riling, refining, compendious,
prolixe, figuratiue, inueigle_. A terme borrowed of our common Lawyers,
_impression_, also a new terme, but well expressing the matter, and more
than our English word. These words, _Numerous, numerositee, metricall,
harmonicall_, but they cannot be refused, specially in this place for
description of the arte. Also ye finde these words, _penetrate,
penetrable, indignitie_, which I cannot see how we may spare them,
whatsoeuer fault wee finde with Ink-horne termes: for our speach wanteth
words to such sense so well to be vsed: yet in steade of _indignitie_, yee
haue vnworthinesse: and for _penetrate_, we may say _peerce_, and that a
French terme also, or _broche_, or enter into with violence, but not so
well sounding as _penetrate_. Item, _sauage_, for wilde: _obscure_, for
darke. Item these words, _declamation, delineation, dimention_, are
scholasticall termes in deede, and yet very proper. But peraduenture (& I
could bring a reason for it) many other like words borrowed out of the
Latin and French, were not so well to be be allowed by vs, as these words,
_audacious_, for bold: _facunditie_, for eloquence, _egregious_, for great
or notable: _implete_, for replenished; _attemptat_, for attempt:
_compatible_, for agreeable in nature, and many more. But herein the noble
Poet _Horace_ hath said inough to satisfie vs all in these few verses.
_Multa renascentur quae iam cecidere cadentque
Quae nunc sunt in honore vocabula si volet usus
Quem penes artibrium est et ius et norma loquendi._
Which I haue thus englished, but nothing with so good grace, nor so
briefly as the Poet wrote.
_Many a word if able shall est arise
And such as now bene held in hiest prise
Will fall as fast, when vse and custome will
Onely vmpiers of speach, for force and skill._

_CHAP. V._

_Of Stile_.

Stile is a constant & continuall phrase or tenour of speaking and writing,
extending to the whole tale or processe of the poeme or historie, and not
properly to any peece or member of a tale: but is of words speeches and
sentences together, a certaine contriued forme and qualitie, many times
naturall to the writer, many times his peculier by election and arte, and
such as either he keepeth by skill, or holdeth on by ignorance, and will
not or peraduenture cannot easily alter into any other. So we say that
_Ciceros_ stile and _Salusts_ were not one, nor _Cesars_ and _Linies_, nor
_Homers_ and _Hesiodus