The Arte of English Poesie by George Puttenham
page 16 of 344 (04%)
page 16 of 344 (04%)
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_O Monachi vestri stomachi sunt amphor a Bacchi
Vos estos Deis est restes turpissima pestis._ Anon after came your secular Priestes as jolly rymers as the rest, who being sore agreeued with their Pope _Calixtus_, for that he had enjoyned them from their wives,& railed as fast against him. _O bone Calixte totus mundus perodit te Quondam Presbiteri, poterant vxoribus vti Hoc destruxisti, postquam tu Papa fursti._ Thus what in writing of rymes and registring of lyes was the Clergy of that fabulous age wholly occupied. We finde some but very few of these ryming verses among the Latines of the ciuiller ages, and those rather hapning by chaunce then of any purpose in the writer, as this _Distick_ among the disportes of _Ouid_. _Quot coem stellas tot habet tua Roma puellas Pascua quotque haedos tot habet tua Roma Cynedos,_ The posteritie taking pleasure in this manner of _Simphonie_ had leasure as it seemes to deuise many other knackes in their versifying that the auncient and ciuill Poets had not vfed before, whereof one was to make euery word of a verse to begin with the same letter, as did _Hugobald_ the Monke who made a large poeme to the honour of _Carolus Caluus_, euery word beginning with _C._ which was the first letter of the king's name thus. _Carmina clarisona Caluis cantate camenæ._ And this was thought no small peece of cunning, being in deed a matter of some difficultie to finde out so many wordes beginning with one letter as might make a iust volume, though in truth it were but a phantasticall |
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