LIttle Little I hope, needeth me at large to discourse the first Originall of Æglo-gues, hauing having alreadie touched the same. But for the vvord word Æglogues I knovv know is vnknowen unknowen to most, and also mistaken of some the best learned (as they think) I vvyll wyll say somevvhat somewhat thereof, being not at all impertinẽt impertinent to my present purpose.

They vvere were first of the Greekes the inuentours inventours of them called Æglo-gaj Æglo-gai as it vvere were αἴγων Aegon, or αἰγονόμων λόγοι αἰγονόμων.λόγοι. Aeginomon logi, that is Goteheards tales. For although in Virgile and others the speakers be most shepheards, and not Goteheards, mo[ſt] [ſh]epheards, and Goteheards, mo[ſt] [ſh]epheardes, & Goteheardes, mo[ſt] [ſh]eepheardes, & Goteheardes, mo[ſt] [ſh]epheardes, & Goteheardes, more Shepherds, then Goatheards, yet Theocritus in whom is more ground of authoritie, 9. then: than then than in Virgile, this specially from that deriuing deriving , as from the first head and vvelspring welspring the vvhole whole Inuencion Invencion Inuericion Inuericion  Inuention inuention of his Æglogues, maketh Goteheards the persons and authors of his tales. This being, vvho who seeth not the grossenesse of such as by colour of learning would make vs us beleeue beleeve that they are more rightly termed Eclogai, as they vvould would say, extraordinary discourses of vnnecessarie unnecessarie matter, vvhich which difinition albe in substaunce and meaning it agree with the nature of the thing, yet nowhit answereth with the ἀνάλυσις and interpretation of the word. For they be not termed Eclogues, but Æg-logues. vvhich which VVhich Which sentence this authour very vvell well obseruing observing , vpon upon good iudgement judgement , though indeede fevv few Goteheards haue have to doe herein, nethelesse doubteth not to cal thẽ them by the vsed used and best knovven knowen name. Other curious discourses hereof I reserue reserve to greater occasion. These xij. xii. Æclogues euery every where answering to the seasons of the tvvelue twelue twelve monthes may be vvell well deuided devided into three formes or ranckes. For eyther they be Plaintiue Plaintive , as the first, the sixt, the eleuenth eleventh , & and the twelfth, or recreatiue recreative , such as al those be, vvhich which conceiue conceive matter of loue love , or commendation of special personages, or Moral: vvhich which for the most part be mixed with some Satyrical bitternesse, namely the second of reuerence reverence devve dewe to old age, the fift of coloured deceipt, the seuenth seventh and ninth of dissolute shepheards & and pas-tours, the tenth of contempt of Poetrie & and pleasaunt vvits wits . And to this diuision division may eue-ry eve-ry thing herein be reasonably applyed: A few onely except, vvhose whose speciall purpose and meaning I am not priuie privie to. And thus much generally of these xij. xii. Æclogues. Now vvill will vve we speake particularly of all, and first of the first. vvhich which VVhich Which he calleth by the first monethes name Ianuarie Januarie : wherein to some he may seeme fovvly fowly to haue have faulted, in that he erroni-ously beginneth with that moneth, vvhich which beginneth not the yeare. For it is wel known, and stoutely mainteyned vvith with stronge reasons of the learned, that the yeare beginneth in March. March, for then the sonne renevveth reneweth his finished course, and the seasonable spring refresheth the earth, and the plesaunce thereof being buried in iu in the sadnesse of the dead winter novv now vvorne worne avvay away , reliueth reliveth . This opinion maynteine the olde Astrologers and Philoso-phers, namely the reuerend reverend Andalo, and Macrobius in his holydayes of Saturne, which accoumpt also vvas was generally obserued observed both of Grecians and Romans. But sauing saving the leaue leave of such learned heads, vve we mayntaine a custome of coumpting the seasons from the moneth Ianuary January , vpon upon a more speciall cause, 45. then: than then than the heathen Philosophers euer ever coulde conceiue conceive , that is, for the incarnation of our mighty Sauiour Saviour and eternall redeemer the 47. L.: Lord L. Lord Christ, vvho who as then renevving renewing the state of the decayed vvorld world , and returning the cõpasse compasse of expired yeres to theyr former date and first commencement, left to vs us his heires a me-moriall of his birth in the ende of the last yeere and beginning of the next. vvhich which VVhich Which reckoning, beside that eternall monument of our saluation salvation , leaneth also vppon uppon good proofe of special iudgemẽt iudgement judgemẽt judgement . For albeit that in elder times, vvhen when as yet the coumpt of the yere was not perfected, as aftervvarde afterwarde it was by Iulius Julius Cæsar, they began to tel the monethes from Marches beginning, and according to the same God (as is sayd in Scripture) comaunded the people of the Ievves Iewes Jewes to count the moneth Abib Abil Abil , that vvhich which vve we call March, for the first moneth, in remembraunce that in that moneth he brought them out of the land of Ægipt: yet according to tradition of latter times it hath bene othervvise otherwise obserued observed , both in gouernment government of of of of the church, and rule of Mightiest Realmes. For from Iulius Julius Cæsar vvho who first obserued observed the leape yeere vvhich which he called Bissextilem Annum, and brought in to a more certain course the odde vvandring wandring dayes vvhich which of the Greekes vvere were called ὑπερβαίνοντες, ὑπερβαίνοντες. Hyperbainontes Hyperbainontes Hyperbainontes, of the Romanes intercalares (for in such matter of learning I am forced to vse use the termes of the learned) the monethes haue have bene nombred xij. vvhich VVhich whicn Which in the first ordinaunce of Romulus vvere were but tenne, counting but CCCiiij. CCCiiii. dayes in euery every yeare, and beginning with March. But Numa Pompilius, vvho who vvas was the father of al the Romain ceremonies and religion, seeing that reckoning to agree neither vvith with the course of the sonne, nor of the Moone, therevnto thereunto added tvvo two monethes, Ianuary January and February: wher-in it seemeth, that vvise wise king minded vpon upon good reason to begin the yeare at Ianuarie Januarie , of him therefore so called tanquam Ianua Janua anni the gate and entraunce of the yere, or of the name of the god Ianus Janus , to which god for that the old Paynims attributed the byrth & and beginning of all creatures nevv new comming into the vvorlde worlde , it seemeth that he therfore to him assigned the beginning and first entraunce enrraunce entrance entrance of the yeare . vvhich yeare, which account for the most part hath hetherto continued. Notvvithstanding Notwithstanding that the Ægiptians beginne theyr yeare at September, for that according to the opinion of the best Rabbins, and very pur-pose of the scripture selfe, God made the vvorlde worlde in that Moneth, that is called of them Tisri. Tiſri Tiſri. Tiſri. Tisri. And therefore he commaunded them, to keepe the feast of Pauilions Pavilions in the end of the yeare, in the xv. day of the seuenth seventh moneth, vvhich which before that time was the first.

But our Authour respecting nether the subtiltie of thone parte, nor the antiquitie of thother, thinketh it fittest according to the simplicitie of commen vnderstanding understanding , to be-gin vvith with Ianuarie Januarie , wening it perhaps no decorũ decorum , that Shepheard Sepheard Shepheards [ſh]epheards should be seene in matter of so deepe insight, or canuase canvase a case of so doubtful iudgment judgment . So therefore beginneth he, & and so continueth he throughout.