noble Lord, liberalitie itselfe, (if in this yron age there were
anie such creature as liberality left on the earth) a prince in content
because a Poet without peere. Destinie neuer defames her selfe but
when she lets an excellent poet die: if there bee anie sparke of Adams
paradized perfection yet emberd vp in the breastes of mortall men,
certainely God hath bestowed that his perfectest image on poets. None
come so neere to God in wit, none more contemne the world, _vatis auarus
non temere est animus, sayth Horace, versus amat, hoc studet vnurn_.
Seldom haue you seene anie Poet possessed with auarice, onely verses he
loues, nothing else he delights in: and as they contemne the world, so
contrarily of the mechanicall worlde are none more contemned. Despised
they are of the worlde, because they are not of the world: their
thoughts are exalted aboue the worlde of ignorance and all earthly
conceits.

As sweet angelicall queristers they are continually conuersant in the
heauen of artes, heauen it selfe is but the highest height of knowledge,
he that knowes himselfe & all things else, knowes the means to be
happie: happy, thrice happie are they whome God hath doubled his spirite
vppon, and giuen a double soule vnto to be Poets. My heroicall master
exceeded in this supernaturall kinde of wit, hee entertained no grosse
earthly spirite of auarice, nor weake womanly spirit of pusillanimity
and feare that are fained to be of the water, but admirable, airie, and
firie spirites, full of freedome, magnanimitie and bountihood. Let me
not speake anie more of his accomplishments, for feare I spend al my
spirits in praising him and leaue my selfe no vigor of wit, or effectes
of a soule to goe forward with my history. Hauing thus met him I so much
adored, no interpleading was there of opposite occasions, but backe I
must returne and beare halfe stakes with him in the lotterie of
trauell. I was not altogether vnwilling to walke along with such a good
purse-bearer, yet musing what changeable humor had so sodainly seduced
him from his natiue soyle to seeke out needlesse perils in these parts
beyond sea, one night verie boldly I demaunded of him the reason that
moued him thereto.

Ah quoth he, my little Page, full little canst thou perceiue howe farre
metamorphozed I am from my selfe, since I last sawe thee. There is
a little God called Loue, that will not bee worshipt of anie leaden
braines, one that proclaimes himselfe sole king and Emper