CHAP. IIII.

Of Language.



SPeach is not naturall to man sauing for his onely habilitie to 
speake, and that he is by kinde apt to vtter all his conceits with 
sounds and voyces diuersified many maner of wayes, by meanes 
of the many & fit instruments he hath by nature to that purpose, 
as a broad and voluble tong, thinne and mouable lippes, teeth euen
and not shagged, thick ranged, a round vaulted pallate, and a long 
throte, besides an excellent capacitie of wit that maketh him more 
disciplinable and imitatiue then any other creature: then as to the


forme and action of his speach, it commeth to him by arte &  tea­
ching, and by vse or exercise. But after a speach is fully fashioned 
to the common vnderstanding, &  accepted by consent of a whole 
countrey &  nation, it is called a language, &  receaueth none allow­
ed alteration, but by extraordinary occasions by little & little, as it 
were insensibly bringing in of many corruptions that creepe along 
with the time: of all which matters, we haue more largely spoken 
in our bookes of the originals and pedigree of the English tong. 
Then when I say language, I meane the speach wherein the Poet 
or maker writeth be it Greek or Latine, or as our case is the vulgar 
English, & when it is peculiar vnto a countrey it is called the mo­
ther speach of that people: the Greekes terme it Idioma: so is ours 
at this day the Norman English. Before the Conquest of the Nor­
mans it was the Anglesaxon, and before that the British, which as 
some will, is at this day, the Walsh, or as others affirme the Cor­
nish: I for my part thinke neither of both, as they be now spoken 
and pronounced. This part in our maker or Poet must be heedy­
ly looked vnto, that it be naturall, pure, and the most vsuall of all 
his countrey: and for the same purpose rather that which is spo­
ken in the kings Court, or in the good townes and Cities within 
the land, then in the marches and frontiers, or in port townes, 
where straungers haunt for traffike sake, or yet in Vniuersities 
where Schollers vse much peeuish affectation of words out of the 
primatiue languages, or finally, in any vplandish village or cor­
ner of a Realme, where is no resort but of poore rusticall or vnci­
uill people: neither shall he follow the speach of a craftes man or 
carter, or other of the inferiour sort, though he be inhabitant or 
bred in the best towne and Citie in this Realme, for such persons 
doe abuse good speaches by strange accents or ill shapen soundes, 
and false ortographie. But he shall follow generally the better 
brought vp sort, such as the Greekes call [charientes] men ciuill 
and graciously behauoured and bred. Our maker therfore at these 
dayes shall not follow Piers plowman nor Gower nor Lydgate nor 
yet Chaucer, for their language is now out of vse with vs: neither 
shall he take the termes of Northern-men, such as they vse in day­
ly talke, whether they be noble men or gentlemen, or of their best 
clarkes all is a matter: nor in effect any speach vsed beyond the



riuer of Trent, though no man can deny but that theirs is the pu­
rer English Saxon at this day, yet it is not so Courtly nor so cur­
rant as our Southerne English is, no more is the far Westerne mans 
speach: ye shall therfore take the vsuall speach of the Court, and 
that of London and the shires lying about London within lx. 
myles, and not much aboue. I say not this but that in euery shyre 
of England there be gentlemen and others that speake but special­
ly write as good Southerne as we of Middlesex or Surrey do, but 
not the common people of euery shire, to whom the gentlemen, 
and also their learned clarkes do for the most part condescend, but 
herein we are already ruled by th'English Dictionaries and other 
bookes written by learned men, and therefore it needeth none o­
ther direction in that behalfe. Albeit peraduenture some small ad­
monition be not impertinent, for we finde in our English wri­
ters many wordes and speaches amendable, & ye shall see in some 
many inkhorne termes so ill affected brought in by men of lear­
ning as preachers and schoolemasters: and many straunge termes 
of other languages by Secretaries and Marchaunts and trauai­
lours, and many darke wordes and not vsuall nor well sounding, 
though they be dayly spoken in Court. Wherefore great heed 
must be taken by our maker in this point that his choise be good. 
And peraduenture the writer hereof be in that behalfe no lesse 
faultie then any other, vsing many straunge and vnaccusto­
med wordes and borrowed from other languages: and in that 
respect him selfe no meete Magistrate to reforme the same 
errours in any other person, but since he is not vnwilling to 
acknowledge his owne fault, and can the better tell how to 
amend it, he may seeme a more excusable correctour of other 
mens: he intendeth therefore for an indifferent way and vni­
uersall benefite to taxe him selfe first and before any others.


These be words vsed by th'author in this present treatise, scienti­
ficke, but with some reason, for it answereth the word mechanicall, 
which no other word could haue done so properly, for when hee 
spake of all artificers which rest either in science or in handy craft, 
it followed necessarilie that scientifique should be coupled with 
mechanicall: or els neither of both to haue bene allowed, but in 
their places: a man of science liberall, and a handicrafts man, which



had not bene so cleanly a speech as the other Maior-domo: in truth 
this word is borrowed of the Spaniard and Italian, and therefore 
new and not vsuall, but to them that are acquainted with the af­
faires of Court: and so for his iolly magnificence (as this case is) 
may be accepted among Courtiers, for whom this is specially writ­
ten. A man might haue said in steade of Maior-domo, the French 
word (maistre d'hostell) but ilfauouredly, or the right English 
word (Lord Steward.) But me thinks for my owne opinion this 
word Maior-domo though he be borrowed, is more acceptable than 
any of the rest, other men may iudge otherwise. Politien, this word 
also is receiued from the Frenchmen, but at this day vsuall in 
Court and with all good Secretaries: and cannot finde an English 
word to match him, for to haue said a man politique, had not bene 
so wel: bicause in trueth that had bene no more than to haue said a 
ciuil person. Politien is rather a surueyour of ciuilitie than ciuil, & 
a publique minister or Counseller in the state. Ye haue also this 
worde Conduict, a French word, but well allowed of vs, and long 
since vsuall, it soundes somewhat more than this word (leading) 
for it is applied onely to the leading of a Captaine, and not as a lit­
tle boy should leade a blinde man, therefore more proper to the 
case when he saide, conduict of whole armies: ye finde also this 
word Idiome, taken from the Greekes, yet seruing aptly, when a 
man wanteth to expresse so much vnles it be in two words, which 
surplussage to auoide, we are allowed to draw in other words sin­
gle, and asmuch significatiue: this word significatiue is borrowed 
of the Latine and French, but to vs brought in first by some No­
ble-mans Secretarie, as I thinke, yet doth so well serue the turne, as 
it could not now be spared: and many more like vsurped Latine 
and French words: as, Methode, methodicall, placation, function, as­
subtiling, refining, compendious, prolixe, figuratiue, inueigle. A terme 
borrowed of our common Lawyers, impression, also a new terme, 
but well expressing the matter, and more than our English word. 
 These words, Numerous, numerositee, metricall, harmonicall, but 
they cannot be refused, specially in this place for description of the 
arte. Also ye finde these words, penetrate, penetrable, indignitie, 
which I cannot see how we may spare them, whatsoeuer fault wee 
finde with Ink-horne termes: for our speach wanteth wordes to



such sence so well to be vsed: yet in steade of indignitie, yee haue 
vnworthinesse: and for penetrate, we may say peerce, and that a 
French terme also, or broche, or enter into with violence, but not 
so well sounding as penetrate. Item, sauage, for wilde: obscure, for 
darke. Item these words, declination, delineation, dimention,, are scho­
lasticall termes in deede, and yet very proper.  But peraduenture 
(& I could bring a reason for it) many other like words borrowed 
out of the Latin and French, were not so well to be allowed by vs, 
as these words, audacious, for bold: facunditie, for eloquence: egregi­
ous, for great or notable: implete, for replenished: attempt at, for at­
tempt: compatible, for agreeable in nature, and many more. But 
herein the noble Poet Horace hath said inough to satisfie vs all in 
these few verses.

"attempt at" not found in the OED. The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin.



Multa renascentur quae iam cecidere cadentque
Quæ nunc sunt in honore vocabula si volet vsus
Quem penes arbitrium est & vis & norma loquendi. 

Which I haue thus englished, but nothing with so good grace, nor 
so briefly as the Poet wrote.

Many a word yfalne shall eft arise
And such as now bene held in hiest prise
Will fall as fast, when vse and custome will
Onely vmpiers of speach, for force and skill. 










CHAP. XII.
 
Of Auricular figures pertaining to clauses of speech and 
by them working no little alteration to the care.


Eclipsis 
 or the 
Figure of de­
fault. 
AS your single words may be many waies transfigured to make 
the meetre or verse more tunable and melodious, so also may 


your whole and entire clauses be in such sort contriued by the or­
der of their construction as the eare may receiue a certaine recrea­
tion, although the mind for any noueltie of sence be little or no­
thing affected. And therefore al your figures of grammaticall con­
struction, I accompt them but merely auricular in that they reach 
no furder then the eare. To which there will appeare some sweete 
or vnsauery point to offer you dolour or delight, either by some 
euident defect, or surplusage, or disorder, or immutation in the 
same speaches notably altering either the congruitie grammaticall, 
or the sence, or both. And first of those that worke by defect, if 
but one word or some little portion of speach be wanting, it may 
be supplied by ordinary vnderstanding and vertue of the figure 
Eclipsis, as to say, so early a man, for [are ye] so early a man: he is to 
be intreated, for he is [easie] to be intreated: I thanke God I am 
to liue like a Gentleman, for I am [able] to liue, and the Spaniard 
said in his deuise of armes acuerdo oluido, I remember I forget 
whereas in right congruitie of speach it should be. I remember 
[that I [doo] forget. And in a deuise of our owne [empechement 
pur a choison] a let for a furderance whereas it should be said [vse] 
a let for a furderance, and a number more like speaches defectiue, 
and supplied by common vnderstanding.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "eclipsis" is in the OED as an English word.

Zeugma 
 or the  
Single supply. 
But if it be to mo clauses then one, that some such word be sup­
plied to perfit the congruitie or sence of them all, it is by the figure 
[Zeugma] we call him the [single supplie] because by one word 
we serue many clauses of one congruitie, and may be likened to 
the man that serues many maisters at once, but all of one country 
or kinred: as to say.

Fellowes and friends and kinne forsooke me quite.

Here this word forsooke satisfieth the congruitie and sence of 
all three clauses, which would require euery of them asmuch. And 
as we setting forth her Maiesties regall petigree, said in this figure 
of [Single supplie.]

Her graundsires Father and Brother was a King 
Her mother a crowned Queene, her Sister and her selfe.

Whereas ye see this one word [was] serues them all in that they 
require but one congruitie and sence.
The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "zeugma" is in the OED as an English term, but the phrase "single supply" is not.

Prozeugma, 
 or the  
Ringleader. 
Yet hath this figure of [Single supply] another propertie, occa­
sioning 


sioning him to change now and then his name: by the order of his 
supplie, for if it be placed in the forefront of all the seuerall clauses 
whom he is to serue as a common seruitour, then is he called by 
the Greeks Prozeugma, by vs the Ringleader: thus 

Her beautie perst mine eye, her speach mine wofull hart: 
Her presence all the powers of my discourse. &c.

Where ye see this one word [perst] placed in the foreward, sa­
tisfieth both in sence & congruitie all those other clauses that fol­
lowe him.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "prozeugma" not found in OED as an English term.

Mezozeugma 
 or the  
Middle mar­
cher. 
And if such word of supplie be placed in the middle of all such 
clauses as he serues: it is by the Greeks called Mezozeugma, by vs 
the [Middlemarcher] thus: 

Faire maydes beautie (alack) with yeares it weares away, 
And with wether and sicknes, and sorrow as they say.
The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "mesozeugma" is found in OED as an English term.

Hypozeugma, 
 or the  
Rerewarder. 
Where ye see this word [weares] serues one clause before him, 
and two clauses behind him, in one and the same sence and con­
gruitie. And in this verse, 

Either the troth or talke nothing at all. 

Where this word [talke] serues the clause before and also be­
hind. But if such supplie be placed after all the clauses, and not be­
fore nor in the middle, then is he called by the Greeks Hypozeug­
ma, and by vs the [Rerewarder] thus: 

My mates that wont, to keepe me companie, 
And my neighbours, who dwelt next to my wall, 
The friends that sware, they would not sticke to die 
In my quarrell: they are fled from me all.
The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "hypozeugma" is found in OED as an English term.

Sillepsis, 
 or the  
Double supply. 
Where ye see this word [fled from me] serue all the three clauses 
requiring but one congruitie & sence. But if such want be in sun­
drie clauses, and of seuerall congruities or sence, and the supply be 
made to serue them all, it is by the figure Sillepsis, whom for that 
respect we call the [double supplie] conceiuing, and, as it were, com­
prehending vnder one a supplie of two natures, and may be like­
ned to the man that serues many masters at once, being of strange 
Countries or kinreds, as in these verses, where the lamenting wi­
dow shewed the Pilgrim the graues in which her husband & chil­
dren lay buried. 


Here my sweete sonnes and daughters all my blisse, 
Yonder mine owne deere husband buried is.

Where ye see one verbe singular supplyeth the plurall and sin­
gular, and thus 

Iudge ye louers, if it be strange or no: 
My Ladie laughs for ioy, and I for wo. 

Where ye see a third person supplie himselfe and a first person. 
And thus, 

Madame ye neuer shewed your selfe vntrue, 
Nor my deserts would euer suffer you. 

Viz. to show. Where ye see the moode Indicatiue supply him 
selfe and an Infinitiue. And the like in these other.

I neuer yet failde you in constancie, 
Nor neuer doo intend vntill I die.

Viz. [to show.] Thus much for the congruitie, now for the 
sence. One wrote thus of a young man, who slew a villaine that 
had killed his father, and rauished his mother.

Thus valiantly and with a manly minde, 
And by one feate of euerlasting fame, 
This lustie lad fully requited kinde, 
His fathers death, and eke his mothers shame. 


"double supply" not found in the OED. The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "syllepsis" is found in the OED as an English term, and "double supply" is not.



Hypozeuxis. 
 or the  
Substitute. 
Where ye see this word [requite] serue a double sence: that is to 
say, to reuenge, and to satisfie. For the parents iniurie was reuen­
ged, and the duetie of nature performed or satisfied by the childe. 
But if this supplie be made to sundrie clauses, or to one clause sun­
drie times iterated, and by seuerall words, so as euery clause hath 
his owne supplie: then is it called by the Greekes Hypozeuxis, we 
call him the substitute after his originall, and is a supplie with ite­
ration, as thus: 

Vnto the king she went, and to the king she said, 
Mine owne liege Lord behold thy poore handmaid. 

Here [went to the king] and [said to the king] be but one clause 
iterated with words of sundrie supply. Or as in these verses fol­
lowing.

My Ladie gaue me, my Lady wist not what, 
Geuing me leaue to be her Soueraine: 
For by such gift my Ladie hath done that, 
Which whilest she liues she may not call againe. 


Here [my Ladie gaue] and [my Ladie wist] be supplies with ite­
ration, by vertue of this figure.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "hypozeuxis" is in the OED as an English term.

Aposiopesis. 
 or the  
Figure of silence 
Ye haue another auricular figure of defect, and is when we be­
gin to speake a thing, and breake of in the middle way, as if either 
it needed no further to be spoken of, or that we were ashamed, or 
afraide to speake it out. It is also sometimes done by way of threat­
ning, and to shew a moderation of anger. The Greekes call him 
Aposiopesis. I, the figure of silence, or of interruption, indifferently. 

If we doo interrupt our speech for feare, this may be an exam­
ple, where as one durst not make the true report as it was, but 
staid halfe way for feare of offence, thus: 

He said you were, I dare not tell you plaine: 
For words once out, neuer returne againe.

If it be for shame, or that the speaker suppose it would be inde­
cent to tell all, then thus: as he that said to his sweete hart, whom 
he checked for secretly whispering with a suspected person.

And did ye not come by his chamber dore? 
And tell him that: goe to, I say no more.

If it be for anger or by way of manace or to show a moderation 
of wrath as the graue and discreeter sort of men do, then thus.

If I take you with such another cast 
I sweare by God, but let this be the last. 

Thinking to haue said further viz. I will punish you.

If it be for none of all these causes but vpon some sodaine oc­
casion that moues a man to breake of his tale, then thus.

He told me all at large: lo yonder is the man 
Let himselfe tell the tale that best tell can. 

This figure is fit for phantasticall heads and such as be sodaine 
or lacke memorie. I know one of good learning that greatly ble­
misheth his discretion with this maner of speach: for if he be in the 
grauest matter of the world talking, he will vpon the sodaine for 
the flying of a bird ouerthwart the way, or some other such 
sleight cause, interrupt his tale and neuer returne to it againe.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "aposiopesis" is in the OED as an English term. 

Prolepsis. 
 or the  
Propounder. 
Ye haue yet another maner of speach purporting at the first 
blush a defect which afterward is supplied the, Greekes call him 
Prolepsis, we the Propounder, or the Explaner which ye will: be­
cause he workes both effectes, as thus, where in certaine verses we 


describe the triumphant enter-view of two great Princesses thus. 

These two great Queenes, came marching hand in hand, 
Vnto the hall, where store of Princes stand: 
And people of all countreys to behold, 
Coronis all clad, in purple cloth of gold: 
Celiar in robes, of siluer tissew white, 
With rich rubies, and pearles all bedighte.

Here ye see the first proposition in a sort defectiue and of im­
perfect sence, till ye come by diuision to explane and enlarge it, 
but if we should follow the originall right, we ought rather to call 
him the forestaller, for like as he that standes in the market way, 
and takes all vp before it come to the market in grosse and sells it 
by retaile, so by this maner of speach our maker setts down before 
all the matter by a brief proposition, and afterward explanes it by 
a diuision more particularly.

By this other example it appeares also.

Then deare Lady I pray you let it bee, 
That our long loue may lead vs to agree: 
Me since I may not wed you to my wife, 
To serue you as a mistresse all my life: 
Ye that may not me for your husband haue, 
To clayme me for your seruant and your slaue.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "prolepsis" is in the OED as an English term.



CHAP. XII.
 
Of your figures Auricular working by disorder.



Hiperbaton, 
 or the  
Trespasser. 
TO all their speaches which wrought by disorder the Greekes 
gaue a general name [Hiperbaton] as much to say as the [tres­
passer] and because such disorder may be committed many wayes 
it receiueth sundry particulars vnder him, whereof some are onely 
proper to the Greekes and Latines and not to vs, other some ordi­
narie in our maner of speaches, but so foule and intollerable as I 
will not seeme to place them among the figures, but do raunge them 
as they deserue among the vicious or faultie speaches.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "hyperbaton" is in the OED as an English term.

Parenthesis. 
 or the  
Insertour. 
Your first figure of tollerable disorder is [Parenthesis] or by an 
English name the [Insertour] and is when ye will seeme for larger 
information or some other purpose, to peece or graffe in the mid­
dest of your tale an vnnecessary parcell of speach, which neuerthe­



lesse may be thence without any detriment to the rest. The figure 
is so common that it needeth none example, neuerthelesse be­
cause we are to teache Ladies and Gentlewomen to know their 
schoole points and termes appertaining to the Art, we may not 
refuse to yeeld examples euen in the plainest cases, as that of mai­
ster Diars very aptly. 

But now my Deere (for so my loue makes me to call you still) 
That loue I say, that lucklesse loue, that works me all this ill. 

Also in our Eglogue intituled Elpine, which we made being but 
eightene yeares old, to king Edward the sixt a Prince of great 
hope, we surmised that the Pilot of a ship answering the King, be­
ing inquisitiue and desirous to know all the parts of the ship and 
tackle, what they were, & to what vse they serued, vsing this inser­
tion or Parenthesis.

Soueraigne Lord (for why a greater name 
To one on earth no mortall tongue can frame 
No statelie stile can giue the practisd penne: 
To one on earth conuersant among men.)

And so proceedes to answere the kings question?

The shippe thou seest sayling in sea so large, &c. 

This insertion is very long and vtterly impertinent to the prin­
cipall matter, and makes a great gappe in the tale, neuerthelesse is 
no disgrace but rather a bewtie and to very good purpose, but you 
must not vse such insertions often nor to thick, nor those that bee 
very long as this of ours, for it will breede great confusion to haue 
the tale so much interrupted.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "parenthesis" is in the OED as an English term.

Histeron 
proteron, 
 or the  
Preposterous. 
Ye haue another manner of disordered speach, when ye mis­
place your words or clauses and set that before which should be 
behind, & è conuerso, we call it in English prouerbe,  the cart before 
the horse, the Greeks call it Histeron proteron, we name it the Pre­
posterous, and if it be not too much vsed is tollerable inough, and 
many times scarse perceiueable, vnlesse the sence be thereby made 
very absurd: as he that described his manner of departure from his 
mistresse, said thus not much to be misliked. 

I kist her cherry lip and tooke my leaue: 

For I tooke my leaue and kist her: And yet I cannot well say 
whether a man vse to kisse before hee take his leaue, or take his 


leaue before he kisse, or that it be all one busines. It seemes the ta­
king leaue is by vsing some speach, intreating licence of departure: 
the kisse a knitting vp of the farewell, and as it were a testimoni­
all of the licence without which here in England one may not pre­
sume of courtesie to depart, let yong Courtiers decide this contro­
uersie. One describing his landing vpon a strange coast, sayd thus 
preposterously. 

When we had climbde the clifs, and were a shore, 

Whereas he should haue said by good order.

When we were come a shore and clymed had the cliffs 

For one must be on land ere he can clime. And as another said: 

My dame that bred me vp and bare me in her wombe. 

Whereas the bearing is before the bringing vp.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "hysteron proteron" is in the OED as an English term. All your other 
figures of disorder because they rather seeme deformities then 
bewties of language, for so many of them as be notoriously vnde­
cent, and make no good harmony, I place them in the Chapter of 
vices hereafter following.



CHAP. XIIII.
 
Of your figures Auricular that worke by Surplusage.

YOur figures auricular that worke by surplusage, such of them 
as be materiall and of importaunce to the sence or bewtie of 
your language, I referre them to the harmonicall speaches of ora­
tours among the figures rhetoricall, as be those of repetition, and 
iteration or amplification. All other sorts of surplusage, I accompt 
rather vicious then figuratiue, & therefore not melodious as shal­
be remembred in the chapter of viciosities or faultie speaches.


CHAP. XV.
 
Of auricular figures working by exchange.



Enallage. 
 or the  
Figure of ex­
change. 
YOur figures that worke auricularly by exchange, were more 
obseruable to the Greekes and Latines for the brauenesse of 
their language, ouer that ours is, and for the multiplicitie of their 
Grammaticall accidents, or verball affects, as I may terme them, 
that is to say, their diuers cases, moodes, tenses, genders, with varia­
ble terminations, by reason whereof, they changed not the very 
word, but kept the word, and changed the shape of him onely, v­
sing one case for another, or tense, or person, or gender, or number, 
or moode. We, hauing no such varietie of accidents, haue little or 


no vse of this figure. They called it Enallage.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "enallage" is in the OED as an English term.

