But be as wanton, toying as an ape."

Those old [3525]Greeks had their _Lubentiam Deam_, goddess of pleasure, and
the Lacedaemonians, instructed from Lycurgus, did _Deo Risui sucrificare_,
after their wars especially, and in times of peace, which was used in
Thessaly, as it appears by that of [3526]Apuleius, who was made an
instrument of their laughter himself: [3527]"Because laughter and merriment
was to season their labours and modester life." [3528]_Risus enim divum
atque; hominum est aeterna voluptas_. Princes use jesters, players, and
have those masters of revels in their courts. The Romans at every supper
(for they had no solemn dinner) used music, gladiators, jesters, &c. as
[3529]Suetonius relates of Tiberius, Dion of Commodus, and so did the
Greeks. Besides music, in Xenophon's _Sympos._ _Philippus ridendi artifex_,
Philip, a jester, was brought to make sport. Paulus Jovius, in the eleventh
book of his history, hath a pretty digression of our English customs, which
howsoever some may misconstrue, I, for my part, will interpret to the best.
[3530]"The whole nation beyond all other mortal men, is most given to
banqueting and feasts; for they prolong them many hours together, with
dainty cheer, exquisite music, and facete jesters, and afterwards they fall
a dancing and courting their mistresses, till it be late in the night."
Volateran gives the same testimony of this island, commending our jovial
manner of entertainment and good mirth, and methinks he saith well, there
is no harm in it; long may they use it, and all such modest sports. Ctesias
reports of a Persian king, that had 150 maids attending at his table, to
play, sing, and dance by turns; and [3531]Lil. Geraldus of an Egyptian
prince, that kept nine virgins still to wait upon him, and those of most
excellent feature, and sweet voices, which afterwards gave occasion to the
Greeks of that fiction of the nine Muses. The king of Ethiopia in Africa,
most of our Asiatic princes have done so and do; those Sophies, Mogors,
Turks, &c. solace themselves after supper amongst their queens and
concubines, _quae jucundioris oblectamenti causa_ ([3532]saith mine author)
_coram rege psallere et saltare consueverant_, taking great pleasure to see
and hear them sing and dance. This and many such means to exhilarate the
heart of men, have been still practised in all ages, as knowing there is no
better thing to the preservation of man's life. What shall I say, then, but
to e