VIRGIL sirnamed Maro, was borne but of meane parentage, especially on the fatherside, who was called Maro, whom some suppose to haue bin a potter, but moe thinke that he was at the first, couenaunt seruant w ^t a traueilinge wyseman, and afterward for his towardnes, by mariadge of his daughter: became his soonne in lawe, whom when his father in lawe had put in trust with his husbandrie, and his catteyle, and byinge of wooddes, and lookinge to Bées, therby he increased his smale substance. He was borne the yéere y ^t Cn. Pompeius, and M. Licinius Crassus were first Consuls the .15. day of Octobre, in a village called Andes, not far from Mantua. His mother Maia, beinge great with childe with him, and dreaminge that she was deliuered of a laurell bowe, which prickt into the grownde grew forthwith to a great trée, replenyshed with sundrie kindes of Frutes, and Flowers: the next morning walking forth into the countrey with her husband, stept a side, and was deliue­red therby, in a ditche. The report goeth, that the childe so soone as he was borne neuer cried, but looked so pleasantly, that he gaue an assu­red hope that by his birth some notable thinge should chaunce.

There befell also another strange token, for a Poplar trée branch, which was prickt into the grownd accordinge as the manner of the countrey at womens traueiles is, so grewe vp in short space, that it matched in bignes many great Poplar trées, that were set there long before, whiche was afterwarde consecrated, and called by the name of Virgils trée, and had in great reuerence amongst téemynge women, and such as were with child, which daily made prayers, and offringes there. His infancie, that is to say, vntill he was seauen yeare old, he passed in Cremona, and when he was thirtéene yéere of age he recea­ued the garment of manstate, when those were made Consuls agayne [Page]that were when he was borne, and it fortuned that Lucretius the poet departed the same day. But Virgil, from Cremona went to Mil­lain, and shortly after from thence to Naples, where diligētly applying the studie of the Greeke, and Latine toonges: at length betooke himself to Physicke, and knowledge of the Mathematicals, wherin he surpas­sed all other in skill, and departinge to Rome, fell in fauour with the M. of the horse to Augustus, and cured the horses of manie, and sun­drie diseases. Who commaūded therfore that Virgill shuld haue such allowance of bread, as other of the stable had.

