1.3. How Poets were the first priests, the first prophets, the first Legislators and politicians in the world.
The profession and vse of Poesie is most ancient from the beginning, and not
as manie erroniously suppose, after, but before any ciuil society was among
men. For it is written, that Poesie was th'originall cause and occasion of
their first assemblies, when before the people remained in the woods and
mountains, vagarant and dispersed like the wild beasts, lawlesse and
naked, or verie ill
clad, and of all good and necessarie prouision for harbour or sustenance
vtterly vnfurnished: so as they litle diffred for their maner of life, from
the very brute beasts of the field. Whereupon it is fayned that
Amphion and
Orpheus, two Poets of the first ages, one of them,
to wit
Amphion, builded vp cities, and reared walles with the stones
that came in heapes to the sound of his harpe, figuring thereby the
mollifying of hard and stonie hearts by his sweete and eloquent perswasion.
And
Orpheus assembled the wilde beasts to come in heards to harken
to his musicke, and by that meanes made them tame, implying thereby, how
by his discreete and wholsome lessons vttered in harmonie and with
melodious instruments, he brought the rude and sauage people to a more
ciuill and orderly life, nothing, as it seemeth, more preuailing or fit to
redresse and edifie the cruell and sturdie courage of man then it. And as
these two Poets and
Linus before them, and
Museus also and
Hesiodus in Greece and Archadia: so by all likelihood had mo Poets
done in other places, and in other ages before them, though there be no
remembrance left of them, by reason of the Recordes by some accident of
time perished and failing. Poets therfore are of great antiquitie. Then
forasmuch as they were the first that entended to the obseruation of nature
and her works, and specially of the Celestiall course, by reason of the
continuall motion of the heauens, searching after the first mouer, and from
thence by degrees comming to know and consider of the substances separate
& abstract, which we call the diuine intelligences or good Angels
(
Demones) they were the first that instituted sacrifices of placation,
with inuocations and worship to them, as to Gods: and inuented and
stablished all the rest of the obseruances and ceremonies of religion, and so
were the first Priests and ministers of the holy misteries. And because for
the better execution of that high charge and function, it behoued them to
liue chast, and in all holines of life, and in continuall studie and
contemplation: they came by instinct diuine, and by deepe meditation, and
much abstinence (the same assubtiling and refining their spirits) to be made
apt to receaue visions, both waking and sleeping, which made them vtter
prophesies, and foretell things to come. So also were they the first
Prophetes or seears,
Videntes for so the Scripture tearmeth them in
Latine after
the Hebrue word, and all the oracles and answers of the gods were giuen in
meeter or verse, and published to the people by their direction. And for that
they were aged and graue men, and of much wisedome and experience in
th'affaires of the world, they were the first lawmakers to the people, and
the first polititiens, deuising all expedient meanes for th'establishment of
Common wealth, to hold and containe the people in order and duety by force
and vertue of good and wholesome lawes, made for the preseruation of the
publique peace and tranquilitie. The same peraduenture not purposely
intended, but greatly furthered by the aw of their gods, and such scruple of
conscience, as the terrors of their late inuented religion had led them into.
