butwhatshouldorshouldnotbe.And,therefore,thoughherecountthingsnottrue,yetbecausehetelleththemnotfortrueheliethnot;withoutwewillsaythatNathanliedinhisspeech,beforealleged,toDavid;which,asawickedmandurstscarcesay,sothinkInonesosimplewouldsay,thatAEsopliedinthetalesofhisbeasts;forwhothinkeththatAEsopwroteitforactuallytrue,werewellworthytohavehisnamechronicledamongthebeastshewritethof.Whatchildistherethatcomethtoaplay,andseeingThebeswritteningreatlettersuponanolddoor,dothbelievethatitisThebes?Ifthenamancanarrivetothechild\'sage,toknowthatthepoet\'spersonsanddoingsarebutpictureswhatshouldbe,andnotstorieswhathavebeen,theywillnevergivethelietothingsnotaffirmatively,butallegoricallyandfigurativelywritten;andtherefore,asinhistory,lookingfortruth,theymaygoawayfullfraughtwithfalsehood,soinpoesy,lookingbutforfiction,theyshallusethenarrationbutasanimaginativeground-plotofaprofitableinvention.
Butheretoisreplied,thatthepoetsgivenamestomentheywriteof,whicharguethaconceitofanactualtruth,andso,notbeingtrue,provethafalsehood.Anddoththelawyerliethen,when,underthenamesofJohnoftheStile,andJohnoftheNokes,heputtethhiscase?Butthatiseasilyanswered,theirnamingofmenisbuttomaketheirpicturethemorelively,andnottobuildanyhistory.Paintingmen,theycannotleavemennameless;weseewecannotplayatchessbutthatwemustgivenamestoourchess-men:
andyet,methinks,hewereaverypartialchampionoftruththatwouldsayweliedforgivingapieceofwoodthereverendtitleofabishop.ThepoetnamethCyrusandAEneasnootherwaythantoshowwhatmenoftheirfames,fortunes,andestatesshoulddo.
Their{67}thirdis,howmuchitabusethmen\'swit,trainingittoawantonsinfulnessandlustfullove.For,indeed,thatistheprincipalifnotonlyabuseIcanhearalleged.Theysaythecomediesratherteach,thanreprehend,amorousconceits;theysaythelyricislardedwithpassionatesonnets;theelegiacweepsthewantofhismistress;andthateventotheheroicalCupidhathambitiouslyclimbed.Alas!Love,Iwouldthoucouldstaswelldefendthyself,asthoucanstoffendothers!Iwouldthoseonwhomthoudostattend,couldeitherputtheeawayoryieldgoodreasonwhytheykeepthee!Butgrantloveofbeautytobeabeastlyfault,althoughitbeveryhard,sinceonlyman,andnobeast,haththatgifttodiscernbeauty;grantthatlovelynameoflovetodeserveallhatefulreproaches,althoughevensomeofmymastersthephilosophersspentagooddealoftheirlamp-oilinsettingforththeexcellencyofit;grant,Isay,whattheywillhavegranted,thatnotonlylove,butlust,butvanity,but,iftheylist,scurrility,possessmanyleavesofthepoets\'books;yet,thinkI,whenthisisgranted,theywillfindtheirsentencemay,withgoodmanners,putthelastwordsforemost;andnotsaythatpoetryabusethman\'swit,butthatman\'switabusethpoetry.ForIwillnotdenybutthatman\'switmaymakepoesy,whichshouldbe[Greektext],whichsomelearnedhavedefined,figuringforthgoodthings,tobe[Greektext],whichdothcontrariwiseinfectthefancywithunworthyobjects;asthepainter,whoshouldgivetotheeyeeithersomeexcellentperspective,orsomefinepicturefitforbuildingorfortification,orcontaininginitsomenotableexample,asAbrahamsacrificinghissonIsaac,JudithkillingHolofernes,DavidfightingwithGoliath,mayleavethose,andpleaseanill-pleasedeyewithwantonshowsofbetter-hiddenmatters.
But,what!shalltheabuseofathingmaketherightuseodious?