No More Learning

_Aristotle_. --But whatsoever nature at any time dictated to the most
happy, or long exercise to the most laborious, that the wisdom and
learning of Aristotle hath brought into an art, because he understood the
causes of things; and what other men did by chance or custom he doth by
reason; and not only found out the way not to err, but the short way we
should take not to err.

_Euripides_. --_Aristophanes_. --Many things in Euripides hath Aristophanes
wittily reprehended, not out of art, but out of truth. For Euripides is
sometimes peccant, as he is most times perfect. But judgment when it is
greatest, if reason doth not accompany it, is not ever absolute.

_Cens. Scal. in Lil. Germ_. --_Horace_. --To judge of poets is only the
faculty of poets; and not of all poets, but the best. _Nemo infelicius
de poetis judicavit_, _quam qui de poetis scripsit_. {148a} But some
will say critics are a kind of tinkers, that make more faults than they
mend ordinarily.
See their diseases and those of grammarians. It is
true, many bodies are the worse for the meddling with; and the multitude
of physicians hath destroyed many sound patients with their wrong
practice. But the office of a true critic or censor is, not to throw by
a letter anywhere, or damn an innocent syllable, but lay the words
together, and amend them; judge sincerely of the author and his matter,
which is the sign of solid and perfect learning in a man. Such was
Horace, an author of much civility, and (if any one among the heathen can
be) the best master both of virtue and wisdom; an excellent and true
judge upon cause and reason, not because he thought so, but because he
knew so out of use and experience.

Cato, the grammarian, a defender of Lucilius. {149a}

"Cato grammaticus, Latina syren,
Qui solus legit, et facit poetas. "

Quintilian of the same heresy, but rejected. {149b}

Horace, his judgment of Choerillus defended against Joseph Scaliger.
{149c} And of Laberius against Julius. {149d}

But chiefly his opinion of Plautus {149e} vindicated against many that
are offended, and say it is a hard censure upon the parent of all conceit
and sharpness. And they wish it had not fallen from so great a master
and censor in the art, whose bondmen knew better how to judge of Plautus
than any that dare patronise the family of learning in this age; who
could not be ignorant of the judgment of the times in which he lived,
when poetry and the Latin language were at the height; especially being a
man so conversant and inwardly familiar with the censures of great men
that did discourse of these things daily amongst themselves. Again, a
man so gracious and in high favour with the Emperor, as Augustus often
called him his witty manling (for the littleness of his stature), and, if
we may trust antiquity, had designed him for a secretary of estate, and
invited him to the palace, which he modestly prayed off and refused.

_Terence_. --_Menander_. Horace did so highly esteem Terence's comedies,
as he ascribes the art in comedy to him alone among the Latins, and joins
him with Menander.

Now, let us see what may be said for either, to defend Horace's judgment
to posterity and not wholly to condemn Plautus.