OCR Text |
Show The Epiftle. infieart,asto pranfeand ictlikea proud gennetdhroughthe ftreet, not weighing the barking ofcurrifhbandogs. Andtherefore, if Lhall be foundin mine hiftorie fometime tod tedious,fometimetoo fpare, fometimetoo fawning in commending the liuing, fometimetoo flatin reproouing the dead: I take Godtowitneffe jthat mine senfe therein proceedeth ofignorance,and notoffet wilfulnefle . But as forthe pafling ouerinfilence ofdiuerfe euents(albeitthe law or rather theliber- tie of anhiftorie requireth that allhouldberelated,and nothing whufted) yer I mutt confeffe,thatas I was not able, vpon folittle leafuure,to know all that was faid ordoone; fol wasnotwilling for fundrie refpedts, to'write euerie trim tram thatI knewto befaid or doone. And ifanie be ouerthwartlie waiwarded,ashewill fooner longfor thatI haue omitted, than he willbe contented with that [haue chronicled;I cannot deuife inmy iudgement abetter waie to fatiffic his appetite, than with one Dolie,a peintor of Oxford, his anfwer:who being appointed to tricke out the ten commandements,omitted one,and pourtraied but nine. Whichfault efpied by hismaifterthathired him,Dolie anfwered,thatin verie deed he peinted norable fir. Henrie Sidncie knight,lord deputie ofIreland,lordprefident Wales, knight ofthe moftnoble order ofthe but nine showbeit,when he vnderftoodthathis matter had well obferued and kept garterand one ofhir maicfties priuie councellwithin bir realme of England. =e Ow cumberfome( right honorable ) wy(gp 4and dangerotis a taskcitis, to ingroffe & divulge 1 the doings ofothers,efpeciallic when the parties regiftred or their iffue are lining: both common reafon {ufficientlie acknowledgeth, and dailic ex- | perience infalliblic prooueth . Formanby courfe Cre ery ofnatureis fo parciallie affe@ted to himfelfe and [his bloud,as he will bemore agreeued with the | chronicler forrecording apeeuifh trefpaffe, than 4) he willbe offended withhis friend for committing anheinoustreafon . Ouerthis, ifthe hiftorianbe aoa eens befhort,heis takenfora fummifter:ifhe comifhe trifler: accompteda long,heis .mend,heistwighted for aflatterer: if he reprooue,he is holden for a carper: ifhe be pleafant,heis notedfor aiefter:ifhe be graue, he is reckoned for adrooper: ifhe mifdate,he isnameda falfifier: ifhe once buttrip,heis tearmeda ftumbler ‘fo thatlethim beare himfelfein his chronicle as vprightlic andas confcionablie as he maypoflible,yethe fhall be fure to find them will be more preft to blab foorth his Bhfechas they willbereadic to blaze out his good deferts . Others there be,that althoughthey are not ble to teprooue whatis written, yet they will befire to caftinhis dith a isforgotten. Heere,faicthey,this exploit is omitted :there that policieis not detected sheere this:faieng would haue beene inter- laced: there that trecherie fhould haue beene difplaicd. Thefe & thelike difcommodities,with which hiftoriographers are v{uallie cloid, haue borne backe diuers andfundrie willing minds,whotaking the waie to bethornie,the credit lipperic, the carpers to be manie , would inno cafe be medlers , choofing rather to fitby oa a9 fire ob(Curcli¢ athome,than to be baited with enuious toongs openlie road, HepGhes PSIG6 Others on the contrarie fide, being refolute fellowes, and trampling ¥nder foot thefe curiousfaultfinders,wouldnotfticketo put themfelues foorthin prefles and maugre all their hearts,to buskle Roreratdaehrufh throughthe pikes of their quipping nips,and biting frunyps:But! taking the meanbetweene both thefe ex- tremities,heldit for better,notto be (0 faint and peeuith a meacocke,asto fhrinke andcouchminc head for euerie mizelingfhoure,nor yet tobeare my felfe fo high in the nine commandements thatalreadie were drawne, he gauehis word at better leifure throughlie to finifh the tenth, Andtruelie fo muft I faic : I hauelaid downe heere to thereaderhis view,a breefe difcourfe,wherofItrufthe fhalltakeno great furfet. And when I am aduertifed,thathe will digeft the thin fare that heere is difht before him : it may be(Godwilling)heereafter, that he fhallfind my booke with ftore ofmorelicorous deinties farfed and furnifhed; leauingto his choife, either nicelie to pickle,or greedilie to fwallow,as muchasto his contentationfhall beft befeeme him,Wherefore my goodlord,fith I may not denie, butthat the workeis painfull, and I doo forecaft that the mifconftru@ion may be perilous : the toilefomneffe‘ofthe paineI refer to my priuat knowledge,the abandoning ofthe perill, committo your honorable patronage, not doubtingtherebyto be fheelded againft the finifter glofing ofmalicious interpretors.Thus betaking yourlordthip to God,I craue yourattentiuenes,in perufing a cantell or parcell of the Irifhhiftorie that heere infueth, RICHARD STANIHYRST. |