comely and bewtifull images or apparances of
thinges to the soule and according to their very truth. If otherwise, then
doth it breede _Chimeres_ & monsters in mans imaginations, & not onely in
his imaginations, but also in all his ordinarie actions and life which
ensues. Wherefore such persons as be illuminated with the brightest
irradiations of knowledge and of the veritie and due proportion of things,
they are called by the learned men not _phantastics_ but _euphantasiote_,
and of this sorte of phantasie are all good Poets, notable Captaines
stratagematique, all cunning artificers and enginers, all Legislators
Polititiens & Counsellours of estate, in whose exercises the inuentiue
part is most employed and is to the sound & true iudgement of man most
needful. This diuersitie in the termes perchance euery man hath not noted,
& thus much be said in defence of the Poets honour, to the end no noble
and generous minde be discomforted in the studie thereof, the rather for
that worthy & honorable memoriall of that noble woman twise French Queene,
Lady _Anne_ of Britaine, wife first to king _Charles_ the viij and after
to _Lewes_ the xij, who passing one day from her lodging toward the kinges
side, saw in a gallerie _Master Allaine Chartier_ the kings Secretarie, an
excellent maker or Poet leaning on a tables end a sleepe, & stooped downe
to kisse him, saying thus in all their hearings, we may not of Princely
courtesie passe by and not honor with our kisse the mouth from whence so
many sweete ditties & golden poems haue issued. But me thinks at these
words I heare some smilingly say, I would be loath to lacke liuing of my
own till the Prince gaue me a maner of new Elme for my riming: And another
to say I haue read that the Lady _Cynthia_ came once downe out of her skye
to kisse the faire yong lad _Endimion_ as he lay a sleep: & many noble
Queenes that haue bestowed kisses upon their Princes paramours, but neuer
vpon any Poets. The third me thinks shruggingly saith, I kept not to sit
sleeping with my Poesie till a Queene came and kissed me: But what of all
this? Princes may giue a good Poet such conuenient countenaunce and also
benefite as are due to an excellent artificer, though they neither kisse
nor cokes them, and the discret Poet lookes for no such extraordinarie
fauours, and aswell doth he honour by his pen the iust, liberall, or
magnanimous Prince, as the valiaunt, amiable or bewtifull though they be
euery one of them the