1.13. In what forme of Poesie vice and the common abuses of mans life was reprehended.
Some perchance would thinke that next after the praise and honouring of
their gods, should commence the worshippings and praise of good men, and
specially of great Princes and gouernours of the earth in soueraignety and
function next vnto the gods. But it is not so, for before that came to passe,
the Poets or holy Priests, chiefly studied the rebuke of vice, and to carpe
tat the common abuses, such as were most offensiue to the publique and
priuate, for as yet for lack of good ciuility and wholesome doctrines, there
was greater store of lewde lourdaines then of wise and learned Lords, or of
noble and vertuous Princes and gouernours. So as next after the honours
exhibited to their gods, the Poets finding in man generally much to reproue
& litle to praise, made certaine poems in plaine meetres, more like to
sermons or preachings then otherwise, and when the people were assembled
togither in those hallowed placed dedicate to their gods, because they had
yet no large halles or places of conuenticle, nor had any other correction of
their faults, but such as rested onely in rebukes of wise and graue men, such
as at these dayes make the people ashamed rather then afeard, the said
auncient Poets vsed for that purpose, three kinds of poems reprehensiue, to
wit, the Satyre, the Comedie, & the Tragedie: and
the first and most bitter inuectiue against vice and vicious men, was the
Satyre: which to th'intent their bitternesse should breede none ill
will, either to the Poets, or to the recitours, (which could not haue bene
chosen if they had bene openly knowen) and besides to make their
admonitions and reproofs seeme grauer and of more efficacie, they made
wise as if the gods of the woods, whom they called Satyres or
Siluanes, should appeare and recite those verses of rebuke, whereas
in deed they were but disguised persons vnder the shape of Satyres
who would say, these terrene and base gods being conuersant with
mans affaires, and spiers out of all their secret faults: had some great care
ouer man, & desired by good admonitions to reforme the euill of their
life, and to being the bad to amendment by those kinde of preachings,
whereupon the Poets inuentours of the deuise were called
Satyristes.