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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
book_n	call_v	think_v	write_v	2,443	5	5.1244	4	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A37178	A discourse upon Gondibert an heroick poem / written by Sr. William D'Avenant ; with an answer to it, by Mr. Hobbs.; Gondibert. Preface	D'Avenant, William, Sir, 1606-1668.; Hobbes, Thomas, 1588-1679. Answer of Mr. Hobbs to Sr. William D'Avenant's preface before Gondibert.; Cowley, Abraham, 1618-1667.; Waller, Edmund, 1606-1687.	1650 (1650)	Wing D322; ESTC R8934	45,679	154

having taken measure though hastily of the extent of those great Professions that in Government contribute to the necessities ease and lawfull pleasures of Men and finding Poesie as usefull now as the Antients found it towards perfection and happinesse I will Sir unlesse with these two Books you return me a discouragement cheerfully proceed and though a little time would perfect the Third and make it fit for the Presse I am resolv'd rarather to hazard the inconvenience which expectation breeds for divers with no ill satisfaction have had a taste of GONDIBERT then endure that violent envy which assaults all Writers whilst they live though their Papers be but fill'd with very negligent and ordinary thoughts and therefore I delay the publication of any part of the Poem till I can send it you from America whither I now speedily prepare having the folly to hope that when I am in another World though not in the common sense of dying I shall find my Readers even the Poets of the present Age as temperate and benigne as we are all to the Dead whose remote excellence cannot hinder our reputation And now Sir to end with the Allegory which I have so long continu'd I shall after all my busie vanity in shewing and describing my new Building with great quietnesse being almost as weary as your self b●ing you to the Back-dore that you may make no review but in my absence and steal hastily from you as one who is ashamed of all the trouble you have receiv'd from SIR Your most humble and most affectionate Servant WIL D'AVENANT From the Louure in Paris January 2. 1650. THE ANSVVER OF Mr. HOBBS TO Sr. WILLIAM D'AVENANT'S PREFACE before GONDIBERT SIR IF to commend your Poem I should onely say in generall terms that in the choice of your Argument the disposition of the parts the maintenance of the Characters of your Persons the Dignity and Vigour of your Expression you have performed all the parts of various experience ready memory clear judgement swift and well govern'd fancy though it were enough for the truth it were too little for the weight and credit of my testimony For I lie open to two Exceptions one of an incompetent the other of a corrupted Witnesse Incompetent because I am not a Poet and corrupted with the Honour done me by your PREFACE The former obliges me to say something by the way of the Nature and differences of Poesie As Philosophers have divided the Universe their subject into three Regions Celestial AEriall and Terrestriall so the Poets whose work it is by imitating humane life in delightfull and measur'd lines to avert men from vice and encline them to virtuous and honourable actions have lodg'd themselves in the three Regions of Mankind Court City and Countrey correspondent in some proportion to those three Regions of the World For there is in Princes and men of conspicuous power antiently called Heroes a lustre and influence upon the rest of men resembling that of the Heavens and an insincerenesse inconstancy and troublesome humour of those that dwell in populous Cities like the mobility blustring and impurity of the Air and a plainnesse and though dull yet a nutritive faculty in rurall people that endures a comparison with the Earth they labour From hence have proceeded three sorts of Poesie Heroick Scommatick and Pastorall Every one of these is distinguish'd again in the manner of Representation which sometimes is Narrative wherein the Poet himself relateth and sometimes Dramatick as when the persons are every one adorned and brought upon the Theatre to speak and act their own parts There is therefore neither more nor lesse then six sorts of Poesie For the Heroick Poem narrative such as is yours is called an Epick Poeme The Heroick Poeme Drammatick is Tragedy The Scommatick Narrative is Satyre Drammatick is Comedy The Pastorall narrative is called simply Pastorall antiently Bucolick the same Dramatick Pastorall Comedie The Figure therefore of an Epick Poem and of a Tragedy ought to be the same for they differ no more but in that they are pronounced by one or many persons Which I insert to justifie the figure of yours consisting of five books divided into Songs or Cantoes as five Acts divided into Scenes has ever been the approved figure of a Tragedy They that take for Poesie whatsoever is writ in Verse will think this division imperfect and call in Sonnets Epigrammes Eclogues and the like pieces which are but Essayes and parts of an entire Poeme and reckon Empedocles and Lucretius naturall Philosophers for Poets and the morall precepts of Phocylides Theognis and the Quatrains of Pybrach and the History of Lucan and others of that kind amongst