 Hipallage. 
 or the  
Changeling. 
But another sort of exchange which they had, and very prety,  
we doe likewise vse, not changing one word for another, by their 
accidents or cases, as the Enallage: nor by the places, as the [Prepo­
sterous] but changing their true construction and application, 
whereby the sence is quite peruerted and made very absurd: as, he 
that should say, for tell me troth and lie not, lie me troth and tell not. 
For come dine with me and stay not, come stay with me and dine not. 

A certaine piteous louer, to moue his mistres to compassion, 
wrote among other amorous verses, this one.

Madame, I set your eyes before mine woes.

For, mine woes before your eyes, spoken to th'intent to winne 
fauour in her sight.

But that was pretie of a certaine sorrie man of law, that gaue 
his Client but bad councell, and yet found fault with his fee, and 
said: my fee, good frend, hath deserued better counsel. Good master, 
quoth the Client, if your selfe had not said so, I would neuer haue 
beleeued it: but now I thinke as you doo. The man of law percei­
uing his error, I tell thee (quoth he) my counsel hath deserued a bet­
ter fee. Yet of all others was that a most ridiculous, but very true 
exchange, which the yeoman of London vsed with his Sergeant 
at the Mace, who said he would goe into the countrie, and make 
merry a day or two, while his man plyed his busines at home: an 
example of it you shall finde in our Enterlude entituled Lustie 
London: the Sergeant, for sparing of hors-hire, said he would goe 
with the Carrier on foote. That is not for your worship, saide his 
yeoman, whereunto the Sergeant replyed.

I wot what I meane Iohn, it is for to stay 
And company the knaue Carrier, for loosing my way.

The yeoman thinking it good manner to soothe his Sergeant, 
said againe, 

I meane what I wot Sir, your best is to hie, 
And carrie a knaue with you for companie. 

Ye see a notorious exchange of the construction, and applica­
tion of the words in this: I wot what 
I meane; and I meane what I wot, and in the other, company the knaue Carrier, and carrie a 
knaue in your company. The Greekes call this figure [Hipallage] 


the Latins Submutatio, we in our vulgar may call him the [vnder­
change] but I had rather haue him called the [Changeling] nothing 
at all sweruing from his originall, and much more aptly to the 
purpose, and pleasanter to beare in memory: specially for our La­
dies and pretie mistresses in Court, for whose learning I write, be­
cause it is a terme often in their mouthes, and alluding to the opi­
nion of Nurses, who are wont to say, that the Fayries vse to steale 
the fairest children out of their cradles, and put other ill fauoured 
in their places, which they called changelings, or Elfs: so, if ye mark, 
doeth our Poet, or maker play with his wordes, vsing a wrong 
construction for a right, and an absurd for a sensible, by manner of 
exchange. The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "hypallage" is in the OED as an English term.



CHAP. XVI.
 

Of some other figures which because they serue chiefly to 
make the meeters tunable and melodious, and af­
fect not the minde but very little, be pla­
ced among the auricular.



 Omoioteleton, 
 or the  
Like loose. 
The Greekes vsed a manner of speech or writing in their 
proses, that went by clauses, finishing in words of like tune, 
and might be by vsing like cases, tenses, and other points of conso­
nance, which they called Omoioteleton, and is that wherin they nee­
rest approched to our vulgar ryme, and may thus be expressed. 

Weeping creeping beseeching I wan, 
The loue at length of Lady Lucian. 

Or thus if we speake in prose and not in meetre.

Mischaunces ought not to be lamented, 
But rather by wisedome in time preuented: 
For such mishappes as be remedilesse, 
To sorrow them it is but foolishnesse: 
Yet are we all so frayle of nature, 
As to be greeued with euery displeasure. 

The craking Scotts as the Cronicle reportes at a certaine time 
made this bald rime vpon the English-men.

Long beards hartlesse, 
Painted hoodes witlesse: 
Gay coates gracelesse, 
Make all England thriftlesse. 


Which is no perfit rime in deede, but clauses finishing in the 
self same tune: for a rime of good simphonie should not conclude 
his concords with one & the same terminant sillable, as less, less, 
less, but with diuers and like terminants, as les, pres, mes, as was 
before declared in the chapter of your cadences, and your clauses 
in prose should neither finish with the same nor with the like ter­
minants, but with the contrary as hath bene shewed before in the 
booke of proportions; yet many vse it otherwise, neglecting the 
Poeticall harmonie and skill. And th'Earle of Surrey with Syr 
Thomas Wyat the most excellent makers of their time, more perad­
uenture respecting the fitnesse and ponderositie of their wordes 
then the true cadence or simphonie, were very licencious in this 
point. We call this figure following the originall, the [like loose] alluding to th'Archers terme who is not said to finish the feate of 
his shot before he giue the loose, and deliuer his arrow from his 
bow, in which respect we vse to say marke the loose of a thing for 
marke the end of it. The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "like loose" is not in the OED as an English term as a noun phrase.

Parimion, 
 or the  
Figure of like
letter. 
Ye do by another figure notably affect th'eare when ye make 
euery word of the verse to begin with a like letter, as for example 
in this verse written in an Epithaphe of our making. 

Time tried his truth his trauailes and his trust, 
And time to late tried his integritie. 

It is a figure much vsed by our common rimers, and doth well 
if it be not too much vsed, for then it falleth into the vice which 
shalbe hereafter spoken of called Tautologia.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "paromoion" is in the OED as an English term.

 Asyndeton, 
 or the 
Loose langage. 
Ye haue another sort of speach in a maner defectiue because it 
wants good band or coupling, and is the figure [Asyndeton] we 
call him [loose language] and doth not a litle alter th'eare as thus. 

I saw it, I said it, I will sweare it. 

Cæsar the Dictator vpon the victorie hee obteined against 
Pharnax king of Bithinia shewing the celeritie of his conquest, 
wrate home to the Senate in this tenour of speach no lesse swift 
and speedy then his victorie.

Veni, vidi, vici, 
I came, I saw, I ouercame.

Meaning thus I was no sooner come and beheld them but the 
victorie fell on my side.


The Prince of Orenge for his deuise of Armes in banner dis­
played against the Duke of Alua and the Spaniards in the Low-­
countrey vsed the like maner of speach. 

Pro Rege, pro lege, pro grege, 
For the king, for the commons, for the countrey lawes. 

It is a figure to be vsed when we will seeme to make hast, or to 
be earnest, and these examples with a number more be spoken by 
the figure of [lose language.]The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "asyndelton" is in the OED as an English term.

 Polisindeton,
 or the 
Coople clause. 
Quite contrary to this ye haue another maner of construction 
which they called [Polisindeton] we may call him the [couple 
clause] for that euery clause is knit and coupled together with a 
coniunctiue thus. 

And I saw it, and I say it and I 
Will sweare it to be true. 

So might the Poesie of Cæsar haue bene altered thus.

I came, and I saw, and I ouercame. 

One wrote these verses after the same sort.

For in her mynde no thought there is, 
But how she may be true iwis: 
And tenders thee and all thy heale, 
And wisheth both thy health and weale: 
And is thine owne, and so she sayes, 
And cares for thee ten thousand wayes. The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "polysyndeton" is in the OED as an English term.

 Irmus,
 or the 
Long loose. 
Ye haue another maner of speach drawen out at length and go­
ing all after one tenure and with an imperfit sence till you come 
to the last word or verse which concludes the whole premisses with 
a perfit sence & full periode,  the Greeks call it Irmus, I call him the 
[long loose] thus appearing in a dittie of Sir Thomas Wyat where 
he describes the diuers distempers of his bed. 

The restlesse state renuer of my smart, 
The labours salue increasing my sorrow: 
The bodies ease and troubles of my hart, 
Quietour of mynde mine vnquiet foe: 
Forgetter of paine remembrer of my woe, 
The place of sleepe wherein I do but wake: 
Besprent with teares my bed I thee forsake.

Ye see here how ye can gather no perfection of sence in all this 


dittie till ye come to the last verse in these wordes my bed I thee 
forsake. And in another Sonet of Petrarcha which was thus En­
glished by the same Sir Thomas Wyat. 

If weaker care if sodaine pale collour, 
If many sighes with little speach to plaine: 
Now ioy now woe, if they my ioyes distaine, 
For hope of small, if much to feare therefore, 
Be signe of loue then do I loue againe. 

Here all the whole sence of the dittie is suspended till ye come 
to the last three wordes, then do I loue againe, which finisheth the 
song with a full and perfit sence.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. neither "irmus" nor "long loose" is not in the OED as an English term.

Epitheton, 
 or the  
Qualifier.
When ye will speake giuing euery person or thing besides his 
proper name a qualitie by way of addition whether it be of good 
or of bad it is a figuratiue speach of audible alteration, so is it also 
of sence as to say. 

Fierce Achilles, wise Nestor wilie Vlysses, 
Diana the chast and thou louely Venus: 
With thy blind boy that almost neuer misses, 
But hits our hartes when he leuels at vs. 

Or thus commending the Isle of great Brittaine.

Albion hugest of Westerne Ilands all, 
Soyle of sweete ayre and of good store: 
God send we see thy glory neuer fall, 
But rather dayly to grow more and more. 

Or as we sang of our Soueraigne Lady giuing her these Attri­
butes besides her proper name.

Elizabeth regent of the great Brittaine Ile, 
Honour of all regents and of Queenes.

But if we speake thus not expressing her proper name Eliza­
beth, videl.

The English Diana, the great Britton mayde. 

Then is it not by Epitheton or figure of Attribution but by the 
figures Antonomasia, or Periphrasis.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "epitheton" is in the OED as an English term. Neither "endiadis" nor "figure of twins" is in the OED as an English term.

Endiadis, 
 or the  
Figure of 
Twinnes. 
Ye haue yet another manner of speach when ye will seeme to 
make two of one not thereunto constrained, which therefore we 
call the figure of Twynnes, the Greekes Endiadis thus.  

Not you coy dame your lowrs nor your lookes. 


For [your lowring lookes.] And as one of our ordinary rimers said. 

Of fortune nor her frowning face, 
I am nothing agast.

In stead, of [fortunes frowning face.] One praysing the Neapo­
litans for good men at armes, said by the figure of Twynnes thus.

A proud people and wise and valiant, 
Fiercely fighting with horses and with barbes: 
By whose prowes the Romain Prince did daunt, 
Wild Affricanes and the lawlesse Alarbes: 
The Nubiens marching with their armed cartes, 
And sleaing a farre with venim and with dartes. 

Where ye see this figure of Twynnes twise vsed, once when he 
said horses and barbes for barbd horses: againe when he saith with 
venim and with dartes for venimous dartes.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. Neither "endiadis" nor "figure of twins" is in the OED as an English term.



CHAP. XVI.
 

Of the figures which we call Sensable, because they alter 
and affect the minde by alteration of sence, 
and first in single wordes.


Metaphora,
 or the 
Figure of tran­
sporte. 
THe eare hauing receiued his due satisfaction by the auricular 
figures, now must the minde also be serued, with his naturall 
delight by figures sensible such as by alteration of intendmentes 
affect the courage, and geue a good liking to the conceit. And 
first, single words haue their sence and vnderstanding altered and 
figured many wayes, to wit, by transport, abuse, crosse-naming, 
new naming, change of name. This will seeme very darke to you, 
vnlesse it be otherwise explaned more particularly: and first of 
Transport. There is a kinde of wresting of a single word from his 
owne right signification, to another not so naturall, but yet of 
some affinitie or conueniencie with it, as to say, I cannot digest your 
vnkinde words, for I cannot take them in good part: or as the man 
of law said, I feele you not, for I vnderstand not your case, because he 
had not his fee in his hand. Or as another said to a mouthy Aduo­
cate, why barkest thou at me so sore? Or to call the top of a tree, or of 
a hill, the crowne of a tree or of a hill: for in deede crowne is the 
highest ornament of a Princes head, made like a close garland, or 
els the top of a mans head, where the haire windes about, and be­
cause such terme is not applyed naturally to a tree, or to a hill, but 


is transported from a mans head to a hill or tree, therefore it is 
called by metaphore, or the figure of transport. And three causes 
moues vs to vse this figure, one for necessitie or want of a better 
word, thus: 

As the drie ground that thirstes after a showr 
Seemes to reioyce when it is well iwet, 
And speedely brings foorth both grasse and flowr, 
If lacke of sunne or season doo not let.

Here for want of an apter and more naturall word to declare 
the drie temper of the earth, it is said to thirst & to reioyce, which 
is onely proper to liuing creatures, and yet being so inuerted, doth 
not so much swerue from the true sence, but that euery man can 
easilie conceiue the meaning thereof.

Againe, we vse it for pleasure and ornament of our speach, as 
thus in an Epitaph of our owne making, to the honourable me­
morie of a deere friend, Sir Iohn Throgmorton, knight, Iustice of 
Chester, and a man of many commendable vertues.

Whom vertue rerde, enuy hath ouerthrowen 
And lodged full low, vnder this marble stone: 
Ne neuer were his values so well knowen, 
Whilest he liued here, as now that he is gone. 

Here these words, rered, ouerthrowen, and lodged, are inuerted, & 
metaphorically applyed, not vpon necessitie, but for ornament one­
ly, afterward againe in these verses.

No sunne by day that euer saw him rest 
Free from the toyles of his so busie charge, 
No night that harbourd rankor in his breast, 
Nor merry moode, made reason runne at large. 

In these verses the inuersion or metaphore, lyeth in these words, 
saw, harbourd, run: which naturally are applyed to liuing things, 
& not to insensible: as, the sunne, or the night: & yet they approch so 
neere, & so conueniently, as the speech is thereby made more com­
mendable. Againe, in moe verses of the same Epitaph, thus.

His head a source of grauitie and sence, 
His memory a shop of ciuill arte: 
His tongue a streame of sugred eloquence, 
Wisdome and meekenes lay mingled in his harte,


In which verses ye see that these words, source, shop, flud, sugred, 
are inuerted from their owne signification to another, not altoge­
ther so naturall, but of much affinitie with it. 

Then also do we it sometimes to enforce a sence and make the 
word more significatiue: as thus, 

I burne in loue, I freese in deadly hate 
I swimme in hope, and sinke in deepe dispaire.

These examples I haue the willinger giuen you to set foorth the 
nature and vse of your figure metaphore, which of any other be­
ing choisly made, is the most commendable and most common.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "metaphora" is not in the OED as an English term.

Catachresis,
 or the 
Figure of abuse 
But if for lacke of naturall and proper terme or worde we take 
another, neither naturall nor proper and do vntruly applie it to 
the thing which we would seeme to expresse, and without any 
iust inconuenience, it is not then spoken by this figure Metaphore 
or of inuersion as before, but by plaine abuse, as he that bad his man 
go into his library and fet him his bowe and arrowes, for in deede 
there was neuer a booke there to be found, or as one should in re­
proch say to a poore man, thou raskall knaue, where raskall is pro­
perly the hunters terme giuen to young deere, leane & out of sea­
son, and not to people: or as one said very pretily in this verse. 

I lent my loue to losse, and gaged my life in vaine. 

Whereas this worde lent is properly of mony or some such o­
ther thing, as men do commonly borrow, for vse to be repayed a­
gaine, and being applied to loue is vtterly abused, and yet very 
commendably spoken by vertue of this figure. For he that loueth 
and is not beloued againe, hath no lesse wrong, than he that len­
deth and is neuer repayde.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "catachesis" is in the OED as an English term.

Metonimia,
 or the 
Misnamer. 
Now doth this vnderstanding or secret conceyt reach many 
times to the only nomination of persons or things in their names, 
as of men, or mountaines, seas, countries and such like, in which re­
spect the wrong naming, or otherwise naming of them then is due, 
carieth not onely an alteration of sence but a necessitie of intend­
ment figuratiuely, as when we cal loue by the name of Venus, flesh­
ly lust by the name of Cupid, bicause they were supposed by the 
auncient poets to be authors and kindlers of loue and lust: Vul­
cane for fire, Ceres for bread: Bacchus for wine by the same rea­
son; also if one should say to a skilfull craftesman knowen for a 


glutton or common drunkard, that had spent all his goods on riot 
and delicate fare. 

Thy hands they made thee rich, thy pallat made thee poore. 

It is ment, his trauaile and arte made him wealthie, his riotous 
life had made him a beggar: and as one that boasted of his house­
keeping, said that neuer a yeare passed ouer his head, that he drank 
not in his house euery moneth foure tonnes of beere, & one hogs­
head of wine, meaning not the caskes or vessels, but that quantitie 
which they conteyned. These and such other speaches, where ye 
take the name of the Author for the thing it selfe; or the thing con­
teining, for that which is contained, & in many other cases do as it 
were wrong name the person or the thing. So neuerthelesse as it 
may be vnderstood, it is by the figure metonymia, or misnamer.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "metonimia" is not in the OED as an English term.

Antonomasia,
 or the 
Surnamer. 
And if this manner of naming of persons or things be not by 
way of misnaming as before, but by a conuenient difference, and 
such as is true or esteemed and likely to be true, it is then called 
not metonimia, but antonomasia, or the Surnamer, (not the misna­
mer, which might extend to any other thing aswell as to a person) 
as he that would say: not king Philip of Spaine, but the Westerne 
king, because his dominion lieth the furdest West of any Christen 
prince: and the French king the great Vallois, because so is the 
name of his house, or the Queene of England, The maiden Queene, 
for that is her hiest peculiar among all the Queenes of the 
world, or as we said in one of our Partheniades, the Bryton mayde, 
because she is the most great and famous mayden of all Brittayne: 
thus, 

But in chaste stile, am borne as I weene 
To blazon foorth the Brytton mayden Queene. 

So did our forefathers call Henry the first, Beauclerke, Edmund 
Ironside, Richard cœur de lion: Edward the Confessor, and we of her 
Maiestie Elisabeth the peasible.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "antonomasia" is in the OED as an English term.

Onomatopeia,
 or the 
New namer. 
Then also is the sence figuratiue when we deuise a new name 
to any thing consonant, as neere as we can to the nature thereof, 
as to say: flashing of lightning, clashing of blades, clinking of fetters, 
chinking of mony: & as the poet Virgil said of the sounding a trum­
pet, ta-ra-tant, taratantara, or as we giue special names to the voi­
ces of dombe beasts, as to say, a horse neigheth, a lyon brayes, a swine 


grunts, a hen cackleth, a dogge howles, and a hundreth mo such 
new names as any man hath libertie to deuise, so it be fittie for the 
thing which he couets to expresse.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "onomatopoeia" is in the OED as an English term.

Epitheton,
 or the 
Quallifier o­
therwise the fi­
gure of Attri­
bution. 
Your Epitheton or qualifier, whereof we spake before, placing 
him among the figures auricular, now because he serues also to al­
ter and enforce the sence, we will say somewhat more of him in 
this place, and do conclude that he must be apt and proper for the 
thing he is added vnto, & not disagreable or repugnant, as one that 
said: darke disdaine, and miserable pride, very absurdly, for disdaine 
or disdained things cannot be said darke, but rather bright and 
cleere, because they be beholden and much looked vpon, and pride 
is rather enuied then pitied or miserable, vnlesse it be in Christian 
charitie, which helpeth not the terme in this case. Some of our vul­
gar writers take great pleasure in giuing Epithets and do it almost 
to euery word which may receiue them, and should not be so, yea 
though they were neuer so propre and apt, for sometimes wordes 
suffered to go single, do giue greater sence and grace than words 
quallified by attributions do.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "epitheton" is in the OED as an English term.

Metalepsis.
 or the 
Farrefet. 
But the sence is much altered & the hearers conceit strangly en­
tangled by the figure Metalepsis,  which I call the farfet, as when 
we had rather fetch a word a great way off them to vse one nerer hand 
to expresse the matter aswel & plainer. And it seemeth the deuiser 
of this figure, had a desire to please women rather then men: for 
we vse to say by manner of Prouerbe: things farrefet and deare 
bought are good for Ladies: so in this manner of speach we vse it, 
leaping ouer the heads of a great many words, we take one that is 
furdest off, to vtter our matter by: as Medea cursing hir first ac­
quaintance with prince Iason, who had very vnkindly forsaken 
her, said: 

Woe worth the mountaine that the maste bare 
Which was the first causer of all my care.

Where she might aswell haue said, woe worth our first mee­
ting, or woe worth the time that Iason arriued with his ship at my 
fathers cittie in Colchos, when he tooke me away with him, & not 
so farre off as to curse the mountaine that bare the pinetree, that 
made the mast, that bare the sailes, that the ship sailed with, which 
caried her away. A pleasant Gentleman came into a Ladies nur­


sery, and saw her for her owne pleasure rocking of her young 
child in the cradle, and sayd to her: 

I speake it Madame without any mocke, 
Many a such cradell may I see you rocke. 

Gods passion hourson said she, would thou haue me beare mo 
children yet, no Madame quoth the Gentleman, but I would haue 
you liue long, that ye might the better pleasure your friends, for 
his meaning was that as euery cradle signified a new borne childe, 
& euery child the leasure of one yeares birth, & many yeares a long 
life: so by wishing her to rocke many cradels of her owne, he 
wished her long life. Virgill said: 

Post multas mea regna videns mirabor aristas. 

Thus in English.

After many a stubble shall I come 
And wonder at the sight of my kingdome. 

By stubble the Poet vnderstoode yeares, for haruests come but 
once euery yeare, at least wayes with vs in Europe. This is spoken 
by the figure of farre-fet. Metalepsis.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "metalepsis" is in the OED as an English term.

Emphasis.
 or the 
Renforcer. 
And one notable meane to affect the minde, is to inforce the 
sence of any thing by a word of more than ordinary efficacie, and 
neuertheles is not apparant, but as it were, secretly implyed, as he 
that said thus of a faire Lady. 

O rare beautie, ô grace, and curtesie.

And by a very euill man thus.

O sinne it selfe, not wretch, but wretchednes. 

Whereas if he had said thus, O gratious, courteous and beautifull 
woman: and, O sinfull and wretched man, it had bene all to one effect, 
yet not with such force and efficacie, to speake by the denomina­
tiue, as by the thing it selfe.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin.

Liptote.
 or the 
Moderatour. 
As by the former figure we vse to enforce our sence, so by ano­
ther we temper our sence with wordes of such moderation, 
as in appearaunce it abateth it but not in deede, and is by the 
figure Liptote, which therefore I call the Moderator, and becomes 
vs many times better to speake in that sort quallified, than if we 
spake it by more forcible termes, and neuertheles is equipolent in 
sence, thus. 

I know you hate me not, nor wish me any ill. 


