profitable invention.

But hereto is replied, that the poets give names to men they write
of, which argueth a conceit of an actual truth, and so, not being
true, proveth a falsehood. And doth the lawyer lie then, when,
under the names of John of the Stile, and John of the Nokes, he
putteth his case? But that is easily answered, their naming of men
is but to make their picture the more lively, and not to build any
history. Painting men, they cannot leave men nameless; we see we
cannot play at chess but that we must give names to our chess-men:
and yet, methinks, he were a very partial champion of truth that
would say we lied for giving a piece of wood the reverend title of a
bishop. The poet nameth Cyrus and AEneas no other way than to show
what men of their fames, fortunes, and estates should do.

Their {67} third is, how much it abuseth men's wit, training it to a
wanton sinfulness and lustful love. For, indeed, that is the
principal if not only abuse I can hear alleged. They say the
comedies rather teach, than reprehend, amorous conceits; they say
the lyric is larded with passionate sonnets; the elegiac weeps the
want of his mistress; and that even to the heroical Cupid hath
ambitiously climbed. Alas! Love, I would thou couldst as well
defend thyself, as thou canst offend others! I would those on whom
thou dost attend, could either put thee away or yield good reason
why they keep thee! But grant love of beauty to be a beastly fault,
although it be very hard, since only man, and no beast, hath that
gift to discern beauty; grant that lovely name of love to deserve
all hateful reproaches, although even some of my masters the
philosophers spent a good deal of their lamp-oil in setting forth
the excellency of it; grant, I say, what they will have granted,