The consent of time disciphering the errors of the Grecians in their Olympiads, the vncertaine computation of the Romanes in their penteterydes and building of Rome, of the Persians in their accompt of Cyrus, and of the vanities of the Gentiles in fables of antiquities, disagreeing with the Hebrewes, and with the sacred histories in consent of time. VVherein is also set downe the beginning, continuance, succession, and ouerthrowes of kings, kingdomes, states, and gouernments. By Lodovvik Lloid Esquire.

TO THE MOST REVE∣rend, IOHN Archbishop of CANTER∣BVRIE, Primate and Metropliotane of all England, and of her Maiesties most honourable priuie Counsell.

I Am bold (most reuerend) to de∣dicate the fruits of this my tra∣uaile, such as they be, vnto your Grace, who can and will defend my rash attempt in so great a cause, and yet not so great an en∣terprise of me to accuse errours, as is necessary to your Grace to defend al writers in the prouing therof. I haue presumed to write of the Consent of time, a charge wherein I confesse my selfe farre inferiour to those that haue herein much erred. Howbeit, I am the bolder en∣couraged by the assurance of my warrant which I take from the Sacred Histories the Centre and grounde of all begin∣nings, and the onely proofe of all antiquities, without which (sayeth Eusebius) no Historie can bee true: For 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 * 1.1 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉.

The errours are infinite in the computation of Rome, of the time of Cyrus, of the destruction of Troy, and specially in the accompts of the Olympiads, which made all Greeke and Latine writers to go farre amisse, and to faile in consent of time very much, sometime twentie or thirtie Olympiads, sometime more, sometime lesse: the deceiptfulnes thereof, not onely holy Histories haue confounded, but whole successions

of liues haue disproued: for the Greekes (saith Iosephus) Nō tam studio & notitiaveritatis quàm suis opinionibus, mul∣ta prodidere falsa: And therefore Thucydides vsed rather to accompt the time by the Peloponesian warre, per aesta∣tes & hyemes, then by the Olympiads. Seeing then (right reuerend) that prophane writers are thus wrapped in errors by missing the true warrant of time, I tooke this my best course to prooue consent of histories by succession of Patri∣arkes, by continuance of Iudges, and by the gouernment of kings, euen from the creation of man vnto the deluge: from the deluge to the promise made to Abraham: frō the promise, to the Law giuen to Moses: from the Law giuen, to the buil∣ding of the Temple: from the Temple to the captiuitie: and from the captiuitie to the MESSIAS, truely prooued by Moses, and by the Chronicles of the kings, and last by Da∣niel, who made a perfect abstract for all Chronographers: VVherein he doeth instruct all writers, how to finde the or∣der and time of histories, for the three last Monarchies, whose Methode I followe, as much as my simple capacitie suffered me: alleaging such authorities as wrote best of euery Coun∣trey, endeuouring to auoyde the name of the Olympiads as the enemie of trueth and time.

Thus I yeelde your Grace mine accompt of my proceeding for Consent of time, most humbly beseeching your L. to accept herein my good will, as one, that is to my small abilitie desirous to amend things amisse.

Your Graces most humbly to vse,

LODOVV. LLOYD.

Notes

• * 1.1

  10. Praep.