Men also inuented and founde many wittie sciences, and artes, many
wondrefull workes whiche when by practice of lettres, thei had committed to
bookes, and laied vp for posteritie, their successours so woundered at
their wisedomes, and so reuerenced their loue and endeuours (whiche thei
spied to be meant toward them, and the wealth of those that shuld folow of
them) that thei thought them not blessed enough, with the estate of men
mortalle, but so aduaunced their fame, and wondered at their worthinesse,
that thei wan theim the honour and name of Goddes immortall.

Tho gan the Prince of the worlde, when men so gan to delight in thadournyng
of the worlde, to sowe vpon the good siede, the pestilente Dernell, that as
thei multiplied in nombre, so iniquitie might encrease, to disturbe and
confounde this blessed state.

First, therefore when he had with all kinde of wickedness belimed the
world, he put into their heades, a curious searche of the highest
knowledge, and suche as depended vpon destenie of thynges. And so practised
his pageauntes, by obscure and doubtfully attempted Responcions, and voices
of spirites, that after he had fettred the worlde in the trauers of his
toies, and launced into their hartes a blinde supersticion, and feare: he
trained it whole to a wicked worship of many goddes and Goddesses, that
when he ones had wiped cleane out of mynde the knowledge and honour of one
God euerlastyng, he might practise vpon manne, some notable mischief. Then
sette he vp pilgrimages to deuilles, foreshewers of thynges, that gaue
aduerisemente and answere to demaundes in sondrie wise. In the Isle of
Delphos one, in Euboea another, at Nasamone a thirde, and emong the
Dodonians, the famous okes, whose bowes by the blastes of the winde
resounded to the eare, a maner of aduertisemente of deuellishe delusion. To
the whiche Idolles and Images of deuelles he stirred vp men to do the
honour (Helas) due onely to God. As to Saturne in Italie, to Iupiter in