And therefore the Greekes call it _Periergia_, we call it ouer-labor, iumpe with the originall: or rather [_the curious_] for his ouermuch curiositie and studie to shew himselfe fine in a light matter, as one of our late makers, who in most of his things wrote very well, in this (to mine opinion) more curiously than needed, the matter being ripely considered: yet is his verse very good, and his meetre cleanly. His intent was to declare how vpon the tenth day of March he crossed the riuer of Thames, to walke in Saint _Georges_ field, the matter was not as great as ye may suppose. _The tenth of March when Aries receiued Dan Phoebus raies into his horned head, And I my selfe by learned lore perceiued That Ver approcht and frosty winter fled I crost the Thames to take the cheerefull aire, In open fields, the weather was so faire._ First, the whole matter is not worth all this solemne circumstance to describe the tenth day of March, but if he had left at the two first verses it had bene inough. But when he comes with two other verses to enlarge his description, it is not only more than needes, but also very ridiculous for he makes wise, as if he had not bene a man learned in some of the mathematickes (by learned lore) that he could not haue told that the x. of March had fallen in the spring of the yeare: which euery carter, and also euery child knoweth without any learning. Then also when he saith [_Ver approcht, and frosty winter fled_] though it were a surplusage (because one season must needes geue place to the other) yet doeth it well inough passe without blame in the maker. These, and a hundred more of such faultie and impertinent speeches may yee finde amongst vs vulgar Poets when we be carelesse of our doings.