Note 150 — Chapter III
Reading edition
This use of the quills is referred to in the following passage in Sir Thomas Urquhart's Epigrams (MS.):—
"The Invocation to Clio. Book 2. Wench wholly martial, to whose inspiration The Colophonian Pöet ow'd his skill: Let my verse merit no Lesse estimation, Then [than] if the point of a Pegasid quill, Dip'd in the sacred fontain Caballine, Character'd the Impression of each Line."
The "Colophonian Poet" is—"not to put too fine a point upon it"—Homer, who, according to some, was born at Colophos, in Asia Minor. The phrase "Pegasid quill" in this passage strengthens our opinion that this second portrait of Sir Thomas, which we give here, was intended to be a frontispiece to a second volume of poems. The similarity of diction between this "Invocation" and the speeches of Ancient Pistol is very great.