PREFACE. 



In a letter, written in the year 1022, to the 

 Bishop of Winchester, and prefixed, in the nature 

 of a dedication, to his dialogue touching a holy 

 war, he says, &quot; having in the work of my Instaura- 

 &quot; tion had in contemplation the general good of 

 t( men in their very being, and the dowries of na- 

 &quot; ture ; and in my work of laws, the general good 

 &quot; of men likewise in society, and the dowries of 

 &quot; government ; I thought in duty I owed somewhat 

 unto my own country, which I ever loved ; inso- 

 &quot; much as although my place hath been far above 

 !( my desert, yet my thoughts and cares concerning 

 &quot; the good thereof were beyond, and over, and 

 &quot; above my place : so now being, as I am, no more 

 &quot; able to do my country service, it remained unto 

 &quot; me to do it honour : which I have endeavoured to 

 &quot; do in my work of the reign of King Henry the 

 &quot; Seventh.&quot; 



Soon after the publication, he expresses his 

 anxiety that the history should be translated into 

 Latin. In a letter to Mr. Tobie Matthew, he says, 

 It is true, my labours are now most set to have 

 &quot; those works, which I had formerly published, as 

 &quot; that of Advancement of Learning, that of Henry 

 &quot; the Seventh, that of the Essays, being retractate, 

 u and made more perfect, well translated into Latin 

 &quot; by the help of some good pens, which forsake me 

 rc not. For these modern languages will, at one 

 &quot; time or other, play the bankrupts with books : and 

 :e since I have lost much time with this age, I would 