Meaning in deede that he loued him very well and dearely, and 
yet the words doe not expresse so much, though they purport so 
much. Or if you would say, I am not ignorant, for I know well i­
nough. Such a man is no foole, meaning in deede that he is a very 
wise man.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "liptote" is in the OED as an English term.

Paradiastole,
 or the 
Curry fauell. 
But if such moderation of words tend to flattery, or soothing, 
or excusing, it is by the figure Paradiastole, which therfore nothing 
improperly we call the Curry-fauell, as when we make the best of 
a bad thing, or turne a signification to the more plausible sence: as, 
to call an vnthrift, a liberall Gentleman: the foolish-hardy, valiant 
or couragious: the niggard, thriftie: a great riot, or outrage, an 
youthfull pranke, and such like termes: moderating and abating 
the force of the matter by craft, and for a pleasing purpose, as ap­
peareth by these verses of ours, teaching in what cases it may com­
mendably be vsed by Courtiers.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "paradiastole" is in the OED as an English term.

Meiosis,
 or the 
Disabler. 
But if you diminish and abbase a thing by way of spight or mal­
lice, as it were to depraue it, such speach is by the figure Meiosis or 
the disabler spoken of hereafter in the place of sententious figures. 

A great mountaine as bigge as a molehill, 
A heauy burthen perdy, as a pound of fethers.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "meiosis" is in the OED as an English term.

Tapinosis,
 or the 
Abbaser. 
But if ye abase your thing or matter by ignorance or errour in 
the choise of your word, then is it by vicious maner of speach cal­
led Tapinosis, whereof ye shall haue examples in the chapter of 
vices hereafter folowing.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "tapinosis" is in the OED as an English term.

Synecdoche,
 or the 
Figure of quick
conceite. 
Then againe if we vse such a word (as many times we doe) by 
which we driue the hearer to conceiue more or lesse or beyond or 
otherwise then the letter expresseth, and it be not by vertue of the 
former figures Metaphore and Abase and the rest, the Greeks then 
call it Synecdoche, the Latines sub intellectio or vnderstanding, for by 
part we are enforced to vnderstand the whole, by the whole part, 
by many things one thing, by one, many, by a thing precedent, a 
thing consequent, and generally one thing out of another by ma­
ner of contrariety to the word which is spoken, aliud ex alio, which 
because it seemeth to aske a good, quick, and pregnant capacitie, 
and is not for an ordinarie or dull wit so to do, I chose to call him 
the figure not onely of conceit after the Greeke originall, but also 
of quick conceite. As for example we will giue none because we 


will speake of him againe in another place, where he is ranged a­
mong the figures sensable apperteining to clauses.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "synecdoche" is in the OED as an English term.



CHAP. XVIII.
 
Of sensable figures altering and affecting the mynde by altera­
tion of sence or intendements in whole clauses or speaches.



Allegoria,
 or the 
Figure of false
semblant. 
AS by the last remembred figures the sence of single wordes is 
altered, so by these that follow is that of whole and entier 
speach: and first by the Courtly figure Allegoria, which is when 
we speake one thing and thinke another, and that our wordes and 
our meanings meete not. The vse of this figure is so large, and his 
vertue of so great efficacie as it is supposed no man can pleasantly 
vtter and perswade without it, but in effect is sure neuer or very 
seldome to thriue and prosper in the world, that cannot skilfully 
put in vre, in somuch as not onely euery common Courtier, but 
also the grauest Counsellour, yea and the most noble and wisest 
Prince of them all are many times enforced to vse it, by example 
(say they) of the great Emperour who had it vsually in his mouth 
to say, Qui nescit dissimulare nescit regnare. Of this figure there­
fore which for his duplicitie we call the figure of [false semblant 
or dissimulation] we will speake first as of the chief ringleader 
and captaine of all other figures, either in the Poeticall or orato­
rie science.

And ye shall know that we may dissemble,  I meane speake o­
therwise then we thinke, in earnest aswell as in sport, vnder couert 
and darke termes, and in learned and apparant speaches, in short 
sentences, and by long ambage and circumstance of wordes, and 
finally aswell when we lye as when we tell truth. To be short eue­
ry speach wrested from his owne naturall signification to another 
not altogether so naturall is a kinde of dissimulation, because the 
wordes beare contrary countenaunce to th'intent. But properly 
& in his principall vertue Allegoria is when we do speake in sence 
translatiue and wrested from the owne signification, neuerthelesse 
applied to another not altogether contrary, but hauing much 
conueniencie with it as before we said of the metaphore: as for ex­
ample if we should call the common wealth, a shippe; the Prince 
a Pilot, the Counsellours mariners, the stormes warres, the calme 


and [hauen] peace, this is spoken all in allegorie: and because such 
inuersion of sence in one single worde is by the figure Metaphore, 
of whom we spake before, and this manner of inuersion exten­
ding to whole and large speaches, it maketh the figure allegorie to 
be called a long and perpetuall Metaphore. A noble man after a 
whole yeares absence from his ladie, sent to know how she did, and 
whether she remayned affected toward him as she was when he 
left her. 

Louely Lady I long full sore to heare, 
If ye remaine the same, I left you the last yeare. 

To whom she answered in allegorie other two verses: 

My louing Lorde I will well that ye wist, 
The thred is spon, that neuer shall vntwist. 

Meaning, that her loue was so stedfast and constant toward him 
as no time or occasion could alter it. Virgill in his shepeherdly 
poemes called Eglogues vsed as rusticall but fit allegorie for the 
purpose thus: 

Claudite iam riuos pueri sat prata biberunt. 

Which I English thus: 

Stop vp your streames (my lads) the medes haue drunk ther fill. 

As much to say, leaue of now, yee haue talked of the matter 
inough: for the shepheards guise in many places is by opening cer­
taine sluces to water their pastures, so as when they are wet inough 
they shut them againe: this application is full Allegoricke.

Ye haue another manner of Allegorie not full, but mixt, as he 
that wrate thus: 

The cloudes of care haue coured all my coste, 
The stormes of strife, do threaten to appeare: 
The waues of woe, wherein my ship is toste. 
Haue broke the banks, where lay my life so deere. 
Chippes of ill chance, are fallen amidst my choise, 
To marre the minde that ment for to reioyce. 

I call him not a full Allegorie, but mixt, bicause he discouers 
withall what the cloud, storme, waue, and the rest are, which in a full 
allegorie should not be discouered, but left at large to the readers 
iudgement and coniecture.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "allegoria" is not in the OED as an English term.

Enigma,
 or the 
Riddle. 
We dissemble againe vnder couert and darke speaches, when 


we speake by way of riddle (Enigma) of which the sence can hardly 
be picked out, but by the parties owne assoile, as he that said:  

It is my mother well I wot, 
And yet the daughter that I begot. 

Meaning it by the ise which is made of frozen water, the same 
being molten by the sunne or fire, makes water againe.

My mother had an old woman in her nurserie, who in the winter 
nights would put vs forth many prety ridles, whereof this is one: 

I haue a thing and rough it is 
And in the midst a hole Iwis: 
There came a yong man with his ginne, 
And he put it a handfull in. 

The good old Gentlewoman would tell vs that were children 
how it was meant by a furd glooue. Some other naughtie body 
would peraduenture haue construed it not halfe so mannerly. 
The riddle is pretie but that it holdes too much of the Cachempha­
ton or foule speach and may be drawen to a reprobate sence.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "enigma" is in the OED as an English term.

Parimia,
 or 
Prouerb. 
We dissemble after a sort, when we speake by common prouerbs, 
or, as we vse to call them, old said sawes, as thus: 

As the olde cocke crowes so doeth the chick: 
A bad Cooke that cannot his owne fingers lick. 

Meaning by the first, that the young learne by the olde, either 
to be good or euill in their behauiours: by the second, that he is 
not to be counted a wise man, who being in authority, and hauing 
the administration of many good and great things, will not serue 
his owne turne and his friends whilest he may, & many such pro­
uerbiall speeches: as, Totnesse is turned French, for a strange altera­
tion: Skarborow warning, for a sodaine commandement, allowing 
no respect or delay to bethinke a man of his busines. Note neuer­
thelesse a diuersitie, for the two last examples be prouerbs, the two 
first prouerbiall speeches.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "paremia" is in the OED as an English term.

Ironia,
 or the 
Drie mock. 
Ye doe likewise dissemble, when ye speake in derision or moc­
kerie, & that may be many waies: as sometime in sport, sometime 
in earnest, and priuily, and apertly, and pleasantly, and bitterly: but 
first by the figure Ironia, which we call the drye mock: as he that 
said to a bragging Ruffian, that threatened he would kill and slay, 
no doubt you are a good man of your hands: or, as it was said by 


a French king, to one that praide his reward, shewing how he had 
bene cut in the face at a certain battell fought in his seruice: ye may 
see, quoth the king, what it is to runne away & looke backwards. 
And as Alphonso king of Naples, said to one that profered to take 
his ring when he washt before dinner, this wil serue another well: 
meaning that the Gentlemen had another time taken them, & because 
the king forgot to aske for them, neuer restored his ring againe.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "ironia" is in the OED as an English term, but not "dry mock."

Sarcasmus.
 or the 
Bitter taunt. 
Or when we deride with a certaine seueritie, we may call it the 
bitter taunt [Sarcasmus] as Charles the fift Emperour aunswered 
the Duke of Arskot, beseeching him recompence of seruice done 
at the siege of Renty, against Henry the French king, where the 
Duke was taken prisoner, and afterward escaped clad like a Colli­
ar. Thou wert taken, quoth the Emperour, like a coward, and sca­
pedst like a Colliar, wherefore get thee home and liue vpon thine 
owne. Or as king Henry the eight said to one of his priuy cham­
ber, who sued for Sir Anthony Rowse, a knight of Norfolke, that his 
Maiestie would be good vnto him, for that he was an ill begger. 
Quoth the king againe, if he be ashamed to beg, we are ashamed 
to geue. Or as Charles the fift Emperour, hauing taken in battaile 
Iohn Frederike Duke of Saxon, with the Lantgraue of Hessen and 
others: this Duke being a man of monstrous bignesse and corpu­
lence, after the Emperor had seene the prisoners, said to those that 
were about him, I haue gone a hunting many times, yet neuer 
tooke I such a swine before.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "sarcasmus" is not in the OED as an English term. "sarcasmus" is not in the OED as an English term as an English word.

Asteismus,
 or the 
Merry scoffe.
otherwise
The ciuill iest. 
Or when we speake by manner of pleasantery, or mery skoffe, 
that is, by a kinde of mock, whereof the sence is farre fet, & with­
out any gall or offence. The Greekes call it [Asteismus] we may 
terme it the ciuill iest, because it is a mirth very full of ciuilitie, and 
such as the most ciuill men doo vse. As Cato said to one that had 
geuen him a good knock on the head with a long peece of tim­
ber he bare on his shoulder, and then bad him beware: what (quoth 
Cato) wilt thou strike me againe? for ye know, a warning should 
be geuen before a man haue receiued harme, and not after. And as 
king Edward the sixt, being of young yeres, but olde in wit, saide 
to one of his priuie chamber, who sued for a pardon for one that 
was condemned for a robberie, telling the king that it was but a 
small trifle, not past sixteene shillings matter which he had taken: 


quoth the king againe, but I warrant you the fellow was sorrie it 
had not bene sixteene pound: meaning how the malefactors in­
tent was as euill in that trifle, as if it had bene a greater summe of 
money. In these examples if ye marke there is no griefe or offence 
ministred as in those other before, and yet are very wittie, and 
spoken in plaine derision. 

The Emperor Charles the fift was a man of very few words, 
and delighted little in talke. His brother king Ferdinando being a 
man of more pleasant discourse, sitting at the table with him, said, 
I pray your Maiestie be not so silent, but let vs talke a little. What 
neede that brother, quoth the Emperor, since you haue words e­
nough for vs both.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "asteismus" and the "merry scoff" are not in the OED (but see "asteism," n.

Micterismus.
 or the 
Fleering frumpe. 
Or when we giue a mocke with a scornefull countenance as in 
some smiling sort looking aside or by drawing the lippe awry, 
or shrinking vp the nose; the Greeks called it Micterismus,  we 
may terme it a fleering frumpe, as he that said to one whose 
wordes he beleued not, no doubt Sir of that. This fleering frumpe 
is one of the Courtly graces of hicke the scorner.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "micterismus" and "fleering frump" are not in the OED, but see "mycterism," n.

Antiphrasis.
 or the 
Broad floute. 
Or when we deride by plaine and flat contradiction, as he that 
saw a dwarfe go in the streete said to his companion that walked 
with him: See yonder gyant: and to a Negro or woman blacke­
moore, in good sooth yeare a faire one, we may call it the broad 
floute.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "antiphrasis" is in the OED as an English term, but not "broad flout."

Charientismus,
 or the 
Priuy nippe. 
Or when ye giue a mocke vnder smooth and lowly wordes as 
he that hard one call him all to nought and say, thou art sure to be 
hanged ere thou dye: quoth th'other very soberly. Sir I know your 
maistership speakes but in iest, the Greeks call it (charientismus) 
we may call it the priuy nippe, or a myld and appeasing mockery: 
all these be souldiers to the figure allegoria and fight vnder the 
banner of dissimulation.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "charientismus" is not in the OED as an English term. 

Hiperbole.
 or the 
Ouer reacher,
otherwise
called the loud
lyer. 
Neuerthelesse ye haue yet two or three other figures that smatch 
a spice of the same false semblant,  but in another sort and maner of 
phrase, whereof one is when we speake in the superlatiue and be­
yond the limites of credit, that is by the figure which the Greeks 
call Hiperbole, the Latines Dementiens or the lying figure. I for his 
immoderate excesse cal him the ouer reacher right with his origi­
nall or [lowd lyar] & me thinks not amisse: now when I speake that 


which neither I my selfe thinke to be true, nor would haue any o­
ther body beleeue, it must needs be a great dissimulation, because I 
meane nothing lesse then that I speake, and this maner of speach 
is vsed, when either we would greatly aduaunce or greatly abase 
the reputation of any thing or person, and must be vsed very dis­
creetly, or els it will seeme odious, for although a prayse or other 
report may be allowed beyond credit, it may not be beyond all mea­
sure, specially in the proseman, as he that was speaker in a Parlia­
ment of king Henry the eights raigne, in his Oration which ye 
know is of ordinary to be made before the Prince at the first as­
sembly of both houses, would seeme to prayse his Maiestie thus. 
What should I go about to recite your Maiesties innumerable 
vertues, euen as much as if I tooke vpon me to number the starres 
of the skie, or to tell the sands of the sea. This Hyperbole was both 
vltra fidem and also vltra modum, and therefore of a graue and wise 
Counsellour made the speaker to be accompted a grosse flatte­
ring foole: peraduenture if he had vsed it thus, it had bene better 
and neuerthelesse a lye too, but a more moderate lye and no lesse to 
the purpose of the kings commendation, thus. I am not able with 
any wordes sufficiently to expresse your Maiesties regall vertues, 
your kingly merites also towardes vs your people and realme are 
so exceeding many, as your prayses therefore are infinite, your ho­
nour and renowne euerlasting: And yet all this if we shall mea­
sure it by the rule of exact veritie, is but an vntruth, yet a more 
cleanely commendation then was maister Speakers. Neuerthelesse 
as I said before if we fall a praysing, specially of our mistresses ver­
tue, bewtie, or other good parts, we be allowed now and then to 
ouer-reach a little by way of comparison as he that said thus in 
prayse of his Lady. 

Giue place ye louers here before, 
That spent your boasts and braggs in vaine: 
My Ladies bewtie passeth more, 
The best of your I dare well sayne: 
Then doth the sunne the candle light, 
Or brightest day the darkest night. 

And as a certaine noble Gentlewoman lamenting at the vnkind­
nesse of her louer said very pretily in this figure.


But since it will no better be, 
My teares shall neuer blin: 
To moist the earth in such degree, 
That I may drowne therein: 
That by my death all men may say, 
Lo weemen are as true as they.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "hiperbole" is in the OED as an English term, but not "loud liar."

Periphrasis,
 or the 
Figure of am­
bage. 
Then haue ye the figure Periphrasis, holding somewhat of the 
dissembler, by reason of a secret intent not appearing by the words, 
as when we go about the bush, and will not in one or a few words 
expresse that thing which we desire to haue knowen, but do chose 
rather to do it by many words, as we our selues wrote of our Soue­
raigne Lady thus: 

Whom Princes serue, and Realmes obay, 
And greatest of Bryton kings begot: 
She came abroade euen yesterday, 
When such as saw her, knew her not. 

And the rest that followeth, meaning her Maiesties person, 
which we would seeme to hide leauing her name vnspoken, to the 
intent the reader should gesse at it: neuerthelesse vpon the matter 
did so manifestly disclose it, as any simple iudgement might easily 
perceiue by whom it was ment, that is by Lady Elizabeth, Queene 
of England and daughter to king Henry the eight, and therein resteth 
the dissimulation. It is one of the gallantest figures among the 
poetes so it be vsed discretely and in his right kinde, but many of 
these makers that be not halfe their craftes maisters, do very often 
abuse it and also many waies. For if the thing or person they go 
about to describe by circumstance, be by the writers improuidence 
otherwise bewrayed, it looseth the grace of a figure, as he that said: 

The tenth of March when Aries receiued, 
Dan Phœbus raies into his horned hed. 

Intending to describe the spring of the yeare, which euery man 
knoweth of himselfe, hearing the day of March named: the verses 
be very good the figure nought worth, if it were meant in Peri­
phrase, for the matter, that is the season of the yeare which should 
haue bene couertly disclosed by ambage, was by and by blabbed 
out by naming the day of the moneth, & so the purpose of the fi­
gure disapointed, peraduenture it had bin better to haue said thus: 


The month and daie when Aries receiud, 
Dan Phœbus raies into his horned head. 

For now there remaineth for the Reader somewhat to studie 
and gesse vpon, and yet the spring time to the learned iudgement 
sufficiently expressed.

The Noble Earle of Surrey wrote thus: 

In winters iust returne, when Boreas gan his raigne, 
And euery tree vnclothed him fast as nature taught them plaine. 

I would faine learne of some good maker, whether the Earle 
spake this in figure of Periphrase or not, for mine owne opinion I 
thinke that if he ment to describe the winter season, he would not 
haue disclosed it so broadly, as to say winter at the first worde, for 
that had bene against the rules of arte, and without any good 
iudgement: which in so learned & excellent a personage we ought 
not to suspect, we say therefore that for winter it is no Periphrase 
but language at large: we say for all that, hauing regard to the se­
cond verse that followeth it is a Periphrase, seeming that thereby 
he intended to shew in what part of the winter his loues gaue him 
anguish, that is in the time which we call the fall of the leafe, which 
begins in the moneth of October, and stands very well with the 
figure to be vttered in that sort notwithstanding winter be named 
before, for winter hath many parts: such namely as do not shake 
of the leafe, nor vncloth the trees as here is mencioned: thus may 
ye iudge as I do, that this noble Erle wrate excellently well and to 
purpose. Moreouer, when a maker will seeme to vse circumlocu­
tion to set forth any thing pleasantly and figuratiuely, yet no lesse 
plaine to a ripe reader, then if it were named expresly, and when all 
is done, no man can perceyue it to be the thing intended. This is a 
foule ouersight in any writer as did a good fellow, who weening 
to shew his cunning, would needs by periphrase expresse the 
realme of Scotland in no lesse then eight verses, and when he had 
said all, no man could imagine it to be spoken of Scotland: and 
did besides many other faults in his verse, so deadly belie the mat­
ter by his description, as it would pitie any good maker to heare it.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "periphrasis" is in the OED as an English term.

Synechdoche.
 or the 
Figure of quick
conceite. 
Now for the shutting vp of this Chapter, will I remember you 
farther of that manner of speech which the Greekes call Synecdo­
che, and we the figure of [quicke conceite] who for the reasons be­


fore alledged, may be put vnder the speeches allegoricall, because of 
the darkenes and duplicitie of his sence: as when one would tell 
me how the French king was ouerthrowen at Saint Quintans, I 
am enforced to think that it was not the king himselfe in person, 
but the Constable of Fraunce with the French kings power. Or if 
one would say, the towne of Andwerpe were famished, it is not so 
to be taken, but of the people of the towne of Andwerp, and this 
conceit being drawen aside, and (as it were) from one thing to ano­
ther, it encombers the minde with a certaine imagination what it 
may be that is meant, and not expressed: as he that said to a young 
gentlewoman, who was in her chamber making her selfe vnready. 
Mistresse will ye geue me leaue to vnlace your peticote, meaning 
(perchance) the other thing that might follow such vnlasing. In 
the olde time, whosoeuer was allowed to vndoe his Ladies girdle, 
he might lie with her all night: wherfore, the taking of a womans 
maydenhead away, was said to vndoo her girdle. Virgineam dissol­
uit zonam, saith the Poet, conceiuing out of a thing precedent, a 
thing subsequent. This may suffice for the knowledge of this fi­
gure [quicke conceit.]The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "synecdoche" is in the OED as an English term.



CHAP. XIX.
 
Of Figures sententious, otherwise called Rhetoricall.



NOw if our presupposall be true, that the Poet is of all other 
the most auncient Orator, as he that by good & pleasant per­
swasions first reduced the wilde and beastly people into publicke 
societies and ciuilitie of life, insinuating vnto them, vnder fictions 
with sweete and coloured speeches, many wholesome lessons and 
doctrines, then no doubt there is nothing so fitte for him, as to 
be furnished with all the figures that be Rhetoricall, and such as do 
most beautifie language with eloquence & sententiousnes. Ther­
fore, since we haue already allowed to our maker his auricular fi­
gures, and also his sensable, by which all the words and clauses of 
his meeters are made as well tunable to the eare, as stirring to the 
minde, we are now by order to bestow vpon him those other fi­
gures which may execute both offices, and all at once to beautifie 
and geue sence and sententiousnes to the whole language at large. 
So as if we should intreate our maker to play also the Orator, and 


whether it be to pleade, or to praise, or to aduise, that in all three 
cases he may vtter, and also perswade both copiously and vehe­
mently. 

