The worlds olio written by the Right Honorable, the Lady Margaret Newcastle.

Of Poetry.

AS for Poetry, although it sits not in the first form in Wis∣doms School, nor the second, yet it sits on the third; for on the first form sits Honesty, that is to be honest for honesties sake, not out of by ends, either for profit, credit, or other respects that it brings, but out of Justice; The next is Rule or Moderation, which is to rule our actions, and moderate our appetites; for men may mean well, yet out of indiscretion may run themselves into many errors, not only in offending themselves, but in offending their neighbours, which may cause repentance, and he is the wisest man that hath least to repent by moderating the appetite; for whosoever goeth beyond the rule of Reason causeth a pain instead of a pleasure, a loathing or hate instead of a release or desire; for there is an old saying and a true, Too much of a good

thing is stark naught. In the next place comes in Poetry, where∣in is included Musick and Rhetorick, which is Number and Measure, Judgement and Fancy, Imitation and Invention. It is the finest work that Nature hath made; for it animates the Spi∣rits to Devotion, it fires the Spirits to Action, it begcts Love, it abates Hate, it tempers Anger, it asswageth Grief, it easeth Pain, increaseth Joy, allays Fear, and sweetens the whole life of Man, by playing so well upon the Brain, as it strikes the strings of the Heart with Delight, which makes the Heart to dance, and keeps the Mind in tune, whereby the Thoughts move equally in a round Circle, where Love sits in the midst as Mistris, and judges For if Wisdom is the way to Happiness, and Happiness lives in Delight, and Delight in the Spirits, then Poetry is a part of Wisdom, since it is a Commander of that part and Essence of Man.