verse, the whilk flowis as uther verses dois, as ye
will find in the hinder end of this buke, whair I
gave exemple of sindrie kyndis of versis.
OF SCOTTIS POESIE 19
CHAP. IIII
| ARK also thrie speciall ornamentis
to verse, whilkis are, Comparisons,
Epithetis, and Proverbis.
As for Comparisons, take held
that they be sa proper for the
subiect, that nather they be over bas, gif your
subiect be heich, for then sould your subiect
disgrace your Comparisoun, nather your Com-
parisoun be heich when your subiect is basse, for
then sail your Comparisoun disgrace your subiect.
Bot let sic a mutuall correspondence and simili-
tude be betwix them, as it may appeare to be a
meit Comparisoun for sic a subiect, and sa sail
they ilkane decore l uther.
As for Epithetis, It is to descry ve brieflie, en
passant, the naturall of everie thing ye speik of,
be adding the proper adiective unto it, whairof
there are twa fassons. The ane is, to descryve it,
be making, a corruptit worde, composit of twa
dyvers simple wordis, as
Apollo gyde-Sunne
The uther fasson, is, be Circumlocution, as
Apollo reular of the Sunne.
I esteme this last fassoun best, Because it
expressis the authoris meaning als weill as the
1 So shall they each adorn the other.
20 REVLIS AND CAVTELIS
uther, and yet makis na corruptit wordis, as the
uther dois.
As for the Proverbis, they man be proper for
the subiect, to beautifie it, chosen in the same
forme as the Comparisoun.
CHAP. V
\ T is also meit, for the better decora-
tioun of the verse to use sumtyme
the figure of Repetitioun, as
Why Us ioy rang,
Why Its noy rang, etc.
Ye sie this word whylis is repetit heir. This
forme of repetitioun sometyme usit, decoris the
verse very mekle. Yea when it cummis to
purpose, it will be cumly to repete sic a word
aucht or nyne tymes in a verse.
CHAP. VI
man also be warre with composing
ony thing in the same maner, as
hes bene ower oft usit of before.
As in speciall, gif ye speik of love,
be warre ye descryve your Loves
makdome [shape], or her fairnes. And siclyke
that ye descryve not the morning, and rysing of
the Sunne, in the Preface of your verse : for thir
thingis are sa oft and dyverslie writtin upon be
OF SCOTTIS IPOESIE 21
Poetis already, that gif ye do the lyke, it will
appeare, ye hot imitate, and that it cummis not
of your awin Inventioun, whilk is ane of the cheif
properteis of ane Poete. Thairfore gif your
subiect be to prayse your Love, ye sail rather
prayse hir uther qualiteis, nor her fairnes, or hir
shaip : or ellis ye sail speik some lytill thing of it,
and syne [then] say, that your wittis are sa smal,
and your utterance sa barren, that ye can not
discryve any part of hir worthelie : remitting
alwayis to the Reider, to iudge of hir, in respect
sho matches, or rather excellis Venus, or any
woman, whome to it sail please you to compaire
her. Bot gif your subiect be sic, as ye man speik
some thing of the morning, or Sunne rysing, tak
heid, that what name ye give to the Sunne, the
Mone, or uther starris, the ane tyme, gif ye
happin to wryte thairof another tyme, to change
thair names. As gif ye call the Sunne Titan, at
a tyme, to call him Phoebus or Apollo the uther
tyme, and siclyke the Mone, and uther Planettis.
CHAP. VII
> OT sen Invention, is ane of the cheif
vertewis in a Poete, it is best that
ye invent your awin subiect, your
self, and not to compose of sene
subiectis. Especially, translating
any thing out of uther language, whilk doing, ye
not onely essay not your awin ingyne of Inven-
22 REVLIS AND CAVTELIS
tioun, bot be the same meanes, ye are bound, as
to a staik, to follow that buikis phrasis, whilk ye
translate.