And your figures rhethoricall, besides their remembred ordi­
narie vertues, that is, sententiousnes, & copious amplification, or en­
largement of language, doe also conteine a certaine sweet and me­
lodious manner of speech, in which respect, they may, after a sort, 
be said auricular: because the eare is no lesse rauished with their 
currant tune, than the mind is with their sententiousnes. For the 
eare is properly but an instrument of conueyance for the minde, 
to apprehend the sence by the sound. And our speech is made me­
lodious or harmonicall, not onely by strayned tunes, as those of 
Musick, but also by choise of smoothe words: and thus, or thus, 
marshalling them in their comeliest construction and order, and 
aswell by sometimes sparing, sometimes spending them more or 
lesse liberally, and carrying or transporting of them farther off or 
neerer, setting them with sundry relations, and variable formes, 
in the ministery and vse of words, doe breede no little alteration 
in man. For to say truely, what els is man but his minde? which, 
whosoeuer haue skil to compasse, and make yeelding and flexible, 
what may not he commaund the body to perfourme? He there­
fore that hath vanquished the minde of man, hath made the grea­
test and most glorious conquest. But the minde is not assailable 
vnlesse it be by sensible approches, whereof the audible is of grea­
test force for instruction or discipline: the visible, for apprehension 
of exterior knowledges as the Philosopher saith. Therefore the 
well tuning of your words and clauses to the delight of the eare, 
maketh your information no lesse plausible to the minde than to 
the eare: no though you filled them with neuer so much sence and 
sententiousnes. Then also must the whole tale (if it tende to per­
swasion) beare his iust and reasonable measure, being rather with 
the largest, than with the scarcest. For like as one or two drops of 
water perce not the flint stone, but many and often droppings 
doo: so cannot a few words (be they neuer so pithie or sententi­
ous) in all cases and to all manner of mindes, make so deepe an im­
pression, as a more multitude of words to the purpose discreetely, 
and without superfluitie vttered: the minde being no lesse vanqui­


shed with large loade of speech, than the limmes are with heauie 
burden. Sweetenes of speech, sentence, and amplification, are ther­
fore necessarie to an excellent Orator and Poet, ne may in no wise 
be spared from any of them. 

And first of all others your figure that worketh by iteration or 
repetition of one word or clause doth much alter and affect the 
eare and also the mynde of the hearer, and therefore is counted 
a very braue figure both with the Poets and rhetoriciens, and this 
repetition may be in seuen sortes.

Anaphora,
 or the 
Figure of Re­
port. 
Repetition in the first degree we call the figure of Report ac­
cording to the Greeke originall, and is when we make one word 
begin, and as they are wont to say, lead the daunce to many verses 
in sute, as thus. 

To thinke on death it is a miserie, 
To thinke on life it is a vanitie: 
To thinke on the world verily it is, 
To thinke that heare man hath no perfit blisse.

And this written by Sir Walter Raleigh of his greatest mistresse 
in most excellent verses.

In vayne mine eyes in vaine you wast your teares, 
In vayne my sighs the smokes of my despaires: 
In vayne you search th'earth and heauens aboue, 
In vayne ye seeke, for fortune keeps my loue. 

Or as the buffon in our enterlude called Lustie London said very 
knauishly and like himselfe.

Many a faire lasse in London towne, 
Many a bawdie basket borne vp and downe: 
Many a broker in a thrid bare gowne. 
Many a bankrowte scarce worth a crowne. 
In London. The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "anaphora" is in the OED as an English term.

Antistrophe,
 or the 
Counter turne. 
Ye haue another sort of repetition quite contrary to the for­
mer when ye make one word finish many verses in sute, and that 
which is harder, to finish many clauses in the middest of your 
verses or dittie (for to make them finish the verse in our vulgar it 
should hinder the rime) and because I do finde few of our English 
makers vse this figure, I haue set you down two litle ditties which 
our selues in our yonger yeares played vpon the Antistrophe, for so 


is the figures name in Greeke: one vpon the mutable loue of a 
Lady, another vpon the meritorious loue of Christ our Sauiour, 
thus. 

Her lowly lookes, that gaue life to my loue, 
With spitefull speach, curstnesse and crueltie: 
She kild my loue, let her rigour remoue, 
Her cherefull lights and speaches of pitie 
Reuiue my loue: anone with great disdaine, 
She shunnes my loue, and after by a traine 
She seekes my loue, and saith she loues me most, 
But seing her loue, so lightly wonne and lost: 
I longd not for her loue, for well I thought, 
Firme is the loue, if it be as it ought. 

The second vpon the merites of Christes passion toward man­
kind, thus, 

Our Christ the sonne of God, chief authour of all good, 
Was he by his allmight, that first created man: 
And with the costly price, of his most precious bloud, 
He that redeemed man: and by his instance wan 
Grace in the sight of God, his onely father deare, 
And reconciled man: and to make man his peere 
Made himselfe very man: brief to conclude the case, 
This Christ both God and man, he all and onely is: 
The man brings man to God and to all heauens blisse. 

The Greekes call this figure Antistrophe, the Latines, conuersio, 
I following the originall call him the counterturne, because he 
turnes counter in the middest of euery meetre.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "antistrophe" is in the OED as an English term (1605-).

Symploche,
 or the 
figure of replie. 
Take me the two former figures and put them into one, and it 
is that which the Greekes call symploche, the Latines complexio, 
or conduplicatio, and is a maner of repetition, when one and the 
selfe word doth begin and end many verses in sute & so wrappes 
vp both the former figures in one, as he that sportingly complai­
ned of his vntrustie mistresse, thus. 

Who made me shent for her loues sake? 
Myne owne mistresse. 
Who would not seeme my part to take, 
Myne owne mistresse. 


What made me first so well content 
Her curtesie. 
What makes me now so sore repent 
Her crueltie. 

The Greekes name this figure Symploche, the Latins Complexio, 
perchaunce for that he seemes to hold in and to wrap vp the ver­
ses by reduplication, so as nothing can fall out. I had rather call him 
the figure of replie.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "symploce" is in the OED as an English term (1605-).

Anadiplosis,
 or the 
Redouble. 
Ye haue another sort of repetition when with the worde by 
which you finish your verse, ye beginne the next verse with the 
same, as thus: 

Comforte it is for man to haue a wife, 
Wife chast, and wise, and lowly all her life. 

Or thus: 

Your beutie was the cause of my first loue, 
Looue while I liue, that I may sore repent. 

The Greeks call this figure Anadiplosis, I call him the Redouble 
as the originall beares.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "anadiplosis" is in the OED as an English term.

Epanalepsis,
 or the 
Eccho sound.
otherwise,
the slow return 
Ye haue an other sorte of repetition, when ye make one worde 
both beginne and end your verse, which therefore I call the slow 
retourne, otherwise the Eccho sound, as thus: 

Much must he be beloued, that loueth much, 
Feare many must he needs, whom many feare. 

Vnlesse I called him the eccho sound, I could not tell what name 
to giue him, vnlesse it were the slow returne.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "epanalepsis" and "echo-sound" are in the OED.

Epizeuxis,
 the
Vnderlay,
or
Coocko-spel. 
Ye haue another sort of repetition when in one verse or clause 
of a verse, ye iterate one word without any intermission, as thus:  

It was Maryne, Maryne that wrought mine woe. 

And this bemoaning the departure of a deere friend.

The chiefest staffe of mine assured stay, 
With no small griefe, is gon, is gon away. 

And that of Sir Walter Raleighs very sweet.

With wisdomes eyes had but blind fortune seene, 
Than had my looue, my looue for euer beene. 

The Greeks call him Epizeuxis, the Latines Subiunctio, we may 
call him the vnderlay, me thinks if we regard his manner of itera­
tion, & would depart from the originall, we might very properly, 


in our vulgar and for pleasure call him the cuckowspell, for right as 
the cuckow repeats his lay, which is but one manner of note, and 
doth not insert any other tune betwixt, and sometimes for hast 
stammers out two or three of them one immediatly after an­
other, as cuck, cuck, cuckow, so doth the figure Epizeuxis in 
the former verses, Maryne, Maryne, without any intermission 
at all.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "epizeuxis" and "underlay" are in the OED.

Ploche,
 or the 
Doubler. 
Yet haue ye one sorte of repetition, which we call the doubler, 
and is as the next before, a speedie iteration of one word, but with 
some little intermission by inserting one or two words betweene, as 
in a most excellent dittie written by Sir Walter Raleigh these two 
closing verses: 

Yet when I sawe my selfe to you was true, 
I loued my selfe, bycause my selfe loued you. 

And this spoken in common Prouerbe.

An ape wilbe an ape, by kinde as they say, 
Though that ye clad him all in purple array. 

Or as we once sported vpon a fellowes name who was called 
Woodcock, and for an ill part he had plaid entreated fauour by his 
friend.

I praie you intreate no more for the man, 
Woodcocke wilbe a woodcocke do what ye can. 

Now also be there many other sortes of repetition if a man 
would vse them, but are nothing commendable, and therefore are 
not obserued in good poesie, as a vulgar rimer who doubled one 
word in the end of euery verse, thus: 

adieu, adieu, 
my face, my face. 

And an other that did the like in the beginning of his verse, thus: 

To loue him and loue him, as sinners should doo. 

These repetitions be not figuratiue but phantastical, for a figure 
is euer vsed to a purpose, either of beautie or of efficacie: and these 
last recited be to no purpose, for neither can ye say that it vrges 
affection, nor that it beautifieth or enforceth the sence, nor hath a­
ny other subtilitie in it, and therfore is a very foolish impertinency 
of speech, and not a figure.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "ploce" is in the OED as an English term.

Prosonomasia,
 or the 
Nicknamer. 
Ye haue a figure by which ye play with a couple of words or 
names much resembling, and because the one seemes to answere 


th'other by manner of illusion, and doth, as it were, nick him, I 
call him the Nicknamer. If any other man can geue him a fitter 
English name, I will not be angrie, but I am sure mine is very 
neere the originall sence of Prosonomasia, and is rather a by-name 
geuen in sport, than a surname geuen of any earnest purpose. As, 
Tiberius the Emperor, because he was a great drinker of wine, they 
called him by way of derision to his owne name, Caldius Biberius 
Mero, in steade of Claudius Tiberius Nero: and so a iesting frier 
that wrate against Erasmus, called him by resemblance to his own 
name, Errans mus, and are mainteined by this figure Prosonomasia, 
or the Nicknamer. But euery name geuen in iest or by way of a 
surname, if it do not resemble the true, is not by this figure, as, the 
Emperor of Greece, who was surnamed Constantinus Cepronimus, 
because he beshit the foont at the time he was christened: and so 
ye may see the difference betwixt the figures Antonomasia & Pro­
sonomatia. Now when such resemblance happens betweene words 
of another nature, and not vpon mens names, yet doeth the Poet 
or maker finde prety sport to play with them in his verse, special­
ly the Comicall Poet and the Epigrammatist. Sir Philip Sidney in 
a dittie plaide very pretily with these two words, Loue and liue, 
thus. 

And all my life I will confesse, 
The lesse I loue, I liue the lesse. 

And we in our Enterlude called the woer, plaid with these two 
words, lubber and louer, thus, the countrey clowne came & woed 
a young maide of the Citie, and being agreeued to come so oft, and 
not to haue his answere, said to the old nurse very impatiently.

Woer. Iche pray you good mother tell our young dame, 
Whence I am come and what is my name, 
I cannot come a woing euery day.

Quoth the nurse.

Nurse. They be lubbers not louers that so vse to say. 

Or as one replyed to his mistresse charging him with some dis­
loyaltie towards her.

Proue me madame ere ye fall to reproue, 
Meeke mindes should rather excuse than accuse. 

Here the words proue and reproue, excuse and accuse, do plea­


santly encounter, and (as it were) mock one another by their much 
resemblance: and this is by the figure Prosonomatia, as wel as if they 
were mens proper names, alluding to each other.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "prosonomasia" is in the OED as an English term.

Traductio,
 or the 
Tranlacer. 
Then haue ye a figure which the Latines call Traductio, and I 
the tranlacer: which is when ye turne and tranlace a word into ma­
ny sundry shapes as the Tailor doth his garment, & after that sort 
do play with him in your dittie: as thus, 

Who liues in loue his life is full of feares, 
To lose his loue, liuelode or libertie 
But liuely sprites that young and recklesse be, 
Thinke that there is no liuing like to theirs. 

Or as one who much gloried in his owne wit, whom Persius 
taxed in a verse very pithily and pleasantly, thus.

Scire tuum nihil est nisi te scire, hoc sciat alter.

Which I haue turned into English, not so briefly, but more at 
large of purpose the better to declare the nature of the figure: as 
thus, 

Thou weenest thy wit nought worth if other weet it not 
As wel as thou thy selfe, but o thing well I wot, 
Who so in earnest weenes, he doth in mine aduise, 
Shew himselfe witlesse, or more wittie than wise. 

Here ye see how in the former rime this word life is tranlaced 
into liue, liuing, liuely, liuelode: & in the latter rime this word wit 
is translated into weete, weene, wotte, witlesse, witty & wise: which 
come all from one originall.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "traductio" is not in the OED as an English term.

Antipophora,
 or
Figure of re­
sponce. 
Ye haue a figuratiue speach which the Greeks cal Antipophora, 
I name him the Responce, and is when we will seeme to aske a que­
stion to th'intent we will aunswere it our selues, and is a figure of 
argument and also of amplification. Of argument, because pro­
poning such matter as our aduersarie might obiect and then to 
answere it our selues, we do vnfurnish and preuent him of such 
helpe as he would otherwise haue vsed for himselfe: then because 
such obiection and answere spend much language it serues as well 
to amplifie and enlarge our tale. Thus for example. 

Wylie worldling come tell me I thee pray, 
Wherein hopest thou, that makes thee so to swell? 
Riches? alack it taries not a day, 


But where fortune the fickle list to dwell:
In thy children? how hardlie shalt thou finde, 
Them all at once, good and thriftie and kinde: 
Thy wife? ô faire but fraile mettall to trust, 
Seruants? what theeues? what treachours and iniust? 
Honour perchance? it restes in other men: 
Glorie? a smoake: but wherein hopest thou then? 
In Gods iustice? and by what merite tell? 
In his mercy? ô now thou speakest wel, 
But thy lewd life hath lost his loue and grace, 
Daunting all hope to put dispaire in place.

We read that Crates the Philosopher Cinicke in respect of 
the manifold discommodities of mans life, held opinion that it 
was best for man neuer to haue bene borne or soone after to dye, 
[Optimum non nasci vel citò mori] of whom certaine verses are left 
written in Greeke which I haue Englished, thus.

What life is the liefest? the needy is full of woe and awe, 
The wealthie full of brawle and brabbles of the law: 
To be a maried man? how much art thou beguild, 
Seeking thy rest by carke, for houshold wife and child: 
To till it is a toyle, to grase some honest gaine, 
But such as gotten is with great hazard and paine: 
The sayler of his shippe, the marchant of his ware, 
The souldier in armes, how full of dread and care? 
A shrewd wife brings thee bate, wiue not and neuer thriue, 
Children a charge, childlesse the greatest lacke aliue: 
Youth witlesse is and fraile, age sicklie and forlorne, 
Then better to dye soone, or neuer to be borne. 

Metrodorus the Philosopher Stoick was of a contrary opinion 
reuersing all the former suppositions against Crates, thus.

What life list ye to lead? in good Citie and towne 
Is wonne both wit and wealth, Court gets vs great renowne: 
Countrey keepes vs in heale, and quietnesse of mynd, 
Where holesome aires and exercise and pretie sports we find: 
Traffick it turnes to gaine, by land and eke by seas, 
The land-borne liues safe, the forreine at his ease: 
Housholder hath his home, the roge romes with delight, 


And makes moe, merry meales, then doth the Lordly wight: 
Wed and thou hast a bed, of solace and of ioy, 
Wed not and haue a bed, of rest without annoy: 
The setled loue is safe, sweete is the loue at large, 
Children they are a store, no children are no charge, 
Lustie and gay is youth, old age honourd and wise: 
Then not to dye or be vnborne, is best in myne aduise. 

Edward Earle of Oxford a most noble & learned Gentleman 
made in this figure of responce an emblem of desire otherwise called 
Cupide which for his excellencie and wit, I set downe some part of 
the verses, for example.

When wert thou borne desire? 
In pompe and pryme of May, 
By whom sweete boy wert thou begot? 
By good conceit men say, 
Tell me who was thy nurse? 
Fresh youth in sugred ioy. 
What was thy meate and dayly foode? 
Sad sighes with great annoy. 
What hadst thou then to drinke? 
Vnfayned louers teares. 
What cradle wert thou rocked in? 
In hope deuoyde of feares.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "anthypophora" is in the OED as an English term.

Syneciosis,
 or the 
Crosse copling. 
Ye haue another figure which me thinkes may well be called 
(not much sweruing from his originall in sence) the Crosse-couple, 
because it takes me two contrary words, and tieth them as it were 
in a paire of couples, and so makes them agree like good fellowes, 
as I saw once in Fraunce a wolfe coupled with a mastiffe, and a 
foxe with a hounde. Thus it is. 

The niggards fault and the vnthrifts is all one, 
For neither of them both knoweth how to vse his owne. 

Or thus.

The couetous miser, of all his goods ill got, 
Aswell wants that he hath, as that he hath not. 

In this figure of the Crosse-couple we wrate for a forlorne louer 
complaining of his mistresse crueltie these verses among other.

Thus for your sake I dayly dye, 


And do but seeme to liue in deede: 
Thus is my blisse but miserie, 
My lucre losse without your meede.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "synoeciosis" is not in the OED as an English term.

Atanaclasis,
 or the 
Rebounde. 
Ye haue another figure which by his nature we may call the 
Rebound,  alluding to the tennis ball which being smitten with the 
racket reboundes backe againe, and where the last figure before 
played with two wordes somewhat like, this playeth with one 
word written all alike but carrying diuers sences as thus. 

The maide that soone married is, soone marred is. 

Or thus better because married & marred be different in one letter. 

To pray for you euer I cannot refuse, 
To pray vpon you I should you much abuse. 

Or as we once sported vpon a countrey fellow who came to 
runne for the best game, and was by his occupation a dyer and had 
very bigge swelling legges.

He is but course to runne a course, 
Whose shankes are bigger then his thye: 
Yet is his lucke a little worse, 
That often dyes before he dye.

Where ye see this word course and dye, vsed in diuers sences, one 
giuing the Rebounde vpon th'other.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "atanaclasis" is not in the OED as an English term.

Clymax,
 or the 
Marching fi­
gure. 
Ye haue a figure which as well by his Greeke and Latine origi­
nals, & also by allusion to the maner of a mans gate or going may 
be called the marching figure, for after the first steppe all the rest 
proceede by double the space, and so in our speach one word pro­
ceedes double to the first that was spoken, and goeth as it were by 
strides or paces: it may aswell be called the clyming figure, for Cly­
max is as much to say as a ladder, as in one of our Epitaphes shew­
ing how a very meane man by his wisedome and good fortune 
came to great estate and dignitie. 

His vertue made him wise, his wisedome brought him wealth, 
His wealth wan many friends, his friends made much supply: 
Of aides in weale and woe in sicknesse and in health, 
Thus came he from a low, to sit in seate so hye. 

Or as Ihean de Mehune the French Poet.

Peace makes plentie, plentie makes pride, 
Pride breeds quarrell, and quarrell brings warre:


Warre brings spoile, and spoile pouertie, 
Pouertie pacience, and pacience peace: 
So peace brings warre, and warre brings peace.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "clymax" is not in the OED as an English term.

Antimetauole,
 or the 
Counterchange.
Ye haue a figure which takes a couple of words to play with in 
a verse, and by making them to chaunge and shift one into others 
place they do very pretily exchange and shift the sence, as thus. 

We dwell not here to build vs boures, 
And halles for pleasure and good cheare: 
But halles we build for vs and ours, 
To dwell in them whilest we are here. 

Meaning that we dwell not here to build, but we build to dwel, 
as we liue not to eate, but eate to liue, or thus.

We wish not peace to maintaine cruell warre, 
But we make warre to maintaine vs in peace. 

Or thus.

If Poesie be, as some haue said, 
A speaking picture to the eye: 
Then is a picture not denaid, 
To be a muet Poesie. 

Or as the Philosopher Musonius wrote.

With pleasure if we worke vnhonestly and ill, 
The pleasure passeth, the bad it bideth still: 
Well if we worke with trauaile and with paines, 
The paine passeth and still the good remaines. 

A wittie fellow in Rome wrate vnder the Image of Cæsar the 
Dictator these two verses in Latine, which because they are spoken 
by this figure of Counterchaunge I haue turned into a couple of 
English verses very well keeping the grace of the figure.

Brutus for casting out of kings, was first of Consuls past, 
Cæsar for casting Consuls out, is of our kings the last. 

Cato of any Senatour not onely the grauest but also the 
promptest and wittiest in any ciuill scoffe, misliking greatly the 
engrossing of offices in Rome that one man should haue many at 
once, and a great number goe without that were as able men, said 
thus by Counterchaunge.

It seemes your offices are very litle worth, 
Or very few of you worthy of offices. 

Againe: 


In trifles earnest as any man can bee, 
In earnest matters no such trifler as hee.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "antimetauole" is in the OED as an English term.

Insultatio,
 or the 
Disdainefull. 
Yee haue another figure much like to the Sarcasmus, or bitter 
taunt wee spake of before: and is when with proud and insolent 
words, we do vpbraid a man, or ride him as we terme it: for which 
cause the Latines also call it Insultatio, I choose to name him the 
Reprochfull or scorner, as when Queene Dido saw, that for all her 
great loue and entertainements bestowed vpon Æneas, he would 
needs depart, and follow the Oracle of his destinies, she brake out 
in a great rage and said very disdainefully. 

Hye thee, and by the wild waues and the wind, 
Seeke Italie and Realmes for thee to raigne, 
If piteous Gods haue power amidst the mayne, 
On ragged rocks thy penaunce thou maist find. 

Or as the poet Iuuenall reproched the couetous Merchant, who 
for lucres sake passed on no perill either by land or sea, thus: 

Goe now and giue thy life vnto the winde, 
Trusting vnto a piece of bruckle wood, 
Foure inches from thy death or seauen good 
The thickest planke for shipboord that we finde.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "insultatio" is not in the OED as an English term.

Antitheton,
 or the  
The renconter. 
Ye haue another figure very pleasant and fit for amplification, 
which to answer the Greeke terme, we may call the encounter, but 
following the Latine name by reason of his contentious nature, 
we may call him the Quarreller, for so be al such persons as delight 
in taking the contrary part of whatsoeuer shalbe spoken: when I 
was a scholler in Oxford they called euery such one Iohannes ad 
oppositum. 

Good haue I doone you, much, harme did I neuer none, 
Ready to ioy your gaines, your losses to bemone, 
Why therefore should you grutch so sore at my welfare: 
Who onely bred your blisse, and neuer causd your care.

Or as it is in these two verses where one speaking of Cupids 
bowe, deciphered thereby the nature of sensual loue, whose begin­
ning is more pleasant than the end, thus allegorically and by an­
titheton.

His bent is sweete, his loose is somewhat sowre, 
In ioy begunne, ends oft in wofull howre. 


Maister Diar in this quarelling figure. 

Nor loue hath now the force, on me which it ones had, 
Your frownes can neither make me mourne, nor fauors make me glad. 

