For though a matter be never so good, Yf it be tolde wyth tongue of barbary, In rude maner wythout the discrete mode, It is distourbance to a hole company For to se them so rude and boystously Demeane them selfe, utterynge the sentence Wythout good maner or yet intellygence. It is a thinge ryght greatly convenable To pronounce the matter as it is convenient, And to the herers ryght delectable, Whan the utterer, wythout impediment, Wyth ryght good maner, countenaunce, and entent Dothe his tale unto them tretably, Kepynge his maner and voyce full moderately. This is the costome that the poetes use, To tel theyr tale with al due circumstance, The vylayne courage they do much refuse That is boystous and rude of governaunce, And evermore they do to them avaunce Nurture, maner, and al gentylnes. In their behavyng wyth all semelynes. And thus the gentyl rethoricyan, Through the labour of his ryal clergy, The famous nurture originally began Oppressynge our rudenes and our foly, And for to governe us ryght prudently, The good maner encreaseth dignitie, And the rudenes also iniquitie. The famous poete who so lyst to here, To tell this tale it is solacyous, Beholdyng hys maners and also hys chere After the maner be it sad or joyous. Yf it be sad, his chere is dolorus, As in bewaylyng a woful tragedy That worthy is to be in memory. And if the matter be joyfull and glad, Lyke countenaunce outwardly they make; But moderacyon in theyr myndes is had, So that outrage may them not overtake. I can not wryte to muche for theyr sake, Them to laude, for my tyme is shorte And the matter longe which I must reporte. CAP. XIII. OF MEMORY, THE V. PART OF RETHORYKE. And the v. parte is than memoratyfe, The whiche the perfyte mynystracyon Ordinately causeth to be retentyfe, Dryving the tale to good conclusyon; For it behoveth to have respeccyon Unto the tale, and the veray grounde And on what ymage he his matter found. If to the oratour many a sundry tale, One after other, treatably be tolde, Than sundry ymages in his closed male Eche for a mater he doth than well holde, Lyke to the tale he doth than so beholde, And inwarde a recapitulacyon, Of eche ymage the moralazacyon. Whiche be the tales he grounded pryvely Upon these ymages significacyon, And whan tyme is for him to specify All his tales by demonstracion, In due order, maner and reason, Than eche ymage inwarde dyrectly The oratour doth take full properly. So is enprynted in his propre mynde Every tale wyth hole resemblaunce. By this ymage he doth his mater fynde, Eche after other wythouten varyaunce. Who to this arte wyl gyve attendaunce, As therof to knowe the perfytenes, In the poetes scole he must have intres.