Page:The Defence of Poesie - Sidney (1595).djvu/51

 deth Prose, in the knitting vp of the memorie, the reason is manifest, the words (besides their delight, which hath a great affinitie to memorie) being so set as one cannot be lost, but the whole woorke failes: which accusing it selfe, calleth the remembrance back to it selfe, and so most strongly confirmeth it. Besides one word, so as it were begetting an other, as be it in rime or measured verse, by the former a mā shall haue a neare gesse to the follower. Lastly euen they that haue taught the Art of memory, haue shewed nothing so apt for it, as a certain roome diuided into many places, well & throughly knowne: Now that hath the verse in effect perfectly, euerie word hauing his natural seat, which seat must needs make the word remembred. But what needes more in a thing so knowne to all men. Who is it that euer was scholler, that doth not carry away som verses of Virgil, Horace, or Cato, which in his youth hee learned, and euē to his old age serue him for hourely lessons; as Percontatorem fugito nam garrulus idem est, Dum tibi quis{que} placet credula turba sumas. But the fitnes it hath for memorie, is notably prooued by all deliuerie of Arts, wherein for the most part, from Grammer, to Logick, Mathematickes, Phisick, and the rest, the Rules chiefly necessaie to be borne away, are compiled in verses. So that verse being in it selfe sweet and orderly, and being best for memorie, the onely handle of knowledge, it must be in iest that any man can speak against it. Now then goe we to the most important imputations laid to the poore Poets, for ought I can yet learne, they are these. First, that there beeing manie other more frutefull knowledges, a man