Duringe this tyme the Crotoniati sent vnto Caesar for a present, a goodlye horsecolt, that in all mens iudgment would proue both verie couragious, and woonderfull swift. When Virgil beheld him he told the M. of the stable, that he was fooled of a sicke, and infected mare, and that he would proue nether stronge nor swift, as afterward it ap­peared, wherof when the M. of the stable had enformed the Empe­rour: he cōmaunded that his bread shuld be dubled, for reward. Lyke­wyse, when there were certen Dogges sent to Augustus foorth of Spayne, Virgil both told what maner ones the siers were, & what sto­mack and swiftnes they would be of. Which when he vnderstoode▪ he then commaūded agayne that Virgil should haue so much more bread as he had before. The Emperour Augustus doubtinge of himself whether he were sunne to Octauius or to some man else, and suppo­singe that Virgil Maro could resolue him, that knew so well the natures and siers of horses, and dogges: remoouing all companye aside Au­gustus called him into the priuie chambre, and asked him there alone, if he knew what he was, and what abilitie he had to make men hap­pie? I knowe (ꝙ Maro) that thou art Augustus Caesar, and thou hast almost equall power with the immortall goddes and that thou mayst make happie whom thou liste. Surely (ꝙ Caesar) I am of this mind, that if y ^u answer mée truly to that I shall aske, I will make thée hap­pie, and blessed. I wold to god (ꝙ Maro) that I could answere truly to that y ^u demaundest. Then sayd the Emperour, some say I am sunne to Octauius, and some suspect that I am some other mans sunne. Wherat Maro smylinge: I will sone tell you that (ꝙ he) yf you par­don me in answeringe that you commaūd. The Emperour swore by an Oth that he wold take neuer a worde in ill part, yea and that he shuld not depart vnrewarded. Therwithall Maro fixinge his eyes fast on the Emperours: it is an easie matter (ꝙ he) by other lyuinge [Page]thinges to discerne the disposition of the parentes, through skill of Ma­thematickes, and Philosophie, but in men it is not possible. Howbeit I am able to giue some probable iudgment, what trade of lyfe thy fa­ther exercised. To this Augustus gaue diligēt eare what he wold say. Then Virgil, so far as I can perceaue (ꝙ he) thou art a Bakers sun. The Emperour thereat was astunned, and marueiled much in his mind how that could come to passe. Marie then (ꝙ Virgil) I will tell you why I iudge so. When as I foretold certen thinges which could nether be knowne, nor vnderstoode but by such as be very wel lerned: thou that art prince of all the wordle commaundidst that I shuld haue a certen of bread giuen mée for a reward, which is the vse ether of ba­kers, or els of such as are bakers children. This merie iest, pleased the Emperour wel, but henceforth (ꝙ he) y ^u shalt not be rewarded by a ba­ker but by a most valiēt prince, & estéemed him much, and commendid him to Pollio. He was of bodie and stature bigge, of colour tawnie, hardfauoured, sycklie, for he was manytimes gréeued with payne in the stomack, iawes, and head, and some tymes he did spet blood. He fre­quented but litle the vse of deyntie meates and wyne. Some report that he was prone to the detestable sinne with boyes. But the better sort suppose rather that he loued them as Socrates loued Alcibiades, and Plato also. Aboue the rest he loued most Cebetes, and Alexander, whom in the second Ecloge of his Bucolikes he termeth Alexis, giuen vnto him by Asinius Pollio. When they came vnto him they were nether of them vnlearned. For Alexander was a good Grammarian, and Cebetes a Poet. Some likewyse affirme that he had carnall com­panie with Plotia Hieria. But Asconius Pedianus sayth that he was woont to declare to some auntient mē, that indéede he was reque­sted by Varius iointly to kéepe her, howbeit he ernestly refused so to doe. In all other respectes he was of lyfe, language, and conuersation so vpright: that through all Naples he was called, commonly Virgi­nitie. And when haply he was séene at Rome, (whether as he came very seldom) going abroade in the open streetes if eny followed, or no­ted him: he wold turne away into the next house. When Augustus offred him the goods of one that was banished, he vtterly refused them He was worth in substance an hundred Sestertia, which were giuen him through the liberalitie of his fréendes, & he had an house in Rome in a place called Aesquiliae neare to Mecoenas gardaynes, although he was accustomed much to withdrawe him self into Campania and [Page] Scicil. Whatsoeuer he requested of Augustus: he neuer had deniall therof. Euery yéere he sent monie abundantly to succour his parentes which died when he was of lawfull yéeres, his father beinge blinde when he died, & his two brethren the one surnamed Silo died while he was a child, and Flacchus when he was come to māstate, whose death he bewayleth vnder the name of Daphnis. Amonge other studies (as I haue sayd before) he chéefly applied himself to Physick and Mathe­matickes. He neuer plead at barre more then one cause, and that but once, whom Melissus reporteth to haue bin very slow of toongue, & as though he were altogither vnlearned, when he first began Poëtrie, he made this Disthic, or these two verses vpon one Balista a scholema­ster, that for reporte of théeuery was couerid with an heape of stones.

After this he wroat Moretum, Priapus, Epigrammes, Dirae, and Culex when he was yet but fiftéene yéere old, the argument wherof is this. A shepheard wearyed with heat, and sleapinge vnder a trée, when a serpent was cumming fast towards him, there came a Gnat flying out of the Fenne nearby, and lighted on the sheapheardes for­head betwéene his temples, and there stunge him. Then he lyftinge vp his handes crushed the gnat, and when he espied the serpent: killed him also, and made a tombe for the gnat with this superscription.

