The arte of English poesie Contriued into three bookes: the first of poets and poesie, the second of proportion, the third of ornament.

CHAP. V.

How the wilde and sauage people vsed a naturall Poesie in versicle and rime as our vulgar is.

ANd the Greeke and Latine Poesie was by verse numerous and metricall, running vpon pleasant feete, sometimes swift, some∣time slow (their words very aptly seruing that purpose) but with∣out any rime or tunable concord in th'end of their verses, as we and all other nations now vse. But the Hebrues & Chaldees who were more ancient then the Greekes, did not only vse a metricall Poesie, but also with the same a maner of rime, as hath bene of late obser∣ued by learned men. Wherby it appeareth, that our vulgar running Poesie was common to all the nations of the world besides, whom the Latines and Greekes in speciall called barbarous. So as it was notwithstanding the first and most ancient Poesie, and the most vniuersall, which two points do otherwise giue to all humane in∣uentions and affaires no small credit. This is proued by certificate of marchants & trauellers, who by late nauigations haue surueyed the whole world, and discouered large countries and strange peo∣ples wild and sauage, affirming that the American, the Perusine & the very Canniball, do sing and also say, their highest and holiest matters in certaine riming versicles and not in prose, which proues also that our maner of vulgar Poesie is more ancient then the arti∣ficiall of the Greeks and Latines, ours comming by instinct of na∣ture, which was before Art or obseruation, and vsed with the sa∣uage and vnciuill, who were before all science or ciuilitie, euen as the naked by prioritie of time is before the clothed, and the igno∣rant before the learned. The naturall Poesie therefore being aided and amended by Art, and not vtterly altered or obscured, but some signe left of it, (as the Greekes and Latines haue left none) is no lesse to be allowed and commended then theirs.