Ye man also be war of wryting any thing of
materis of commoun weill, or uther sic grave sene
subiectis (except Metaphorically, of manifest treuth
opinly knawin, yit nochtwithstanding using it very
seindil) because nocht onely ye essay nocht your
awin Inventioun, as I spak before, bot lykewayis
they are too grave materis, for a Poet to mell in
[meddle with]. Bot because ye can not have the
Inventioun, except it come of Nature, I remit it
thairunto, as the cheif cause, not onely of Inven-
ttoun, bot also of all the uther pairtis of Poesie.
For airt is onely bot ane help and a remem-
braunce to Nature, as I shewe you in the Preface.
CHAP. VIII tuiching the kyndis of versis,
mentionat in the Preface
IRST, there is ryme whilk servis
onely for lang historeis, and yit
are nocht verse As for exemple,
In Mali when that the blissefull
Phoebus bricht,
The lamp of joy, the heavens gemme of licht
The goldin cairt, and the etheriall King,
With purp our face in Orient dots spring,
Maist angel-lyke ascending in his sphere,
And birds with all thair heavenlie voces clear e
OF SCOTTIS POESIE 23
Dots mak a siveit and heavinly harmony,
And fragrant flours dots spring up lustely :
Into this season sweitest of delyte,
To walk I had a lusty appetyte.
And sa furth.
II For the descriptioun of Heroique actis, Martiall
and knichtly faittis of armes, use this kynde of
verse following, callit Heroicall, As
Meik mundane mirrour, myrrie and modest,
Blyth, kynde, and courtes, comelie, dene, and chest,
To all exemplefor thy hones tie,
As richest rose, or rubie, by the rest,
With gracis grave, and gesture maist digest^
Ay to thy honnour alwayis having eye,
Were fassons fliemde? they micht be found in the :
Ofblissings all, be blyth, thou hes the best,
With everie berne belovitfor to be.
H For any heich and grave subiectis, specially
drawin out of learnit authouris, use this kynde of
verse following, callit Ballat Royal, as
That nicht he ceist, and went to bed, bot greind*
Yit fast for day, and thocht the nicht to lang:
At last Diana doun her head recleind,
Into the sea. Then Lucifer upsprang,
Auroras post, whome sho did send amang
The leittie cluddsffor to foretell ane hour,
Before sho stay her tears, whilk Ovide sang
Fell for her love, whilk turnit in a flour.
1 orderly, sober. 2 strange,
desire, longing. < clouds (jet-black).
24 REVLIS AND CAVTELIS
U For tragicall materis, complaintis, or testa-
mentis, use this kynde of verse following, callit
Troilus verse, as
To thee Echo, and thou to me agane, 1
In the desert, amangs the ivods and wells,
Whair destinie hes bound the to remane,
But company, within the firths and fells,
Let us complein, with wofull shoutts and yells,
A shaft, a shotter, that our harts hes slane :
To thee Echo, and thou to me agane.
U For flyting, or Invectives, use this kynde of
verse following, callit Rouncefallis, or Tumbling
verse.
In the hinder end of harvest upon Alhallow ene,
When our gude nichtbors 2 rydis (nou gif I reid richf]
Some bucklit on a benwod? and some on a benef
Ay trottandinto troupes fra the twylicht:
Some sadland a she ape, all grathed** into grene:
Some hotcheand* on a hemp stalk, hovand on a heicht.
The king of Far y with the Court of the Elf queue,
With many elrage^ Incubus rydand that nicht :
1 All the quotations made in the Treatise have not been
identified; but the specimens of 'Troilus verse/ 'Flyting,'
' Commoun verse,' and 'cuttit and broken verse,' are from
Alexander Montgomerie, who held a post in the king's service
They will be found in the edition of Montgomerie's works,
edited for the Scottish Text Society, by Dr. Cranstoun (1887).
2 the fairies. 3 bunwand, hempstalk, ragwort.
4 bean. 5 dressed.
6 mounting with a sudden jerk. The suffix -and = -ing.
7 elvish.
