Haue vvith you to Saffron-vvalden. Or, Gabriell Harueys hunt is vp Containing a full answere to the eldest sonne of the halter-maker. Or, Nashe his confutation of the sinfull doctor. The mott or posie, in stead of omne tulit punctum: pacis fiducia nunquam. As much to say, as I sayd I would speake with him.

To all Christian Readers, to whom these Presents shall come.

WEll said my Maisters, I perceyue there cannot a new Booke come forth but you will haue a fling at it. Say, what are you read∣ing? Nashe against Har∣uey. Fo, thats a stale ieast, hee hath been this two or three yeare about it. O good Brother Timothie rule your reason, the Mil∣ler gryndes more mens corne than one: and those that re∣solutely goe through with anie quarrell, must set all their wordly busines at a stay, before they draw it to the poynt. I will not gainsay, but I haue cherisht a purpose of perse∣cuting this Liff-lander Bogarian so long time as ye speak of, and that like the long snouted Beast (whose backe is Castle proofe) carrying her yong in her wombe three yere ere she be deliuered, I haue been big with childe of a com∣mon place of reuenge, euer since the hanging of Lopus: but to say I plodded vpon it continually, and vsed in all this space nothing but gall to make inke with, is a lye be∣fitting a base swabberly lowsie sailer, who hauing been ne∣uer but a month at sea in his life, and duckt at the maine yards arme twice or thrice for pilferie, when hee comes

home sweares hee hath been seuenteene yeares in the Turkes Gallies.

Patientia vestra, there is not one pint of wine more than the iust Bill of costs and charges in setting forth, to be got by ame of these bitter-sanced Inuectines. Some fool••h praise perhaps we may mecte with, such as is af∣foorded to ordinarie I esters that make sport: but other∣wise we are like those fugitiue Priests in Spaine and Por∣tugall, whom the Pope (veric liberally) prefers to Irish Bishoprickes, but allowes them not a pennie of any liuing to maintaine them with, saue onely certaine Friers to beg∣for them.

High titles (as they of Bishops and Prelates) so of Poets and VVriters we haue in the world, when in stead of their begging Friers, the fire of our wit is left, as our onely last refuge to warme vs.

Haruey and I (a couple of beggers) take vpon vs to bandie factions, and contend like the Vrsini and Colo∣ni in Roome: or as the Turkes and Persians about Mahomet and Mortus Alli, which should bee the grea∣test: and (with the Indians) head our inuentions ar∣rowes with Vipers teeth, and sleep them in the bloud of Adders and Serpents, and spend as much time in arguing Pro & contra, as a man might haue found out the quadrature of the Circle in: when all the contr••∣uersie is no more but this, he began with mee, and cannot tell how to make an end; and I would fain•• end or rid my hands of him, if he had not first begun.

I protest I doo not write against him because I hate him, but that I would confirme and plainly shew to a number of weake beleeuers in my sufficiencie, that I am able to answere him: and his frends and not his enemies

let him thanke for this heauie load of disgrace I lay vpon him, since theyr extreame disabling of mee in this kinde, & vrging what a triumph he had ouer me, hath made me to ransacke my standish more than I would.

This I will boldly say, looke how long it is since he writ against me, so long haue I giuen him a lease of his life, & he hath onely held it by my mercie.

His Booke or Magna Charta which against M. Lilly & me he addrest, I hauing kept idle by me in a by settle out of sight amongst old shooes and bootes almost this two yere, and in meere pitie of him would neuer looke vpon it but in some calme pleasing humor, for feare least in my me∣lancholy too cruelly I should haue martyrd him.

And yet though vengeance comes not Zephiris & hi∣rundine prima, in the first springing prime of his schisme and heresie, let him not looke for one of Frier Tecelius Pardons, he that (as Sleidane reports) first stird vp Lu∣ther, pronouncing from the Pope free salarie indulgence to anie man, though he had deflowred the Virgine Mary, and absolution as well for sinnes past as sinnes to come: for I meane to come vpon him with a tempest of thunder and lightning, worse than the stormes in the VVest Indies cald the Furicanoes, and compleate arme more words for his confusion, than Wezell in Germanie is able to arme men, that hath absolute furniture for three hundred thousand at all times.

Gentlemen, what think ye of this sober mortified stile? I dare say a number of ye haue drawn it to a verdit alre∣die: and as an Elephants fore-legs are longer than his hinder, so you imagine my former confutation wilbe bet∣ter than my latter. Nay then, Aesopum non attriuistis, you are as ignorant in the true mounings of my Muse, as

the Astronomers are in the true mouings of Mars, which to this day they could neuer attaine too. For how euer in the first setting foorth I martch faire and softly like a man that rides vpon his owne horse, and like the Caspian sea seeme neither to ebbe nor flow, but keep a smooth plain for me in my el••quence, as one of the Lacedemonian E∣phori, or Baldwin in his morrall sentences (which now are all snatcht vp for Painters posies): yet you shall see me in two or three leaues hence, crie Heigh for our towne greene, and powre hot boyling inke on this contemptible Heggledepegs barrain scalp, as men condemned for stea∣ling by Richard de corde Lions law, had hot boyling pitch powrd on their heads, and feathers strewd vppor, that wheresoeuer they came they might be knowne.

I know I am too long in preparing an entrance into my Text, sed tandem denique to the matter and the pur∣pose.

The method I meane to vse in persecuting this Peter Maluenda and Sinibaldo Crasko is no more but this.

Memorandum, I frame my whole Booke in the nature of a Dialogue, much like Bullen and his Doctor Tocrub, whereof the Interlocuters are these.

Inprimis, Senior Importunio, the Opponent.

The second Grand Consiliadore, chiefe Censor or Moderat••r.

