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The subiect or matter of Poesie.
HAuing sufficiently sayd of the dignitie of Poets and Poesie, now it is tyme to speake of the matter or subiect of Poesie, which to myne intent is, what soeuer wittie and delicate conceit of man meet or worthy to be put in written verse, for any ne∣cessary vse of the present time, or good instruction of the posteri∣tie.
But the chief and principall is: the laud honour & glory of the immortall gods (I speake now in phrase of the Gentiles.) Second∣ly the worthy gests of noble Princes: the memoriall and registry of all great fortunes, the praise of vertue & reproofe of vice, the in∣struction of morall doctrines, the reuealing of sciences naturall & other profitable Arts, the redresse of boistrous & sturdie courages by perswasion, the consolation and repose of temperate myndes, finally the common solace of mankind in all his trauails and cares of this transitorie life. And in this last sort being vsed for recrea∣tion onely, may allowably beare matter not alwayes of the gra∣uest, or of any great commoditie or profit, hut rather in some sort, vaine, dissolute, or wanton, so it be not very scandalous & of euill example. But as our intent is to make this Art vulgar for all En∣glish mens vse, & therefore are of necessitie to set downe the prin∣cipal rules therein to be obserued: so in mine opinion it is no lesse expedient to touch briefly all the chief points of this auncient Poesie of the Greeks and Latines, so far forth as it is conformeth with ours. So as it may be knowen what we hold of them as bor∣rowed, and what as of our owne peculiar. Wherefore now that we haue said, what is the matter of Poesie, we will declare the manner and formes of poemes vsed by the auncients.