Page:The Defence of Poesie - Sidney (1595).djvu/59

 surnames then of Asia and Affricke, so loued him, that they caused his bodie to be buried in their Sepulture. So as Catoes authoritie beeing but against his person, and that answered with so farre greater then himselfe, is herein of no validitie. But now indeede my burthen is great, that Plato his name is laide vppon mee, whom I must confesse of all Philosophers, I haue euer esteemed most worthie of reuerence; and with good reason, since of all Philosophers hee is the most Poeticall: yet if hee will defile the fountaine out of which his flowing streames haue proceeded, let vs boldly examine with what reasons hee did it. First truly a man might maliciously obiect, that Plato being a Philosopher, was a naturall enemy of Poets. For indeede after the Philosophers had picked out of the sweete misteries of Poetrie, the right discerning true points of knowledge: they foorthwith putting it in methode, and making a Schoole Art of that which the Poets did onely teach by a diuine delightfulnes, beginning to spurne at their guides, like vngratefull Prentices, were not content to set vp shop for themselues, but sought by all meanes to discredit their maisters, which by the force of delight being barred them, the lesse they could ouerthrow them, the more they hated them. For indeed they found for Homer, seuen Cities straue who should haue him for their Cittizen, where many Cities banished Philosophers, as not fit members to liue among them. For onely repeating certaine of Euripides verses, many Atheniens had their liues saued of the Siracusans, where the Atheniens themselues thought