He wroat Aetna also, wherof some men doubt. But shortly after when he had begun Romane matters mislikynge the sharpnes, and roughnes both of the argument, and names, he fell to the Bucolickes but cheifly to celebrate the name of Asinius, Pollio, Alphenus Varus and Cornelius Gallus, by cause y ^t in the deuision of land beyond Padus amongst the old souldiours after the conquest at Philippe made, at the cōmaundment of the Triumuiri, or the Thre conspiratours, they had saued him harmlesse. Afterward he made his worke called Georgica in the honour of Mecoenas by whose meanes, when he was yet scarce knowne vnto him, he was assisted against the old soldiours of Clau­dius, or rather as some suppose, against the violence of Arius the Cen­turian, by whom in that hurlyburly about deuiding of landes, he was very neare slayne. Last of all he tooke the Aeneidos in hand, a worke of a diuerse, and manifold argument, and resemblinge, in a maner [Page]both the workes of Homere. Besides that it contayneth indifferenly both wordes, and matter aswell Greeke as Latine, and that cheife is which he most endeuored, it comprehendeth both the originall of the citie of Rome, and Augustus the Emperour. When he wroate the Georgica, it is reported, how that euerie morninge he was accusto­med to write a certen numbre of verses, which he would all the day longe ouerlooke, and so abbridginge them, bringe them vnto a very fewe, not vnfitly sayinge that he brought forth verses, as the femall Bear doth her young and bringeth them into due fashion by lickinge. The worke called Aeneidos he wrote first in twelue bookes in prose (as some thinke) and afterward digested it into verse. And othersome iudge that if he had liued longer, he wold haue lēgthned it vnto xxiiij. bookes euen vnto the time of Augustus, and wold haue touched many other thinges therin, and with great diligēce haue set forth Augustus tyme, since that in writing, least he shuld be vainly troubled with eny thinge: he left some thinges imperfect. And some thinges he wroate in very slender verse, which (as he was woont, to iest) he sayd he put in for Iesters, and Minstrels, to hold vp the worke, vntill the sownd pil­lers were framed. He absolued his Bucoliks in thrée yéere, at Asi­nius Pollios request. The same at that tyme ruled the prouince be­yond Padus, by whose meanes and sute, when the Cremonenses, and Mantuans lands were distributed vnto Augustus auntiēt souldiours, yet notwithstandinge Virgil lost not his. This Pollio, Virgil loued entierly, and was likewise of him very welbeloued agayne, and greatly rewarded, for when he was vpon a tyme desiered by him to sup­per, and there sodenlye surprised with the singulare beutie, and dili­gence of Alexander, Pollios boye: receaued him of gift. Likewise he loued dearly C. Asinius, Pollios sunne, and Cornelius Gallus a noble Oratour and a singulare Poet, who trāslated Euphorion into Latin, and wroate in fouer bookes his loue of Cytheris. At the first he was in good credite with the Emperour Augustus, but afterward vpon suspition of cōspiracie against him, he was slayne. Of whom Proper­tius speaketh thus:

Virgil loued this Gallus so well, that the fouerth booke of Georgi­kes from the middle to the end contayned his prayse, which after­ward at Augustus commaundment he changed into the fable of Ari­staeus. [Page]He finished the Georgiks in seuen yéere at Naples, and the Ae­neidos he made partly in Sicilia, partly in Campania, in eleuen yéere. And his Bucoliks he made with so good successe that they were often­times sunge openly by Musitians in playes. When Cicero had heard certen of the verses, and by and by through sharpe iudgment percea­ued that they procéeded from no commune veyne: he willed that the whole Ecloge shuld be reade from the beginninge. Wherto when he had attended diligently, in the end he said these words Of mighty Rome a second hope, as though himself were the first hope of the La­tine toongue, and Maro wolde be the second, which wordes also he re­citeth in the Aeneidos. The Georgikes, when Augustus returned from the Actiacan victorie, and for recreationsake soiourned at Atel­la, he read there vnto him continually the space of fouer dayes, and when his voice failed him at eny time: Mecoenas supplied his romth in readiynge. He pronunced with meruelous swéetnes, and great de­lectation. Seneca writeth that Iulius Montanus the Poet was woūt to say, that he wold take away by force some thinge from Virgil if he could set them forth with the same voice, coūtnance, and gesture▪ And that the selfsame verses if he pronounced them, wold sound well, but without him: wold be drie and dumbe. Of the Aeneidos scarce yet be­gunne, there was spread such a fame: that Sextus Propertius doub­ted not thus to foretell.

