Page:Gondibert, an heroick poem - William Davenant (1651).djvu/53

 Ages; so disobedient and fierce, as if they would shake off the ancient imputation of being Beasts, by shewing their Masters they know their own strength: and we shall not erre by supposing that this conjunction of four-fold Power hath fail'd in the effects of authority by a mis-application; for it hath rather endeavour'd to prevail upon their bodies, than their minds; forgetting that the martial art of constraining is the best, which assaults the weaker part; and the weakest part of the people is their minds; for want of that which is the minds onely strength, Education; but their Bodies are strong by continual labour; for Labour is the Education of the Body. Yet when I mention the mis-application of force, I should have said, they have not onely fail'd by that, but by a main errour; Because the subject on which they should work, is the Mind; and the Mind can never be constrain'd, though it may be gain'd by perswasion: And since Perswasion is the principal instrument, which can bring to fashion the brittle and mis-shapen mettal of the Mind, none are so fit to this important work as Poets; whose art is more than any, enabled with a voluntary, and chearfull assistance of Nature; and whose operations are as restless, secret, easie and subtile, as is the influence of Planets.

I must not forget (lest I be prevented by the vigilance of the Reader) that I have profess'd not to represent the beauty of Virtue in my Poem, with hope to perswade common men; and I have said, that Divines have fail'd in discharging their share of Government, by depending upon the effects of perswasion; and that States-men in managing the people, rely not upon the perswasion of Divines, but upon force. In my despair of reducing the minds of Common men, I have not confest any weakness of Poesie in the general Science; but rather inferr'd the particular strength of the Heroick; which hath a force that overmatches the infancy of such minds as are enabled by degrees of Education; but there are lesser forces in other kinds of Poesie, by which they may train and prepare