by Sir Philip Sidney, Spenser, Daniel, Drayton, Warner, Shakespeare, Marlow, and Chapman.
As the soul of Euphorbus was thought to live in Pythagoras: so the sweet witty soul of Ovid lives in mellifluous and honey-tongued Shakespeare, witness his Venus and Adonis, his Lucrece, his sugared Sonnets among his private friends, &c.
As Plautus and Seneca are accounted the best for comedy and tragedy among the Latins: so Shakespeare among the English is the most excellent in both kinds for the stage. For comedy witness his Gentlemen of Verona, his Errors, his Love Labors Lost, his Love Labors Won, his Midsummer’s Night Dream, and his Merchant of Venice: for tragedy his Richard the 2., Richard the 3., Henry the 4., King John, Titus Andronicus, and his Romeo and Juliet.
As Epius Stolo said that the Muses would speak with Plautus’ tongue, if they would speak Latin: so I say that the Muses would speak with Shakespeare’s fine filed phrase, if they would speak English.
As Ovid saith of his work,
Nec poterit ferrum, nec edax abolere vetustas;
and as Horace saith of his, Exegi monumentum aere perennius . . .: so say I severally of Sir Philip Sidney’s, Spenser's, Daniel’s, Drayton’s, Shakespeare’s, and Warner’s works.[1]
(B) Richard Barnfield, Poems in Divers Humors, 1598.
- ↑ Elsewhere in his book Meres lists Shakespeare as among the best English writers of lyric, tragedy, comedy, and love poetry. Palladis Tamia was licensed for publication, under the translated title of Wit’s Treasury, September 7, 1598; and was composed during the summer.