OF SCOTTIS POESIE 25
There ane elf on ane ape ane unsell 1 begat :
Besyde a pot baith auld and worne^
This bratshard in ane bus was borne :
They f and a monster on the morne^
War^facit nor a Cat?
U For compendious praysing of any bukes, or the
authouris thairof, or ony argumentis of uther
historeis, whair sundrie sentences, and change of
purposis are requyrit, use Sonet verse, of fourtene
lynis, and tene fete in every lyne. The exemple
whairof, I neid nocht to shaw you, in respect I
have set doun twa in the beginning of this treatise.
U In materis of love, use this kynde of verse,
whilk we call Commoun verse, as
Whais answer made thame nocht sa glaid
That they sould thus the victors be>
As even the answer whilk I haid
Did greatly toy and confort me :
When lo, this spak Apollo myne,
All that thou seikis, it sail be thyne.
1 worthless creature. 2 worse.
3 This passage thus appears in Montgomerie's Poems :
1 In the hinder end of harvest, on Alhallow even,
When our good neighbours doe ryd, gif I read right,
Some buckled on a bunwand, and some on a been.
Ay trottand in trupes from the twilight ;
Some sadleand a shoe aip all graithed into green,
Some hobland on ane hempstalke, hoveand to the hight.
The King of Pharie, and his court, with the Elfe Queen,
With many elrich Incubus, was rydand that night.
There ane elf, on ane aipe, ane unsell begat,
Into ane Pot, by Pomathorne,
That bratchart in ane busse was borne :
They fand ane monster, on the morne
War faced nor a cat.'
26 REVLIS AND CAVTELIS
U Lyke verse of ten fete, as this foirsaid is of
audit, ye may use lykewayis in love materis : as
also all kyndis of cuttit and brokin verse, whairof
new formes are day lie inventit according to the
Poetes pleasour, as
Who, wald have tyrde to heir that tone,
Whilk birds corroborat ay abone
Throuch schouting of the Larkis ?
They sprang sa heich into the skyes
Whill Cupide walknis with the cryis
OfNaturis chapell Clarkis.
Then leaving all the Heavins above
He lichted on the eard.
Lo ! how that lytill God of love.
Before me then appeard,
So myld-lyke
With bow thre quarters skant
And chylde-lyke
So moylte 1
He lukit lyke a Sant.
And coylie
And sa furth.
U This onely kynde of brokin verse abone written,
man of necessitie, in thir last short fete, as so
moylie and coylie, have bot twa fete and a tayle to
ilkane of thame, as ye sie, to gar the cullour and
ryme be in the penult syllabe.
U And of thir foirsaidis kyndes of ballatis of haill
verse, and not cuttit or brokin as this last is, gif
ye lyke to put ane overword till ony of thame, as
1 mildly.
OF SCOTTIS POESIE 27
making the last lyne of the first verse, to be the
last lyne of everie uther verse in that ballat, will
set weill for love materis. Bot besydis thir kyndes
of brokin or cuttit verse, whilks ar inventit daylie
be Poet is, as I shewe before, there are sindrie
kyndes of haill verse, with all thair lynis alyke
lang, whilk I have heir omittit, and tane l bot
onelie thir few kyndes abone specifeit as
the best, whilk may be applyit to ony
kynde of subiect, bot rather to
thir, whairof I have
spokin before.
1 taken.
A
COVNTER
BLASTE TO
Tobacco
Imprinted at London
by R. B.
