ers head,
albeit these common rimers vse it much, for as I sayd before, like as the
Symphonie in a versse of great length, is (as it were) lost by looking
after him, and yet may the meetre be very graue and stately: so on the
other side doth the ouer busie and too speedy returne of one maner of
tune, too much annoy & as it were glut the eare, vnlesse it be in small &
popular Musickes song by thesse _Cantabanqui_ vpon benches and barrels
heads where they haue none other audience then boys or countrey fellowes
that passse by them in the streete, or else by blind harpers or such like
tauerne minstrels that giue a fit of mirth for a groat, & their matters
being for the most part stories of old time, as the tale of Sir _Topas_,
the reportes of _Beuis_ of _Southampton, Guy_ of _Warwicke, Adam Bell_,
and _Clymme of the Clough_ & such other old Romances or historicall rimes,
made purposely for recreation of the common people at Christmasse diners &
brideales, and in tauernes & alehouses and such other places of base
resort, also they be vsed in Carols and rounds and such light or
lasciuious Poemes, which are commonly more commodiously vttered by these
buffons or vices in playes then by any other person. Such were the rimes
of _Skelton_ (vsurping the name of a Poet Laureat) being in deede but a
rude rayling rimer & all his doings ridiculous, he vsed both short
distaunces and short measures pleasing onely the popular eare: in our
courtly maker we banish them vtterly. Now also haue ye in euery song or
ditty concorde by compasse & concorde entertangled and a mixt of both,
what that is and how they be vsed shalbe declared in the chapter of
proportion by _scituation._

_CHAP. X_

_Of proportion by situation._

This proportion consisteth in placing of euery verse in a staffe or ditty
by such reasonable distaunces, as may best serue the eare for delight, and
also to shew the Poets art and variety of Musick, and the proportion is
double. One by marshalling the meetres, and limiting their distaunces
hauing regard to the rime or concorde how they go and returne: another by
placing euery verse, hauing a regard to his measure and quantitie onely,
and not to his concorde as to set one short meetre to three long, or foure
short and two long, or a short measure and a long, or of diuers lengthes
with relation one to another, which maner of _Situation_, euen without
respect of the rime, doth alter the nature of the Poesie, and make i