Those old [3525]Greeks had their Lubentiam Deam, goddess of pleasure, and the Lacedaemonians, instructed from Lycurgus, did Deo Risui sucrificare, after their wars especially, and in times of peace, which was used in Thessaly, as it appears by that of [3526]Apuleius, who was made an instrument of their laughter himself:  [3527]"Because laughter and merriment was to season their labours and modester life.” [3528]_Risus enim divum atque; hominum est aeterna voluptas_.  Princes use jesters, players, and have those masters of revels in their courts.  The Romans at every supper (for they had no solemn dinner) used music, gladiators, jesters, &c. as [3529]Suetonius relates of Tiberius, Dion of Commodus, and so did the Greeks.  Besides music, in Xenophon’s Sympos. Philippus ridendi artifex, Philip, a jester, was brought to make sport.  Paulus Jovius, in the eleventh book of his history, hath a pretty digression of our English customs, which howsoever some may misconstrue, I, for my part, will interpret to the best. [3530]"The whole nation beyond all other mortal men, is most given to banqueting and feasts; for they prolong them many hours together, with dainty cheer, exquisite music, and facete jesters, and afterwards they fall a dancing and courting their mistresses, till it be late in the night.”  Volateran gives the same testimony of this island, commending our jovial manner of entertainment and good mirth, and methinks he saith well, there is no harm in it; long may they use it, and all such modest sports.  Ctesias reports of a Persian king, that had 150 maids attending at his table, to play, sing, and dance by turns; and [3531]Lil.  Geraldus of an Egyptian prince, that kept nine virgins still to wait upon him, and those of most excellent feature, and sweet voices, which afterwards gave occasion to the Greeks of that fiction of the nine Muses.  The king of Ethiopia in Africa, most of our Asiatic princes have done so and do; those Sophies, Mogors, Turks, &c. solace themselves after supper amongst their queens and concubines, quae jucundioris oblectamenti causa ([3532]saith mine author) coram rege psallere et saltare consueverant, taking great pleasure to see and hear them sing and dance.  This and many such means to exhilarate the heart of men, have been still practised in all ages, as knowing there is no better thing to the preservation of man’s life.  What shall I say, then, but to every melancholy man,

[3533] “Utere convivis, non tristibus utere amicis,
        Quos nugae et risus, et joca salsa juvant.”

       “Feast often, and use friends not still so sad,
        Whose jests and merriments may make thee glad.”