visions, whereby the inuentiue parte of the mynde is so much holpen, as
without it no man could deuise any new or rare thing: and where it is not
excellent in his kind, there could be no politique Captaine, nor any witty
enginer or cunning artificer, nor yet any law maker or counsellor of deepe
discourse, yea the Prince of Philosophers stickes not to say _animam non
intelligere absque phantasmate_, which text to another purpose _Alexander
Aphrodiscus_ well noteth, as learned men know. And this phantasie may be
resembled to a glasse as hath bene sayd, whereof there be many tempers and
manner of makinges, as the _perspectiues_ doe acknowledge, for some be
false glasses and shew thinges otherwise than they be in deede, and others
right as they be in deede, neither fairer nor fouler, nor greater nor
smaller. There be againe of these glasses that shew thinges exceeding
faire and comely, others that shew figures very monstruous & illfauored.
Euen so is the phantasticall part of man (if it be not disordered) a
representer of the best, most comely and bewtifull images or apparances of
thinges to the soule and according to their very truth. If otherwise, then
doth it breede _Chimeres_ & monsters in mans imaginations, & not onely in
his imaginations, but also in all his ordinarie actions and life which
ensues. Wherefore such persons as be illuminated with the brightest
irradiations of knowledge and of the veritie and due proportion of things,
they are called by the learned men not _phantastics_ but _euphantasiote_,
and of this sorte of phantasie are all good Poets, notable Captaines
stratagematique, all cunning artificers and enginers, all Legislators
Polititiens & Counsellours of estate, in whose exercises the inuentiue
part is most employed and is to the sound & true iudgement of man most
needful. This diuersitie in the termes perchance euery man hath not noted,
& thus much be said in defence of the Poets honour, to the end no noble
and generous minde be discomforted in the studie thereof, the rather for
that worthy & honorable memoriall of that noble woman twise French Queene,
Lady _Anne_ of Britaine, wife first to king _Charles_ the viij and after