No More Learning

_Sophocles_. --I am not of that opinion to conclude a poet's liberty within
the narrow limits of laws which either the grammarians or philosophers
prescribe. For before they found out those laws there were many
excellent poets that fulfilled them, amongst whom none more perfect than
Sophocles, who lived a little before Aristotle.

_Demosthenes_. --_Pericles_. --_Alcibiades_. --Which of the Greeklings durst
ever give precepts to Demosthenes? or to Pericles, whom the age surnamed
Heavenly, because he seemed to thunder and lighten with his language? or
to Alcibiades, who had rather Nature for his guide than Art for his
master?

_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.