When Augustus by fortune was absent from the Cantabrick ex­pedition, and partly by requestinge and partly by manacinge letters, merely required of Virgil that he shuld send to him if it were but the verie title or some one full sentence of Aeneidos, for those were his words: he refused so to doe. To whom yet not longe after when the matter was fully perfected, he recited thre bookes, namely the Se­cond, the Fourth and the Sixt. And that especially, bycause of Octa­uia, who beinge there present at the recitall, at those verses of her sun­ne, Marcellus thou shalt be, is reported to haue fainted for sorowe, and when by much labour she was recouered agayne, she commaun­ded that Virgil shuld haue to the value of fiue poūds for euerie verse. He read his bookes also to diuerse, but not oft, & those places only whe­rof he stoode in eny doubt, therby to heare the iudgment of men Yt is sayd that Erotes his secretarie, whom he also made frée, when he was [Page]very aged was woont to report, that once in the readinge of his worke he made two of his half verses out of hand, and that Misenus Aolides added, was better none then he.

Lykewyse vnto this verse, In kindlinge men with noyse, with like heat he adioyned, And fightinge fields to cheere with brasse, & that he was commaunded strayt wayes to wryte those ij. additions so in the worke. He perused both his Bucoliks and Georgiks. And when he was 52. yeare old, to thintent to finish the Aeneidos, he was deter­mined to withdrawe him self into Greece, and Asie, and there to em­ploye whole thre yeares in correctinge and perusinge, that he might bestowe all the resdue of his life only in the studye of Philosophie. But when he was in his iourney, and met with Augustus at Athens who was returninge forth of the East cuntreyes towards Rome: he purposed to goe home agayne with him. And trauailinge to Megara, a towne nigh Athens, only to sée it, tooke there a sicknesse, which conti­nuall trauaile on sea augmented, and encreasinge more and more vn­till he came to Brūdusium with in fewe dayes after dyed there, the xxj. day of September when Cn. Plautius, and Q. Lucretius were Con­suls. Who when he felt him self mortally assaulted with the maladie: he called often, and very ernestly for his deske, that he might burne the Aeneidos. Which beinge deneid him, he willed notw ^tstādinge by his last testament that it shuld be burned, as a work both faultie, and vnperfect. But Tucca and Varrus told him that Augustus wold in no wyse suffre that. Wherruppon he bequeathed the same worke, and his other writinges vnto Varrus and Tucca vpon this condition, that they shuld set forth nothinge but that which he wold haue set forth, and such verses as were vnperfect: they shuld so leaue them. He willed al­so that his bones shuld be borne to Naples, wheras he had lyued longe tyme, and merely. His bones therfore were translated to Naples, at Augustus commaundment, as he apointed, and were buried in the way to Puteol. at the second stone, and vpon his tumbe was writen this disthick, which he made him self.

He made heyers of half his goods Valerius Proculus his half bro­ther by another father, & of the fourth part, Augustus, of y ^e twelfth part Mecoenas, of all the remainder L. Varrus, and Plocius Tucca, who after his decease as he requested at Caesars commaundment corrected, [Page]the Aeneidos. For no man iudged the Aeneidos worthy to be bur­ned, wherof these verses of Sulpitius the Carthagian are extant.

There remayne also many noble verses made by Augustus vp­pon the same matter, whose beginning is this.

And shortly after.

