POETAE,
Poets, they were formerly cour∣ted by and lived with great Princes, as their Di∣vines, Philosophers, Historians and Privy Coun∣sellers. Elian upon the Reputation of Plato de∣clares, that Hipparchus, Prince of the Athenians, sent a Gally to fetch Anacreon to him: Hiero of Syracuse, got Pindar and Simonides to live with him. Elian assures us, that Ptolomy Philopator, King of Egypt having built a Temple to Homer, he set him therein upon a Throne, and pictured all the Cities round about him that contended for his Nativity. Lastly, He says, that Galato represented Homer with a Stream running out of his Mouth, whither the rest of the Poets came to fetch Water. Plutarch informs us, that Alex∣ander had always Homer's Iliads at his Bed's Head, with his Dagger, saying, it was instru∣ctive to him in the Military Art. The Romans had a particular Esteem for the Poets, Scipio A∣fricanus had Ennius always with him: Cicero speaks of many great Roman Commanders who made use of Poets either to write their History, or with their Verses to adorn the Temples and other sacred Monuments which they dedicated to the Glory of the Gods. When the Govern∣ment of the Republick fell into the Hands of the Emperors, the famous Latin Poets were much more familiar with them than the Greek Poets had ever been with their Kings. And in what Favour Virgil and Horace were with Augustus is well known.
There were Poets in the Land of Canaan be∣fore Moses, for Bochart has very well observed, that Moses in the Book of Numbers hath inserted a victorious Song of a Canaanitish Poet, after he had gained the Victory over the Moabites and Ammonites: There is no doubt but that there were Poets in the East, and that there the Spring-head was, from whence came all the Greek Poe∣try. The less civilized Nations of the West had also Poets, who very often had the Manage∣ment of their Philosophical and Theological Schools. Homer lived above 300 Years before Rome was built, and there were no Poets at Rome till 400 Years after the building thereof; so that Poetry began not to be cultivated in that City till 700 Years after Homer.
Plutarch assures us, that in the most Ancient Times, Men never exprest great and divine Things any otherwise than in Poetry, making use even of Verse for their History and Philo∣sophy it self; for the Poets, for 6 or 700 Years before the Philosophers, were the Preser∣vers of all the Religion and Morality of the Hea∣thens. St. Augustine himself does not deny to the ancient Greek Poets the Title of Divines, and Lactantius is of Opinion, that whereas the Poets, as being more ancient than the ancientest Historians, Orators or Philosophers, writ so much Theological Truth, it has proceeded from their collecting together the Stories that went abroad in the World, which arose from an In∣tercourse with the Children of Israel, and their Prophets.