arpe, 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 wholesome 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 courses, 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 than
to live chast, and in all holines of life, and in continuall studie and
contemplation: they came by instinct divine, 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, _Vidontes_, 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