The georgicks of Hesiod, by George Chapman; translated elaborately out of the Greek: containing doctrine of husbandrie, moralitie, and pietie; with a perpetuall calendar of good and bad daies; not superstitious, but necessarie (as farre as naturall causes compell) for all men to obserue, and difference in following their affaires

Of Hesiodus.

Hesiodus, surnam'd Ascraeus, was one, as of the most anti∣ent Greeke Poets; so one of the purest and pressest writers. He liu'd in the later time of Homer; & was sur∣named Ascraeus; of Ascra, a Towne in Helicon; in which was built a tēple sacred to the Muses; whose Priest, Hesiodus was consecrate: whom Virg. among so many writers of Georgicks, only imitated; professing it in this;

Ascraeum{que} cano Romana per oppida carmen, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. Nor is there any doubt, (saith Mel:) quin idē Virg: initio Georgicorū, hanc inscriptionem expresserit hoc versu: Quid faciat laetas segetes; quo sidere terram &c. His autoritie was such amongst the Antients; that his verses were commonly learned, as Axioms or Oracles; All tea∣ching good life, and humanitie: which though neuer so profita∣ble for mens now readings; yet had they rather (saith Isocrates) consume their times still in their owne follies, than bee any time conuersant in these precepts of wisedome; Of which (with Ho∣mer) he was first Father, whose Interpreters were al the succeeding Philosophers; Not Aristotle himselfe excepted: who before Thales, Solon, Pittacus, Socrates, Plato, &c. writ of Life, of Manners, of God, of Nature, of the Starres, and generall state of the vniuerse. Not are his writings the lesse worthy; that Poesie informde them, but of so much the more Dignitie, and Eternitie: Not Thales, nor Anaxa∣goras, (as Aristotle ingenuously confesseth) hauing profited the world so much with all their writings; as Homers one Vlisses, or Nestor. And sooner shall all the Atomes of Epicurus sustaine diuisi∣on; the fire of Heraclitus be vtterly quencht; the water that Thales extolls so much, bee exhausted; the spirit of Anaxamines vanish; the discord of Empedocles be reconciled; & all dissolu'd to nothing; before by their most celebrated faculties, they doe the world so∣much profit for all humane instruction, as this one Work of Hesi∣odus: Here beeing no dwelling on any one subiect; but of all hu∣mane affaires instructiuely concluded.