of the common people unto his liking; but the other in few words spake thus:  “Lords of Athens, what this man hath said I will performe.”  In the greatest earnestnesse of Ciceroes eloquence many were drawn into a kind of admiration; But Cato jesting at it, said, “Have we not a pleasant Consull?” A quicke cunning Argument, and a wittie saying, whether it go before or come after, it is never out of season.  If it have no coherence with that which goeth before, nor with what commeth after; it is good and commendable in it selfe.  I am none of those that think a good Ryme, to make a good Poeme; let him hardly (if so he please) make a short syllable long, it is no great matter; if the invention be rare and good, and his wit and judgement have cunningly played their part.  I will say to such a one; he is a good Poet, but an ill Versifier.

     Emunciae naris, durus componere versus.
     [Footnote:  Hor. 1. i.  Sat. iv.]

     A man whose sense could finely pierce,
     But harsh and hard to make a verse.

Let a man (saith Horace) make his worke loose all seames, measures, and joynts.

Tempora certa moddsque, et quod prius ordine verbum est, [Footnote:  Ib. 58.] Posterius facias, praeponens ultima primis:  Invenias etiam disjecti membra Poetae. [Footnote:  Ib. 62.]

 Set times and moods, make you the first word last,
 The last word first, as if they were new cast: 
 Yet find th’ unjoynted Poets joints stand fast.

He shall for all that, nothing gain-say himselfe, every piece will make a good shew.  To this purpose answered Menander those that chid him, the day being at hand, in which he had promised a Comedy, and had not begun the same, “Tut-tut,” said he, “it is alreadie finished, there wanteth nothing but to adde the verse unto it;” for, having ranged and cast the plot in his mind, he made small accompt of feet, of measures, or cadences of verses, which indeed are but of small import in regard of the rest.  Since great Ronsarde and learned Bellay have raised our French Poesie unto that height of honour where it now is:  I see not one of these petty ballad-makers, or prentise dogrell rymers, that doth not bombast his labours with high-swelling and heaven-disimbowelling words, and that doth not marshall his cadences verie neere as they doe.  Plus sonat quam valet. [Footnote:  Sen, Epist. xl.] “The sound is more than the weight or worth.”  And for the vulgar sort there were never so many Poets, and so few good:  but as it hath been easie for them to represent their rymes, so come they far short in imitating the rich descriptions of the one, and rare inventions of the other.  But what shall he doe, if he be urged with sophisticall subtilties about a Sillogisme?  A gammon of Bacon makes a man drink, drinking quencheth a mans thirst; Ergo, a gammon of bacon quencheth a mans thirst.  Let him mock at it, it is more wittie to be mockt at than to be answered.  Let him borrow