The Trefact to the %eader. ' - 



or Reports of N^/wre, imported (no doubt) that he fii ft penned it fof the gene- 

 rall good of mankind. Over and befides^the Argumencenfompfullof varietie, 

 furnifhed wi'thdifcourfesof all matters, not appro pn'at to the learned only, but 

 accornmodat to the rude paifantofthe countrey \ fitted for the pamefull artizan 

 in town and dtie 5 pertinent to the bodily health of man,vvoman ^and child 5 and 

 itiOne woordj fuiting with all forts of people living in afocietie and common - 

 Vveale.Tofay nothing of the precedent given by the authour himfelfe vvho en- 

 dited the fame, not with any afFedted phrafe, but forting vvell with the capaci - 

 tieeven of the meanefb and mofb unlettered : who alfo tranllated a good pan- 

 thereof out of the Greeke. Whatfhould lalledge the Example of former times, 

 wherein the h'kc hath evermore been approved and jpradifed f Why (hould any 

 man therefore take offence hereat, and envie this good to his naturall countrev, 

 which was firft meant for the whole world?* And yet fome there be fo gr ofle as 

 to give out, Thatthefe and fuch like books ought not to bee publiilied in the 

 vulgar tongue. It is a fhame (quoth one) that Lme fpeaketh Englifh as hee 

 doth : Latinifts onely are to bee acquainted with him : As vvho would fay, the 

 fouldiour were to have recourfe unto the univerfitie for militarie skill and know- 

 ledge ^ or the fcholiar to put on arms and pitch a campe ♦ What fhould ^Imie 

 ('faith another) bee read in Englifh, and the myfteries couched in his books di> 

 vulged.:asifthehusbandman,themafon, carpenterjgoldfmtih, painter, lapida- 

 rie, and engraver, with other artificers, were bound to feeke unto great clearks 

 or linguifls for inllrudions in their feverall arts. Certes, fjch Momt as thefe, be- 

 fides their blind and erroneous opinion, thinkenot fo honourably of their na- 

 tive countrey and mother tongue as they ought : vvho if they were fo well aire- 

 ^ed that way as they iliould be,would vvifli rather and endeavour by all means 

 to triumph now over the Romans in fubduing their literature under the dent of 

 the Englifli pen, in requitall of the conqueftfometime over this Ifland, atchie- 

 vedby the edge of their fword. Asforouripeech,wasnot Latine as common 

 and naturall in ltalie,as Englifh here with us. And if faulted not but defers 

 ved well of the Romane name, in laying abroad the riches and hidden treafurcs 

 of Nature, in that Dialed or Idiome which was fan-.iliar to thebafeft clowne \ 

 why fhould any man be blamed for enterprifing the femblable, to the commo - 

 ditie of that countrey in which and for which he wasborne, Areyve the onely 

 nation under heaven unvvorthie to taft of fuch knowledge ^ or is our language 

 fo barbarouSjthat it will nor admit in proper rearms a forrein phrafe ? I honour 

 them in my heart, vvho having of latedaies troden the way before me in T?U> 

 tarchy Tactt/a,^nd others, have made goodproofe, that as the tongue in an 

 Englifh mans head is framed fo flexible and obfequent, that it can pronounce 

 naturally any other language j fo a pen in his hand is able fulficiendy to expreffe 

 Greeke, Latine^ and Hebrew. And my hope is, that after mee there will arife 

 fome induflrious F/aVij vvho may at length cornicttm oculos configere* Forif my 

 (elfe J a man by profefsion otherwife carried away, for gifts farre inferiour to 

 many, and wanting filch helps as others be furnifhed with, have in fome fort 

 taught thofeto fpeake Englifh who were ftippofed verie untoward to bee 

 brought unto it ^ what may be expccled at their hands, who for Iciflire may at- 

 tend better,- in wit are more pregnant 5 and beeing graced with the opinion of 

 and favour of the time, may attempt what they willj^ and effect vvhatfoe- 



ver 