The third Domino Bentiuole, one that stands as it were at the line in a Tennis-court, and takes euerie ball at the volly.

The fourth Don Carneades de boone Compagnio∣la, who like a busie Countrey Iustice sits on the Bench, and preacheth to the eues out of their own confessions: or rather like a Quarter-master or Treasurer of Bride-well, whose

office is to giue so manie strokes with the hammer, as the publican vnchast offender is to haue stripes, and by the same Tuballs musique to warne the blue-coate Corrector when he should patience and surcease: so continually, when by Senior Importunio the Doctor is brought to the Crosse, Don Carneades sets downe what proportion of in∣stice is to be executed vpon him, and when ••is backe hath bled sufficient, giues a signall of retrayt.

Neither would I haue you imagine that all these per∣sonages are fained, like Americke Vesputius, & the rest of the Antwerpe Speakers in Sir Thomas Moores Vto∣pia: for as true as Bankes his Horse knowes a Spaniard from an English-man, or there went vp one and twentie Maides to the top of Boston Steeple, and there came but one downe againe, so true it is that there are men which haue dealt with me in the same humour that heere I shad∣dow. In some nooke or blind angle of the Black-Friers, you may suppose (if you will) this honest conference to bee held, after the same manner that one of these Italionate conferences about a Duell is wont solemnly to be handled, which is, when a man being specially toucht in reputation, or challenged to the field vpon equall tearmes, calls all his frends together, and askes their aduice how he should carrie himselfe in the action.

Him that I tearme Senior Importuno, is a Gentle∣man of good qualitie, to whom I rest manie waies behol∣ding, and one (as the Philosophers say of winde, that it is nothing but aire vehemently moou'd) so hath hee ne∣uer ceast with all the vehemence of winde or breath that he hath, to incite and mooue me to win my spurres in this iourney.

Vnder Grand Consiliadore, I allude to a graue reue∣rend

Gimnosophist, (Amicorum amicissimus, of all my Frends the most zealous) that as Aesculapius built an O∣racle of the Sunne at Athens, so is his Chamber an Ora∣cle or Conuocation Chappell of sound counsaile, for all the better sort of the sonnes of understanding about Lon∣don, and (as it were) an usuall market of good fel∣lowship and conference.

Hee also (as well as Senior Impor••uno) hath dealt with me verie importunately, to employ all my Forces in this Expedition, and as Hippocrates preserued the Ci∣tie of Coos from a great plague or mortalitie (generally dispersed throughout Greece) by perswading 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to kin∣dle fires in publique places, whereby the aire might be pu∣risied: so hath hee (in most feruent deuotion to my well dooing) un••essantly perswaded me to preserue my credit from iadish dying of the scratches, by powerfull through enkindling this Pinego Riminos euerlasting fire of damnation.

For Domino Bentiuole and Don Carneades de boune compagniola, they be men that haue as full shares in my lous and affection as the former.

The antecedent of the two, besides true resolution and valure, (where with he hath ennobled his name extraor∣dinarie) and a ripe pleasant wit in conuersing, hath in him a perfect unchangeable true habit of honestie, imita∣ting the Arte of Musique, which the Professours thereof affirme to be infinite and without end.

And for the subsequent or hindermost of the paire, who likewise is none of the unworthiest retainers to Ma∣dame Bessona, hee is another Florentine Poggius, for mirthfull sportiue conceit & quick innention, ignem fac••∣••ns exlaplde nigro, (which Munster in his Cosmography

alledgeth for the greatest wonder of England) that is, wresting delight out of aniething. And this ouer and a∣boue I will giue in eu••dence for his praise, that though all the ancient Records and Presidents of ingenuous Apo∣thegs and Emblemes were burnt, (as Polidore Virgill in King Harry the eights time burnt all the ancient Re∣cords of the true beginning of this our I le, after hee had finished his Chronicle) yet out of his affluent capacitie they were to be renewed and reedified farre better.

These foure with my ••elfe, whom I personate as the Respondent in the last place, shall (according as God wil giue them grace) clap up a Colloquium amongst them, and so schoole my gentle Comrade or neighbor Quiquiffe in some few short principles of my learning and indu∣strie, that (I doubt not) by that time they haue concluded and dispatcht with him, my Gorboduck Huddleduddle will gladly (on his knees) resigne to mee his Doctoursh••••, and as Antisthenes could not beate Diogenes away from him, but he would needes be his scholler whether he would or no: so shall I haue him haunt me up and downe to be my prentise to learne to endite, and doo what I can I shall not be shut of him.

This is once, I both can and wilbe shut presently of this tedious Chapter of contents, least where as I prepa∣red it as an antipast to whet your stomacks, it cleane take away your stomackes, and you surfet of it before meate come: wherefore onely giuing you this one caueat to ob∣serue in reading my Booke, which Aristotle prescribes to them that read Histories, namely, that they bee not nimis credulos aut incredulos, too rash or too slow of beleefe, and earnestly commending me to Qui cytharam neruis, & neruis temperat arcum, the melodious God of Gam

vt are, that is life and sinnewes in euerie thing; as also to Ioues ancient trustie Roger, frisking come aloft spright∣ly Mercury, that hath wings for his moustachies, wings for his ey-browes, wings growing out of his chinne like a thorough haire, wings at his armes like a fooles coat with foure elbowes, wings for his riding bases, wings at his heeles in stead of spurres, and is true Prince of VVingan∣decoy in euerie thing, and desiring him to inspire my pen with some of his nimblest Pomados and Sommersets, & be still close at my elbow, since now I haue more use of him than Alchumists, in loue and charitie I take my leaue of you all, at least of all such as heere meane to leaue and read no further, and hast to the launching forth of my Dialogue.