Poems bestowing on such Writers for honour the name of Poets rather then of Historians or Philosophers But the subject of a Poem is the manners of men not naturall causes manners presented not dictated and manners feigned as the name of Poesie imports not found in men They that give entrance to Fictions writ in prose erre not so much but they erre For Poesie requireth delightfulnesse not onely of fiction but of stile in which if prose contend with Verse it is with disadvantage as it were on foot against the strength and wings of Pegasus For Verse amongst the Greeks was appropriated antiently to the service of their Gods and was the Holy stile the stile of the Oracles the stile of the Laws and the stile of men that publickly recommended to their Gods the vows and thanks of the people which was done in their holy Songs called Hymns and the Composers of them were called Prophets and Priests before the name of Poet was known When afterwards the majesty of that stile was observed the Poets chose it as best becoming their high invention And for the Antiquity of Verse it is greater then the Antiquity of Letters For it is certain Cadmus was the first that from Phoenicia a countrey that neighboureth Iudea brought the use of Letters into Greece But the service of the Gods and the laws which by measured Sounds were easily committed to the memory had been long time in use before the arrivall of Cadmus there There is besides the grace of stile another cause why the antient Poets chose to write in measured language which is this Their Poems were made at first with intention to have them sung as well Epique as Dramatique which custome hath been long time laid aside but began to be revived in part of late years in Italy and could not be made commensurable to the Voyce or instruments in Prose the wayes and motions whereof are so uncertain and undistinguished like the way and motion of a Ship in the Sea as not onely to discompose the best Composers but also to disappoint sometimes the most attentive Reader and put him to hunt counter for the sense It was therefore necessary for Poets in those times to write in Verse The verse which the Greeks and Latines considering the nature of their own

thither late yet too soon are call'd out of it and fetch'd home by Death hath taught me that the engendrings of unripe age become abortive and deform'd and that after obteining more years those must needs prophecy with ill successe who make use of their Visions in Wine That when the antient Poets were valued as Prophets they were long and painfull in watching the correspondence of Causes ere they presum'd to foretell Effects and that 't is a high presumption to entertein a Nation who are a Poets standing Guests and require Monarchicall respect with hasty provisions as if a Poet might imitate the familiar dispatch of Faulconers mount his Pegasus unhood his Muse and with a few flights boast he hath provided a feast for a Prince Such posting upon Pegasus I have long since forborn and during my journey in this Work have mov'd with a flow place that I might make my surveyes as one that travelled not to bring home the names but the proportion and nature of things and in this I am made wise by two great examples for the friends of Virgil acknowledge he was many years in doing honour to AEneas still contracting at night into a closer force the abundance of his morning strengths and Statius rather seems to boast then blush when he confesses he was twice Seven years in renowning the War between Argos and Thebes Next to the usefulnesse of Time which here implies ripe Age I beleev'd pains most requisite to this undertaking for though painfulnesse in Poets according to the usuall negligence of our Nation in examining and their diligence to censure seems alwayes to discover a want of naturall force and is traduc'd as if Poesie concern'd the world no more then Dancing whose onely grace is the quicknesse and facility of motion and whose perfection is not of such publick consequence that any man can merit much by attaining it with long labour yet let them consider and they will find nor can I stay long ere I convince them in the important use of Poesie the naturall force of a Poet more apparent by but confessing that great forces ask great labour in managing then by an arrogrant braving the world when he enters the field with his undisciplin'd first thoughts For a wise Poet like a wise Generall will not shew his strengths till they are in exact government and order which are not the postures of chance but proceed from Vigilance and Labour Yet to such painfull Poets some upbraid the want of extemporary fury or rather Inspiration a dangerous word which many have of late successfully us'd and Inspiration is a spirituall Fit deriv'd from the antient Ethnick Poets who then as they were Priests were States-men too and probably lov'd Dominion and as their well dissembling of inspiration begot them reverence then equall to that which was payd to Lawes so these who now professe the same fury may perhaps by such authentick example pretend authority over the people It being not unreasonable to imagine they rather imitate the Greek Poets then the Hebrew Prophets since the later were