The ransome of time being captive Wherein is declared how precious a thing is time, how much he looseth that looseth it, & how it may be redeemed. Written in Spanish, by the R. Father Andreas de Soto, confessor to the most excellent Infanta Clara Eugenia. Translated into English by J.H.

THE AVTHORS PREFACE TO THE READER.

GOOD is not known, yea not even taken notice of (as a spa∣nish Prouerb deliuereth) vntill that it be passed by; yea more, be vt∣terly lost. Alas! the trueth hereof I most apparantly perceiue in my self, it aptly agreeth with my state, and my runne course of life, for that I too late tooke notice thereof, too late knew what time is, and of what value it is, and what a precious and inestimable treasure it may be truely found to be. So farre forth that I am much aggreiued that I did not dis••erne it, and well might I, for that I haue lost so great à jewell: and earnestly I desire (if it were possible)

that I were maister of my yeares al∣ready spent, to the end I might well and most solicitously employ them, as I-ought, and my well being requireth, and my duety commandeth, and that I might re∣deeme them from the Captiuity and en∣thrallment with which they haue been miserably detained, yea and enchained. Rather might I well say, that he who hath not known, and prized time bath justly deserued, that now he lament aud earnestly vvish for it, and that yet notvvithstanding he faile to possesie that vvhich he disesteemed, that vvhich he, alas! so slightly regarded. But I take for a singular, a rare grace and mercy of notable value that our Lord (although at the end of my dayes) hath giuen me this capacity, this vnderstanding, and feruent desire of à better employing my time, vvhich from hence for vvard his mercy vvill grant me, that I may ex∣hort and giue some counsaile to the re∣misse;

carelesse and as it vvere altogether negligent.

And to give beginning to vvhat is fore deliuered, I haue desired that he please to make me his Attorney or Pro∣ctor that I may petitionarily plead for the ransome, the redemption thereof: and that I may instruct them, who haue lost it, hovv they may regaine it, and that I may declare hovv much it impor∣teth them, hovv farr it concerneth them, of vvhat great consequence it is to them, and likevvise further I may earnestly, and vvith fulnes of charity craue of thē and piously, yea euen mooue them that they cast not avvay one hovver: vvhat say I? no nor moment of time. I vvill be breife, though vvere it I should spend neuer so much time in the account he∣reof, I should not judge it lost time.

I shall not be able to bringe to passe vvhat Pythagoras doth aduise, vvhich is to contract many sentences in fevv

vvordes, as good Philosophers ought, and are accustomed to doe. Hence Dio∣genes to one vvho talking vvith him seemed to taxe some vvhat the breuity of the Philosophers sentences, ansvve∣red, you say right vvell truely they are in fevv vvords couched indeed, yet de∣serue not hence reprehension, for vvere it possible, so likevvise should be the sylla∣bles.

But I vvill doe the fall extent of my povver, contracting this vvhole subject vnder tenne Chapters onely. Herein ob∣serue Gentle Reader that I cast not time avvay neither in the definition or des∣cription of Time (vvhere it might seeme that the Treatise should take his begin∣ning) for that it is not necessary (as said Saint Augnstine) for there is not ought more knovvn, nor more familiar, more frequently spoken of by humane tongue, then is that of time.

Let it gratiously please God Almighty

our good and glorious Lord through his precious blood (which vvas the price of our redemption) that this treatise of the redeeming of lost time may an∣svverably profit the Reader.