_A colei_

[Illustration of Queen holding orb and sceptre.]

_Che se stessa rassomiglia & non altrui._




THE FIRST BOOKE,
_Of Poets and Poesie.




_CHAP. I._

_What a Poet and Poesie is, and who may be worthily sayd the most
excellent Poet of our time._


A Poet is as much to say as a maker. And our English name well conformes
with the Greeke word: for of [Greek: poiein] to make, they call a maker
_Poeta_. Such as (by way of resemblance and reuerently) we may say of God:
who without any trauell to his diuine imagination, made all the world of
nought, nor also by any paterne or mould as the Platonicks with their
Idees do phantastically suppose. Euen so the very Poet makes and contriues