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THE THIRD BOOKE, OF ORNAMENT. (Book 3)
CHAP. I.
Of Ornament Poeticall.
AS no doubt the good proportion of any thing doth greatly adorne and commend it and right so our late remembred propor∣tions doe to our vulgar Poesie: so is there yet requisite to the perfection of this arte, another maner of exornation, which re∣steth in the fashioning of our makers lan∣guage and stile, to such purpose as it may delight and allure as well the mynde as the eare of the hearers with a certaine noueltie and strange maner of conueyance, dis∣guising it no litle from the ordinary and accustomed: neuerthe∣lesse making it nothing the more vnseemely or misbecomming, but rather decenter and more agreable to any ciuill eare and vn∣derstanding. And as we see in these great Madames of honour, be they for personage or otherwise neuer so comely and bewti∣full, yet if they want their courtly habillements or at leastwise such other apparell as custome and ciuilitie haue ordained to co∣uer their naked bodies, would be halfe ashamed or greatly out of countenaunce to be seen in that sort, and perchance do then thinke themselues more amiable in euery mans eye, when they be in their richest attire, suppose of silkes or tyssewes & costly embroderies, then when they go in cloth or in any other plaine and simple ap∣parell. Euen so cannot our vulgar Poesie shew it selfe either gal∣lant or gorgious, if any lymme be left naked and bare and not clad in his kindly clothes and coulours, such as may conuey them som∣what out of sight, that is from the common course of ordinary