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VNderstander (for, to euery Reader I write not) beholde this Booke with a gentle eye, and entertaine it with fauour. It was penn'd by him who had rather say, Est iudicium in nobis, than est furor in nobis. Winke therefore at the want of witte thou shalt finde; since it is a worke
of iudgement onely. As for the Asses of the Age, I care as little for their censures, as their compa∣nies. Though they can pick out good sense, yet they will not; contrarie to the equity of a Reader; who, in a place doubtful, should striue to vnderstand, be∣fore he cry out, Non sense. They little knovve, that hee, who writes in euery thing properly, shall neuer vvrite anie thing plea∣singly. If I were disposed to carpe, I doe not thinke there are ten lines in any booke extant, out of which I would not pick somthing
to cauill at. My greatest comfort is, I neuer yet saw any carper that had any iudgement. VVhich vvhosoeuer wants, lacks the very salt of wit: with∣out which, whatsoeuer is read, lies ravve, and vn∣digested. But, that which makes mee most merrie, is, that some of our prin∣ted puppies thinke them∣selues worthy to bee com∣pared vvith the most au∣thenticke, auncient Au∣thours; vvhose vvittes they come as short of, as of their vvorkes. I haue heard some of them cen∣sure Authours, vvhome
they doe as little vnder∣stand, as they doe them∣selues. If they had but some small deale of mat∣ter vvith their manie vvordes, they might (I confesse) rubbe-out rea∣sonably vvell, amongst coxcombes, that are ca∣pable of no higher mat∣ters than themselues. But, as they are, I vvould in∣treate them to content themselues vvith their Iigge-learning: in which when they haue knowne all they can, they then knowe iust nothing; and, as Seneca saith, opero∣sè nihil agunt. I write
not this out of Spleene, for the wrong they haue done mee: for, my spirite is pearcht so farre a∣boue them, that they can∣not fling so high, as to hit it. Doe not I knowe, that these Times let-loose literatores, to set vpon literatiores? Yes, yes: I knowe it; and haue put∣on a resolution to beare both vvith the iniquity, and the stoliditie of the Times. Farewell, Vn∣derstander, and vse mee wel.