Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity,…Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie,…

¹The kinds of a fable are, Comedies, Tragedies, Satires, and Narrations of Lyric and Heroic Poets, & also Apologies. But which of these feigned things are lawful, and which are unlawful, thus may be discerned. They which have filthiness & scurrility, that is, mirth joined together with filthiness, ought not to be admitted. But those which are written honestly and shamefastlye, so that they refresh the mind with some pleasure, and are also profitable to set forth good manners, are not be despised. That filthy ones are to be repudiated, the Apostles confirmeth by two testimonies. To the Corinthians in the first Epistle he writeth: Evil communications corrupt good manners. And to the Ephesians the. v chapter it is written, let whoredom and all uncleanness and covetousness not reign in you, as it becometh saints: then is added [Greek or Hebrew], and [Greek or Hebrew], and which are not comely. By these words he reproveth all those communications which are contaminated with filthiness & scurrility.² The same thing saw Plato in his thirde book de Repub. where he excludeth Poets which spake of gods, as though they should speak of men. Because they in so writing, do both unworthily entreat of the nature of god, which is best and most high, & also they excuse the sins of common men, when as they testify that both the gods and also noble men committed the same sins, which thing assuredly we may see in the comedy Enuchus of Terence, where Cherea a wicked young man (beholding a wanton table in the harlots house,³ wherein was painted Jupiter piercing ⟨p. 160⟩unto Danae by a shower) began to have a pleasure in himself, because he being a vile man did those things, which he knew by that table the chief God in the old time committed. I did it (saith he) and I did it with a good will.⁴ Cicero also: Homer (sayeth he) feigned these, and transferred humane things unto the gods: I had rather they had transferred things divine unto us.

¹The kinds of a fable are, Comedies, Tragedies, Satires, and Narrations of Lirike and Heroike Poetes, & also Apologies. But which of these fayned things are lawfull, and which are vnlawfull, thus may be discerned. They which haue fylthinesse & scurility, that is, mirth ioyned together with filthines, ought not to be admitted. But those which are written honestlye and shamefastlye, so that they refresh the mind with some pleasure, and ar also profitable to setforth good maners, are not be despised. That fylthy ones are to be repudiated, the Apostles confyrmeth by two testimonyes. To the Corrinthians in the first Epistle he writeth: Euill communications corrupt good manners. And to the Ephesians the. v chapter it is written, let whoredome and all vncleannes and couetousnesse not reigne in you, as it becommeth sayntes: then is added , and , and whyche are not comelye. By these woordes he reproueth all those cōmunications whych are contaminated with filthines & scurilitye.