ongst our Poets, _Brian_ had a share
With the two former, which accompted are
That times best makers, and the authors were
Of those small poems, which the title beare, 70
Of songs and sonnets, wherein oft they hit
On many dainty passages of wit.
_Gascoine_ and _Churchyard_ after them againe
In the beginning of _Eliza's_ raine,
Accoumpted were great Meterers many a day,
But not inspired with braue fier, had they
Liu'd but a little longer, they had seene,
Their works before them to have buried beene.
Graue morrall _Spencer_ after these came on
Then whom I am perswaded there was none 80
Since the blind _Bard_ his _Iliads_ vp did make,
Fitter a taske like that to vndertake,
To set downe boldly, brauely to inuent,
In all high knowledge, surely excellent.
The noble _Sidney_ with this last arose,
That _Heroe_ for numbers, and for Prose.
That throughly pac'd our language as to show,
The plenteous _English_ hand in hand might goe
With _Greek_ or _Latine_, and did first reduce
Our tongue from _Lillies_ writing then in vse; 90
Talking of Stones, Stars, Plants, of fishes, Flyes,
Playing with words, and idle Similies,
As th' _English_, Apes and very Zanies be,
Of euery thing, that they doe heare and see,
So imitating his ridiculous tricks,
They spake and writ, all like meere lunatiques.
Then _Warner_ though his lines were not so trim'd,
Nor yet his Poem so exactly lim'd
And neatly ioynted, but the Criticke may
Easily reprooue him, yet thus let me say; 100
For my old friend, some passages there be
In him, which I protest haue taken me,
With almost wonder, so fine, cleere, and new
As yet they haue bin equalled by few.
Neat _Marlow_ bathed in the _Thespian_ springs
Had in him those braue translunary things,
That the first Poets had, his raptures were,
All ayre, and fire, which made his verses cleere,
For that fine madnes still he did retaine,
Which rightly should possesse a Poets braine. 110
And surely _Nashe_, though he a Proser were
A branch of Lawrell yet deserues to beare,
Sharply _Satirick_ was he, and that way
He went, since that his being, to this day
Few haue attempted, and I surely thinke
Those wordes sha