inspir'd for the use of others and these like the former prophecy for themselves But though the antient Poets are excus'd as knowing the weak constitution of those Deities from whom they took their Priesthood and the frequent necessity of dissembling for the ease of government yet these who also from the chief to the meanest are States-men and Priests but have not the luck to be Poets should not assume such saucy familiarity with a true God From the time and labour requir'd to my Poem let me proceed to my Assistants by which I shall not so much attest my own weaknesse as discover the difficulties and greatness of such a work For when Solomon made use of his Neighbours towards his building he lost no reputation nor by demanding those aids was thought a lesser Prince but rather publish'd his Wisedome in rightly understanding the vast extent of his enterprise who likewise with as much glory made use of Fellers of wood and Hewers of Stone as of learned Architects Nor have I refrain'd to be oblig'd to men of any science as well mechanicall as liberall Nor when Memory from that various and plentifull stock with which all observers are furnish'd that have had diversity of life presented me by chance with any figure did I lay it a side as uselesse because at that instant I was not skilfull to manage it artfully but I have staid and recorded such objects till by consulting with right Masters I have dispos'd of them without mistake It being no more ●hame to get Learning at that very time and from the same Text when and by which we instruct others then for a forward Scout discovering the Enemy to save his own life at a Passe where he then teacheas his Party to escape In remembring mine own helps I have cons●dered those which others in the same necessity have taken and find that Writers contrary to my inclination are apter to be beholding to Books then to men not onely as the first are more in their possession being more con●tant Companions then dearest friends but because they commonly make such use of treasure found in Books as of other treasure belonging to the Dead and hidden under ground for they dispose of both with great secrecy defacing the shape or images of the one as much as of the other through fear of having the Originall of their stealth or abundance discovered And the next cause why Writers are more in Libraries then in Company is that Books are easily open'd and learned men are usually shut up by a froward or envious humour of retention or else unfold themselves so as we may reade more of their weaknesse and vanity then Wisdome imitating the Holiday custome in great cities where the shops of Chaundry and slight wares are familiarly open but those of solid and staple merchandise are proudly lock'd up Nor indeed can it be expected that all great Doctours are of so benigne a nature as to take pains in gaining treasure of which Knowledge is the greatest with intent to inrich others so easily as if they stood every where with their Pockets spread and ready to be pickt Nor can we reade of any Father who so farre and secretly adopted his Sonne to a Book of his own writing as that his Son might be thought Authour of that written Wit as much as his Father was Authour of him Nor of any Husband that to his darling Wife would so far surrender his Wisedome as that in publick he could endure to let her use his Dictates as if she would have others think her wiser then himself By this remembrance of that usuall parcimony in owners of Wit towards such as would make use of their plenty I lament the fortune of others and may wish the Reader to congratulate mine For I have found Friends as ready as Books to regulate my conceptions or make them more correct easie and apparent But though I am

become so wise by knowing my self as to believe the thoughts of divers transcend the best which I have written yet I have admitted from no man any change of my Designe nor very seldome of my Sence For I resolv'd to have this Poem subsist and continue throughout with the same Complexion and Spirit though it appear but like a plain family of a neighbourly alliance who marry into the same moderate quality and garb and are fearfull of introducing strangers of greater ranke lest the shining presence of such might seem to upbraid and put all about them out of countenance And now Sir that the Reader may whom Writers are fain to court draw in and keep with artifice so shy men grow of Books believe me worthy of him I cannot forbear to thank you in publick for examining correcting and allowing this Poem in parcels ere it arriv'd at the contexture by which you have perform'd the just degrees of proceeding with Poets who during the gayetie and wantonnesse of the Muse are but as children to Philosophers though of some Giant race whose first thoughts wild and roaming farre off must be brought home watch'd and interrogated and af●er they are made more regular be encourag'd and prais'd for doing well that they may delight in aiming at perfection By such a Method the Muse is taught to become Master of her own and others strength and who is he so learn'd how proud soever with being cherish'd in the bosome of Fame that can hope when through the severall wayes of Science he