For though a man of his proper mynde Be inventife, and he do not apply His fantasye unto the besy kynde, Of hys connynge it maye not ratifye; For fantasye must nedes exemplify Hys new invencion, and cause hym to entende Wyth hole desyre to brynge it to an ende. And fourtely, by good estimacion He must nombre al the hole cyrcumstaunce Of thys mater wyth brevyacion, That he walke not by longe continaunce The perambulat waye, full of all variaunce. By estimacion is made annunciate Whether the mater be long or brevyate. For to invention it is equipolent, The mater founde ryght well to comprehende In suche a space as is convenient; For properly it doth ever pretende Of all the purpose the length to extende: So estimacion maye ryght well conclude The parfyte nombre of every similitude. And yet, than, the retentyfe memory, Whyche is the fifte, must ever agregate All maters thought to retayne inwardly, Tyll reason therof hath made a brobate, And by scripture wyll make demonstrate Outwardly accordynge to the thought, To prove a reason upon a thyng of nought. Thus, whan the fourth hath wrought full wonderly, Then must the mynde werke upon them all, By cours ingenious to rynne dyrectly After theyr thoughtes, than in generall The mynde must cause them to be memoriall; As after this shall appere more openly, All hole exprest by dame Phylosophy. O thrust of vertue and of ryall pleasure Of famous poetes many yeres ago! O insaciate covetyse of the speciall treasure Of new invencion, of ydelnes the foo! We may you laude, and often prayse also, And specially for worthy causes thre, Whiche to thys daye we may both here and se. As to the fyrst, your hole desyre was set Fables to fayne to eschewe ydlenes, Wyth amplyacion more connyng to get, By the laboure of inventyfe busynes, Touchynge the trouthe by covert lykenes To dysnull vyce and the vycious to blame; Your dedes therto exemplifyde the same. And secondly, ryght well you dyd endyte Of the worthy actes of many a conquerour; Through whych labour that you dyd so wryte Unto this day reygneth the honour Of every noble and myghty warriour, And for your labour and your busy payne Your fame yet lyveth, and shall endure certayne. And eke to prayse you we are gretely bounde, Because our connyng from you so procedeth, For you therof were fyrst originall ground, And upon your scripture our science ensueth. Your splendent verses our lyghtnes renueth; And so we ought to laude and magnify Your excellent springes of famous poetry. CAP. IX. A REPLICATION AGAINST IGNORAUNT PERSONES.