Wherfore Varrus at Augustus commaundment did set forth no­thinge, as Virgil willed he shuld not: but generally perused all, lea­uing also those verses as they were, still vnperfect. Whiche verses diuers afterward tooke in hand to make vp, but they could not for the difficulty therof, for they be all Hemistichia, that is to say half verses, besides this: Whom Troy vntimely bare thee, which séemeth to ca­rie with it perfect sense. Nisius the Grammarian said that he had heard of his elders, that Varrus had changed the order of two bookes, and that which was then the Second he transposed into the third place. And that he changed also the beginninge of the First booke, takinge these verses cleane away:

Virgil also amongst other, who was one of the pillers of the Latin toongue, lacked not slaunderers. In his Bucolickes, Paro, but very foo­lyshly, mocketh at two Ecloges, and thus he beginneth to flout.

And in the next.

Another also when he read this place out of the Georgiks: Eare naked, naked sowe: he added, then cold, and feuer thou shalt take. There is also extāt a boke made by Carpilius Pictor vnder this title, The Aeneidos scourge. M. Vipranus sayde that Mecoenas had set vp a finder out of an euell imitation, and that he was nether loftie in Stile, nor low, but that he made that worke with commune vulgare wordes. Herennius only gathered togither his faultes, and Perilius Faustinus, that which he stole of others. There are also certē volumes of Quintus Octauius Auitus, in the which are obserued what ver­ses, and from whome he tooke them. Asconius Pedanus in his booke which he writeth against the slaunderers of Virgil, setteth downe a fewe thinges which were obiected against him, and this chiefly, that he tied not wel his historie togither, and that he borowed much of Ho­mere. But this fault (as they say) he was woont thus to defend, saiyng why do not they likewyse attempt the lyke théeft? But they if they wayghed it vprightly shuld vnderstand that it were an easear mat­ter to pulle the club out of Hercules hand, then to take a verse away from Homere, and that notwithstandinge he determined to withdrawe himself for a time to amend euerie thinge that his ilwil­lers found fault withall.

Pedianus also reporteth, that he was very curteous, and a louer of all good and honest men, and so far from Enuie, that if he sawe eny thinge done, or spoken lernedly by eny, he reioyced therat, none otherwyse then if it were his owne: that he dispraysed no man, pray­sed goodmen, and was of so gentle nature: that there was no man, vnlesse he were ouer stubberne and malicious, that not only fauo­red him, but also hartely loued him. He séemed to haue nothinge priuate to himselfe. His library stoode as ready open to othermen as to himself, and he oftentimes vsed the sayinge of Euripides: All thinges amongst freendes are commune. He had all the Poetes of his tyme so freendlye, and beholdinge vnto him, that although they much enuied one another, yet him they all reuerenced, as Var­rus, Tucca, Horace, Gallus, Propertius, But Anser, by cause he tooke not part with Antonius, dyd not regard him. Comificius [Page]could not abyde him, such was his froward nature. He so much con­temned glorie, that when some ascribed to them selues certen of his verses, and therfore were accoumpted the better learned, he tooke it not only not displeasantly, but he much reioysed therat. And makinge a couple of verses contayninge the prayse and felicitie of Augustus, which were set vpon the gates with out name, the verses were these.

The authour of which verses Augustus longe made enquirie for, but he could not finde him. At length when none came, Bathyllus an indifferent good Poet, ascribed them vnto himself, and was there­fore encoraged, and rewarded by Caesar, which Virgill not takynge well, set vpon the same gates this beginning foure times: So you, not for your selues. Augustus required that these verses should bée by some finished, which many assaying in vayne: Virgil thus replied, to the forewritten Disthic.

Which beyng once knowne: Bathyllus for a time was all the iest ingstocke to the whole citie of ROME. When on a time he had the workes of Ennius in his hande, and beyng demaunded by one what he did with thē: answered y ^t he gathered golde out of Ennius dounge. For that authour expresseth worthy sentences & matter, vnder words not of the finest. Vnto Augustus that demaunded of him how a Citie might best be gouerned: he answered, if the wisest men did holde the helme, and good men were set in aucthoritie ouer euell, and so that the best men may haue their due honour, and the rest be not in iuriously dealt withall. Then Mecoenas, what thing is it (ꝙ he) that neuer bringeth lothsomnesse to man? The likenesse, answered Vir­gil, or the abundance of euery thinge, anoyeth vs, except of vnderstan­dyng. He asked moreouer, how a man might alwayes preserue his happie and fortunate state? To whom then Maro, if by how much he excell other in Honour, and Ritches: he endeuour to excell them in Liberalitie an Iustice. He was wount also to say, that there was no­thyng more méet nor commodious for a man then Pacience, and that [Page]there was no fortune so sharpe which by wisely tolleratyng a valient man might not ouercome. Which opinion of his, he hath expressed in the fist of the Aeneidos.

