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106 MONTAIGNE'S ESSAYES
Terence, that the father of the Roman eloquence, of
men of his quality doth so often make mention of him;
and the censure which the chiefe Judge of the Roman
Poets giveth of his companion. It hath often come
unto my minde, how such as in our dayes give
themselves to composing of comedies (as the Italians
who are very happy in them) employ three or foure
arguments of Terence and Plautus to make up one of
theirs. In one onely comedy they will huddle up five
or six of Bocaces tales. That which makes them so to
charge themselves with matter, is the distrust they
have of their owne sufficiency, and that they are not
ahle to undergoe so heavie a Durthen with their owne
strength. They are forced to finde a body on which
they may rely and leane themselves: and wanting
matter of their owne wherewith to please us, they will
have the story or tale to busie and ammuse us : where
as in my Autnors it is cleane contrary : The elegancies,
the perfections and ornaments of his manner of speech,
make us neglect and lose the longing for his subject.
His quaintnesse and grace doe still retaine us to him.
He is every where pleasantly conceited,
Liquid us putoque simillimus amni, l
So clearely-neate, so nentely-cleare,
As he a fine-pure River were,
and doth so replenish our minde with his graces that
we forget those of the fable. The same consideration
drawes me somewhat further. I perceive that good
and ancient Poets have shunned the affectation and
enquest, not only of fantasticall, new fangled, Spagniolized,
and Petrarchisticall elevations, but also of more
sweet and sparing inventions, which are the ornament
of all the Poeticall workes of succeeding ages. Yet is
there no competent Judge that findeth them wanting in
those Ancient ones, and that doth not much more
admire that smoothly equall neatnesse, continued sweetnesse,
and flourishing comelinesse of Catullus his
¹ HOR. 1. ii. Epist. ii. 120.