good giftes of God. So it seemes not altogether the
scorne and ordinarie disgrace offered vnto Poets at these dayes, is cause
why few Gentlemen do delight in the Art, but for that liberalitie, is come
to fayle in Princes, who for their largesse were wont to be accompted
th'onely patrons of learning, and first founders of all excellent
artificers. Besides it is not perceiued, that Princes them selues do take
any pleasure in this science, by whose example the subiect is commonly
led, and allured to all delights and exercises be they good or bad,
according to the graue saying of the historian. _Rex multitudinem
religione impleuit, quae semper regenti similis est._ And peraduenture in
this iron & malitious age of ours, Princes are lesse delighted in it,
being ouer earnestly bent and affected to the affaires of Empire &
ambition, whereby they are as it were inforced to indeuour them selues to
armes and practises of hostilitie, or to entend to the right pollicing of
their states, and haue not one houre to bestow vpon any other ciuill or
delectable Art of naturall or morall doctrine: nor scarce any leisure to
thincke one good thought in perfect and godly contemplation, whereby their
troubled mindes might be moderated and brought to tranquillitie. So as, it
is hard to find in these dayes of noblemen or gentlemen any good
_Mathematician_, or excellent _Musitian_, or notable _Philosopher_, or els
a cunning Poet: because we find few great Princes much delighted in the
same studies. Now also of such among the Nobilitie or gentrie as be very
well seene in many laudable sciences, and especially in making of Poesie,
it is so come to passe that they haue no courage to write & if they haue,
yet are they loath to be a knowen of their skill. So as I know very many
notable Gentlemen in the Court that haue written commendably, and
suppressed it agayne, or els suffred it to be publisht without their owne
names to it: as if it were a discredit for a Gentleman, to seeme learned,
and to shew himselfe amorous of any good Art. In other ages it was not so,
for we read that Kinges & Princes haue written great volumes and publisht
them vnder their owne regall titles. As to begin with _Salomon_ the wisest
of Kings, _Iulius Caesar_ the greatest of Emperours, _Hermes Trisingistus_
the holiest of Priestes and Prophetes, _Euax_ king of _Arabia_ wrote a
booke of precious stones in verse, prince _Auicenna_ of Phisicke and
Philosophie, _Alphonsus_ king of Spa