There was familiar with Augustus one named Filistus, an ora­tour, and méetly wel learned in Poetrie, and had a pleasant, and vari­able witte, and vsed to carpe the saiynges of all men, not to th'intent thereby to learne the truth (for so Socrates was woont to do) but ther­by to appeare the better learned. The same, wheresoeuer he had occa­sion to méete with Virgil or be in his companie, vsed to prouoke him with reproches, and floutes. Wherfore, either he departed commonly with silence, or els with blusshing held his peace. Then when as in presence of Augustus, he sayde that Virgil was dumbe, and that if he had a toongue he coulde not defend himself: hold thy peace babler (ꝙ he) for this taciturnitie of myne causeth Augustus, and Mecoenas to be the patrones of my cause, and when I list I will speake with suche a trumpet, that shall euerywhere, and very longe be heard. And thou with thy pratlyng dost not only breake mens eares, but walles also. Then the Emperour looked vpon Filistus with a fierce countenance, and rebuked him. And Virgil, Caesar (ꝙ he) if this man knew a time to holde his peace: he would seldome speake. For a man ought al­waies to be silent, vntill such time as his silence shall either hurt him­self, or his talke may profit others.

When Augustus had obtayned the Empire, he debated with him self whether it were better to resigne vp the Dominion, and commit the state to yéerely Consuls, and the gouernment of the Common­wealth to the Senate. In which case he called to counsell twayne, of two seuerall opinions, Mecoenas, and Agrippa. Agrippa in longe discourse shewed, that although it were not very decent for him to do, yet would it be profitable, which contrarie, Mecoenas very much di­swaded him from. By occasion wherof, Augustus minde was brought into great perplexitie, for their sundrie opinions, were confirmed by sundrie reasons. Wherfore he demaunded of Maro, whether it were expedient for a priuate man, to vsurpe a gouernment in his cō ­mon wealth or not? Then Virgil, vnto all (ꝙ he) that haue vsurped the state of their commonwealth, the gouernmēt hath bin wearysom both vnto them, and to the subiectes, bycause that of necessitie through [Page]hatred of the people, or suspiciō growinge to them of their owne great iniustice: they do liue in much feare. But if the citizens could finde eny one, whom they do loue entierly: it should be profitable to the citie, if he were set in auctoritie. Wherfore, if you do continue to exe­cute iustice to all men, without regard of eny person, as you haue al­redie begunne, it shalbe most profitable both for your self, and all the worlde that you ruled, for you haue so much the goodwill of all men, that they honour you, and repute you for a God. Whose opinion Caesar allowinge: retayned still the Empire.

But since wée haue now breifly spoken of the auctour, it séemeth good wée speake of the kind of verse, which commonly is handled two maner wayes, that is to say, before the worke, and in the worke. Be­fore the worke are, the Title, the Cause, the Intention. The Title, in which is asked, whose it is. The cause, from whence it rose, and for what cause cheifly they Poet tooke this in hand to write. The Inten­tion, in the which is knowne his drift, & where about the Poet goeth. In the worke thrée thinges are marked, the Numbre, the Ordre, the Explanation. Although therfore by falsification, manie workes are caried abroade vnder othermens names, as the tragedie of Thiestes made by this Poet, which Varrus setforth for his owne, & manie such like: yet we cannot doubt but that cléerly the Bucolickes are Virgills, especially since the Poete, doubtinge some such matter, both in the be­ginninge of the Aeneidos, and in another place witnesseth that they are his, sayinge:

That they be fitly termed Bucolickes, and so accompted: if nothing els declared, yet this might be proofe sufficient, that in Theocritus they be called by the same name. But we must shew also some rea­son. There be thrée kindes of Sheapheardes that are famous in Bucolickes. Wherof the vilest sort are termed Caprarii, or Goatheardes. The Opiliones, or Sheapheards are next of dignity, but y ^e Bubulci, or Cowheardes are the best and chiefest. Wherof therfore was it most conuenient that the Sheapheardes verse shuld be named, but of that degrée which is found most excellent amongst Sheapheardes?