Isocrates the Greek Oratour was a litle too full of this figure, & 
so was the Spaniard that wrote the life of Marcus Aurelius, & ma­
ny of our moderne writers in vulgar, vse it in excesse & incurre the 
vice of fond affectation: otherwise the figure is very commendable.

In this quarrelling figure we once plaid this merry Epigrame 
of an importune and shrewd wife, thus: 

My neighbour hath a wife, not fit to make him thriue, 
But good to kill a quicke man, or make a dead reuiue. 
So shrewd she is for God, so cunning and so wise, 
To counter with her goodman, and all by contraries. 
For when he is merry, she lurcheth and she loures, 
When he is sad she singes, or laughes it out by houres. 
Bid her be still her tongue to talke shall neuer cease, 
When she should speake and please, for spight she holds her peace, 
Bid spare and she will spend, bid spend she spares as fast, 
What first ye would haue done, be sure it shalbe last. 
Say go, she comes, say come, she goes, and leaues him all alone, 
Her husband (as I thinke) calles her ouerthwart Ione.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "antitheton" is not the OED, but see "antithet," n.

Erotema,
 or the 
Questioner. 
There is a kinde of figuratiue speach when we aske many que­
stions and looke for none answere, speaking indeed by interroga­
tion, which we might as well say by affirmation. This figure I call 
the Questioner or inquisitiue, as whan Medea excusing her great 
crueltie vsed in the murder of her owne children which she had by 
Iason, said: 

Was I able to make them I praie you tell, 
And am I not able to marre them all aswell? 

Or as another wrote very commendably.

Why striue I with the streame, or hoppe against the hill, 
Or search that neuer can be found, and loose my labour still? 

Cato vnderstanding that the Senate had appointed three citizens 
of Rome for embassadours to the king of Bithinia, whereof one 
had the Gowte, another the Meigrim, the third very little courage 
or discretion to be employd in any such businesse, said by way of 
skoffe in this figure.


Must not (trowe ye) this message be well sped, 
That hath neither heart, nor heeles, nor hed? 

And as a great Princesse aunswered her seruitour, who distrus­
ting in her fauours toward him, praised his owne constancie in 
these verses.

No fortune base or frayle can alter me:

To whome she in this figure repeting his words: 

No fortune base or frayle can alter thee. 
And can so blind a witch so conquere mee?The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "erotema" is in the OED as an English term.

Ecphonisis,
 or the
Outcry. 
The figure of exclamation,  I call him [the outcrie] because it 
vtters our minde by all such words as do shew any extreme pas­
sion, whether it be by way of exclamation or crying out, admira­
tion or wondering, imprecation or cursing, obtestation or 
taking God and the world to witnes, or any such like as declare 
an impotent affection, as Chaucer of the Lady Cresseida by excla­
mation. 

O soppe of sorrow soonken into care, 
O caytife Cresseid, for now and euermare. 

Or as Gascoine wrote very passionatly and well to purpose.

Ay me the dayes that I in dole consume, 
Alas the nights which witnesse well mine woe: 
O wrongfull world which makest my fancie fume, 
Fie fickle fortune, fie, fie thou art my foe: 
Out and alas so froward is my chance, 
No nights nor daies, nor worldes can me auance. 

Petrarche in a sonet which Sir Thomas Wiat Englished excel­
lently well, said in this figure by way of imprecation and obte­
station: thus, 

Perdie I said it not, 
Nor neuer thought to doo: 
Aswell as I ye wot, 
I haue no power thereto: 
And if I did the lot 
That first did me enchaine, 
May neuer slake the knot 
But straite it to my paine. 


"And if I did each thing, 
That may do harme or woe: 
Continually may wring, 
My harte where so I goe. 
"Report may alwaies ring: 
Of shame on me for aye, 
If in my hart did spring, 
The wordes that you doo say. 
"And if I did each starre, 
That is in heauen aboue. 

And so forth, &c.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "ecphonesis" is in the OED as an English term.

Brachiologa,
 or the 
Cutted comma
We vse sometimes to proceede all by single words, without a­
ny close or coupling, sauing that a little pause or comma is geuen 
to euery word. This figure for pleasure may be called in our vul­
gar the cutted comma, for that there cannot be a shorter diuision 
then at euery words end. The Greekes in their language call it 
short language, as thus. 

Enuy, malice, flattery, disdaine, 
Auarice, deceit, falshed, filthy gaine. 

If this loose language be vsed, not in single words, but in long 
clauses, it is called Asindeton, and in both cases we vtter in that fa­
shion, when either we be earnest, or would seeme to make hast.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "brachiologa" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "brachylogy," n.

Parison,
 or the 
Figure of euen.
Ye haue another figure which we may call the figure of euen, 
because it goeth by clauses of egall quantitie, and not very long, 
but yet not so short as the cutted comma: and they geue good 
grace to a dittie, but specially to a prose. In this figure we once 
wrote in a melancholike humor these verses. 

The good is geason, and short is his abode, 
The bad bides long, and easie to be found: 
Our life is loathsome, our sinnes a heauy lode, 
Conscience a curst iudge, remorse a priuie goade. 
Disease, age and death still in our eare they round, 
That hence we must the sickly and the sound: 
Treading the steps that our forefathers troad, 
Rich, poore, holy, wise, all flesh it goes to ground. 

In a prose there should not be vsed at once of such euen clauses 
past three or foure at the most.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "parison" is in the OED as an English term.


Sinonimia,
 or the 
Figure of store. 
When so euer we multiply our speech by many words or clau­
ses of one sence, the Greekes call it Sinonimia, as who would say, 
like or consenting names: the Latines hauing no fitte terme to giue 
him, called it by a name of euent, for (said they) many words of one 
nature and sence, one of them doth expound another. And there­
fore they called this figure the [Interpreter] I for my part had ra­
ther call him the figure of [store] because plenty of one manner of 
thing in our vulgar we call so. Æneas asking whether his Cap­
taine Orontes were dead or aliue, vsed this store of speeches all to 
one purpose. 

Is he aliue, 
Is he as I left him queauing and quick, 
And hath he not yet geuen vp the ghost, 
Among the rest of those that I haue lost? 

Or if it be in single words, then thus.

What is become of that beautifull face, 
Those louely lookes, that fauour amiable, 
Those sweete features, and visage full of grace, 
That countenance which is alonly able 
To kill and cure? 

Ye see that all these words, face, lookes, fauour, features, visage, 
countenance, are in sence but all one. Which store, neuerthelesse, 
doeth much beautifie and inlarge the matter. So said another.

My faith, my hope, my trust, my God and eke my guide, 
Stretch forth thy hand to saue the soule, what ere the body bide. 

Here faith, hope and trust be words of one effect, allowed to vs 
by this figure of store.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "sinonimia" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "synonym," n.

Metanoia,
 or the 
Penitent. 
Otherwhiles we speake and be sorry for it, as if we had not wel 
spoken, so that we seeme to call in our word againe, and to put in 
another fitter for the purpose: for which respects the Greekes cal­
led this manner of speech the figure of repentance: then for that 
vpon repentance commonly followes amendment, the Latins cal­
led it the figure of correction, in that the speaker seemeth to re­
forme that which was said amisse. I following the Greeke origi­
nall, choose to call him the penitent, or repentant: and singing in 
honor of the mayden Queen, meaning to praise her for her great­
nesse of courage, ouershooting my selfe, called it first by the name 


of pride: then fearing least fault might be found with that terme, 
by & by turned this word pride to praise: resembling her Maiesty 
to the Lion, being her owne noble armory, which by a slie con­
struction purporteth magnanimitie. Thus in the latter end of a 
Parthemiade. 

O peereles you, or els no one aliue, 
"Your pride serues you to feaze them all alone: 
"Not pride madame, but praise of the lion, 
To conquer all and be conquerd by none. 

And in another Parthemiade thus insinuating her Maiesties 
great constancy in refusall of all marriages offred her, thus: 

"Her heart is hid none may it see, 
"Marble or flinte folke weene it be. 

Which may imploy rigour and cruelty, than correcteth it thus.

Not flinte I trowe I am a lier, 
But Siderite that feeles no fire. 

By which is intended, that it proceeded of a cold and chast com­
plexion not easily allured to loue.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "metanoia" is in the OED as an English term.

Antenagoge.
 or the 
Recompencer. 
We haue another manner of speech much like to the repentant, 
but doth not as the same recant or vnsay a word that hath bene 
said before, putting another fitter in his place, but hauing spoken 
any thing to depraue the matter or partie, he denieth it not, but as 
it were helpeth it againe by another more fauourable speach: and 
so seemeth to make amends, for which cause it is called by the o­
riginall name in both languages, the Recompencer, as he that was 
merily asked the question, whether his wife were not a shrewe as 
well as others of his neighbours wiues, answered in this figure as 
pleasantly, for he could not well denie it. 

I must needs say, that my wife is a shrewe, 
But such a huswife as I know but a fewe. 

Another in his first proposition giuing a very faint commenda­
tion to the Courtiers life, weaning to make him amends, made it 
worse by a second proposition, thus: 

The Courtiers life full delicate it is, 
But where no wise man will euer set his blis. 

And an other speaking to the incoragement of youth in studie 
and to be come excellent in letters and armes, said thus: 


Many are the paines and perils to be past, 
But great is the gaine and glory at the last.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "antanagoge" is in the OED as an English term.

Epithonema.
 or the 
Surclose.
Our poet in his short ditties, but specially playing the Epi­
grammatist will vse to conclude and shut vp his Epigram with 
a verse or two, spoken in such sort, as it may seeme a manner of al­
lowance to all the premisses, and that with a ioyfull approbation, 
which the Latines call Acclamatio, we therefore call this figure the 
surcloze or consenting close, as Virgill when he had largely spoken of 
of Prince Eneas his successe and fortunes concluded with this 
close. 

Tantæ molis erat Romanam condere gentem. 

In English thus: 

So huge a peece of worke it was and so hie, 
To reare the house of Romane progenie. 

Sir Philip Sidney very pretily closed vp a dittie in this sort.

What medcine then, can such disease remoue, 
Where loue breedes hate, and hate engenders loue. 

And we in a Partheniade written of her Maiestie, declaring to 
what perils vertue is generally subiect, and applying that fortune 
to her selfe, closed it vp with this Epiphoneme.

Than if there bee, 
Any so cancard hart to grutch, 
At your glories: my Queene: in vaine, 
Repining at your fatall raigne: 
It is for that they feele too much, 
Of your bountee. 

As who would say her owne ouermuch lenitie and goodnesse, 
made her ill willers the more bold and presumptuous.

Lucretius Carus the philosopher and poet inueighing sore a­
gainst the abuses of the superstitious religion of the Gentils, and 
recompting the wicked fact of king Agamemnon in sacrificing his 
only daughter Iphigenia, being a yoong damsell of excellent bew­
tie, to th'intent to please the wrathfull gods, hinderers of his naui­
gation, after he had said all, closed it vp in this one verse, spoken 
in Epiphonema.

Tantum relligio potuit suadere malorum.

In English thus: 


Lo what an outrage, could cause to be done, 
The peeuish scruple of blinde religion.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "epithonema" is not in the OED as an English term.

Auxesis,
 or the 
Auancer. 
It happens many times that to vrge and enforce the matter we 
speake of, we go still mounting by degrees and encreasing our 
speech with wordes or with sentences of more waight one then 
another, & is a figure of great both efficacie & ornament, as he that 
declaring the great calamitie of an infortunate prince, said thus: 

He lost besides his children and his wife, 
His realme, ronowne, liege, libertie and life. 

By which it appeareth that to any noble Prince the losse of his 
estate ought not to be so greeuous, as of his honour, nor any of 
them both like to the lacke of his libertie, but that life is the dearest 
detriment of any other. We call this figure by the Greeke origi­
nall the Auancer or figure of encrease because euery word that is 
spoken is one of more weight then another.

And as we lamented the crueltie of an inexorable and vnfaithfull 
mistresse.

If by the lawes of loue it be a falt, 
The faithfull friend, in absence to forget: 
But if it be (once do thy heart but halt,) 
A secret sinne: what forfet is so great: 
As by despite in view of euery eye, 
The solemne vowes oft sworne with teares so salt, 
And holy Leagues fast seald with hand and hart: 
For to repeale and breake so wilfully? 
But now (alas) without all iust desart, 
My lot is for my troth and much good will, 
To reape disdaine, hatred and rude refuse, 
Or if ye would worke me some greater ill: 
And of myne earned ioyes to feele no part, 
What els is this (ô cruell) but to vse, 
Thy murdring knife the guiltlesse bloud to spill. 

Where ye see how she is charged first with a fault, then with a 
 secret sinne, afterward with a foule forfet, last of all with a most 
cruell & bloudy deede. And thus againe in a certaine louers com­
plaint made to the like effect.

They say it is a ruth to see thy louer neede, 


But you can see me weepe, but you can see me bleede: 
And neuer shrinke nor shame, ne shed no teare at all, 
You make my wounds your selfe, and fill them vp with gall: 
Yea you can see me sound, and faint for want of breath, 
And gaspe and grone for life, and struggle still with death, 
What can you now do more; sweare by your maydenhead, 
Then for to flea me quicke, or strip me being dead. 

In these verses you see how one crueltie surmounts another by 
degrees till it come to very slaughter and beyond, for it is thought 
a despite done to a dead carkas to be an euidence of greater cruel­
tie then to haue killed him.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "auxesis" is in the OED as an English term.

Meiosis,
 or the 
Disabler. 
After the Auancer followeth the abbaser working by wordes 
and sentences of extenuation or diminution. Whereupon we call 
him the Disabler or figure of Extenuation: and this extenuation is 
vsed to diuers purposes, sometimes for modesties sake, and to a­
uoide the opinion of arrogancie, speaking of our selues or of ours, 
as he that disabled himselfe to his mistresse thus. 

Not all the skill I haue to speake or do, 
Which litle is God wot (set loue apart:) 
Liueload nor life, and put them both thereto, 
Can counterpeise the due of your desart. 

It may be also done for despite to bring our aduersaries in con­
tempt, as he that sayd by one (commended for a very braue soul­
dier) disabling him scornefully, thus.

A iollie man (forsooth) and fit for the warre, 
Good at hand grippes, better to fight a farre: 
Whom bright weapon in shew as it is said, 
Yea his owne shade, hath often made afraide. 

The subtilitie of the scoffe lieth in these Latin wordes [eminus 
& cominus pugnare.] Also we vse this kind of Extenuation when 
we take in hand to comfort or cheare any perillous enterprise, ma­
king a great matter seeme small, and of litle difficultie, & is much 
vsed by captaines in the warre, when they (to giue courage to their 
souldiers) will seeme to disable the persons of their enemies, and a­
base their forces, and make light of euery thing that might be a 
discouragement to the attempt, as Hanniball did in his Oration 
to his souldiers, when they should come to passe the Alpes to en­


ter Italie, and for sharpnesse of the weather, and steepnesse of the 
mountaines their hearts began to faile them. 

We vse it againe to excuse a fault, & to make an offence seeme 
lesse then it is, by giuing a terme more fauorable and of lesse vehe­
mencie then the troth requires, as to say of a great robbery, that it 
was but a pilfry matter: of an arrant ruffian that he is a tall fellow 
of his hands: of a prodigall foole, that he is a kind hearted man: of 
a notorious vnthrift, a lustie youth, and such like phrases of exte­
nuation, which fall more aptly to the office of the figure Curry 
fauell before remembred.

And we vse the like termes by way of pleasant familiaritie, and 
as it were for a Courtly maner of speach with our egalls or inferi­
ours, as to call a young Gentlewoman Mall for Mary, Nell for 
Elner: Iack for Iohn, Robin for Robert: or any other like affected 
termes spoken of pleasure, as in our triumphals calling familiarly 
vpon our Muse, I called her Moppe.

But will you weet, 
My litle muse, my prettie moppe: 
If we shall algates change our stoppe, 
Chose me a sweet. 

Vnderstanding by this word [Moppe] a litle prety Lady, or ten­
der young thing. For so we call litle fishes, that be not come to 
their full growth [moppes,] as whiting moppes, gurnard moppes.

Also such termes are vsed to be giuen in derision and for a kind 
of contempt, as when we say Lording for Lord, & as the Spaniard 
that calleth an Earle of small reuenue Contadilio: the Italian cal­
leth the poore man, by contempt pouerachio, or pouerino, the little 
beast animalculo or animaluchio, and such like diminutiues apper­
teining to this figure, the [Disabler] more ordinary in other lan­
guages than in our vulgar.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "meiosis" is in the OED as an English term.

Epanodis,
 or
the figure of
Retire. 
This figure of retire holds part with the propounder of which 
we spake before (prolepsis) because of the resumption of a former 
proposition vttered in generalitie to explane the same better by a 
particular diuision.  But their difference is, in that the propounder 
resumes but the matter only. This [retire] resumes both the mat­
ter and the termes, and is therefore accompted one of the figures 
of repetition, and in that respect may be called by his originall 


Greeke name the [Resounde] or the [retire] for this word ἰδὀς 
serues both sences resound and retire. The vse of this figure, is seen 
in this dittie following, 

Loue hope and death, do stirre in me much strife, 
As neuer man but I lead such a life: 
For burning loue doth wound my heart to death: 
And when death comes at call of inward grief, 
Cold lingring hope doth feede my fainting breath: 
Against my will, and yeelds my wound relief, 
So that I liue, but yet my life is such: 
As neuer death could greeue me halfe so much.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "epanodos" is in the OED as an English term.

Dialisis,
 or
the Dismem­
brer. 
Then haue ye a maner of speach, not so figuratiue as fit for ar­
gumentation, and worketh not vnlike the dilemma of the Logici­
ans, because he propones two or moe matters entierly, and doth as 
it were set downe the whole tale or rekoning of an argument and 
then cleare euery part by it selfe, as thus. 

It can not be but nigardship or neede, 
Made him attempt this foule and wicked deede: 
Nigardship not, for alwayes he was free, 
Nor neede, for who doth not his richesse see? 

Or as one that entreated for a faire young maide who was ta­
ken by the watch in London and carried to Bridewell to be pu­
nished.

Now gentill Sirs let this young maide alone, 
For either she hath grace orels she hath none: 
If she haue grace, she may in time repent, 
If she haue none what bootes her punishment. 

Or as another pleaded his deserts with his mistresse.

Were it for grace, or els in hope of gaine, 
To say of my deserts, it is but vaine: 
For well in minde, in case ye do them beare, 
To tell them oft, it should but irke your eare: 
Be they forgot: as likely should I faile, 
To winne with wordes, where deedes can not preuaile.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "dialysis" is in the OED as an English term.

Merismus.
 or the 
Distributer. 
Then haue ye a figure very meete for Orators or eloquent per­
swaders such as our maker or Poet must in some cases shew him 
selfe to be, and is when we may conueniently vtter a matter in one 


entier speach or proposition and will rather do it peecemeale and 
by distribution of euery part for amplification sake, as for exanple he 
that might say, a house was outragiously plucked downe: will not 
be satisfied so to say, but rather will speake it in this sort: they first 
vndermined the groundsills, they beate downe the walles, they 
vnfloored the loftes, they vntiled it and pulled downe the roofe. 
For so in deede is a house pulled downe by circumstances, which this 
figure of distribution doth set forth euery one apart, and therefore 
I name him the distributor according to his originall, as wrate the 
Tuscane Poet in a Sonet which Sir Thomas Wyat translated with 
very good grace, thus. 

Set me whereas the sunne doth parch the greene, 
Or where his beames do not dissolue the yce: 
In temperate heate where he is felt and seene, 
In presence prest of people mad or wise: 
Set me in hye or yet in low degree, 
In longest night or in the shortest day: 
In clearest skie, or where clouds thickest bee, 
In lustie youth or when my heares are gray: 
Set me in heauen, in earth or els in hell, 
In hill or dale or in the foming flood: 
Thrall or at large, aliue where so I dwell, 
Sicke or in health, in euill fame or good: 
Hers will I be, and onely with this thought, 
Content my selfe, although my chaunce be naught. 

All which might haue bene said in these two verses. 

Set me wheresoeuer ye will, 
I am and wilbe yours still. 

The zealous Poet writing in prayse of the maiden Queene would 
not seeme to wrap vp all her most excellent parts in a few words 
them entierly comprehending, but did it by a distributor or meris­
mus in the negatiue for the better grace, thus. 

Not your bewtie, most gracious soueraine, 
Nor maidenly lookes, mainteind with maiestie: 
Your stately port, which doth not match but staine, 
For your presence, your pallace and your traine, 
All Princes Courts, mine eye could euer see: 


Not your quicke wits, your sober gouernaunce: 
Your cleare forsight, your faithfull memorie, 
So sweete features, in so staid countenaunce: 
Nor languages, with plentuous vtterance, 
So able to discourse, and entertaine: 
Not noble race, farre beyond Cæsars raigne, 
Runne in right line, and bloud of nointed kings: 
Not large empire, armies, treasurs, domaine, 
Lustie liueries, of fortunes dearst darlings: 
Not all the skilles, fit for a Princely dame, 
Your learned Muse, with vse and studie brings. 
Not true honour, ne that immortall fame 
Of mayden raigne, your only owne renowne 
And no Queenes els, yet such as yeeldes your name 
Greater glory than doeth your treble crowne. 

And then concludes thus.

Not any one of all these honord parts 
Your Princely happes, and habites that do moue, 
And as it were, ensorcell all the hearts 
Of Christen kings to quarrell for your loue, 
But to possesse, at once and all the good 
Arte and engine, and euery starre aboue 
Fortune or kinde, could farce in flesh and bloud, 
Was force inough to make so many striue 
For your person, which in our world stoode 
By all consents the minionst mayde to wiue. 

Where ye see that all the parts of her commendation which 
were partitularly remembred in twenty verses before, are wrapt 
vp in the two verses of this last part, videl.

Not any one of all your honord parts, 
Those Princely haps and habites, &c. 

This figure serues for amplification, and also for ornament, and 
to enforce perswasion mightely. Sir Geffrey Chaucer, father of our 
English Poets, hath these verses following in the distributor.

When faith failes in Priestes sawes, 
And Lords hestes are holden for lawes, 
And robberie is tane for purchase, 


And lechery for solace 
Then shall the Realme of Albion 
Be brought to great confusion. 

Where he might haue said as much in these words: when vice 
abounds, and vertue decayeth in Albion, then &c. And as another 
said, 

When Prince for his people is wakefull and wise, 
Peeres ayding with armes, Counsellors with aduise, 
Magistrate sincerely vsing his charge, 
People prest to obey, nor let to runne at large, 
Prelate of holy life, and with deuotion 
Preferring pietie before promotion, 
Priest still preaching, and praying for our heale: 
Then blessed is the state of a common-weale. 

