leechcraft to _Apollo_: for free life & chastitie to _Diana_: for bewtie
and good grace, as also for issue & prosperitie in loue to _Venus_: for
plenty of crop and corne to _Ceres_: for seasonable vintage to _Bacchus:
and for other things to others. So many things as they could imagine good
and desirable, and to so many gods as they supposed to be authors thereof,
in so much as _Fortune_ was made a goddesse, & the feuer quartaine had her
aulters, such blindnes & ignorance raigned in the harts of men at that
time, and whereof it first proceeded and grew, besides th'opinion hath
bene giuen, appeareth more at large in our bookes of _Ierotekni_, the
matter being of another consideration then to be treated of in this worke.
And these hymnes to the gods was the first forme of Poesie and the highest
& the stateliest, & they were song by the Poets as priests, and by the
people or whole congregation as we sing in our Churchs the Psalmes of
_Dauid_, but they did it commonly in some shadie groues of tall tymber
trees: In which places they reared aulters of greene turfe, and bestrewed
them all ouer with flowers, and vpon them offred their oblations and made
their bloudy sacrifices, (for no kinde of gift can be dearer then life) of
such quick cattaille, as euery god was in their conceit most delighted in,
or in some other respect most fit for the misterie: temples or churches or
other chappels then these they had none at those dayes.

_CHAP. XIII._

_In what forme of Poesie vice and the common abuses of mans life was
reprehended._

Some perchance would thinke that next after the praise and honoring of
their gods, should commence the worshippings and praise of good men, and
specially of great Princes and gouernours of the earth; in soueraignety
and function next vnto the gods. But it is not so, for before that came to
passe, the Poets or holy Priests, chiefly studied the rebuke of vice, and
to carpe at the common abuses, such as were most offensiue to the publique
and priuate, for as yet for lacke of good ciuility and wholesome
doctrines, there was greater store of lewde lourdaines then of wife and
learned Lords, or of noble and vertuous Princes and gouernours. So as next
after the honours exhibited to their gods, the Poets finding in man
generally much to reproue & litle to praise, made certaine poems in plaine
meetres, more like to sermons or preachings then otherwise, and when the
people were assembled togither in those