The cause may be two wayes considered, of the beginninge of the verse, and of the minde of the writer. Of the beginninge, and Origi­nall [Page]of the Bucolick verse: diuers haue assigned diuerse causes. There are some that saye this kinde of verse was first instituted to Diana, by the Sheapheardes of Lacedaemonia, when through occasion of warre, which at that tyme the Persians made vpon all Greece, the vir­gins could not do sacrafice accordinge to their custome. Others some say, that the same kynde of verse was made to Diana by Orestes, when he wandred about Sicilia. What euer they all say, this is most certen, that the Bucolik verse, tooke beginninge of great anti­quitie, when men ledde only sheapheardes liues, and therefore the simplicitie of such personages doth represent a shewe of the gol­den wordle. Wherfore Virgil begunne very commendably with those, verses, as it were, with that life, which was first in the earth. For afterward the fieldes were tilled, and last of all, for eara­ble and fertyle ground: contention rose, and warres ensued, which Virgil, that he would expresse: sange first of sheapheardes, next of Husbandmen, and last of warriours. It remayneth now that wée consider what cause mooued the Poet cheifly to write the Bucolickes. Ether he was entised by the swéetnes to haue Theocritus verse in admiration, or else for orders sake he sought to expresse the life of man, as wée haue sayd before. Or rather that Virgil would setfoorth the thrée kindes of Elocution, which the Greekes call Carecters, Ischnon that is, lowe, Adron which is loftie, Meson, that is the mean or middle. Whefore beinge likely that he which was right cunninge in all the kindes: endited his Bucolickes in the first, the Georgikes in the second, and the Aeneidos in the third. Or therfore it is to be supposed he wroat the Bucolickes first, to thintent in that kind of verse which is more frée and rough then the rest he might take opportuni­tie to currie the Emperours fauour, and to recouer his lande which he had lost, for this cause. The third day of the Ides of March, when C. Caesar was stayne, and the old souldiours had taken vp Augustus Cae­sar beinge but a child to be their captayne, the senate not much repug­ninge against it, a ciuile warre risinge therof, the Cremonēses with other of the same faction, aided the aduersaries of Augustus Caesar. Wherby it came to passe that when Augustus had the victory he com­maunded that the old souldiours shuld be brought in to the Cremonenses fieldes, to deuide, and possesse them. And when their fieldes were not sufficient for them all: their neighbours the Mantuans, amonge whom was Virgil, lost a great part of their landes, by cause they lay [Page]neare vnto the Cremonenses. But Virgil, presuminge on the fami­liaritie which he had with Augustus, and on his owne verses: durst resist Arius the Centurian. He strait wayes, like a souldyour, put his hand to his sword. And when Virgil had betake himself to flight: he left not of followinge him, vntill Virgil had cast himself into a riuer, and so escaped. But afterward through the fauour of Mecoenas, and Pollio, and Augustus himself, he was restoared to his landes. The Intention of the booke which the Graetians call Scopus, is grounded on the imitation of Theocritus the Poet, who was both a Siciliā and a Syracusiā. The intentiō also is to be reduced into y ^e praise of Caesar, and other princes and noblemen by whose meanes he was brought againe into his former seat, & liuing. Wherby y ^t the end might cōtaine both delectatiō, & profect: he did althinge accordinge to ordre, & precept.

