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Show OG CRO pe MO PaOX POa pal OLE praedex © DS ‘ es Oo ITS: RGRNOSE NSPNSP NOENOL? s 6) To the Readers {tudious in hiftories. --aami7) He order obferued in the defcription Vey \ofBritaine, by reafon ofthe neceflarie diuifion 4=thereofinto bookes and chapters growing out im of the yarietie of matters therein conteined, eifeemed (in my iudgement) fo conuenient a | courfe deuifed by the writer, asI waseafilie inZ2\ duced thereby to digeft the hiftorie ofEngland #-|immediatlie following intothelike method : fo athat asin the one,fo likewife in the other, by 3||{ummaric contents foregoing euerie chapter, as alfo by certeine materiall titles added at the head of euerie page ofthe faid hiftorie,it is a thing of no difficultieto com- prehend whatis difcourfed anddifcuffed inthe fame. Wherein(fith hiftoriesare faid to be the regifters ofmemorie and the monu- ments ofveritic) all louers ofknowlege,fpeciallie hiftoricall, are aduifedlieto marke (among other points) the feuerall and fuccefsiue alterations of regimentsin this land: whereof it was my meaning to hauemade anabftraé, but ; that the fameis fufficientlic handledin the firft booke and fourth chapterof the Pa5.6.7, defcription ofBritaine; wheretoifthe feuenth chapter ofthe fame booke bealfo s cing 1. 302 annexed,thereislitle orno defe& atallin that cafe wherofiuftlic to make com- ‘he hifiore plaint. Englands Wherfore by remitting the readersto thofe, Ireapethis aduantage,namelie a difcharge ofa forethought & purpofed labour, which as to reduceinto fome laufible forme was a worke bothof!time,paineand ftudie: fo feeming vnlike- i¢to be comprifed in few words (being a matter of neceffarie and important obferuation)occafion oftedioufnesisto and fro auoided ; fpeciallie tothe rea~ der,who is further to be aduertifed,that the computationsof yeares here and there expreffed, according tothe indireé dire@tion of the copies whenfe they were deriued and drawne,is notfo abfolute (infome mensopinion) as itmight haue bene: howbeit iuttifiable by their originals, Wherinhereafter(God prolongingpeacein the church and common-welth thatthe vfe of bookes may notbe abridged )fuch diligent care fhall be had,that inwhatfoeuerthe helpe ofbookeswill doo good,or conference with antiquaries auaile,there fhall want no will to yfe the oneandthe other. And yet itis nota workefor euerie common capacitie,naie it is a toile without head or taile euen for extraordinarie wits,to correé the accounts offormer ages fo many hundred ycares receiued,out ofyncerteinties to raife certcinties, and to reconcile writers diffenting in opinion andreport, Butasthis is ynpoflible,fo isno more to be looked for than may be performed: andfurther to inquireasitis againft reafon,fo to yndertake more than may commendablie be atchiued, were fowle follie. Abraham Fleming. |