Anno 1604
UTO THE READER
> S every humane body (deare Countrey
men) how wholesome soever, is not-
withstanding subject, or at least
naturally inclined to some sorts of
diseases, or infirmities : so is there
no Common-wealth, or Body-politicke, how well
governed, or peaceable soever it bee, that lackes the
owne popular errors, and naturally enclined corrup-
tions : and therefore is it no wonder, although this
our Countrey and Common-wealth, though peace-
able, though wealthy, though long flourishing in
both, be amongst the rest, subiect to the owne
naturall infirmities. We are of all Nations the
people most loving and most reverently obedient to
our Prince, yet are wee (as time hath often borne
witnesse) too easie to be seduced to make Rebellion,
upon very slight grounds. Our fortunate and oft
prooved valour in warres abroad, our heartie and
reverent obedience to our Princes at home, hath bred
us a long, and a thrice happy peace : Our Peace
32 TO THE READER
hath bred wealth: And Peace and wealth hath
brought foorth a generall sluggishness^ which makes
us wallow in all sorts of idle delights, and soft
delicacies , the first seedes of the subversion of all
great Monarchies. Our Cleargie are become negli-
gent and lazie, our Nobilitie and Gentrie prodigal!,
and solde to their private delights, Our Lawyers
covetous ', our Common-people prodigall and curious ;
and generally all sorts of people more carefull for
their privat ends, then for their mother the Com-
mon-wealth.
For remedie whereof, it is the Kings part (as the
proper Phisician of his Politicke-body) to purge it
of all those diseases, by Medicines meet e for the same:
as by a certain milde, and yet iust forme of govern-
ment, to maintaine the Publicke quietnesse, and pre-
vent all occasions of Commotion : by the example of
his owne Person and Court, to make us all ashamed
of our sluggish delicacie, and to stirre us up to the
practise againe of all honest exercises, and Martial I
shadowes of IVarre ; As likewise by his, and his
Courts moderatenesse in Apparell, to make us
ashamed of our prodigalitie : By his quicke ad-
monitions and carefull overseeing of the Cleargie, to
waken them up againe, to be more diligent in their
Offices : By the sharp e trial I, and severe punish-
ment of the partiall, covetous and bribing Lawyers,
to reforme their corruptions ; And generally by the .
example of his owne Person, and by the due execu-
TOTHEREADER 33
tion of good Lawes, to reforme and abolish, piece
and puce, these old and evill grounded abuses. For
this will not bee Opus unius diei, but as every one
of these diseases, must from the King receive the
owne cure proper for it, so are there some sorts of
abuses in Commonwealths, that though they be of so
base and contemptible a condition, as they are too
low for the Law to looke on, and too meanefor a
King to interpone his authoritie, or bend his eye
upon : yet are they corruptions, aswell as the great-
est of them. So is an Ant an Animal, aswell as
an Elephant : so is a Wrenne Avis, aswell as a
Swanne, and so is a small dint of the Toothake, a
disease aswell as thefearefull Plague is. But for
these base sorts of corruption in Common-wealthes,
not onely the King, or any inferior Magistrate, but
Quilibet e populo may serve to be a Phisician, by
discovering and impugning the error, and by per-
s wading reformation thereof.
And surely in my opinion, there cannot be a more
base, and yet hurtful!, corruption in a Countrey,
then is the vile use (or other abuse) of taking
Tobacco in this Kingdome, which hath mooved me,
shortly to discover the abuses thereof in this follow-
ing little Pamphlet.
If any thinke it a light Argument, so is it but a
toy that is bestowed upon it. And since the Subiecl
is but of Smoke, I thinke the fume of an idle braine,
may serve for a sufficient battery against so fumous
34 TO THE READER
and feeble an enemy. If my grounds be found true,
it is all I looke for ; but if they cary the force of
perswasion with them, it is all I can wish, and
more than I can expect. My onely care is, that
you, my deare Countrey-men, may rightly conceive
even by this smallest trifle, of the sinceritie of my
meaning in greater matters, never to spare
any paine, that may tend to the
procuring of your weale
and prosperitie.