All which might haue bene said in these few words, when eue­
ry man in charge and authoritie doeth his duety, & executeth his 
function well, then is the common-wealth happy.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "merismus" is in the OED as an English term.

Epimone,
 or the 
Loueburden. 
The Greeke Poets who made musicall ditties to be song to the 
lute or harpe, did vse to linke their staues together with one verse 
running throughout the whole song by equall distance, and was, 
for the most part, the first verse of the staffe, which kept so good 
sence and conformitie with the whole, as his often repetition did 
geue it greater grace. They called such linking verse Epimone, the 
Latines versus intercalaris, and we may terme him the Loue-bur­
den, following the originall, or if it please you, the long repeate: in 
one respect because that one verse alone beareth the whole burden 
of the song according to the originall: in another respect, for that 
it comes by large distances to be often repeated, as in this ditty 
made by the noble knight Sir Philip Sidney, 

My true loue hath my heart and I haue his, 
By iust exchange one for another geuen: 
I holde his deare, and mine he cannot misse, 
There neuer was a better bargaine driuen. 
My true loue hath my heart and I haue his. 
My heart in me keepes him and me in one, 
My heart in him his thoughts and sences guides
He loues my heart, for once it was his owne, 


I cherish his because in me it bides. 
My true loue hath my heart, and I haue his.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "epimone" and "love-burden" are not in the OED.

Paradoxon,
 or the 
Wondrer. 
Many times our Poet is caried by some occasion to report of a 
thing that is maruelous, and then he will seeme not to speake it 
simply but with some signe of admiration, as in our enterlude cal­
led the Woer. 

I woonder much to see so many husbands thriue, 
That haue but little wit, before they come to wiue: 
For one would easily weene who so hath little wit, 
His wife to teach it him, were a thing much vnfit. 

Or as Cato the Romane Senatour said one day merily to his 
companion that walked with him, pointing his finger to a yong 
vnthrift in the streete who lately before had sold his patrimonie, 
of a goodly quantitie of salt marshes, lying neere vnto Capua shore.

Now is it not, a wonder to behold, 
Yonder gallant skarce twenty winter old, 
By might (marke ye) able to doo more? 
Than the mayne sea that batters on his shore? 
For what the waues could neuer wash away, 
This proper youth hath wasted in a day.

The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "paradoxons" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "paradox," n.



Aporia,
 or the 
Doubtfull. 
Not much vnlike the wondrer haue ye another figure called 
the doubtfull, because oftentimes we will seeme to cast perils, and 
make doubt of things when by a plaine manner of speech wee 
might affirme or deny him, as thus of a cruell mother who mur­
dred her owne child. 

Whether the cruell mother were more to blame, 
Or the shrewd childe come of so curst a dame: 
Or whether some smatch of the fathers blood, 
Whose kinne were neuer kinde, nor neuer good. 
Mooued her thereto, &c.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "aporia" is in the OED as an English term.  

Epitropis,
 or the 
Figure of Re­
ference.
This manner of speech is vsed when we will not seeme, either 
for manner sake or to auoid tediousnesse, to trouble the iudge or 
hearer with all that we could say, but hauing said inough already, 
we referre the rest to their consideration, as he that said thus: 

Me thinkes that I haue said, what may well suffise, 
Referring all the rest, to your better aduise.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "epitropis" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "epitrope," n. (1656-).

Parisia,
 or the 
Licentious. 
The fine and subtill perswader when his intent is to sting his 


aduersary, or els to declare his mind in broad and liberal speeches, 
which might breede offence or scandall, he will seeme to bespeake 
pardon before hand, whereby his licentiousnes may be the better 
borne withall, as he that said: 

If my speech hap t'offend you any way, 
Thinke it their fault, that force me so to say.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "parrhesia" is in the OED as an English term.

Anachinosis,
 or the 
Impartener. 
Not much vnlike to the figure of reference, is there another with 
some little diuersitie which we call the impartener, because many 
times in pleading and perswading, we thinke it a very good pol­
licie to acquaint our iudge or hearer or very aduersarie with some 
part of our Counsell and aduice, and to aske their opinion, as who 
would say they could not otherwise thinke of the matter then we 
do. As he that had tolde a long tale before certaine noble women, 
of a matter somewhat in honour touching the Sex. 

Tell me faire Ladies, if the case were your owne, 
So foule a fault would you haue it be knowen? 

Maister Gorge in this figure, said very sweetly.

All you who read these lines and skanne of my desart, 
Iudge whether was more good, my hap or els my hart.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "anacoenosis" is in the OED as an English term.

Paramologia,
 or the 
figure of Ad­
mittance. 
The good Orator vseth a manner of speach in his perswasion 
and is when all that should seeme to make against him being spo­
ken by th'otherside, he will first admit it, and in th'end auoid all 
for his better aduantage, and this figure is much vsed by our En­
glish pleaders in the Starchamber and Chancery, which they call 
to confesse and auoid, if it be in case of crime or iniury, and is a ve­
ry good way. For when the matter is so plaine that it cannot be 
denied or trauersed, it is good that it be iustified by confessall and 
auoidance. I call it the figure of admittance. As we once wrate to 
the reproofe of a Ladies faire but crueltie. 

I know your witte, I know your pleasant tongue, 
Your some sweete smiles, your some, but louely lowrs: 
A beautie to enamour olde and yong. 
Those chast desires, that noble minde of yours, 
And that chiefe part whence all your honor springs, 
A grace to entertaine the greatest kings. 
All this I know: but sinne it is to see, 
So faire partes spilt by too much crueltie.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "paromologia" is in the OED as an English term.


Etiologia,
 or the 
Reason rend
or the 
Tell cause
In many cases we are driuen for better perswasion to tell the 
cause that mooues vs to say thus or thus: or els when we would 
fortifie our allegations by rendring reasons to euery one, this as­
signation of cause the Greekes called Etiologia, which if we might 
without scorne of a new inuented terme call [Tell cause] it were 
right according to the Greeke originall: & I pray you why should 
we not? and with as good authoritie as the Greekes? Sir Thomas 
Smith, her Maiesties principall Secretary, and a man of great lear­
ning and grauitie, seeking to geue an English word to this Greeke word [ἄγαμοσ] called it Spitewed, or wedspite. Master Secretary 
Wilson geuing an English name to his arte of Logicke, called it 
Witcraft, me thinke I may be bolde with like liberty to call the fi­
gure Etiologia [Tell cause.] And this manner of speech is alwayes 
contemned, with these words, for, because, and such other confir­
matiues. The Latines hauing no fitte name to geue it in one sin­
gle word, gaue it no name at all, but by circumlocution. We also 
call him the reason-rendrer, and leaue the right English word [Tel 
cause] much better answering the Greeke originall. Aristotle was 
most excellent in vse of this figure, for he neuer propones any al­
legation, or makes any surmise, but he yeelds a reason or cause to 
fortifie and proue it, which geues it great credit. For example ye 
may take these verses, first pointing, than confirming by simili­
tudes. 

When fortune shall haue spit out all her gall, 
I trust good luck shall be to me allowde, 
For I haue seene a shippe in hauen fall, 
After the storme had broke both maste and shrowde. 

And this.

Good is the thing that moues vs to desire, 
That is to ioy the beauty we behold: 
Els were we louers as in an endlesse fire, 
Alwaies burning and euer chill a colde. 

And in these verses.

Accused though I be without desart, 
Sith none can proue beleeue it not for true: 
For neuer yet since first ye had my hart, 
Entended I to false or be vntrue. 


And in this Disticque. 

And for her beauties praise, no wight that with her warres: 
For where she comes she shewes her selfe like sun among the stars. 

And in this other dittie of ours where the louer complaines of
his Ladies crueltie, rendring for euery surmise a reason, and by tel­
ling the cause seeketh (as it were) to get credit, thus.

Cruel you be who can say nay, 
Since ye delight in others wo: 
Vnwise am I, ye may well say, 
For that I haue, honourd you so. 
But blamelesse I, who could not chuse, 
To be enchaunted by your eye: 
But ye to blame, thus to refuse 
My seruice, and to let me die.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "etiology" is in the OED as an English term.

Dichologia,
 or the 
Figure of ex­
cuse. 
Sometimes our error is so manifest, or we be so hardly prest 
with our aduersaries, as we cannot deny the fault layd vnto our 
charge: in which case it is good pollicie to excuse it by some al­
lowable pretext, as did one whom his mistresse burdened with 
some vnkinde speeches which he had past of her, thus. 

I said it: but by lapse of lying tongue, 
When furie and iust griefe my heart opprest. 
I sayd it: as ye see, both fraile and young, 
When your rigor had ranckled in my brest. 
The cruell wound that smarted me so sore, 
Pardon therefore (sweete sorrow) or at least 
Beare with mine youth that neuer fell before, 
Least your offence encrease my griefe the more. 

And againe in these, 

I spake amysse I cannot it deny 
But caused by your great discourtesie: 
And if I said that which I now repent, 
And said it not, but by misgouernment 
Of youthfull yeres, your selfe that are so young 
Pardon for once this error of my tongue, 
And thinke amends can neuer come to late: 
Loue may be curst, but loue can neuer hate.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "dichologia" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "dicaeology," n. (1656-).

Noema,
 or the 
Figure of
close conceit.
Speaking before of the figure [Synecdoche] wee called him 


[Quicke conceit] because he inured in a single word onely by way 
of intendment or large meaning, but such as was speedily discoue­
red by euery quicke wit, as by the halfe to vnderstand the whole, 
and many other waies appearing by the examples. But by this fi­
gure [Noema] the obscurity of the sence lieth not in a single 
word, but in an entier speech, whereof we do not so easily con­
ceiue the meaning, but as it were by coniecture, because it is wittie 
and subtile or darke, which makes me therefore call him in our 
vulgar the [Close conceit] as he that said by himselfe and his wife, 
I thanke God in fortie winters that we haue liued together, ne­
uer any of our neighbours set vs at one, meaning that they neuer 
fell out in all that space, which had bene the directer speech and 
more apert, and yet by intendment amounts all to one, being ne­
uerthelesse dissemblable and in effect contrary. Pawlet Lord 
Treasorer of England, and first Marques of Winchester, with the 
like subtill speech gaue a quippe to Sir William Gyfford, who had 
married the Marques sister, and all her life time could neuer loue 
her nor like of her company, but when she was dead made the 
greatest moane for her in the world, and with teares and much la­
mentation vttered his griefe to the L. Treasorer, ô good brother 
quoth the Marques, I am right sory to see you now loue my sister 
so well, meaning that he shewed his loue too late, and should haue 
done it while she was a liue. 

A great counsellour somewhat forgetting his modestie, vsed 
these words: Gods lady I reckon my selfe as good a man as he you 
talke of, and yet I am not able to do so. Yea sir quoth the party, 
your L. is too good to be a man, I would ye were a Saint, mea­
ning he would he were dead, for none are shrined for Saints before 
they be dead.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "noema" is in the OED as an English term.

Orismus,
 or the 
Definer of
difference. 
The Logician vseth a definition to expresse the truth or nature 
of euery thing by his true kinde and difference, as to say wise­
dome is a prudent and wittie foresight and consideration of hu­
mane or worldly actions with their euentes. This definition is Lo­
gicall. The Oratour vseth another maner of definition, thus: Is 
this wisedome? no it is a certaine subtill knauish craftie wit, it is 
no industrie as ye call it, but a certaine busie brainsicknesse, for in­
dustrie is a liuely and vnweried search and occupation in honest 


things, egernesse is an appetite in base and small matters.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "orismus" is not in the OED as an English term.

Procatalepsis,
 or
the presumptu­
ous, otherwise
the figure of
Presupposall. 
It serueth many times to great purpose to preuent our aduersa­
ries arguments, and take vpon vs to know before what our iudge 
or aduersary or hearer thinketh, and that we will seeme to vtter it 
before it be spoken or alleaged by them, in respect of which bold­
nesse to enter so deepely into another mans conceit or conscience, 
and to be so priuie of another mans mynde, gaue cause that this fi­
gure was called the [presumptuous] I will also call him the figure of 
presupposall or the preuenter, for by reason we suppose before what 
may be said or perchaunce would be said by our aduersary or any 
other, we do preuent them of their aduantage, and do catch the 
ball (as they are wont to say) before it come to the ground.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "procatalepsis" is in the OED as an English term.

Paralepsis,
 or the 
Passager. 
It is also very many times vsed for a good pollicie in pleading 
or perswasion to make wise as if we set but light of the matter, and 
that therefore we do passe it ouer slightly when in deede we do 
then intend most effectually and despightfully if it be inuectiue to 
remember it: it is also when we will not seeme to know a thing, 
and yet we know it well inough, and may be likened to the ma­
ner of women, who as the common saying is, will say nay and take it. 

I hold my peace and will not say for shame, 
The much vntruth of that vnciuill dame: 
For if I should her coullours kindly blaze, 
It would so make the chast eares amaze. &c.

"passager" is a very late occurrence of the Anglo-Norman or Middle English form of "passenger." The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "paralipsis" is in the OED as an English term.



Commoratio,
 or the 
figure of abode 
It is said by maner of a prouerbiall speach that he who findes 
himselfe well should not wagge, euen so the perswader finding a 
substantiall point in his matter to serue his purpose, should dwell 
vpon that point longer then vpon any other lesse assured, and vse 
all endeuour to maintaine that one, & as it were to make his chief 
aboad thereupon, for which cause I name him the figure of aboad, 
according to the Latine name: Some take it not but for a course of 
argument & therefore hardly may one giue any examples therof.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "commoratio" is not in the OED as an English term.

Metastasis,
 or the 
flitting figure.
or the 
Remoue.
Now as arte and good pollicy in perswasion bids vs to abide & 
not to stirre from the point of our most aduantage, but the same 
to enforce and tarry vpon with all possible argument, so doth dis­
cretion will vs sometimes to flit from one matter to another, as a 
thing meete to be forsaken, and another entred vpon, I call him 
therefore the flitting figure, or figure of remoue, like as the other 


before was called the figure of aboade.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "metastasis" is in the OED as an English term. 

Parecnasis,
 or the  
Stragler. 
Euen so againe,  as it is wisdome for a perswader to tarrie and 
make his aboad as long as he may conueniently without tedious­
nes to the hearer, vpon his chiefe proofes or points of the cause 
tending to his aduantage, and likewise to depart againe when time 
serues, and goe to a new matter seruing the purpose aswell. So is it 
requisite many times for him to talke farre from the principall 
matter, and as it were to range aside, to th'intent by such extraor­
dinary meane to induce or inferre other matter, aswell or better 
seruing the principal purpose, and neuertheles in season to returne 
home where he first strayed out. This maner of speech is termed 
the figure of digression by the Latines, following the Greeke ori­
ginall, we also call him the straggler by allusion to the souldier that 
marches out of his array, or by those that keepe no order in their 
marche, as the battailes well ranged do: of this figure there need be 
geuen no example.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "parecbasis" is in the OED as an English term.

Expeditio,
 or the 
speedie dispat­
cher. 
Occasion offers many times that our maker as an oratour, or 
perswader, or pleader should go roundly to worke, and by a quick 
and swift argument dispatch his perswasion, & as they are woont 
to say not to stand all day trifling to no purpose, but to rid it out 
of the way quickly. This is done by a manner of speech, both figu­
ratiue and argumentatiue, when we do briefly set downe all our 
best reasons seruing the purpose, and reiect all of them sauing one, 
which we accept to satisfie the cause: as he that in a litigious case 
for land would prooue it not the aduersaries, but his clients. 

No man can say its his by heritage, 
Nor by Legacie, or Testatours deuice: 
Nor that it came by purchase or engage, 
Nor from his Prince for any good seruice. 
Then needs must it be his by very wrong, 
Which he hath offred this poore plaintife so long. 

Though we might call this figure very well and properly the 
[Paragon] yet dare I not so to doe for feare of the Courtiers enuy, 
who will haue no man vse that terme but after a courtly manner, 
that is, in praysing of horses, haukes, hounds, pearles, diamonds, ru­
bies, emerodes, and other precious stones: specially of faire women 
whose excellencie is discouered by paragonizing or setting one to 


another, which moued the zealous Poet, speaking of the mayden 
Queene, to call her the paragon of Queenes. This considered, I 
will let our figure enioy his best beknowen name, and call him stil 
in all ordinarie cases the figure of comparison: as when a man wil 
seeme to make things appeare good or bad, or better or worse, or 
more or lesse excellent, either vpon spite or for pleasure, or any o­
ther good affection, then he sets the lesse by the greater, or the grea­
ter to the lesse, the equall to his equall, and by such confronting of 
them together, driues out the true ods that is betwixt them, and 
makes it better appeare, as when we sang of our Soueraigne Lady 
thus, in the twentieth Partheniade. 

As falcon fares to bussards flight, 
As egles eyes to owlates sight, 
As fierce saker to coward kite, 
As brightest noone to darkest night: 
As summer sunne exceedeth farre, 
The moone and euery other starre: 
So farre my Princesse praise doeth passe, 
The famoust Queene that euer was. 

And in the eighteene Partheniade thus. 

Set rich rubie to red esmayle, 
The rauens plume to peacocks tayle, 
Lay me the larkes to lizards eyes, 
The duskie cloude to azure skie, 
Set shallow brookes to surging seas, 
An orient pearle to a white pease: 

&c. Concluding.

There shall no lesse an ods be seene 
In mine from euery other Queene.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "expeditio" is not in the OED as an English term.

Dialogismus,
 or
the right rea­
soner. 
We are sometimes occasioned in our tale to report some speech 
from another mans mouth, as what a king said to his priuy coun­
sell or subiect, a captaine to his souldier, a souldiar to his captaine, 
a man to a woman, and contrariwise: in which report we must al­
waies geue to euery person his fit and naturall, & that which best 
becommeth him. For that speech becommeth a king which doth 
not a carter, and a young man that doeth not an old: and so in eue­
ry sort and degree. Virgil speaking in the person of Eneas, Tur­


nus and many other great Princes, and sometimes of meaner men, 
ye shall see what decencie euery of their speeches holdeth with 
the qualitie, degree and yeares of the speaker. To which exam­
ples I will for this time referre you. 

So if by way of fiction we will seem to speake in another mans 
person, as if king Henry the eight were aliue, and should say of the 
towne of Bulleyn, what we by warre to the hazard of our person 
hardly obteined, our young sonne without any peril at all, for litle 
mony deliuered vp againe. Or if we should faine king Edward the 
thirde, vnderstanding how his successour Queene Marie had lost 
the towne of Calays by negligence, should say: That which the 
sword wanne, the distaffe hath lost. This manner of speech is by 
the figure Dialogismus, or the right reasoner.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "dialogismus" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "dialogism," n.

Gnome,
  or the  
Director.
Sententia.
or the 
Sage sayer. 
In waightie causes and for great purposes, wise perswaders vse 
graue & weighty speaches, specially in matter of aduise or counsel, 
for which purpose there is a maner of speach to alleage textes or 
authorities of wittie sentence, such as smatch morall doctrine and 
teach wisedome and good behauiour, by the Greeke originall we 
call him the directour, by the Latin he is called sententia: we may 
call him the sage sayer, thus. 

"Nature bids vs as a louing mother, 
"To loue our selues first and next to loue another.  

"The Prince that couets all to know and see, 
"Had neede full milde and patient to bee. 

"Nothing stickes faster by vs as appeares, 
"Then that which we learne in our tender yeares. 

And that which our soueraigne Lady wrate in defiance of for­
tune.

Neuer thinke you fortune can beare the sway, 
Where vertues force, can cause her to obay.

Heede must be taken that such rules or sentences be choisly 
made and not often vsed least excesse breed lothsomnesse.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "gnome" is in the OED as an English term.

Sinathrismus,
 or the 
Heaping figure 
Arte and good pollicie moues vs many times to be earnest in 
our speach, and then we lay on such load and so go to it by heapes 
as if we would winne the game by multitude of words & speaches, 
not all of one but of diuers matter and sence, for which cause the 


Latines called it Congeries and we the heaping figure, as he that said 

To muse in minde how faire, how wise, how good, 
How braue, how free, how curteous and how true, 
My Lady is doth but inflame my blood. 

Or thus.

I deeme, I dreame, I do, I tast, I touch, 
Nothing at all but smells of perfit blisse. 

And thus by maister Edward Diar, vehement swift & passio­
natly.

But if my faith my hope, my loue my true intent, 
My libertie, my seruice vowed, my time and all be spent. 
In vaine, &c. 

But if such earnest and hastie heaping vp of speaches be made 
by way of recapitulation, which commonly is in the end of euery 
long tale and Oration, because the speaker seemes to make a colle­
ction of all the former materiall points, to binde them as it were 
in a bundle and lay them forth to enforce the cause and renew the 
hearers memory, then ye may geue him more properly the name 
of the [collectour] or recapitulatour, and serueth to very great pur­
pose as in an hympne written by vs to the Queenes Maiestie en­
titled (Minerua) wherein speaking of the mutabilitie of fortune in 
the case of all Princes generally, wee seemed to exempt her Ma­
iestie of all such casualtie, by reason she was by her destinie and 
many diuine partes in her, ordained to a most long and constant 
prosperitie in this world, concluding with this recapitulation.

But thou art free, but were thou not in deede, 
But were thou not, come of immortall seede: 
Neuer yborne, and thy minde made to blisse, 
Heauens mettall that euerlasting is: 
Were not thy wit, and that thy vertues shall, 
Be deemd diuine thy fauour face and all: 
And that thy loze, ne name may neuer dye, 
Nor thy state turne, stayd by destinie: 
Dread were least once thy noble hart may feele, 
Some rufull turne, of her vnsteady wheele.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "sinathrismus" is not in the OED as an English term.

Apostrophe,
 or
the turne tale. 
Many times when we haue runne a long race in our tale spo­
ken to the hearers, we do sodainly flye out & either speake or ex­


claime at some other person or thing, and therefore the Greekes 
call such figure (as we do) the turnway or turnetale, & breedeth by 
such exchaunge a certaine recreation to the hearers minds, as this 
vsed by a louer to his vnkind mistresse. 

And as for you (faire one) say now by proofe ye finde, 
That rigour and ingratitude soone kill a gentle minde. 

And as we in our triumphals, speaking long to the Queenes 
Maiestie, vpon the sodaine we burst out in an exclamation to Phe­
bus, seeming to draw in a new matter, thus. 

But O Phebus, 
All glistering in thy gorgious gowne, 
Wouldst thou wit safe to slide a downe: 
And dwell with vs, 

But for a day, 
I could tell thee close in thine eare, 
A tale that thou hadst leuer heare 
I dare well say: 

Then ere thou wert, 
To kisse that vnkind runneaway, 
Who was transformed to boughs of bay: 
For her curst hert. &c. 

And so returned againe to the first matter.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "apostrophe" is in the OED as an English term.

