1.15. In what forme of Poesie the euill and outragious bahauiours of Princes were reprehended.
Bvt because in those dayes when the Poets first taxed by Satyre and
Comedy, there was no great store of Kings or Emperors or such high
estats (al men being yet for the most part rude, & in a maner popularly
egall) they could not say of them or of their behauiours any thing to the
purpose, which cases of Princes are sithens taken for the highest and
greatest matters of all. But after that some men among the moe became
mighty and famous in the world, soueraignetie and dominion hauing learned
them all maner of lusts and licentiousnes of life, by which occasions also
their high estates and felicities fell many times into most lowe and
lamentable fortunes: whereas before in their great prosperities they were
both feared and reuerenced in the highest degree, after their deathes when
the posteritie stood no more in dread of them,
their infamous life and tyrannies were layd open to all the world, their
wickednes reproched, their follies and extreme insolencies derided, and
their miserable ends painted out in playes and pageants, to shew the
mutabilitie of fortune, and the iust punishment of God in reuenge of a
vicious and euill life. These matters were also handled by the Poets and
represented by action as that of the
Comedies: but because the
matter was higher then that of the
Comedies the Poets stile was also
higher and more loftie, the prouision greater, the place more magnificent:
for which purpose also the players garments were made more rich &
costly and solemne, and euery other thing aperteining, according to that
rate: so as where the
Satyre was pronounced by rusticall and naked
Syluanes speaking out of a bush, & the common players of
interludes called
Plampedes, played barefoote vpon the floore: the
later
Comedies vpon scaffolds, and by men well and cleanely hofed
and shod. These matters of great Princes were played vpon lofty stages,
& the actors thereof ware vpon their leges buskins of leather called
Cothurni, and other solemne habits, & for a speciall preheminence
did walke vpon those high corked shoes or pantofles, which now they call in
Spaine & Italy
Shoppini. And because those buskins and high
shoes were commonly made of goats skinnes very finely tanned, and dyed
into colours: or for that as some say the best players reward, was a goate
to be giuen him, or for that as other thinke, a goate was the peculiar
sacrifice to the god
Pan, king of all the gods of the woodes:
forasmuch as a goate in Greeke is called
Tragos, therfore these
stately playes were called
Tragedies. And thus haue ye foure sundry
formes of Poesie
Dramatick reprehensiue, & put in execution by
the seate & dexteritie of mans body, to wit, the
Satyre, old
Comedie, new
Comedie, and
Tragedie, whereas all other
kinde of poems except
Eglogue whereof shalbe entreated hereafter,
were onely recited by mouth or song with the voyce to some melodious
instrument.