A
COUNTERBLASTE TO
Tobacco
HAT the manifolde abuses of this vile
custome of Tobacco taking, may the
better be espied, it is fit, that first
you enter into consideration both
of the first originall thereof, and like-
wise of the reasons of the first entry thereof into
this Countrey. For certainely as such customes,
that have their first institution either from a
godly, necessary, or honorable ground, and are
first brought in, by the meanes of some worthy,
vertuous, and great Personage, are ever, and
most iustly, holden in great and reverent estima-
tion and account, by all wise, vertuous, and
temperate spirits: So should it by the contrary,
iustly bring a great disgrace into that sort of
customes, which having their originall from base
corruption and barbarity, doe in like sort, make
their first entry into a Countrey, by an incon-
36 A COUNTERBLASTS
siderate and childish affectation of Noveltie, as
is the true case of the first invention of Tobacco
taking, and of the first entry therefore among us.
For Tobacco being a common herbe, which (though
under divers names) growes almost every where,
was first found out by some of the barbarous
Indians, to be a Preservative, or Antidot against the
Pockes, a filthy disease, whereunto these barbarous
people are (as all men know) very much subiect,
what through the uncleanly and adust constitution
of their bodies, and what through the intemperate
heate of their Climat : so that as from them was
first brought into Christendome, that most detest-
able disease, so from them likewise was brought
this use of Tobacco, as a stinking and unsavorie
Antidot, for so corrupted and execrable a Maladie,
the stinking Suffumigation whereof they yet use
against that disease, making so one canker or
venime to eate out another.
And now good Countrey men let us (I pray
you) consider, what honour or policie can moove
us to imitate the barbarous and beastly maners
of the wilde, godlesse, and slavish Indians, especi-
ally in so vile and stinking a custome ? Shall wee
that disdaine to imitate the maners of our neigh-
bour France (having the stile of the first Christian
Kingdom) and that cannot endure the spirit of
the Spaniards (their King being now comparable
in largenes of Dominions, to the great Emperor
of Turkic) Shall wee, I say, that have bene so
long civill and wealthy in Peace, famous and
TO TOBACCO 37
invincible in Warre, fortunate in both, we that
have bene ever able to aide any of our neighbours
(but never deafed any of their eares with any of
our supplications for assistance) shall we, I say,
without blushing, abase our selves so farre, as
to imitate these beastly Indians, slaves to the
Spaniards, refuse to the world, and as yet aliens
from the holy Covenant of God ? Why doe we
not as well imitate them in walking naked as they
doe ? in preferring glasses, feathers, and such
toyes, to gclde and precious stones, as they do ?
yea why do we not denie God and adore the
Devill, as they doe ?
Now to the corrupted basenesse of the first use
of this Tobacco, doeth very well agree the foolish
and groundlesse first entry thereof into this King-
dome. It is not so long since the first entry of
this abuse amongst us here, as this present age
cannot yet very well remember, both the first
Author, and the forme of the first introduction
of it amongst us. It was neither brought in by
King, great Conquerour, nor learned Doctor of
Phisicke. 1
With the report of a great discovery for a
Conquest, some two or three Savage men, were
brought in, together with this Savage custome.
But the pitie is, the poore wilde barbarous men
died, but that vile barbarous custome is yet alive,
yea in fresh vigor; so as it seemes a miracle to
1 Cf. Note A. p. 55.
38 A COUNTERBLASTE
me, how a custome springing from so vile a
ground, and brought in by a father so generally
hated, should be welcomed upon so slender a
warrant. For if they that first put it in practise
heere, had remembred for what respect it was
used by them from whence it came, I am sure
they would have bene loath, to have taken so
farre the imputation of that disease upon them as
they did, by using the cure thereof. For Sanis
non est opus medico, and counter - poisons are
never used, but where poyson is thought to
precede.
But since it is true, that divers customes slightly
grounded, and with no better warrant entred in a
Commonwealth, may yet in the use of them there-
after, proove both necessary and profitable ; it is
therefore next to be examined, if there be not a
full Sympathie and true Proportion, betweene the
base ground and foolish entrie, and the loathsome,
and hurtfull use of this stinking Antidote.
I am now therefore heartily to pray you to
consider, first upon what false and erroneous
grounds you have first built the generall good
liking thereof; and next, what sinnes towards
God, and foolish vanities before the world you
commit, in the detestable use of it.
