Page:Spencer - The Shepheardes Calender, conteining twelue æglogues proportionable to the twelue monethes, 1586.djvu/10

 order. Euen ſo do thoſe thoſe rough and harſh termes enlumine and make more clearely to appeare the brightneſſe of braue and glorious wordes. So oftentimes a diſcord in Muſike maketh a comely concordance: ſo great delight tooke the worthy poet Alceus to behold a blemiſh in the ioynt of a well ſhaped body. But if any will raſhly blame ſuch his purpoſe in choyſe of old and vnwonted words, him may I more iuſtly blame and condemne, or of witleſſe headineſſe in iudging, or of heedeleſſe hardineſſe in condemning: for not marking the compaſſe of his bent, he will iudge of the length of his caſt: for in my opinion it is one ſpeciall praiſe, of many which are due to this poet, that he hath laboured to reſtore, as to their rightfull heritage ſuch good and naturall Engliſh wordes, as haue beene long time out of vſe and almoſt cleane diſherited. Which is the onely cauſe, that our Mother tongue, which truely of it ſelfe is both full enough for proſe, and ſtately enough for verſe, hath long time out of bene counted moſt bare and barren of both. Which default when as ſome endeuoured to ſalue and recure, they patched vp the holes with pieces and rags of other languages, borowing here of the French, there of the Italian, euery where of the Latin, not weighiug howe ill, thoſe tongues accord with themſelues, but much worſe with ours: So now they haue made our Englſh tongue, a gallimaufrey or hodgepodge of all other ſpeachcs. Other ſome not ſo well ſeene in the Engliſh tongue as perhaps in other languages, if they happen to heare an old word albeit very naturall and ſignificant, cry out ſtraight way, that we ſpeake no Engliſh, but gibberiſh, or rather ſuch, as in olde time Euanders mother ſpake: whose firſt ſhame is, that they are not aſhamed, in their owne mother tongue, ſtrangers to be counted and aliens. The second ſhame no leſſe then the firſt, that what ſo they vnderſtand not, they ſtraightway deeme to be ſenſeleſſe, and not at all to be vnderſtoode. Much like to the Mole in Aeſops fable, that being blinde her ſelfe, woulde in no wiſe be perſwaded, that any beaſt could ſee. The laſt more ſhamefull then both, that of their owne countrey and naturall ſpeach, which together with their ources milke they ſucked, they haue ſo baſe regard and baſtard iudgement, that they wil not onely themſelues not labor to garniſh and beautifie it, but alſo repine, that of other it ſhould be embelliſhed. Like to the dogge in the maunger, that himſelfe can eate no hay, and yet barketh at the hungry bullocke, that ſo faine would feede: whoſe curriſh kinde though it cannot be kept from barking, yet I conne them thank that they refraine from byting.

Now for the knitting of ſentences, which they call the ioynts and members thereof, and for all the compaſſe of the ſpeach, it is round without roughneſſe, and learned without hardneſſe, ſuch indeede as may be perceiued of the leaſt, vnderſtoode of the most, but iudged onely of the learned. For what in moſt Engliſh writers vſeth to be looſe, and as it were vnright, in this Author is well grounded, finely framed, and ſtrongly truſſed vp together. In regard whereof, I ſcorne and ſpue out the rakehelly route of our ragged rymers (for ſo themſelues vſe to hunt the letter) which without learning boaſt, without iudgement iangle, without reaſon rage and ſome, as if ſome inſtinct of poetical ſpirit had newly rauiſhed them aboue the meaneneſſe of common capacitie. And being in the middeſt of all their brauery, ſodenly eyther for want of matter, or of ryme, or hauiug forgotten their former conceipt, they ſeeme to be ſo pained and trauailed in their remembrance as it were a woman in childebirth, or as that ſame pythia, when the traunce came vpon her. Os rabidum fera cordā domās, &c.

Nethleſſe let them a Gods name feede on their owne folly, ſo they ſeeke not to darken the beames of others glory. As for Colin, vnder whose perſon the Authours ſelfe is ſhadowed, how farre he is from ſuch vaunted titles & glorious ſhowe, both himſelf ſheweth, where he ſaith,

And alſo appeareth by the baſeneſſe of the name, wherein, it ſeemeth, he choſe rather to vnſold great matter of argument couertly, then profeſſing it, not ſnffice thereto accordingly. Which mooued him rather in Aeglogues, then otherwiſe to write, doubting perhaps his habilitie, which he litle needed, or mending to furniſh our tongue with this kinde, wherein it faulteth, or followinge the example of the beſt and moſt auncient poets, which deuiſed this kinde of writing, being both ſo baſe for the matter, and homely for the maner, at the firſt to trye their habilities: and as young byrdes, that be newly crept out of the neaſt, by litle firſt to proue their tender wings, before they make a greater flight. So flew Theocritus, as you may perceiue he was all ready full fledged. So flew Virgile, not yet well feeling his wings. So flew Mantuane as not being full ſomd. So Petrarque. So Boccate: So Marot, Sanazarus,