The seuenth tragedie of Seneca, entituled Medea: translated out of Latin into English, by Iohn Studley, student in Trinitie Colledge in Cambridge

¶ The Preface to the Reader.

IF I had not gentle Reader a bet∣ter truste in thy gentlenesse, then affyance in myne owne weake∣nesse, I had not assayed thys se∣cond attempte, to bewraye my rudenesse and ignoraunce, vnto thy skilfull iudgemente: but though I mystrusted my selfe, yet I so reposed my hope in thee, that it gaue me corage to trāslate this one Tra∣gedie more of SENECA, for the pleasure of the learned, and the profyte of the vn∣learned by readynge of it in theyr natyue language. What kynde of Tragedie it is, or what is to be learned therby, I nede not stand at large to dyscusse, beinge so playnly set furthe by SENECA, far better then I am able to showe or translate it, so worthe∣lye as he hath wrytten it: yet as God hath gyuen me grace, rudely and symply I haue performed it: And bycause that all thynge myght be to the better vnderstandyng and commodytye of the vnlearned, as in some places I do expoūd at large the darke sence of the Poet: so haue I chaunged the fyrste

Chorus, because in it I sawe nothyng but an heape of prophane storyes, and names of prophane Idoles: therfore I haue altered the whole matter of it, begynnynge thus: Who hath not wist. Diuers reasons could I aledge to mayntayne thys myne altera∣cion, but I truste thy gentlenes wyll waye it to the vttermoste, and take all thynges in better parte. Thus I byd thee farewell.