To a 21st-century reader's eyes, the Jacobean masques must appear overtly didactic and were filled with presumptuous cheesy praises. However, we should remember, these masques were part of the wider contemporary dialogues in the court. They aimed at teaching the monarchy how to behave as well as praising them. Poets were supposed to accomplish their civil services for the country by writing these works——that was exactly why, Ben Jonson, who wrote dozens of masques to praise the kings, dared to write "that poets were far rarer births than kings".