in Europe,
vnder the conduict of _Totila_ & _Atila_ and other their generalles. This
brought the ryming Poesie in grace, and made it preuaile in Italie and
Greece (their owne long time cast aside, and almost neglected) till after
many yeares that the peace of Italie and of th'Empire Occidentall reuiued
new clerkes, who recouering and perusing the bookes and studies of the
ciuiler ages, restored all maner of arts, and that of the Greeke and
Latine Poesie withall into their former puritie and netnes. Which
neuerthelesse did not so preuaile, but that the ryming Poesie of the
Barbarians remained still in his reputation, that one in the schole, this
other in Courts of Princes more ordinary and allowable.

_CHAP VII._

_How in the time of Charlemaine and many yeares after him the Latine
Poetes wrote in ryme._

And this appeareth euidently by the workes of many learned men, who wrote
about the time of _Charlemaines_ raigne in the Empire _Occidentall_, where
the Christian Religion, became through the excessive authoritie of Popes,
and deepe deuotion of Princes strongly fortified and established by
erection of orders _Monastical_ in which many simple clerks for deuotion
sake & sanctitie were receiued more then for any learning, by which
occasion & the solitarinesse of their life, waxing studious without
discipline or instruction by any good methode, some of them grew to be
historiographers, some Poets, and following either the barbarous rudenes
of the time, or els their own idle inuentions, all that they wrote to the
fauor or prayse of Princes, they did it in such maner of minstrelsie, and
thought themselues no small fooles, when they could make their verses goe
all in ryme as did the Schoole of _Salerno_, dedicating their booke of
medicinall rules vnto our king of England, with this beginning.
_Anglorum Regi scripsit tota schola Salerni
Sivus incolumem, sivis te reddere sanicari
Curas tolle graues, irasci crede prophanum
Necretine ventram nec stringas as fortiter annum._

And all the rest that follow throughout the whole booke more curiously
than cleanely, neuerthelesse very well to the purpose of their arte. In
the same time king _Edward_ the iij. him selfe quartering the Armes of
England and France, did discouer his pretence and clayme to the Crowne of
Fraunce, in these ryming verses.
_Rex sum regnorum bina ratione duorum
Anglorum regnio sum rex ego iure paterno
Matris iure quidem Francorum nuncup