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

Of the Anagrame, or posie transposed.

ONe other pretie conceit we will impart vnto you and then trouble you with no more, and is also borrowed primitiuely of the Poet, or courtly maker, we may terme him, the [posie transpo∣sed] or in one word [a transpose] a thing if it be done for pastime and exercise of the wit without superstition commendable inough and a meete study for Ladies, neither bringing them any great gayne nor any great losse vnlesse it be of idle time. They that vse it for pleasure is to breed one word out of another not altering any letter nor the number of them, but onely transposing of the same, wherupon many times is produced some grateful newes or matter to them for whose pleasure and seruice it was intended: and bicause there is much difficultie in it, and altogether standeth vpon hap hazard, it is compted for a courtly conceit no lesse then the deuice before remembred. Lycophron one of the seuen Greeke Lyrickes, who when they met together (as many times they did) for their ex∣cellencie and louely concorde, were called the seuen starres [pleia∣des] this man was very perfit & fortunat in these transposes, & for his delicate wit and other good parts was greatly fauoured by Pto∣lome king of Egypt and Queene Arsinoe his wife. He after such sort called the king 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is letter for letter Ptolomaeus and Queene Arsinoe he called 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which is Arsinoe, now the subtil∣litie lyeth not in the conuersion but in the sence in this that Apo∣melitos, signifieth in Greek [hony sweet] so was Ptolome the sweetest natured man in the world both for countenance and conditions, and Iöneras, signifieth the violet or flower of Iuno a stile among the Greekes for a woman endued with all bewtie and magnifi∣cence, which construction falling out grateful and so truly, excee∣dingly well pleased the King and the Queene, and got Lycophron no litle thanke and benefite at both their hands.

The French Gentlemen haue very sharpe witts and withall a delicate language, which may very easily be wrested to any altera∣tion of words sententious, and they of late yeares haue taken this pastime vp among them many times gratifying their Ladies, and often times the Princes of the Realme, with some such thankfull noueltie. Whereof one made by François de Vallois, thus De façon suis Roy, who in deede was of fashion countenance and stature, besides his regall vertues a very king, for in a world there could not be seene a goodlier man of person. Another found this by Henry de Vallois [Roy de nulz hay] a king hated of no man, and was apparant in his conditions and nature, for there was not a Prince of greater affabilitie and mansuetude then he.

I my selfe seing this conceit so well allowed of in Fraunce and Italie, and being informed that her Maiestie tooke pleasure some∣times in desciphring of names, and hearing how diuers Gentlemen of her Court had essayed but with no great felicitie to make some delectable transpose of her Maiesties name, I would needs try my luck, for cunning I know not why I should call it, vnlesse it be for the many and variable applications of sence, which requireth per∣aduenture some wit & discretiō more then of euery vnlearned mā and for the purpose I tooke me these three wordes (if any other in the world) containing in my conceit greatest mysterie, and most importing good to all them that now be aliue, vnder her noble gouernement.

Elissabet Anglorum Regina.

Which orthographie (because ye shall not be abused) is true & not mistaken, for the letter zeta, of the Hebrewes & Greeke and of all other toungs is in truth but a double ss. hardly vttered, and H. is but a note of aspiration onely and no letter, which therefore is the by Greeks omitted. Vpon the transposition I found this to redound.

Multa regnabis ense gloria. By thy sword shalt thou raigne in great renowne.

Then transposing the word [ense] it came to be

Multa regnabis sene gloria. Aged and in much glorie shall ye raigne.

Both which resultes falling out vpon the very first marshalling of

the letters, without any darknesse or difficultie, and so sensibly and well appropriat to her Maiesties person and estate, and finally so effectually to mine own wish (which is a matter of much moment in such cases) I tooke them both for a good boding, and very fatal∣litie to her Maiestie appointed by Gods prouidence for all our comfortes. Also I imputed it for no litle good luck and glorie to my selfe, to haue pronounced to her so good and prosperous a fortune, and so thankefull newes to all England, which though it cannot be said by this euent any destinie or fatal necessitie, yet sure∣ly is it by all probabillitie of reason, so likely to come to passe, as any other worldly euent of things that be vncertaine, her Maiestie continuing the course of her most regal proceedings and vertuous life in all earnest zeale and godly contemplation of his word, & in the sincere administration of his terrene iustice, assigned ouer to her execution as his Lieutenant vpon earth within the compasse of her dominions.

This also is worth the noting, and I will assure you of it, that af∣the first search whereupon this transpose was fashioned. The same letters being by me tossed & tranlaced fiue hundreth times, I could neuer make any other, at least of some sence & conformitie to her Maiesties estate and the case. If any other man by triall happen vp∣on a better omination, or whatsoeuer els ye will call it, I will re∣ioyse to be ouermatched in my deuise, and renounce him all the thankes and profite of my trauaile.

When I wrate of these deuices, I smiled with my selfe, thinking that the readers would do so to, and many of them say, that such trifles as these might well haue bene spared, considering the world is full inough of them, and that it is pitie mens heades should be fedde with such vanities as are to none edification nor instruction, either of morall vertue, or otherwise behooffull for the common wealth, to whose seruice (say they) we are all borne, and not to fill and replenish a whole world full of idle toyes. To which sort of reprehendours, being either all holy and mortified to the world, and therefore esteeming nothing that sauoureth not of Theologie, or altogether graue and worldly, and therefore caring for nothing but matters of pollicie, & discourses of estate, or all giuen to thrift and passing for none art that is not gainefull and lucratiue, as the

sciences of the Law, Phisicke and marchaundise: to these I will giue none other aunswere then referre them to the many trifling poemes of Homer, Ouid, Virgill, Catullus and other notable writers of former ages, which were not of any grauitie or seri∣ousnesse, and many of them full of impudicitie and ribaudrie, as are not these of ours, nor for any good in the world should haue bene: and yet those trifles are come from many former siecles vnto our times, vncontrolled or condemned or supprest by any Pope or Patriarch or other seuere censor of the ciuill maners of men, but haue bene in all ages permitted as the conuenient solaces and recreations of mans wit. And as I can not denie but these conceits of mine be trifles: no lesse in very deede be all the most serious studies of man, if we shall measure grauitie and lightnesse by the wise mans ballance who after he had considered of all the profoundest artes and studies among men, in th'ende cryed out with this Epyphoneme, Vanitas vanitatum & omnia vanitas. Whose authoritie if it were not sufficient to make me beleeue so, I could be content with Democritus rather to condemne the vanities of our life by derision, then as Heraclitus with teares, saying with that merrie Greeke thus,

Omnia sunt risus, sunt puluis, & omnia nil sunt. Res hominum cunctae, nam ratione carent.

Thus Englished,

All is but a test, all dust, all not vvorth tvvo peason: For vvhy in mans matters is neither rime nor reason.

Now passing from these courtly trifles, let vs talke of our scho∣lastical toyes, that is of the Grammaticall versifying of the Greeks and Latines and see whether it might be reduced into our English arte or no.