Tlinies Eftjlle to Tl Vejpajtan. 



vvGmder at for their perfecflion) with halfe titles and unperfed I'nfcriptions, in 

 thh n7'inner, (tAfelles"*- went in hand with this ^iBiire : ox ^^olycUti^s was a ma^ *Apdksfktk- 

 ^ingtbis Image :2iSi{ they were but begun, never finithed and laid out of their 

 hands t which was done (no doubt) to this end, that for all the van'etie and di- 

 verfitfe of mensiudgementsfcanmngof their wo rkemanfhip, yet the artificer 

 thereby had recourfe to make excufe, had means (I fay) to crave and havepar^ 

 don for any faults and I'mperfedions that could be found, as if he meant to have 

 amendedany thing therein amifle ot wanting, in cafe hee had not been cut off 

 and prevented by death, Thefe noble vvorkemen therfore herein ilievved right 

 great modell:ie,thattheyfetfuperfcriptions upon all their painted tables,pour- 

 traitures, and perfonages,asif they had been thclaftpeecesof their vvoikmaiir^ 

 f}iip,and themlelves difabled by unexpeded death that they could not make a 

 final! end of any one of them : for there were not knovvne (as I take it) above 

 three in all, which had their abfolute titles vvritten upon them in this forme^ 

 We fecit ^ L This Jpelles wrought t & thofe Pidures will I write of in place con- 

 venient. By which it appeared evidendy, that the faid three tables were fully 

 finiflhedjand that the vvork^man was fo highly contented with their perfedion^ 

 that he feared the cenfure of no man : No marveile then, if all three were fo much 

 envied and admired throughout the world, no marveile if everie man defired to 

 bemaflerofthem. 



Now for my felfe, I know full vvell & confefle freely,that many more things 

 may be added, not to this ffcorie alone,but to all my books that 1 have put forth 

 alreadie ; which 1 fpeake by the vvay,becaufe I would prevent and avoid thofe 

 fault-finders abroad^thofe corredors and ^fcourgers of Homer , (for furely that * 

 is their verie name ^becaufe I heare fay there be certain Stoike Philofophers,pro- 

 fefled Logicians^yeaand Epicureans alfo (for at Grammarians hands and Cri- 

 ticks I never looked for orher) who are with child flill and travaile until! they , 

 be delivered of fomewhatagainft my books which 1 have fet forth as touching 

 Gramnier : and for this ten yeers fpace ^ nothing is come ro light, but evermore 

 the fruit mifcarrieth belike before the full time, as the flip of an unpcrfecT; birth ^ 

 whereas in leflefpace than fo, the verie Elephant bdngethfoorth her calfe, be it 

 never fo big.But this troubleth me never a whit,for I am not ignorant that a filly 

 woman, even a harlot and no better, durfl: encounter Theophrafius and write a 

 booke againft him, notwithflanding hee was a man of fo incomparable elo- 

 quence that thereupon he came by his divine name Thcophrafiud : from whence 

 aroie this proverbe and by-Word, ^ Marie then go chufea tree to hang thy felfe. * if^omeo 

 And furely I cannot containe and hold my tongue, but i mull needs fet downe ^^J^^^^^"^^ 

 the verie words of Cato CtnformsS^ pertinent to thispurpofe , whereby it may mes writings, 

 appcare,that even ^^fo himfelfe a mofb worthie perfonage, who wrote of mili- vleadrof^oat 

 tarie Difcipline, who had been brought up and trained to feats of vvarre under jives and goe 

 Great Scipo Ajricanus^ or rather indeed under e:Anm bail , who in the end could weUcnough? 

 not endure i^fricaniishim^eifei but was able to controll him in martiall affaires : 

 and who befides having the condud as L. Generall of the Romane armie, at- 

 chieved the better handover his enemies in the field,and returned with vidory ; 

 this ^ato (I fay) could not avoid fuch backbiters and flaunderers,but knowing 

 that there would bee many of them readie to purchafe themfelvcs fome name 

 and reputation by reproving the knowledge and skill of others, brake out into 



a cer- 



