Tlinies Epijlle to T. Vefpafan. 



And hovvfbever this great maieftiejrefplendent in you on every fide^in regard 

 xA thorehighdignitiesaboverehearfed^may induce the whole world befides to 

 reverence your perfon in allobeifancejyet I for my part am armed onely with a 

 kind of audacitie and confidence to fhevv my dutie and devoire unto you, after 

 a more familiar manner than others : and therfore^this my adventurous rafhnes^ 

 whatfoever^y ou muft impute unto your own courteficjand if I chaunce to fault 

 therein^thankeyour felfe therefore^and feeke pardon at your own hands. Well, 

 bafhfuln'effe I have laid afi'de,andput on abold face,and all to no puipofe* For 

 whyj'although your gentleneffe and humanitie be one way attractive and indu- 

 ceth me to draw neare unto your prerence,y et another way you appeare in great 

 maicftie: the fublimitie I fay of your mind,your deepe reachj high conceit, and 

 rare perfec1:ions,fet me as far backrno lidors bC huifliers marching before you Jo 

 much,thatl dare not approch. In thefirft placet Was there ever any man,who(e 

 words paffed from him more pow€rfull,&: who more truly mightbe faid to iBafli 

 forth as lightning the force of eloquencej'WhatTribune was there known at any 

 time to perfuade ^ move the people with good language,inore eflPedually .^Ho w 

 admirable was your utterance in thofe publick Orations,wherin you thundered 

 out the praife worthie ads of the Emperor your father, that all the grand-place 

 rung therwithf'Whata fingular teftimonie fhewed you of rare kindneffe &: afFe- 

 dion to your brother,in fetting out his praifes to the fuUfAs for your skill in Po^ 

 etrie,how excellentjhowaccomplifhedisit.Oh thebountie of your mind] Oh the 

 fritilitie of your pregnant fpirit Ithat you fhould find means to imitat,yea and to 

 'or Domittan match your '^'brother in thatkind. But who is able boldly to give an eflimat of 

 fufdln ex. thefe gifts to their worthf How may a man enter into the due confideration ther- 

 Ucm Poet, of, without feare of the exquifit cenfure and exad iudgement of your wit,efpcci- 

 ally being provoked and challenged therunto as you are. For to fay a truth^the 

 cafe them who publifh a worke in general! tearmes,is far unlike to theirs that 

 will feeme to dedicat it particularly ,and by name,to a prince fo iudicioiis as your 

 felfe.For had I fet forth this my booke fimplyjSc: ftaied there without any perfo- 

 nail dedication,the I might have come upom you & faid, Sir,whatfhould a migh> 

 tie Commander and Generall of the field as you are, bufie himfdfe to read kich 

 matters^ written thefe treatifes were to the capacitie of the vulgar people,for bafe 

 commons,rude husbandmcn,and peafants of the countrie,for poor artifansiand 

 in one word,to gratifie them who had no other means of great emploiment,nor 

 time 8i:leafure butto ftudie upon fiich points and nothing els:What ffiouldyou 

 make your felfe a cenfor of this workeMnd verely ,when 1 made firl t fhew ohhis 

 cnterprife of mine,l never reckned you in the number of thofe iudges that iliould 

 paffe their fentence upon thefe writings ; 1 wiftfull well that you were a greater 

 perfon far,&: 1 fuppofed that you would never abafe your felfe nor ftoupe fo low 

 as to read this book of mine.Over and befides,a common cafe it is,and incident 

 to men of deepe learning and great conceit,that otherwhiles exception may be 

 taken againft them, and their iudgement reieded in this behalfe^ Even M*Tul^ 

 lim thafrenoumed Orator,and who for wit and learning had not his fellovv^ta-. 

 king the vantage of that libertie,ufeth the benefit theiof: andCwhe reat vve may 

 well marvell) rnaintaineth the adion by an advocat, and taketh example(for his 

 defence) from Lucilm : for in one part of his vvorkes thus hee faith, Jmuld not 

 haye learned P erfius to ndthefe hookas of mtm, loth J am that hejhould cmfm me* 



