[292]: So that since the excellency of poetry may be so easely and so justly confirmed, and the low-creeping objections so soon trodden down, it not being an arte of lies, but of true doctrine; not of effeminateness, but of notable stirring of courage; not of abusing man's witt, but of strengthening man's witt; not banished, but honoured by Plato; let us rather plant more laurels for to ingarland the poets' heads, than suffer the ill favoured breath of such wrong speakers once to blow up on the cleare streams of poesie.
Voyez encore çà et là des vers qui éclatent comme ceux-ci:
Or Pindare's apes, flamet they in phrases fine,
Enam'ling with pied flowers their thoughts of gold.
And Joy which is inseparate from those eyes,
Stella, now learnes (strange case) to weepe in thee.
(101e sonnet.)
In a grove most riche of shade,
Where birds wanton musike made,
May, then young, his pide weeds showing,
New perfumed with flowers fresh growing,
Astrophel, with Stella sweet,
Did for mutual comfort meet,
Both within themselves oppressed,
But each in the other blessed.
Their ears hungry of each word
Which the dere tongue would afford,
But their tongues restrained from walking
Till their harts had ended talking.