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

CHAP. VII.

How in the time of Charlemaine and many yeares after him the Latine Poetes wrote in ryme.

ANd this appeareth euidently by the workes of many learned men, who wrote about the time of Charlemaines raigne in the Empire Occidentall, where the Christian Religion, became through the excessiue authoritie of Popes, and deepe deuotion of Princes strongly fortified and established by erection of orders Monasti∣cal, in which many simple clerks for deuotiō sake & sanctitie were receiued more then for any learning, by which occasion & the so∣litarinesse of their life, waxing studious without discipline or in∣struction by any good methode, some of them grew to be histo∣riographers,

some Poets, and following either the barbarous rude∣nes of the time, or els their own idle inuentions, all that they wrote to the fauor or prayse of Princes, they did it in such maner of min∣strelsie, and thought themselues no small fooles, when they could make their verses goe all in ryme as did the schoole of Salerne, dedicating their booke of medicinall rules vnto our king of En∣gland, with this beginning.

Anglorum Regi scripsit tota schola Salerni Sivis incolumem, sivis te reddere sanum Curas tolle graues, irasci crede prophanum Nec retine ventrem nec string as fortiter annum.

And all the rest that follow throughout the whole booke more curiously then cleanely, neuerthelesse very well to the purpose of their arte. In the same time king Edward the iij. him selfe quarte∣ring the Armes of England and France, did discouer his pretence and clayme to the Crowne of Fraunce, in these ryming verses.

Rex sum regnorum bina ratione duorum Anglorum regno sum rex ego iure paterno Matris iure quidem Francorum nuncupor idem Hinc est armorum variatio facta meorum.

Which verses Phillip de Valois then possessing the Crowne as next heire male by pretexte of the law Salique, and holding out Edward the third, aunswered in these other of as good stuffe.

Praedo regnorum qui diceris esse duorum Regno materno priuaberis atque paterno Prolis ius nullum vbi matris non fuit vllum Hinc est armorum variatio stulta tuorum.

It is found written of Pope Lucius, for his great auarice and ty∣ranny vsed ouer the Clergy thus in ryming verses.

Lucius est piscis rex & tyrannus aquarum A quo discordat Lucius iste parum Deuorat hic homines, hic piscibus insidiatur Esurit hic semper hic aliquando satur Amborum vitam silaus aequata notaret Plus rationis habet qui ratione caret.

And as this was vsed in the greatest and gayest matters of Prin∣ces and Popes by the idle inuention of Monasticall men then rai∣gning

al in their superlatiue. So did euery scholer & secular clerke or versifier, when he wrote any short poeme or matter of good lesson put it in ryme, whereby it came to passe that all your old Prouerbes and common sayinges, which they would haue plausi∣ble to the reader and easie to remember and beare away, were of that sorte as these.

In mundo mira faciunt duo nummus & ira Mollificant dura peruertunt omnia iura.

And this verse in disprayse of the Courtiers life following the Court of Rome.

Vita palatina dura est animae{que} ruina.

And these written by a noble learned man.

Ire redire sequi regum sublimia castra Eximius status est, sed non sic itur ad astra.

And this other which to the great iniurie of all women was written (no doubt by some forlorne louer, or els some old malici∣ous Monke) for one womans sake blemishing the whole sexe.

Fallere flere nere mentiri nil{que} tacere Haec quinque vere statuit Deus in muliere.

If I might haue bene his Iudge, I would haue had him for his labour, serued as Orpheus was by the women of Thrace. His eyes to be picket out with pinnes, for his so deadly belying of them, or worse handled if worse could be deuised. But will ye see how God raised a reuenger for the silly innocent women, for about the same ryming age came an honest ciuill Courtier somewhat bookish, and wrate these verses against the whole rable of Monkes.

O Monachi vestri stomachi sunt amphora Bacchi Vos estis Deus est testis turpissima pestis.

Anon after came your secular Priestes as iolly rymers as the rest, who being sore agreeued with their Pope Calixtus, for that he had enioyned them from their wiues, & railed as fast against him.

O bone Calixte totus mundus perodit te Quondam Presbiteri, poterant vxoribus vti Hoc destruxisti, post quam tu Papa fuisti.

Thus what in writing of rymes and registring of lyes was the Clergy of that fabulous age wholly occupied.

We finde some but very few of these ryming verses among the

Latines of the ciuiller ages, and those rather hapning by chaunce then of any purpose in the writer, as this Distick among the di∣sportes of Ouid.

Quot caelum stellas tot habet tua Romapuellas Pascua quot{que} haedos tot habet tua Roma Cynaedos,

The posteritie taking pleasure in this manner of Simphonie had leasure as it seemes to deuise many other knackes in their versify∣ing that the auncient and ciuill Poets had not vsed before, where∣of one was to make euery word of a verse to begin with the same letter, as did Hugobald the Monke who made a large poeme to the honour of Carolus Caluus, euery word beginning with C. which was the first letter of the king name thus.

Carmina clarisonae Caluis cantate camenae.

And this was thought no small peece of cunning, being in deed a matter of some difficultie to finde out so many wordes begin∣ning with one letter as might make a iust volume, though in truth it were but a phantasticall deuise and to no purpose at all more then to make them harmonicall to the rude eares of those barbarous ages.

Another of their pretie inuentions was to make a verse of such wordes as by their nature and manner of construction and situa∣tion might be turned backward word by word, and make another perfit verse, but of quite contrary sence as the gibing Monke that wrote of Pope Alexander these two verses.

Laus tua non tua fraus, virtus non copia rerum, Scandere te faciunt hoc decus eximium.

Which if ye will turne backward they make two other good verses, but of a contrary sence, thus.

Eximium decus hoc faciunt te scandere, rerum Copia, non virtus, fraus tua non tua laus.

And they called it Verse Lyon.

Thus you may see the humors and appetites of men how di∣uers and chaungeable they be in liking new fashions, though ma∣ny tymes worse then the old, and not onely in the manner of their life and vse of their garments, but also in their learninges and arts and specially of their languages.