The hospitall of incurable fooles: erected in English, as neer the first Italian modell and platforme, as the vnskilfull hand of an ignorant architect could deuise

Prologue of the Author to the beholders.

THe manifest vanitie, euident folly, and expresse madnes of some mi∣serable and vnhappie men, who with a mind puffed vp with pride, a noddle lighter than an oake ap∣ple, and more voide of wit, than cockles of meate in the waine of the moone, presume notwithstanding extremely vpon themselues, in that they are of this friendly and pleasant sort of Buffones; (for according to the saying of the Philosopher, where little wit is, thither doe men runne with greatest fauour and liking) being lifted vp to such an height, that like to that memorable gourd in Ariosto, in short space of time they must needs fall: is the princi∣pallest cause that I being amazed and astonished at this their so great folly, after my Theater of sundrie humors and inclinations, haue taken vpon me to build this most famous Hospitall, where the renowmed folly of these men may be seene and discerned, written (as it were) in Text letters, and in chambers or lodgings apart, painted and set foorth by me with so beautifull and workman∣like prospectiue, that other Fooles shall flocke about them; and as the Kings of Fooles, they shall receiue an open-mouthed applause of them all, to the ende, that while the pipkin boyleth, the smoak that pleaseth them∣selues so much, may forcibly come steaming out at the crowne of their owne hats. Yet is this no reason, but that the generall Folly of the world, spurreth me for∣ward to doe the same, besides the kindes of particular

Follies, the which procure me that (all humaine kinde participating of the same) I build for each one of them distinct Cels, wherein they may all commodiously, and with great ease repose themselues. And in this point, it will appeare how godly a man the Author of this frame was; who besides the building, made at the great in∣stance of so many weake and poore in braine, with ex∣cellent inuention hath deuised to recommend them all to some God; vnder whose protection they might bee kept, or as far as is possible, defended, and helped of their folly. So he will specially beseech Minerua, to take care of franticke and delirant Fooles; Iupiter Hospitalis, of melancholike and sauage; Apollo, of ydle and carelesse; God Abstemius, of those drunken; Cameronte, of for∣getfull and fickle headed; God Sentinus, of stupide, lost, and halfe dead Fooles; the Egyptian Oxe of those not∣ted, grosse, and loblolly-lams; the Samian sheepe, of shallow-pates and ninnie hammers; the Goddesse Bu∣bona, of lumpish and loggerheaded; the God Fatuellus, of plaine Fooles and naturals; the Goddesse Themis, of those vitious; Nemesis, of the malitious and despitefull; God Risus, of the ridiculous; Iuno, of the vaine-glorious; Mercurie, of dissembling and counterfeit; Hecate, of lunaticall or Fooles by season; Cupid, of louing Fooles; Goddesse Venilia, of desperate; Vulcanus, of heteroclite, light-brained, and addle-headed; Fabulanus, of scoffing Fooles; Bacchus, of those pleasant, sweete, sociable, and louing; Tesiphon, of those angrie and froward; Mars, of the furious, brutish, or bedlemsort; Hercules, of ex∣trauagant, extreme, and wilfull Fooles; Rhadamanthus, of the pild-pated; Volutina, of monstrous & three-elbo∣wed Fooles; Hippona, of them vntamed like an horse; Inexorable Minos, of them obstinate like a mule; and

finally, infernall Pluto, of mischieuous or diabolicall Fooles. In the meane while I coniure the housholde Gods, that they will haue a care of this family of general Fooles; and the Gods Tutelar, that they will vndertake the tuition and protection of this new Hospitall. God∣desse Ops, that with conuenient remedies, shee will suc∣cour so many infirme, and naked of wit and vnderstan∣ding; Goddesse Medetrina, that she will cure them well; God Aesculapius, that with miraculous Hellebore, he will purge them after some sort; Goddesse Sospita, that she will heale them out of hand; God Ianus, that hee will permit euerie one to enter within the gates of this Hospitall, that they may behold the miserie of these vn∣happie and infortunate: and that especially which is performed on the festiuall day of all Fooles, as the Ro∣maines were accustomed, the Author desireth, that the gates may be set broad open, where they may see the Bacchanals of the Menades, a matter pleasant aboue all others, and rare to behold. With this inuention there∣fore it hath pleased him to rebate the edge, and rashnes of those moderne Thersites, who thinke themselues A∣iaces; of those Pigmeis that esteeme themselues Alci∣des; of those peeuish Fooles that iudge themselues Ne∣stors; of those field-Crickets that play the parrats so no∣tably; of those pearched Cuckoes that laugh at all the world; of those skinlesse Snailes that lift vp their hornes for nothing; of those Horse-flies of Pigneta, that are bread in dung and durt; of those Lobbellinoes, properly leaden-heeled, but light-headed as a straw: for pas∣sing through this Hospitall, they shall see that Folly was their mother, Buffonerie their sister, Ninnerie their companion for terme of life, and that betweene them and Folly there is a iust Logicall equipollence, Phisicall

reference, and a Scotisticall Identitie. These be those that first put it into the Authors head to frame this new building, where the honourable beholders shall haue great solace and pastime, to see the foolish Prosopopaeia of these sauage geese, and will take no small delight and pleasure at the strange and vnusuall follies, which within shall discouer themselues in these men, who counterfei∣ting other Catoes among the multitude, will in the ende appeere to be nothing, but kings of Crickets, Doctor doddipowles, grout-headed Gratians, or cockscombe∣like Merlins, as in truth they are. Whosoeuer therefore wil go into these pastimes, he shal pay at least a peece of twenty for his part, for this is no two-penie matter, nor no triuiall gridiron growt-headrie, which is performed in the market places and giuen for an Antipasto, before the sale of sweete bals. The first thing shewed, shall be a monster with many heads, who with his deformity shall make euerie one amased, neither were Hydra, Medusa, or Python so dreadfull and horrible as he will be: And then one after another you shall see the palace of the Witch Alcina, chamber by chamber, full of people enchanted in braine, and transformed with brutish Me∣tamorphoses into vnreasonable and sottish folke, where betweene laughter & admiration, euerie one shal thinke his nine-pence well spent, departing well satisfied with the Author, who with new Magicke will hereafter repre∣sent vnto you the castle of Atlas full of Dawcocks, and he will labour to conduct you thither in safety by Logi∣stilla, giuing you Angelicaes ring in your hand, by meane whereof, discouering other mens follies, you may shew your selues the wiser. But now retire a little while the monster is loosed, & fixe your eies steedfastly vpon him, if you will woonder at the first sight.

Notes

• Or Bacchus Nunnes.
• Gratian in their Comedies is the name of an ignorant Doctor or Pedant.
• Or before meales as the mounte hanks in Italy vse, be∣fore the solling of their Poma∣tum and sweete balles.
• Or twentie Ve∣netian shillings which is a Lyra.
• Whose history is set foorth in the Poet Ariosto.