The staffe of seuen verses hath seuen proportions, whereof one onley is the vsuall of our vulgar, and kept by our old Poets Chaucer and other in their historicall reports and other ditties:  as in the last part of them that follow next.

[Illustration:  eight diagrams of seven lines each:  first, connecting these lines — 1 with 3, 2 with 4, 4 with 6, 5 with 7; second, connecting these lines — 1 with 3, 2 with 4, 3 with 5, 6 with 7; third, connecting these lines — 1 with 4, 2 with 3, 4 with 7, 5 with 6; fourth, connecting these lines — 1 with 2, 6 and 7, 3 with 4 and 5; fifth, connecting these lines — 1 with 7, 2 with 6, 3 with 4 and 5; sixth, connecting these lines — 1 with 2, 5 and 6, 3 with 4 and 7; seventh, connecting these lines — 1 with 4 and 7, 2 with 3, 5 and 6; eighth, connecting these lines — 1 with 2, 3 with 4 and 5, 6 with 7.]

The huitain or staffe of eight verses, hath eight proportions such as the former staffe, and is because he is longer, he hath one more then the sestaine.

The staffe of nine verses hath yet moe then the eight, and the staffe of ten more then the ninth and the twelfth, if such were allowable in ditties, more then any of them all, by reason of his largenesse receiuing moe compasses and enterweauings, alwayes considered that the very large distances be more artificiall, then popularly pleasant, and yet do giue great grace and grauitie, and moue passion and affections more vehemently, as it is well to be obserued by Petrarcha his Canzoni.

Now ye may perceiue by these proportions before described, that there is a band to be giuen euery verse in a staffe, so as none fall out alone or vncoupled, and this band maketh that the staffe is sayd fast and not loose:  euen as ye see in buildings of stone or bricke the mason giueth a band, that is a length to two breadths, & vpon necessitie diuers other sorts of bands to hold in the worke fast and maintaine the perpendicularitie of the wall:  so in any staffe of seuen or eight or more verses, the coupling of the moe meeters by rime or concord, is the faster band:  the fewer the looser band, and therefore in a huiteine he that putteth foure verses in one concord and foure in another concord, and in a dizaine fiue, sheweth him selfe more cunning, and also more copious in his owne language.  For he that can find two words of concord, can not find foure or fiue or sixe, vnlesse he haue his owne language at will.  Sometimes also ye are driuen of neccesitie to close and make band more then ye would, lest otherwise the staffe should fall asunder and seeme two staues:  and this is in a staffe of eight and ten verses:  whereas without a band in the middle, it would seeme two quadriens or two quintaines, which is an error that many makers slide away with.  Yet Chaucer and others in the staffe of seuen and sixe do almost as much a misse, for they shut vp the staffe with a disticke, concording with