II._

_In what reputation Poesie and Poets were in old time with Princes and
otherwise generally, and how they be now become contemptible and for what
causes._

For the respectes aforesayd in all former ages and in the most ciuill
countreys and commons wealthes, good Poets and Poesie were highly esteemed
and much fauoured of the greatest Princes. For proofe whereof we read how
much _Amyntas_ king of _Macedonia_ made of the Tragicall Poet _Euripides_.
And the _Athenians_ of _Sophocles_. In what price the noble poemes of
_Homer_ were holden with _Alexander_ the great, in so much as euery night
they were layd vnder his pillow, and by day were carried in the rich
iewell cofer of _Darius_ lately before vanquished by him in battaile. And
not onely _Homer_ the father and Prince of the Poets was so honored by
him, but for his sake all other meaner Poets, in so much as _Cherillus_
one no very great good Poet had for euery verse well made a _Phillips_
noble of gold, amounting in value to an angell English, and so for euery
hundreth verses (which a cleanely pen could speedely dispatch) he had a
hundred angels. And since _Alexander_ the great how _Theocritus_ the
Greeke Poet was fauored by _Tholomee_ king of Egipt & Queene _Berenice_
his wife, _Ennius_ likewise by _Scipio_ Prince of the _Romaines_,
_Virgill_ also by th'Emperour _Augustus_. And in later times how much were
_Iehan de Mehune_ & _Guillaume de Loris_ made of by the French kinges, and
_Geffrey Chaucer_ father of our English Poets by _Richard_ the second, who
as it was supposed gaue him the maner of new Holme in Oxfordshire. And
_Gower_ to _Henry_ the fourth, and _Harding_ to _Edward_ the fourth. Also
how _Frauncis_ the Frenche king made _Sangelais, Salmonius, Macrinus_, and
_Clement Marot_ of his priuy Chamber for their excellent skill in vulgare
and Latine Poesie. And king _Henry_ the 8. her _Maiesties_ father for a
few Psalmes of _Dauid_ turned into English meetre by Sternhold, made him
groome of his priuy chamber, & gaue him many other good gifts. And one
_Gray_ what good estimation did he grow vnto with the same king _Henry_,
& afterward with the Duke of Sommerset Protectour, for making certaine
merry Ballades, whereof one chiefly was, _The hunte is vp, the hunte is
up_. And Queene _Mary_ his daughter for one _Epithalamie_ or nuptiall song
made by _Vargas_ a Spanish Poet at her mariage with king _Phillip_ in
Winchester gaue him during his life two hundred Crownes p