seeks Nature in her hidden walks to make his Journey short unlesse he call you to be his Guide and who so guided can suspect his safety even when he travels through the Enemy's countrey For such is the vast field of Learning where the learned though not numerous enough to be an Army lie as small parties maliciously in Ambush to destroy all new Men that look into their Quarters And from such you and those you lead are secure because you move not by common Maps but have painfully made your own Prospect and travel now like the Sunne not to inform your self but enlighten the World And likewise when by the strict survey and Government that hath been had over this Po●m I shall think to govern the Reader who though he be noble may perhaps judge of supreme Power like a very Commoner and rather approve Authority when it is in many then in one I must acquaint him that you had not alone the trouble of establishing and destroying but injoy'd your intervalls and ease by two Colleagues two that are worthy to follow you into the Closets of Princes if the knowledge of Men past of whom Books are the remaining minds or of the present of whom Conversation is the usefull and lawfull Spy may make up such greatnesse as is fit for great Courts or if the raies that proceed from the Poetick Planet be not a little too strong for the sight of modern Monarchs who now are too seldome taught in their youth like Eaglets to fortifie their eyes by often soaring near the Sun And though this be here but my testimony it is too late for any of you to disclaim it for since you have made it valid by giving yours of GONDIBERT under your hands you must be content to be us'd by me as Princes are by their prefer'd Subjects who in the very act of taking Honour return it to the giver as benefits receiv'd by the Creature manifest the power and redound to the glory of the Creatour I am now Sir to your great comfort that have been thus ill and long diverted arriv'd at my last consideration which is to satisfie those who may inquire why I have taken so much pains to become an Authour or why any man stayes so long sweating at the fire of Invention to dresse the food of the Mind when Readers have so imperfect stomachs as they either devour Books with over hasty Digestion or grow to loathe them from a Surfet And why I more especially made my task an Heroick Poem I shall involve the two first Questions in one as submitting to be concern'd amongst the generality of Writers whose Enemies being many and now mine we must joyn forces to oppose them Men are chiefly provok'd to the toil of compiling Books by love of Fame and often by officiousnesse of Conscience but seldome with expectation of Riches for those that spend time in writing to instruct others may find leasure to inform themselvs how mean the provisions are which busie and studious minds can make for their own sedentary bodies And Learned men to whom the rest of the world are but Infants have the same foolish affection in nourishing others minds as Pelicans in feeding their young which is at the expence of the very subsistence of Life 'T is then apparent they proceed by the instigation of Fame or Conscience and I believe many are perswaded by the first of which I am One and some are commanded by the second Nor is the desire of Fame so vain as divers have rigidly imagin'd Fame being when belonging to the Living that which is more gravely call'd a steddy and necessary reputation and without it hereditary Power or acquired greatnesse can never quietly govern the World 'T is of the Dead a musicall glory in which God the authour of excellent goodnesse vouchsafes to take a continuall share For the remembred virtues of g●eat men are chiefly such of his works mentioned by King David as perpetually praise him and the good fame of the Dead prevails by example much more then the reputation of the Living because the later is alwayes suspected by our Envy but the other is cheerfully allow'd and religiously admir'd for Admiration whose Eyes are ever weak stands still and at gaze upon great things acted farre off but when they are near walks slightly away as from familiar objects Fame is to our Sonnes a solid Inheritance and not unusefull to remote Posterity and to our Reason 't is the first though but a little taste of Eternity Those that write by the command of Conscience thinking themselves able to instruct others and consequently oblig'd to it grow commonly the most voluminous because the pressures of Conscience are so incessant that she is never satisfi'd with doing enough for such as be newly made the captives of God many appearing so to themselves when they first begin to wear the fetters of Conscience are like common Slaves when newly taken who terrifi'd with a fancy of the severity of absolute Masters abuse their diligence out of fear and do ill rather then appear idle And this may be the cause why Libraries are more then double-lin'd with Spirituall Books or Tracts of Morality the later being the Spirituall Counsels of Lay-men and the newest of such great volumes being usually but transcriptions or translations differ so much from the Antients as later dayes from those of old which difference is no more then an alteration of