Cap. XI. of Elocution, the Thirde Parte of Rethoryke, with Colouryng of Sentences

And than the iii. parte is Elocusyon, Whan Invencion hath the purpose wrought, And set it in ordre by Disposicion. Without this thyrde parte it vayleth ryght nought, Though it be founde and in ordre brought, Yet Elocusion with the powre of Mercury, The mater exorneth right well facundyously

In fewe wordes, swete and sentencious, Depaynted with golde harde in construction, To the artyke eres swete and dylycious The golden rethoryke is good refeccion, And to the reder ryght consolacion; As we do golde frome copper purifye So that Elocucyon doth ryght well claryfy.

The dulcet speche from the langage rude, Tellynge the tale in termes eloquent, The barbary tongue it doth ferre exclude, Electynge wordes whiche are expedyent, In Latyn or in Englyshe, after the entent Encensyng out the aromatyke fume, Our langage rude to exyle and consume.

But what avayleth evermore to sowe The precyous stones amonge gruntynge hogges? Draffe unto them is more meter I trowe. Let an hare and swyne be amonge curre dogges; Though to the hares were tyed grete clogges, The gentyll beast they wyll regarde nothyng, But to the swyne take course of rennyng.

To cloke the sentence under mysty figures, By many colours as I make relacyon, As the olde poetes covered theyr scryptures, Of which the fyrste is dystrybucyon; That to the evyll, for theyr abusyon, Doth gyve payne, and, to the worthy, Laude and prayse, them for to magnyfy.

Of beste or byrd they take a symylytude Of the condycyon lyke to the party, Feble, fayre, or yet of fortytude; And under colour of this beste, pryvely The morall sense they cloke full subtyly, In prayse or dysprayse, as it is reasonable: Of whose faynyng fyrst rose the fable.

Concludyng reason gretely profitable; Who that theyr fables can well moralyse, The fruytfull sentences are delectable, Though that the ficcion they doo so devyse Under the colour the trouth doth aryse, Concludyng reason, rychesse, and connyng, Pleasure, example, and also lernyng.

They fayned no fable without reason, For reasonable is al theyr moralitie, And upon reason was theyr conclusion, That the comon wyt, by possibilitie, Maye well a judge the perfyt veritie Of theyr sentence for reason openly To the comon wyt it doth so notify.