hallowed places 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 wife and graue men, such as at these dayes make the people
ashamed rather then afeard, the said auncient Poets used 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 wife as if the gods of the woods, whom they called _Satyres_ or
_Silvanes_, should appeare and recite those verses of rebuke, whereas
in deede they were but disguised persons vnder the shape of _Satyres_ as
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 bring the bad to amendment by those kinde of preachings,
whereupon the Poets inuentours of the deuise were called _Satyristes_.

_CHAP. XIIII._

_How vice was afterward reproued by two other maner of poems, better
reformed then the Satyre, whereof the first was Comedy, the second
Tragedie._

Bvt when these maner of solitary speaches and recitals of rebuke, vttered
by the rurall gods out of bushes and briers, seemed not to the finer heads
sufficiently perswasiue, nor so popular as if it were reduced into action
of many persons, or by many voyces liuely represented to the eare and eye,
so as a man might thinke it were euen now a doing. The Poets deuised to
haue many parts played at once by two or three or foure persons, that
debated the matters of the world, sometimes of their owne priuate
affaires, sometimes of their neighbours, but neuer medling with any
Princes matters nor such high personages, but commonly of marchants,
souldiers, artificers, good honest housholders, and also of vnthrifty
youthes, yong damsels, old nurses, bawds, brokers, ruffians and parasites,
with such like, in whose behauiors, lyeth in effect the whole course and
trade of mans life, and therefore tended altogether to the good amendment
of man by discipli