The Arte of English Poesie | Page 3

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 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 the people in order and duety by
force and virtue of good and wholesome lawes, made for the
preseruation of the publique peace and tranquillitie. 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.
CHAP. IIII.
_How the Poets were the first Philosophers, the first Astronomers and
Historiographers and Oratours and Musiciens of the world._
Vtterance also and language is giuen by nature to man for perswasion
of others, and aide of them selues, I meane the first abilite to speake.
For speech it selfe is artificiall and made by man, and the more pleasing
it is, the more it preuaileth to such purpose as it is intended for: but
speech by meeter is a kind of vtterance, more cleanly couched and
more delicate to the eare then prose is, because it is more currant and
slipper vpon the tongue, and withal tunable and melodious, as a kind of
Musicke, and therfore may be tearmed a musicall speech or vtterance,
which cannot but please the hearer very well. Another cause is, for that
it is briefer & more compendious, and easier to beare away and be
retained in memorie, then that which is contained in multitude of words
and full of tedious ambage and long periods. It is beside a maner of
vtterance more eloquent and rethoricall then the ordinarie prose, which
we use in our daily talke: because it is decked and set out with all
manner of fresh colours and figures, which maketh that it sooner
inuegleth the iudgement of man, and carieth his opinion this way and
that, whither soeuer the heart by impression of the eare shal be most
affectionatly bent and directed. The vtterance in prose is not of so great
efficacie, because not only