This question is sometime asked why he wroate no moe then ten Ecloges, which wilbe no meruayle vnto him that shall waigh the an­tiquitie of the pastorall Scenes, which cannot be stretched beyonde this numbre, and since this Poet more circumspect then Theocritus as the matter it self declareth, séemeth to doubt least that Ecloge which is intituled Pollio, will not appeare rusticklike enough, whiche he begin­neth after this maner, saying:

And so likewise doth he in other twayne. And this wée foretell to be obserued in al the Bucolikes of Virgil, that they are neither wholy destitute of figures, neither altogither full of figures, that is to say Al­lagories. These thinges are scarce to be graunted vnto Virgis, for the prayse of Caesar, and to recouer his landes, since Theocritus, whom Virgil sought by all endeuour to imitate: wroate altogether plainly, and simply.

As touchyng such thinges as accustomably are handled in the verse are these: Numbre, Order, Explanation The numbre of the Eclogs is apparant, for there are Ten, of which, seuen are thought properly to deserue the name of Bucolickes. For the last thrée ought not to be called Bucolickes, namely Pollio, Silenus, and Gallus. The first therfore contayneth a publique complaint, and a priuate thankes go­uyng for land, and is called Tityrus. The second, the loue of a boy, and is termed Alexis. The third, a contention of Sheapheards, and is cal­led Paloemon. The fourth, Genethliacum, and is named Pollio. The fift, Epitaphium, and is termed Daphnis. The sixt, Metamor­phosis, [Page]and is called, Varus, and Cilenus. The seuenth Pharmacentria. The eight, the loues of diuers sexes, and is named Damon. The ninth contayneth a complaynt for his lost landes, and is termed Moe­ris. The tenth, the disier of Gallus, and is called Gallus. As touchynge the order of them, wée must vnderstand this, that only in the first and last Ecloges the Poete would keep due order, for in the one he began, as he witnesseth in the Georgickes:

In the other he shewed the end, when he sayth,

But amongst the Eclogs that there is no sheapheardly, or prescript order obserued, it is most certen. Wherefore there are some, that say the Bucolikes begin not at Tityrus, but:

There remaineth now Explanation, vnto which before wée come, I must admonish this, that the verse of a Bucolike is but a stender verse, and so farre differyng from the stile of the Heroike: that this kinde of verse hath his peculiar diuision, and cuttinges, and is dist in­guished by his owne proper lawes. For, since a verse is prooued by thrée thynges, cutting, scannyng, and tunyng: it is no Bucolike verse vnlesse the first foote do contayne a full part of the sense, and the third foote be Trochaeus and a cuttyng, and the third being rather a Dactile then a Spondeus: do finish a parcell of sense, the fift and sixt féete con­sist of whole words. Which beyng obserued by Theocritus, yet wea­ried at length through difficultie of the worke: he neclected it, & only in the beginnyng it is vncertayne whether diligence, or chaunce did kéep these cuttynges. For, Tityre, a Dactile finisshed part of the Oration: tu patu, lae re cu, cloased vp the third Trochaeus, though in a com­pounde word: bans sub, and when he had put the fourth Spondeus for a Dactile, tegmine fagi, when he had ended the partes of oration, he absolued the whole Cōma, wherin the diligence of Theocritus al­most in all his verses is wounderfull. And he that shall diligently with sharpe iudgement consider the aboue written, shall easely vn­derstand what is the intention of the Georgikes, and what the ende, and likewise also in the Aeneidos.

There are thrée kinde of stiles in a Poeme, ether Actiue, ether Imi­tatiue which Graecians call Dramaticum, wherein are persons brought [Page]in speakinge, without speakyng of the Poet, such as Tragoedies, and Comoedies are. For Dran in Greeke signifieth to do. In which kinde first Tityrus was writen, then next Quo te Moeri. Or els Enerrati­tiue, which the Greekes call Diegematicon, in which the Poet him­self speaketh without interpretation of persone, as the first thrée boo­kes of Georgikes. Likewise Lucretius verses. Ether els commune, and mixt, which the Greekes do terme Micton, where both the Poet himself doth speake, and personnes lykewyse are brought in, such as is the Aeneidos of Virgil.