CHAPTER VII

"THK DEFENCE OF POESY"

KK (lEKVlLLK, touching upon "the Arcadia, says that
Sidney " purposed no monuments of books to the world."
u If his purpose had been to leave his memory in books,
I am confident, in the right use of logic, philosophy,
history, and poesy, nay even in the most ingenious of
mechanical arts, he would have showed such tracts of a
searching and judicious spirit, as the professors of every
faculty would have striven no less for him than the
seven cities did to have Homer of their sept. But the
truth is; his end was not writing, even while he wrote;
nor his knowledge moulded for tables or schools; but
both his wit and understanding bent upon his heart, to
make himself and others, not in words or opinion, but
in life and action, good and great.'*

"His end was not writing, even while he wrote/'
This is certain; the whole tenor of Sidney's career
proves his determination to subordinate self-culture of
every kind to the ruling purpose of useful public action.
It will also be remembered that none of his compositions
were printed during his lifetime or with his sanction,
Yet he had received gifts from nature which placed him,
as a critic, high above the average of his contem-opriate to close the analysis of his love