Hypotiposis,
 or
the counterfeit
representation. 
The matter and occasion leadeth vs many times to describe and 
set foorth many things, in such sort as it should appeare they were 
truly before our eyes though they were not present, which to do 
it requireth cunning: for nothing can be kindly counterfait or re­
presented in his absence, but by great discretion in the doer. And 
if the things we couet to describe be not naturall or not veritable, 
than yet the same axeth more cunning to do it, because to faine a 
thing that neuer was nor is like to be, proceedeth of a greater wit 
and sharper inuention than to describe things that be true.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "hypotiposis" is not in the OED as an English term.

Prosopo­
graphia. 
And these be things that a poet or maker is woont to describe 
sometimes as true or naturall, and sometimes to faine as artificiall 
and not true. viz. The visage, speach and countenance of any per­
son absent or dead: and this kinde of representation is called the 
Counterfait countenance: as Homer doth in his Iliades, diuerse 


personages: namely Achilles and Thersites, according to the truth 
and not by fiction. And as our poet Chaucer doth in his Canter­
bury tales set forth the Sumner, Pardoner, Manciple, and the rest 
of the pilgrims, most naturally and pleasantly.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "prosopographia" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "prosopography," n. 

Prosopopeia.
 or the 
Counterfait in­
personation. 
But if ye wil faine any person with such features, qualities & con­
ditions, or if ye wil attribute any humane quality, as reason or speech 
to dombe creatures or other insensible things, & do study (as one may 
say) to giue them a humane person, it is not Prosopographia, but Pro­
sopopeia, because it is by way of fiction, & no prettier examples can 
be giuen to you thereof, than in the Romant of the rose translated 
out of French by Chaucer, describing the persons of auarice, enuie, 
old age, and many others, whereby much moralitie is taught.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "prosopopoeia" is in the OED as an English term.

Cronographia.
 or the 
Counterfait
time 
So if we describe the time or season of the yeare, as winter, sum­
mer, haruest, day, midnight, noone, euening, or such like: we call 
such description the counterfait time. Cronographia examples are 
euery where to be found.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "cronographia" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "chronography," n.

Topographia.
 or the 
Counterfait
place. 
And if this description be of any true place, citie, castell, hill, val­
ley or sea, & such like: we call it the counterfait place Topographia, 
or if ye fayne places vntrue, as heauen, hell, paradise, the house of 
fame, the pallace of the sunne, the denne of sheepe, and such like 
which ye shall see in Poetes: so did Chaucer very well describe the 
country of Saluces in Italie, which ye may see, in his report of the 
Lady Grysyll.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "topographia" is not in the OED as an English term.

Pragmato­
graphia.
 or the 
Counterfait
action. 
But if such description be made to represent the handling of a­
ny busines with the circumstances belonging therevnto as the 
manner of a battell, a feast, a marriage, a buriall or any other mat­
ter that lieth in feat and actiuitie: we call it then the counterfait 
action [Pragmatographia.] 

In this figure the Lord Nicholas Vaux a noble gentleman, and 
much delighted in vulgar making, & a man otherwise of no great 
learning but hauing herein a maruelous facillitie, made a dittie re­
presenting the battayle and assault of Cupide, so excellently well, 
as for the gallant and propre application of his fiction in euery 
part, I cannot choose but set downe the greatest part of his ditty, 
for in truth it can not be amended.

When Cupid scaled first the fort, 
Wherein my hart lay wounded sore 


The battrie was of such a sort, 
That I must yeeld or die therefore. 
There saw I loue vpon the wall, 
How he his banner did display, 
Alarme alarme he gan to call, 
And bad his souldiers keepe aray. 
The armes the which that Cupid bare, 
Were pearced harts with teares besprent: 
In siluer and sable to declare 
The stedfast loue he alwaies meant. 
There might you see his band all drest 
In colours like to white and blacke, 
With pouder and with pellets prest, 
To bring them forth to spoile and sacke, 
Good will the maister of the shot, 
Stood in the Rampire braue and proude, 
For expence of pouder he spared not, 
Assault assault to crie aloude. 

There might you heare the Canons rore, 
Eche peece discharging a louers looke, &c.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "pragmatographia" is not in the OED as an English term.

Omiosis.
 or
Resemblance. 
As well to a good maker and Poet as to an excellent perswa­
der in prose, the figure of Similitude is very necessary, by which we 
not onely bewtifie our tale, but also very much inforce & inlarge 
it. I say inforce because no one thing more preuaileth with all or­
dinary iudgements than perswasion by similitude. Now because 
there are sundry sorts of them, which also do worke after diuerse 
fashions in the hearers conceits, I will set them all foorth by a tri­
ple diuision, exempting the generall Similitude as their common 
Auncestour, and I will cal him by the name of Resemblance with­
out any addition, from which I deriue three other sorts: and giue 
euery one his particular name, as Resemblance by Pourtrait or I­
magery, which the Greeks call Icon, Resemblance morall or misti­
call, which 
they call Parabola, & Resemblance by example, which they call Paradigma, and first we will speake of the generall re­
semblance, or bare similitude, which may be thus spoken. 

But as the watrie showres delay the raging wind, 
So doeth good hope cleane put away dispaire out of my mind. 


And in this other likening the forlorne louer to a striken deere. 

Then as the striken deere, withdrawes himselfe alone, 
So do I seeke some secret place, where I may make my mone. 

And in this of ours where we liken glory to a shadow.

As the shadow (his nature beyng such,) 
Followeth the body, whether it will or no, 
So doeth glory, refuse it nere so much, 
Wait on vertue, be it in weale or wo. 
And euen as the shadow in his kind, 
What time it beares the carkas company, 
Goth oft before, and often comes behind: 
So doth renowme, that raiseth vs so hye, 
Come to vs quicke, sometime not till we dye. 
But the glory, that growth not ouer fast, 
Is euer great, and likeliest long to last. 

Againe in a ditty to a mistresse of ours, where we likened the 
cure of Loue to Achilles launce.

The launce so bright, that made Telephus wound, 
The same rusty, salued the sore againe, 
So may my meede (Madame) of you redownd, 
Whose rigour was first authour of my paine.

The Tuskan poet vseth this Resemblance, inuring as well by 
Dissimilitude as Similitude, likening himselfe (by Implication) to the 
flie, and neither to the eagle nor to the owle: very well Englished 
by Sir Thomas Wiat after his fashion, and by my selfe thus: 

There be some fowles of sight so prowd and starke, 
As can behold the sunne, and neuer shrinke, 
Some so feeble, as they are faine to winke, 
Or neuer come abroad till it be darke: 
Others there be so simple, as they thinke, 
Because it shines, to sport them in the fire, 
And feele vnware, the wrong of their desire, 
Fluttring amidst the flame that doth them burne, 
Of this last ranke (alas) am I a right, 
For in my ladies lookes to stand or turne 
I haue no power, ne find place to retire, 
Where any darke may shade me from her sight 


But to her beames so bright whilst I aspire, 
I perish by the bane of my delight. 

Againe in these likening a wise man to the true louer.

As true loue is content with his enioy, 
And asketh no witnesse nor no record, 
And as faint loue is euermore most coy, 
To boast and brag his troth at euery word: 
Euen so the wise withouten other meede: 
Contents him with the guilt of his good deede.

And in this resembling the learning of an euill man to the 
seedes sowen in barren ground.

As the good seedes sowen in fruitfull soyle, 
Bring foorth foyson when barren doeth them spoile: 
So doeth it fare when much good learning hits, 
Vpon shrewde willes and ill disposed wits. 

And in these likening the wise man to an idiot.

A sage man said, many of those that come 
To Athens schoole for wisdome, ere they went 
They first seem'd wise, then louers of wisdome, 
Then Orators, then idiots, which is meant 
That in wisdome all such as profite most, 
Are least surlie, and little apt to boast. 

Againe, for a louer, whose credit vpon some report had bene 
shaken, he prayeth better opinion by similitude.

After ill crop the soyle must eft be sowen, 
And fro shipwracke we sayle to seas againe, 
Then God forbid whose fault hath once bene knowen, 
Should for euer a spotted wight remaine. 

And in this working by resemblance in a kinde of dissimilitude 
betweene a father and a master.

It fares not by fathers as by masters it doeth fare, 
For a foolish father may get a wise sonne, 
But of a foolish master it haps very rare 
Is bread a wise seruant where euer he wonne. 

And in these, likening the wise man to the Giant, the foole to 
the Dwarfe.

Set the Giant deepe in a dale, the dwarfe vpon an hill, 


Yet will the one be but a dwarfe, th'other a giant still. 
So will the wise be great and high, euen in the lowest place: 
The foole when he is most aloft, will seeme but low and base.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "omiosis" is not in the OED as an English term.

Icon.
 or
Resemblance
by imagerie. 
But when we liken an humane person to another in counte­
naunce, stature, speach or other qualitie, it is not called bare resem­
blance, but resemblaunce by imagerie or pourtrait, alluding to 
the painters terme, who yeldeth to th'eye a visible representation of 
the thing he describes and painteth in his table. So we commen­
ding her Maiestie for wisedome bewtie and magnanimitie like­
ned her to the Serpent, the Lion and the Angell, because by com­
mon vsurpation, nothing is wiser then the Serpent, more couragi­
ous then the Lion, more bewtifull then the Angell. These are our 
verses in the end of the seuenth Partheniade. 

Nature that seldome workes amisse, 
In womans brest by passing art: 
Hath lodged safe the Lyons hart, 
And feately fixt with all good grace, 
To Serpents head an Angels face. 

And this maner of resemblaunce is not onely performed by 
likening of liuely creatures one to another, but also of any other 
naturall thing, bearing a proportion of similitude, as to liken yea­
low to gold, white to siluer, red to the rose, soft to silke, hard to 
the stone and such like. Sir Philip Sidney in the description of his 
mistresse excellently well handled this figure of resemblaunce by 
imagerie, as ye may see in his booke of Archadia: and ye may see 
the like, of our doings, in a Partheniade written of our soueraigne 
Lady, wherein we resemble euery part of her body to some natu­
rall thing of excellent perfection in his kind, as of her forehead, 
browes and haire, thus. 

Of siluer was her forehead hye, 
Her browes two bowes of hebenie, 
Her tresses trust were to behold 
Frizled and fine as fringe of gold. 

And of her lips.

Two lips wrought out of rubie rocke, 
Like leaues to shut and to vnlock. 
As portall dore in Princes chamber: 
A golden tongue in mouth of amber. 


And of her eyes. 

Her eyes God wot what stuffe they are, 
I durst be sworne each is a starre: 
As cleere and bright as woont to guide 
The Pylot in his winter tide. 

And of her breasts.

Her bosome sleake as Paris plaster, 
Helde vp two balles of alabaster, 
Eche byas was a little cherrie: 
Or els I thinke a strawberie. 

And all the rest that followeth, which may suffice to exemplifie 
your figure of Icon, or resemblance by imagerie and portrait.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "icon" is in the OED as an English term.

Parabola.
 or
Resemblance
misticall. 
But whensoeuer by your similitude ye will seeme to teach any 
moralitie or good lesson by speeches misticall and darke, or farre 
fette, vnder a sence metaphoricall applying one naturall thing to 
another, or one case to another, inferring by them a like conse­
quence in other cases the Greekes call it Parabola, which terme 
is also by custome accepted of vs: neuerthelesse we may call him 
in English the resemblance misticall: as when we liken a young 
childe to a greene twigge which ye may easilie bende euery way 
ye list: or an old man who laboureth with continuall infirmities, 
to a drie and dricksie oke. Such parables were all the preachings 
of Christ in the Gospell, as those of the wise and foolish virgins, 
of the euil steward, of the labourers in the vineyard, and a num­
ber more. And they may be fayned aswell as true: as those fables 
of Æsope, and other apologies inuented for doctrine sake by wise 
and graue men.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "parabola" is in the OED as an English term.

Paradigma,
 or
a resemblance
by example. 
Finally, if in matter of counsell or perswasion we will seeme to 
liken one case to another, such as passe ordinarily in mans affaires, 
and doe compare the past with the present, gathering probabili­
tie of like successe to come in the things wee haue presently in 
hand: or if ye will draw the iudgements precedent and authori­
zed by antiquitie as veritable, and peraduenture fayned and ima­
gined for some purpose, into similitude or dissimilitude with our 
present actions and affaires, it is called resemblance by example: as 
if one should say thus, Alexander the great in his expedition to 
Asia did thus, so did Hanniball comming into Spaine, so did Cæsar 


in Egypt, therfore all great Captains & Generals ought to doe it. 

And consulting vpon the affaires of the low countreis at this
day, peraduenture her Maiestie might be thus aduised: The Fle­
mings are a people very vnthankfull and mutable, and rebellious
against their Princes, for they did rise against Maximilian Arch­
duke of Austria, who had maried the daughter and heire of the
house of Burgundie, and tooke him prisoner, till by the Emperour
Frederike the third his father, he was set at libertie. They rebelled
against Charles the fift Emperor, their naturall Prince. They haue
falsed their faith to his sonne Philip king of Spaine their soveraign
Lord: and since to Archduke Matthias, whom they elected for
their gouernor, after to their adopted Lord Monsieur of Fraunce,
Duke of Amou: I pray you what likelihood is there they should
be more assured to the Queene of England, than they haue bene to
all these princes and gouernors, longer than their distresse continu­
eth, and is to be relieued by her goodnes and puissance.

And as this resemblance is of one mans action to another, so 
may it be made by examples of bruite beastes, aptly correspon­
ding in qualitie or euent, as one that wrote certaine prety verses 
of the Emperor Maximinus, to warne him that he should not glo­
ry too much in his owne strength, for so he did in very deede, and 
would take any common souldier to taske at wrastling, or wea­
pon, or in any other actiuitie and feates of armes, which was by the 
wiser sort misliked, these were the verses.

The Elephant is strong, yet death doeth it subdue, 
The bull is strong, yet cannot death eschue. 
The Lion strong, and slaine for all his strength: 
The Tygar strong, yet kilde is at the length. 
Dread thou many, that dreadest not any one, 
Many can kill, that cannot kill alone. 

And so it fell out, for Maximinus was slaine in a mutinie of his 
souldiers, taking no warning by these examples, written for his 
admonition.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "paradigma" is in the OED as an English term.



CHAP. XX.
 
The last and principall figure of our poeticall Ornament.



Exargasia.
 or
The Gorgious. 
FOr the glorious lustre it setteth vpon our speech and language, 
the Greeks call it [Exargasia] the Latine [Expolitio] a terme 


transferred from these polishers of marble or porphirite, who af­
ter it is rough hewen & reduced to that fashion they will set vp­
on it a goodly glasse, so smoth and cleere as ye may see your face 
in it, or otherwise as it fareth by the bare and naked body, which 
being attired in rich and gorgious apparell, seemeth to the com­
mon vsage of th'eye much more comely & bewtifull then the na­
turall. So doth this figure (which therefore I call the Gorgious) po­
lish our speech & as it were attire it with copious & pleasant am­
plifications and much varietie of sentences all running vpon one 
point & to one intent: so as I doubt whether I may terme it a figure, 
or rather a masse of many figuratiue speaches, applied to the bew­
tifying of our tale or argument. In a worke of ours intituled Philo­
calia we haue strained to shew the vse & application of this figure 
& al others mentioned in this booke to which we referre you. I find 
none example that euer I could see, so well maintayning this fi­
gure in English meetre (of the Gorgious) as that ditty of her Maie­
sties owne making passing sweet and harmonicall, which figure 
beyng as his very originall name purporteth the most bewtifull 
of all others, it asketh in reason to be reserued for a last comple­
ment, and desciphred by the arte of a ladies penne, her selfe beyng 
the most gorgious and bewtifull, or rather bewtie of Queenes: and 
this was th'action, our soueraigne Lady perceiuing how by the 
Sc. Q. residence within this Realme at so great libertie and ease, 
as were skarce worthy of so great and dangerous a prysoner, bred 
secret factions among her people, and made many of her nobilitie 
incline to fauour her partie: many of them desirous of innouation
in the state: some of them aspiring to greater fortunes by her li­
bertie and life. The Queene our soueraigne Lady to declare that 
she was nothing ignorant of those secret fauours, though she had 
long with great wisdome and paciencie dissembled it, writeth 
this ditty most sweet and sententious, not hiding from all such as­
piring minds the daunger of their ambition and disloyaltie, which 
afterward fell out most truly by th'exemplary chastisement of 
sundry persons, who in fauour of the sayd Sc. Q. deroga­
ting from her Maiestie, sought to interrupt the quiet of the 
Realme by many euill and vndutifull practizes. The ditty is as 
followeth. 


The doubt of future foes, exiles my present ioy, 
And wit me warnes to shun such snares as threaten mine annoy. 
For falshood now doth flow, and subiect faith doth ebbe, 
Which would not be, if reason rul'd or wisdome weu'd the webbe. 
But clowdes of tois vntried, do cloake aspiring mindes, 
Which turne to raigne of late repent, by course of changed windes. 
The toppe of hope supposed, the roote of ruth wil be, 
And frutelesse all their graffed guiles, as shortly ye shall see. 
Then dazeld eyes with pride, which great ambition blinds, 
Shalbe vnseeld by worthy wights, whose foresight falshood finds. 
The daughter of debate, that eke discord doth sowe 
Shal reap no gaine where formor rule hath taught stil peace to growe. 
No forreine bannisht wight shall ancre in this port, 
Our realme it brookes no strangers force, let them elswhere resort. 
Our rusty sworde with rest, shall first his edge employ, 
To polle their toppes that seeke, such change and gape for ioy. 

In a worke of ours entituled [Philo Calia] where we entreat of 
the loues betwene prince Philo and Lady Calia, in their mutual let­
ters, messages, and speeches: we haue strained our muse to shew the 
vse and application of this figure, and of all others.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "exergasia" is in the OED as an English term.



CHAP. XXI.
 
Of the vices or deformities in speach and writing 
principally noted by auncient Poets.

IT hath bene said before how by ignorance of the maker a good 
figure may become a vice, and by his good discretion, a vicious 
speach go for a vertue in the Poeticall science. This saying is to 
be explaned and qualified, for some maner of speaches are al­
wayes intollerable and such as cannot be vsed with any decencie, 
but are euer vndecent namely barbarousnesse, incongruitie, ill dis­
position, fond affectation, rusticitie, and all extreme darknesse, such 
as it is not possible for a man to vnderstand the matter without an 
interpretour, all which partes are generally to be banished out of 
euery language, vnlesse it may appeare that the maker or Poet do 
it for the nonce, as it was reported by the Philosopher Heraclitus 
that he wrote in obscure and darke termes of purpose not to be 
vnderstood, whence he merited the nickname Scotinus, otherwise 
I see not but the rest of the common faultes may be borne with 


sometimes, or passe without any great reproofe, not being vsed 
ouermuch or out of season as I said before: so as euery surplusage 
or preposterous placing or vndue iteration or darke word, or 
doubtfull speach are not so narrowly to be looked vpon in a large 
poeme, nor specially in the pretie Poesies and deuises of Ladies, 
and Gentlewomen makers, whom we would not haue too precise 
Poets least with their shrewd wits, when they were maried they 
might become a little too phantasticall wiues, neuerthelesse be­
cause we seem to promise an arte, which doth not iustly admit any 
wilful errour in the teacher, and to th'end we may not be carped at 
by these methodicall men, that we haue omitted any necessary 
point in this businesse to be regarded, I will speake somewhat 
touching these viciosities of language particularly and brief­
ly, leauing no little to the Grammarians for maintenaunce of the 
scholasticall warre, and altercations: we for our part condescen­
ding in this deuise of ours, to the appetite of Princely personages 
& other so tender & quesie complexions in Court, as are annoyed 
with nothing more then long lessons and ouermuch good order. 


CHAP. XXII.
 
Some vices in speaches and writing are alwayes intollerable, 
some others now and then borne withall by licence 
of approued authors and custome.



Barbarismus.
 or
Forrein speech. 
THe foulest vice in language is to speake barbarously: this 
terme grew by the great pride of the Greekes and Latines, 
when they were dominatours of the world reckoning no language 
so sweete and ciuill as their owne, and that all nations beside them 
selues were rude and vnciuill, which they called barbarous: So as 
when any straunge word not of the naturall Greeke or Latin was 
spoken, in the old time they called it barbarisme, or when any of 
their owne naturall wordes were sounded and pronounced with 
straunge and ill shapen accents, or written by wrong ortographie, 
as he that would say with vs in England, a dousand for a thousand, 
isterday, for yesterday, as commonly the Dutch and French peo­
ple do, they said it was barbarously spoken. The Italian at this 
day by like arrogance calleth the Frenchman, Spaniard, Dutch, 
English, and all other breed behither their mountaines Appennines, 


Tramontani, as who would say Barbarous. This terme being then 
so vsed by the auncient Greekes, there haue bene since, notwith­
standing who haue digged for the Etimologie somewhat deeper, 
and many of them haue said that it was spoken by the rude and 
barking language of the Affricans now called Barbarians, who 
had great trafficke with the Greekes and Romanes, but that can 
not be so, for that part of Affricke hath but of late receiued the 
name of Burbarie, and some others rather thinke that of this word 
Barbarous, that countrey came to be called Barbaria and but few 
yeares in respect agone. Others among whom is Ihan Leon a 
Moore of Granada, will seeme to deriue Barbaria, from this word 
Bar, twise iterated thus Barbar, as much to say as flye, flye, which 
chaunced in a persecution of the Arabians by some seditious Ma­
hometanes in the time of their Pontif. Habdul mumi, when they 
were had in the chase, & driuen out of Arabia Westward into the 
countreys of Mauritania, & during the pursuite cried one vpon 
another flye away, flye away, or passe passe, by which occasion they 
say, when the Arabians which were had in chase came to stay and 
settle them selues in that part of Affrica, they called it Barbar, as 
much to say, the region of their flight or pursuite. Thus much for 
the terme, though not greatly pertinent to the matter, yet not vn­
pleasant to know for them that delight in such niceties.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "barbarismus" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "barbarism," n..

Solecismus.
 or
Incongruitie. 
Your next intollerable vice is solecismus or incongruitie, as when 
we speake false English, that is by misusing the Grammaticall rules 
to be obserued in cases, genders, tenses and such like, euery poore 
scholler knowes the fault, & cals it the breaking of Priscians head, 
for he was among the Latines a principall Grammarian.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "solecismus" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "solecism," n.

Cacozelia.
 or
Fonde affecta­
tion. 
Ye haue another intollerable ill maner of speach, which by the 
Greekes originall we may call fonde affectation, and is when we af­
fect new words and phrases other then the good speakers and wri­
ters in any language, or then custome hath allowed, & is the com­
mon fault of young schollers not halfe well studied before they 
come from the Vniuersitie or schooles, and when they come to 
their friends, or happen to get some benefice or other promotion 
in their countreys, will seeme to coigne fine wordes out of the La­
tin, and to vse new fangled speaches, thereby to shew themselues 
among the ignorant the better learned.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "cacozelia" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "caco-zeal," n.