As for these deceitfull grounds, that have
specially mooved you to take a good and great
conceit thereof, I shall content my selfe to
examine here onely foure of the principals of
them ; two founded upon the Theoricke of a
TO TOBACCO 39
deceivable apparance of Reason, and two of
them upon the mistaken Practicke of generall
Experience.
First, it is thought by you a sure Aphorisme in
the Physickes, 1 That the braines of all men,
beeing naturally colde and wet, all dry and hote
things should be good for them ; of which nature
this stinking suffumigation is, and therefore of
good use to them. Of this Argument, both the
Proposition and Assumption are false, and so the
Conclusion cannot but be voyd of it selfe. For
as to the Proposition, That because the braines
are colde and moist, therefore things that are
hote and drie are best for them, it is an inept
consequence : For man beeing compounded of
the foure Complexions, (whose fathers are the
foure Elements) although there be a mixture of
them all in all the parts of his body, yet must the
divers parts of our Microcosms or little world
within our selves, be diversly more inclined, some
to one, some to another complexion, according to
the diversitie of their uses, that of these discords
a perfect harmonic may bee made up for the
maintenance of the whole body.
The application then of a thing of a contrary
nature, to any of these parts, is to interrupt them
of their due function, and by consequence hurtfull
to the health of the whole body. As if a man,
because the Liver is hote (as the fountaine of blood)
1 Cf. Note B. p. 55.
40 A COUNTERBLASTS
and as it were an oven to the stomacke, would
therfore apply and weare close upon his Liver and
stomacke a cake of lead ; he might within a very
short time (I hope) be susteined very good cheape
at an Ordinarie, beside the cleering of his con-
science from that deadly sinne of gluttonie. And
as if, because the Heart is full of vital spirits, and
in perpetuall motion, a man would therefore lay a
heavy pound stone on his breast, for staying and
holding downe that wanton palpitation, I doubt
not but his breast would bee more bruised with
the weight thereof, then the heart would be
comforted with such a disagreeable and contrari-
ous cure. And even so is it with the Braines.
For if a man, because the Braines are colde and
humide, would therefore use inwardly by smells,
or outwardly by application, things of hot and
drie qualitie, all the gaine that he could make
thereof, would onely be to put himselfe in a great
forwardnesse for running mad, by over-watching
himselfe, the coldnesse and moistnesse of our
braine beeing the onely ordinarie meanes that
procure our sleepe and rest. Indeed I do not
denie, but when it falls out that any of these, or
any part of our bodie growes to be distempered,
and to tend to an extremitie, beyond the compasse
of Natures temperate mixture, that in that case
cures of contrary qualities, to the intemperate
inclination of that part, being wisely prepared
and discreetely ministered, may be both neces-
sarie and helpefull for strengthning and assisting
TO TOBACCO 41
Nature in the expulsion of her enemies : for this
is the true definition of all profitable Physicke.
But first these Cures ought not to bee used,
but where there is neede of them, the contrarie
whereof, is daily practised in this generall use of
Tobacco by all sorts and complexions of people.
And next, I deny the Minor of this argument,
as I have already said, in regard that this Tobacco,
is not simply of a dry and hot qualitie; but
rather hath a certaine venemous facultie ioyned
with the heate thereof, which makes it have an
Antipathic against nature, as by the hatefull smell
thereof doeth well appeare. For the Nose being
the proper Organ and convoy of the sense of
smelling to the braines, which are the onely
fountaine of that sense, doeth ever serve us for
an infallible witnesse, whether that Odour which
we smell, be healthfull or hurtfull to the braine
(except when it fals out that the sense it selfe is
corrupted and abused through some infirmitie,
and distemper in the braine). And that the suffu-
migation thereof cannot have a drying qualitie,
it needes no further probation, then that it is a
smoake, all smoake and vapour, being of it selfe
humide, as drawing neere to the nature of the
ayre, and easie to be resolved againe into water,
whereof there needes no other proofe but the
Meteors, which being bred of nothing else but of