ake of a rude rimer, a learned and a Courtly
Poet.

_CHAP. X._

_A division of figures, and how they serue in exornation of language._

And because our chiefe purpose herein is for the learning of Ladies and
young Gentlewomen, or idle Courtiers, desirous to become skilful in their
owne mother tongue, and for their priuate recreation to make now & then
ditties of pleasure, thinking for our parte none other science so fit for
them & the place as that which teacheth _beau_ semblant, the chiefe
profession aswell of Courting as of poesie: since to such manner of mindes
nothing is more combersome then tedious doctrines and schollarly methodes
of discipline, we haue in our owne conceit deuised a new and strange
modell of this arte, fitter to please the Court then the schoole, and yet
not vnnecessarie for all such as be willing themselues to become good
makers in the vulgar, or to be able to iudge of other mens makings:
wherefore, intending to follow the course which we haue begun, thus we
say: that though the language of our Poet or maker being pure & clenly, &
not disgraced by such vicious parts as haue bene before remembred in the
Chapter of language, be sufficiently pleasing and commendable for the
ordinarie vse of speech; yet is not the same so well appointed for all
purposes of the excellent Poet, as when it is gallantly arrayed in all his
colours which figure can set vpon it, therefore we are now further to
determine of figures and figuratiue speeches. Figuratiue speech is a
noueltie of language euidently (and yet not absurdly) estranged from the
ordinarie habite and manner of our dayly talke and writing and figure it
selfe is a certaine liuely or good grace set vpon wordes, speaches and
sentences to some purpose and not in vaine, giuing them ornament or
efficacie by many maner of alterations in shape, in sounde, and also in
sence, sometime by way of surplusage, sometime by defect, sometime by
disorder, or mutation, & also by putting into our speaches more pithe and
substance, subtilitie, quicknesse, efficacie or moderation, in this or
that sort tuning and tempring them, by amplification, abridgement,
opening, closing, enforcing, meekening, or otherwise disposing them to the
best purpose whereupon the learned clerks who haue written methodically of
this Arte in the two master languages, Greeke and Latine, haue sorted all
their figures into three rankes, and the first they bestowed vpon the Poet
onely: the sec