The lives of the most famous English poets, or, The honour of Parnassus in a brief essay of the works and writings of above two hundred of them, from the time of K. William the Conqueror to the reign of His present Majesty, King James II / written by William Winstanley, author of The English worthies ...

TO THE WORSHIPFUL Francis Bradbury, Esq

THE Judicious Philoso∣pher Philo-Judaeus, in his Book De Plantatione Noe, saith, That when God had made the whole World's Mass, he created Poets to celebrate and set out the Creator himself, and all his Creatures: such a high Estimate had he of those Genius of brave Verse. Another saith, that Po∣ets were the first Politicians, the first Philosophers, and the first Historiographers. And although

Learning and Poetick Skill were but very rude in this our Island, when it flourished to the height in Greece and Rome, yet since hath it made such improvement, that we come not behind any Nation in the World, both in Grandity and Gravity, in Smoothness and Propriety., in Quickness and Briefness; so that for Skill, Vari∣ety, Efficacy and Sweetness, the four material points required in a Poet, our English Sons of Apollo, and Darlings of the Delian Deity, may compare, if not exceed them.

—Whose victorious Rhime, Revenge their Masters Death, and conquer Time.

And indeed what is it that so masters Oblivion, and causeth the Names of the dead to live, as the divine Strains of sacred Poe∣sie? How are the Names forgot∣ten of those mighty Monarchs, the Founders of the Egyptian Pyramids, when that Ballad-Poet, Thomas Elderton, who did arm himself with Ale (as old Father Ennius did with Wine) is re∣membred in Mr. Cambden's Re∣mains? having this made to his Memory,

Hic situs est sitiens atque ebr ius Eldertonus, Quid dico, hic situs est; hic potius sitis est.

Now, Sir, all my Ambition, that I address these Lines unto you, is, that you will pardon

the Defects I have committed herein, as having done my good will no so short an Epitome to lay a Ground-work, on which may be built a sumptuous Structure; a Work well worthy the Pen of a second Plutarch; since Poetical Devices have been well esteemed. even amongst them who have been ignorant of what they are; as the judicious Mr. Cambden re∣ports of Sieur Gauland, who, when he heard a Gentleman express that he was at a Supper, where they had not only good Com∣pany and good Chear, but also savoury Epigrams, and fine Ana∣grams; he returning home, rated and belowted his Cook, as an

ignorant Scullion, that never dressed or served up to him ei∣ther Epigrams or Anagrams.

But, Sir, I intrench upon your Patience, and shall no fur∣ther; only subscribing my self,

Your Worship's ever to be Commanded, William Winstanley.