Soraismus.
 or
The mingle
mangle. 
Another of your intollerable vices is that which the Greekes 
call Soraismus, & we may call the [mingle mangle] as when we make 
our speach or writinges of sundry languages vsing some Italian 
word, or French, or Spanish, or Dutch, or Scottish, not for the 
nonce or for any purpose (which were in part excusable) but igno­
rantly and affectedly as one that said vsing this French word Roy, 
to make ryme with another verse, thus. 

O mightie Lord of loue, dame Venus onely ioy, 
Whose Princely power exceedes ech other heauenly roy. 

The verse is good but the terme peeuishly affected.

Another of reasonable good facilitie in translation finding cer­
taine of the hymnes of Pyndarus and of Anacreons odes, and other 
Lirickes among the Greekes very well translated by Rounsard the 
French Poet, & applied to the honour of a great Prince in France, 
comes our minion and translates the same out of French into En­
glish, and applieth them to the honour of a great noble man in 
England (wherein I commend his reuerent minde and duetie) but 
doth so impudently robbe the French Poet both of his prayse and 
also of his French termes, that I cannot so much pitie him as be 
angry with him for his iniurious dealing (our sayd maker not be­
ing ashamed to vse these French wordes freddon, egar, superbous, fi­
landing, celest, calabrois, thebanois and a number of others, for En­
glish wordes, which haue no maner of conformitie with our lan­
guage either by custome or deriuation which may make them 
tollerable. And in the end (which is worst of all) makes his vaunt 
that neuer English finger but his hath toucht Pindars string which 
was neuerthelesse word by word as Rounsard had said before by 
like braggery. These be his verses.

And of an ingenious inuention, infanted with pleasant trauaile.

Whereas the French word is enfante as much to say borne as a 
child, in another verse he saith. 

I will freddon in thine honour. 

For I will shake or quiuer my fingers, for so in French is freddon, 
and in another verse.

But if I will thus like pindar, 
In many discourses egar. 

This word egar is as much to say as to wander or stray out of 


the way, which in our English is not receiued, nor these wordes 
calabrois, thebanois, but rather calabrian, theban [filanding sisters] for 
the spinning sisters: this man deserues to be endited of pety larce­
ny for pilfring other mens deuises from them & conuerting them 
to his owne vse, for in deede as I would wish euery inuentour which 
is the very Poet to receaue the prayses of his inuention, so would 
I not haue a translatour be ashamed to be acknowen of his transla­
tion.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "soraismus" is not in the OED as an English term.

Cacosintheon,
 or the 
Misplacer. 
Another of your intollerable vices is ill disposition or placing 
of your words in a clause or sentence: as when you will place your 
adiectiue after your substantiue, thus: Mayde faire, widow riche, 
priest holy, and such like, which though the Latines did admit, yet 
our English did not, as one that said ridiculously. 

In my yeares lustie, many a deed doughtie did I. 

All these remembred faults be intollerable and euer vndecent.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "cacosintheon" is not in the OED as an English term.

Cacemphaton.
 or the 
figure of foule
speech. 
Now haue ye other vicious manners of speech, but sometimes 
and in some cases tollerable, and chiefly to the intent to mooue 
laughter, and to make sport, or to giue it some prety strange grace, 
and is when we vse such wordes as may be drawen to a foule and 
vnshamefast sence, as one that would say to a young woman, I pray 
you let me iape with you, which in deed is no more but let me sport 
with you. Yea and though it were not altogether so directly spo­
ken, the very sounding of the word were not commendable, as he 
that in the presence of Ladies would vse this common Prouerbe, 

Iape with me but hurt me not, 
Bourde with me but shame me not.

For it may be taken in another peruerser sence by that sorte of 
persons that heare it, in whose eares no such matter ought almost 
to be called in memory, this vice is called by the Greekes Cacem­
phaton, we call it the vnshamefast or figure of foule speech, which 
our courtly maker shall in any case shunne, least of a Poet he be­
come a Buffon or rayling companion, the Latines called him Scur­
ra. There is also another sort of ilfauoured speech subiect to this 
vice, but resting more in the manner of the ilshapen sound and ac­
cent, than for the matter it selfe, which may easily be auoyded in 
choosing your wordes those that bee of the pleasantest ortho­
graphy, and not to rime too many like sounding words together.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "cacemphaton" is in the OED as an English term.


Tautologia,
 or the 
figure of selfe
saying. 
Ye haue another manner of composing your metre nothing 
commendable, specially if it be too much vsed,  and is when our ma­
ker takes too much delight to fill his verse with wordes begin­
ning all with a letter, as an English rimer that said: 

The deadly droppes of darke disdaine, 
Do daily drench my due desartes.

And as the Monke we spake of before, wrote a whole Poeme 
to the honor of Carolus Caluus, euery word in his verse beginning 
with C, thus: 

Carmina clarisonæ Caluis cantate camenæ. 

Many of our English makers vse it too much, yet we confesse it 
doth not ill but pretily becomes the meetre, if ye passe not two or 
three words in one verse, and vse it not very much, as he that said 
by way of Epithete.

The smoakie sighes: the trickling teares. 

And such like, for such composition makes the meetre runne a­
way smoother, and passeth from the lippes with more facilitie by 
iteration of a letter then by alteration, which alteration of a letter 
requires an exchange of ministery and office in the lippes, teeth or 
palate, and so doth not the iteration.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "tautologia" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "tautologism," n. (1815-).

Histeron, pro­
teron.
 or the 
Preposterous. 
Your misplacing and preposterous placing is not all one in be­
hauiour of language, for the misplacing is alwaies intollerable, 
but the preposterous is a pardonable fault, and many times giues 
a pretie grace vnto the speech. We call it by a common saying to 
set the carte before the horse, and it may be done, eyther by a single 
word or by a clause of speech: by a single word thus: 

And if I not performe, God let me neuer thriue. 

For performe not: and this vice is sometime tollerable inough, 
but if the word carry any notable sence, it is a vice not tollerable, 
as he that said praising a woman for her red lippes, thus: 

A corrall lippe of hew. 

Which is no good speech, because either he should haue sayd 
no more but a corrall lip, which had bene inough to declare the 
rednesse, or els he should haue said, a lip of corrall hew, and not a 
corrall lip of hew. Now if this disorder be in a whole clause which 
carieth more sentence then a word, it is then worst of all.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "hysteron proteron" is in the OED as an English term.

Acyron,
 or the 
Vncouthe. 
Ye haue another vicious speech which the Greeks call Acyron, 


we call it the vncouthe,  and is when we vse an obscure and darke 
word, and vtterly repugnant to that we would expresse, if it be 
not by vertue of the figures metaphore, allegorie, abusion, or such o­
ther laudable figure before remembred, as he that said by way of 
Epithete. 

A dongeon deepe, a dampe as darke as hell. 

Where it is euident that a dampe being but a breath or vapour, 
and not to be discerned by the eye, ought not to haue this epithete
(darke,) no more then another that praysing his mistresse for her 
bewtifull haire, said very improperly and with an vncouth terme. 

Her haire surmounts Apollos pride, 
In it such bewty raignes. 

Whereas this word raigne is ill applied to the bewtie of a wo­
mans haire, and might better haue bene spoken of her whole per­
son, in which bewtie, fauour, and good grace, may perhaps in some 
sort be said to raigne as our selues wrate, in a Partheniade praising 
her Maiesties countenance, thus: 

A cheare where loue and Maiestie do raigne, 
Both milde and sterne, &c.

Because this word Maiestie is a word expressing a certaine So­
ueraigne dignitie, as well as a quallitie of countenance, and there­
fore may properly be said to raigne, & requires no meaner a word 
to set him foorth by. So it is not of the bewtie that remaines in a 
womans haire, or in her hand or any other member: therfore when 
ye see all these improper or harde Epithets vsed, ye may put them 
in the number of [vncouths] as one that said, the flouds of graces: I 
haue heard of the flouds of teares, and the flouds of eloquence, or of a­
ny thing that may resemble the nature of a water-course, and in 
that respect we say also, the streames of teares, and the streames of 
vtterance, but not the streames of graces, or of beautie. Such manner 
of vncouth speech did the Tanner of Tamworth vse to king Ed­
ward the fourth, which Tanner hauing a great while mistaken him, 
and vsed very broad talke with him, at length perceiuing by his 
traine that it was the king, was afraide he should be punished for 
it, said thus with a certaine rude repentance.

I hope I shall be hanged to morrow. 

For [I feare me] I shall be hanged, whereat the king laughed a 


good, not only to see the Tanners vaine feare, but also to heare his 
ill shapen terme, and gaue him for recompence of his good sport, the 
inheritance of Plumton parke, I am afraid the Poets of our time 
that speake more finely and correctedly will come too short of 
such a reward.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "acyron" is not in the OED as an English term.

The vice of
Surplusage. 
Pleonasmus,
or
Too ful speech 
Also the Poet or makers speech becomes vicious and vnplea­
sant by nothing more than by vsing too much surplusage: and this 
lieth not only in a word or two more than ordinary, but in whole 
clauses, and peraduenture large sentences impertinently spoken, 
or with more labour and curiositie than is requisite. The first sur­
plusage the Greekes call Pleonasmus, I call him [too full speech] 
and is no great fault, as if one should say, I heard it with mine eares, 
and saw it with mine eyes, as if a man could heare with his heeles, or 
see with his nose. We our selues vsed this superfluous speech in 
a verse written of our mistresse, neuertheles, not much to be mis­
liked, for euen a vice sometime being seasonably vsed, hath a pre­
tie grace, 

For euer may my true loue liue and neuer die 
And that mine eyes may see her crownde a Queene. 

As, if she liued euer she could euer die, or that one might see her 
crowned without his eyes.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "pleonasmus" is in the OED as an English term.

Macrologia,
 or
Long language 
Another part of surplusage is called Macrologia, or long lan­
guage, when we vse large clauses or sentences more than is requi­
site to the matter: it is also named by the Greeks Perissologia, as he 
that said, the Ambassadours after they had receiued this answere 
at the kings hands, they tooke their leaue and returned home into 
their countrey from whence they came. 

So said another of our rimers, meaning to shew the great an­
noy and difficultie of those warres of Troy, caused for Helenas 
sake.

Nor Menelaus was vnwise, 
Or troupe of Troians mad, 
When he with them and they with him, 
For her such combat had. 

These clauses (he with them and they with him) are surplusage, 
and one of them very impertinent, because it could not otherwise 
be intended, but that Menelaus, fighting with the Troians, the 


Troians must of necessitie sight with him.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "macrologia" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "macrology," n. (1616-).

Periergia,
 or
Ouerlabour, o­
therwise called
the curious. 
Another point of surplusage lieth not so much in superfluitie 
of your words, as of your trauaile to describe the matter which yee 
take in hand, and that ye ouer-labour your selfe in your businesse. 
And therefore the Greekes call it Periergia, we call it ouer-labor, 
iumpe with the originall: or rather [the curious] for his ouermuch 
curiositie and studie to shew himselfe fine in a light matter, as one 
of our late makers who in most of his things wrote very well, in 
this (to mine opinion) more curiously than needed, the matter be­
ing ripely considered: yet is his verse very good, and his meetre 
cleanly. His intent was to declare how vpon the tenth day of 
March he crossed the riuer of Thames, to walke in Saint Georges 
field, the matter was not great as ye may suppose. 

The tenth of March when Aries receiued 
Dan Phœbus raies into his horned head, 
And I my selfe by learned lore perceiued 
That Ver approcht and frosty winter fled 
I crost the Thames to take the cheerefull aire, 
In open fields, the weather was so faire. 

First, the whole matter is not worth all this solemne circum­
stance to describe the tenth day of March, but if he had left at the 
two first verses, it had bene inough. But when he comes with two 
other verses to enlarge his description, it is not only more than 
needes, but also very ridiculous, for he makes wise, as if he had not 
bene a man learned in some of the mathematickes (by learned lore) 
that he could not haue told that the x. of March had fallen in the 
spring of the yeare: which euery carter, and also euery child kno­
weth without any learning. Then also, when he saith [Ver approcht, 
and frosty winter fled] though it were a surplusage (because one sea­
son must needes geue place to the other) yet doeth it well inough 
passe without blame in the maker. These, and a hundred more of 
such faultie and impertinent speeches may yee finde amongst vs 
vulgar Poets, when we be carelesse of our doings.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "periergia" is in the OED as an English term.

Tapinosis,
 or the 
Abbaser. 
It is no small fault in a maker to vse such wordes and termes as 
do diminish and abbase the matter he would seeme to set forth, by 
imparing the dignitie, height vigour or maiestie of the cause he 
takes in hand, as one that would say king Philip shrewdly harmed 


the towne of S. Quintaines, when in deede he wanne it and put it 
to the sacke, and that king Henry the eight made spoiles in Tur­
win, when as in deede he did more then spoile it, for he caused it to 
be defaced and razed flat to the earth, and made it inhabitable. 
Therefore the historiographer that should by such wordes report 
of these two kings gestes in that behalfe, should greatly blemish 
the honour of their doings and almost speake vntruly and iniu­
riously by way of abbasement, as another of our bad rymers that 
very indecently said. 

A misers mynde thou hast, thou hast a Princes pelfe. 

A lewd terme to be giuen to a Princes treasure (pelfe) and 
was a little more manerly spoken by Seriant Bendlowes, when in a 
progresse time comming to salute the Queene in Huntington­
shire he said to her Cochman, stay thy cart good fellow, stay thy 
cart, that I may speake to the Queene, whereat her Maiestie 
laughed as she had bene tickled, and all the rest of the company al­
though very graciously (as her manner is) she gaue him great 
thankes and her hand to kisse. These and such other base wordes 
do greatly disgrace the thing & the speaker or writer: the Greekes 
call it [Tapinosis] we the [abbaser.]The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "tapinosis" is in the OED as an English term.

Bomphiologia,
 or
Pompious 
speech. 
Others there be that fall into the contrary vice by vsing such 
bombasted wordes, as seeme altogether farced full of winde, being 
a great deale to high and loftie for the matter, whereof ye may 
finde too many in all popular rymers.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "bomphiologia" is not in the OED as an English term.

Amphibologia,
 or the 
Ambiguous. 
Then haue ye one other vicious speach with which we will fi­
nish this Chapter,  and is when we speake or write doubtfully and 
that the sence may be taken two wayes, such ambiguous termes 
they call Amphibologia, we call it the ambiguous, or figure of sence 
incertaine, as if one should say Thomas Tayler saw William Tyler 
dronke, it is indifferent to thinke either th'one or th'other dronke. 
Thus said a gentleman in our vulgar pretily notwithstanding be­
cause he did it not ignorantly, but for the nonce. 

I sat by my Lady soundly sleeping, 
My mistresse lay by me bitterly weeping. 

No man can tell by this, whether the mistresse or the man, slept 
or wept: these doubtfull speaches were vsed much in the old times 
by their false Prophets as appeareth by the Oracles of Delphos and 


and of the Sybilles prophecies deuised by the religious persons of 
those dayes to abuse the superstitious people, and to encomber 
their busie braynes with vaine hope or vaine feare. 

Lucianus the merry Greeke reciteth a great number of them, 
deuised by a coosening companion one Alexander, to get himselfe 
the name and reputation of the God Æsculapius, and in effect all 
our old Brittish and Saxon prophesies be of the same sort, that 
turne them on which side ye will, the matter of them may be veri­
fied, neuerthelesse carryeth generally such force in the heades of 
fonde people, that by the comfort of those blind prophecies many 
insurrections and rebellions haue bene stirred vp in this Realme, 
as that of Iacke Straw, & Iacke Cade in Richard the seconds time, 
and in our time by a seditious fellow in Norffolke calling himself 
Captaine Ket and others in other places of the Realme lead alto­
gether by certaine propheticall rymes, which might be constred 
two or three wayes as well as to that one whereunto the rebelles 
applied it, our maker shall therefore auoyde all such ambiguous 
speaches vnlesse it be when he doth it for the nonce and for some 
purpose.The transliterated Greek headword and the English translation that begins the explanation both appear in the margin. "amphibologia" is not in the OED as an English term, but see "amphibology," n.







The names of your figures Auricular.




ECclipsis, or the figure of default. 136

Zeugma, or the single supply. 136

Prozeugma, or the ringleader. 137

Mezozeugma, or the middlemarcher. 137

Hypozeugma, or the rerewarder. 137

Sillepsis, or the double supply. 137

Hypozeuxis, or the substitute. 138

Aposiopesis, or the figure of silence, other­
wise called the figure of interruption. 139

Prolepsis, or the propounder. 139

Hiperbaton, or the trespasser. 140

Parenthesis, or the insertour. 140

Histeron proteron, or the preposterous. 141

Enallage, or figure of exchange. 142

Hipallage, or the changeling. 143

Omoioteleton, or the figure of likeloose. 144

Parimion, or figure of like letter. 145

Asindeton, or figure of lose language. 145

Polisindeton, or the coople clause. 146

Irmus, or the long lose. 146

Epitheton, or the qualifier. 147

Endiades, or the figure of twinnes. 147



Of the figures which we call Sensable, because 
they alter and affect the minde by altera­
tion of sense and first in single words. 148



Metaphora, or the figure of transport. 148

Catacresis, or the figure of abuse. 150

Metonymia, or the misnamer. 150

Antonomasia, or the surnamer. 151

Onomatopeia, or the newnamer. 151

Epitheton, or figure of attribution, other­
wise called the qualifier. 152

Metalepsis, or the far-fet, 152

Liptote, or the moderator. 153

Paradiastole, or the currifauel, otherwise
called the soother. 154

Meiosis, or the disabler. 154

Tapinosis, or the abbaser. 154

Synecdoche, or the figure of quick conceit.
 154


Of sensable figures appertaining to whole 
speeches, and by them affecting and alte­
ring the minde by force of sence and in­
tendment. 155


Allegoria, or figure of faire semblant. 155

Enigma, or the riddle. 157

Parimia, or the prouerbe. 157

Ironia, or the drie mock. 157

Sarcasmus, or the bitter taunt. 
158

Asteismus, the merry scoffe, or ciuill iest. 158

Micterismus, or the fleering frumpe. 159

Antiphrasis, or the broad floute. 159

Charientismus, or the priuie nippe. 159

Hyperbole, or the loud lier, otherwise cal­
led the ouerreacher. 159

Periphrasis, or the figure of ambage. 161

Synecdoche, or the figure of quick conceit.
 162


Of figures sententious, otherwise called rhe­
toricall. 163


Anaphora, or the figure of report. 165

Antistrophe, or the counterturne. 165

Simploche, or figure of reiteration. 166

Anadiplosis, or the redouble. 167

Epanalepsis, or the slow returne, otherwise 
called the Eccho sound. 167

Epizeuxis, or the vnderlay, otherwise cal­
led the Cuckowspell. 167

Ploche, or the doubler, otherwise called the 
swift repeate. 168

Paronomasia, or the nicknamer. 168

Traductio, or the tranlacer. 170

Antipophora, or the figure of responce. 170

Sineciosis, or the crossecoople. 172

Atanaclasis, or the rebound. 173

Clymax, or the marching figure. 173

Antimetauole, or the counterchange. 174

Insultatio, or the disdainfull. 175

Antitheton, or the quareller, otherwise 
called the ouerthwart or rencounter. 175

Erotema, or the questioner. 176

Echphonisis, or the outcrie. 177

Brachiologia, or the cutted comma. 178

Parison, or the figure of euen. 178

Sinonimya, or the figure of store. 179

Metanoia, or the penitent, otherwise called 


the figure of repentance. 179

Antenagoge, or the recompencer.   180

Epiphonema, or the close. 181

Auxesis, or the auancer. 182

Meiosis, or the disabler. 183

Dialisis, or the dismembrer. 185

Merismus, or the distributor. 185

Epimone, or the loueburden. 188

Paradoxon, or the wonderer. 189

Aporia, or the doubtfull. 189

Epitropi,  or the figure of reference, other­
wise called the figure of submission. 189

Parrisia, or the licentious. 190

Anachmosis, or the impartener. 190

Paramologia, or figure of admittance.   190

Etiologia, or the tell-cause, otherwise called 
the reason rendrer. 191

Dicheologia, or the figure of excuse. 192

Noema, or the figure of close conceit. 193

Orismus, or the definer by difference. 193

Procatalepsis, or the presumptuous. 194

Paralepsis, or the passenger. 194

Commoratio, or figure of aboade. 194

Metastasis, or figure of remoue, otherwise 
called the flitter. 194

Parecuasis, or the straggler, otherwise cal­
led the figure of digression. 195

Expeditio, or the dispatcher. 195

Dialogismus, or the right reasoner. 196

Gnome, or the director, otherwise called the 
sage sayer. 197

Sinathrismus, or the heaping figure. 197

Apostrophe, or the turne tale. 198

Hipotiposis, or the counterfait, otherwise 
called the figure of representation. 199

Prosopographia, or the counterfet coun­
tenaunce. 199

Prosopopeia, or the false impersonation. 
200

Chronographia, or the counterfait of time 200

Topographia, or counterfait of place. 200

Pragmatographia, or counterfait action. 201

Omoiosis, or the figure of resemblance. 201

Icon, or resemblance by purtrait, and yma­
gerie. 204

Parabola, or resemblance misticall. 205

Paradigma, or resemblance by example. 205

Exargasia, or the
gorgious, otherwise cal­
led the bewtifull. 206


Of the vices and deformitie in speech princi­
pally noted by ancient Poets. 208

How some vices in speeches are alwaies intol­
lerable some others now and then borne
withal by licence of approued authors. 209


Barbarismus, or barbarous speech.   209

Solecismus, or false speech.   210

Cacozelia, or fonde affectation. 210

Soraismus, or the vice called the mingle-­
mangle. 211

Cacosintheton, or the misplacer. 212

Cacemphaton, or foule speech. 212

Tautologia, or selfe saying. 213

Acyron, or the vncouth. 214

Pleonasmus, or fault of full speech. 215

Macrologia, or long language. 215

Periergia, or ouerlabor, otherwise called the 
curious. 216

Tapinosis, or the abbaser. 216

Bomphiologia, or pompous speech. 217

Amphibologia, or the ambiguous. 217


What it is that generally makes our speech 
vertuous or vicious, & of that which the 
Latines call decorum. 218

Of decencie in behauiour and action, which 
also belongs to the consideration of a Poet 
or maker. 231

How the good poet or maker ought to dissem­
ble his arte, and in what cases the artifi­
ciall is more commended then the natu­
rall and contrariwise. 250

The conclusion. 257



FINIS.