Thesaurus linguæ Romanæ & Britannicæ tam accurate congestus, vt nihil penè in eo desyderari possit, quod vel Latinè complectatur amplissimus Stephani Thesaurus, vel Anglicè, toties aucta Eliotæ Bibliotheca: opera & industria Thomæ Cooperi Magdalenensis. ... Accessit dictionarium historicum et poëticum propria vocabula virorum, mulierum, sectarum, populorum, vrbium, montium, & cæterorum locorum complectens, & in his iucundissimas & omnium cognitione dignissimas historias.

FOr so much as the vnskilfull or yoong learned Scholars can not of themselues conceyue the vse of this Booke, I haue thought it good by examples to note vnto them, what fruit and commoditie they make take thereof, in so plaine forme or maner as I can deuise. First therfore they may here learne, what part of speach the worde is. For Nownes & Verbes may be knowe by their declyning, which commonly is here noted: and the other partes are expressely named: as, Participles, Aduerbes, Coniunctions, &c. Next, they may sée, what accent it should haue, and how it is to be pronoun∣ced: as, Piscina, penul. prod. not Píscina. If it be a Nowne, they may knowe whether it be Adiectiue or Substantiue. For Adiectiues be expressely noted most commonly, and Substantiues may be perceyued by their Gender and Declenson. If it be a Substantiue, let them marke what Gender it is, and of what Declenson. The Gender both is added most commonly, and where it is not, may be learned by the phrases following: and the Declenson may be gathered by the Genitiue case. As, Dux, is noted to be the common Gen∣der, and the Genitiue case Ducis, sheweth it to be the thirde Declenson. Du∣catus, is noted to be the Masculine gender, and Ducatus the Genitiue case declareth it to be the fourth Declenson. Then may they further learne, whether the worde be a Priuitiue, or Deri∣uatiue deduced of some other. For all the Deriuatiues are set wyth their significations and phrases, in a smaller Latine letter after their Primitiues. As for example after thys Primitiue, Duco, followeth Ducens, Ductus, Ducatus, Dux, Ductor, Ductarius, Ductilis, Ductim. Whereby wyth great profite they may learne, as it were, the whole progenie and ofspring of any worde. Next, let them further marke the dyuers significations of the worde, and the manyfolde constructions and vses of the same, be it Verbe, Nowne, or other. As, Certamen, sometyme signifieth a game, or play: as, lex Certaminis. Sometyme strife, debate, contention: as, Certamen est mihi cum illo. Sometyme fight or battayle: as, conserere Certamen. This diuersitie of significations I haue not onely no∣ted togither confusely in the first exposition of the worde, but afterwarde also distinctly eache by it selfe, with the phrases to the same belonging: which he may finde out by thys Paragraffe ¶which is noted wheresoeuer eyther the signification, or the vse of the thing altereth. In a Verbe they haue to note, whether it be Primitiue or De∣riuatiue, of what Coniugation it is, what is the Preterperfect tense and Supines, what diuersitie of significa∣tions, and varietie of constructions it hath. As, Contendo, is declared to be a Primitiue, and hath deduced of it these Deriuatiues, Contentus, Contentè, Contentio, Contentiosus, &c. The Coniugation may be knowne by the termination of the Infinitiue moode Contendere, there added. The Preterperfect tense, and the Supines are expressed as well in this worde, as all other. Contendo, sometime signifieth to bende: as, Contendere arcum. Sometyme to stretch: as, Ilia risu contendere. Sometyme to strayne harde: as, Contendere vincla. Sometyme to go to: as, Contendit Romam. Sometyme to indeuour: as, Contendere omnibus neruis. Sometyme e••rnestly to desire: as, Omni studio à te mi Brute contendo. Sometyme to contende, as Contendo de honore. Sometyme to cō∣pare: as, Contendere rem aliquam cum alia. The diuersitie of construction of all other poyntes is especially to be obserued, which oftentimes chaungeth, as the signification altereth. As Contendo, signifying to stretch or bende, sometime hath an Accusatiue case onely, as Contendere poplitem: sometime an Accusatiue with an Ablatiue: as, Ilia risu contendere. When it signifieth to go, it hath sometyme an Accusatiue alone: as, Roman contendit: some∣time an other Accusatiue with, ad: as, Contendere cursum ad aliquem: sometime an Accusatiue with ad onely: as, Contendit ad patrem: sometyme an Accusatiue with, in, or ad, and also an Ablatiue, as Magnis itineribus conten∣dere in Italiam, vel ad exercitum. When it signifyeth to indeuour, sometyme it is vsed absolutely, as Eniti & conten∣dere debet: sometime with an Ablatiue: as, Labore contendere: sometime an Infinitiue moode, as Dyrthachium petere contendit: sometime an Accusatiue with, Contra, and vt, following: as, Contra grauitatem morbi contendit, vt consequatur, &c. Sometime an Accusatiue with ad, and an Ablatiue: as, Maximis periculis ad summam laudem contendere: sometime an Aduerbe, as Frustra contendere. When it signifieth to desire; it is most commonly vsed with an Accusatiue of the thing▪ and an Ablatiue with, A, or ab, of the person: as, Hoc à me contendebat▪ sometime in stéede of the Accusatiue, an other Ablatiue is added wyth de: as Pompeius vehementer à me contendit de reditu in gratiam: In place of which Ablatiue may be vsed the Subiunctiue moode with vt, as, Contendit à me vt redeam in gratiam. When it signifyeth to striue or contende, it hath sometyme an Accusatiue with, aduersum, or contra: as, Summa vi contendere aduersum, vel contra aliquem: sometyme a Datiue: as, Hyrundo contendit cygnis: some∣tyme an Ablatiue with. cum: as, Iure contendere cum aliquo: sometyme an Accusatiue with Inter, and an Abla∣tiue: as, Verbis inter se contendunt: sometyme an Ablatiue with de: as, De honore contendere. When it signi∣fyeth to compare, it hath sometyme an Accusatiue, and an Ablatiue with cum: as, Contendere rem aliquam cum alia: sometyme the Ablatiue is turned into the Datiue, as Contendere rem aliquam alteri. And this varietie of cō∣struction is not onely to be considered in the diuersitie of cases, but also of other partes vndeclyned: as, in Emineo, you haue, Eminere extra terram, Eminet ante oculos, Eminet in re aliqua, Inter omnes eminet, Eminebat ex ore cru∣delitas, Eminet ira in suos, Eminet ferrum per costas, Eminet è mari globus terrae. It is also to be noted, what Ad∣uerbes authours doe vse with verbes: as, Ciuiliter contendere, Inimicissimè at{que} infestissimè contendere, Palam & vehementer contendere. Moreouer the phrases of elegancie, and especially such as haue any good grace of Meta∣phors: as, Contendere neruos aetatis & industriae in re aliqua: Fores amicitiae aperire: Fontem liberalitatis exhauri∣re, &c. It helpeth much also to the apt vse of the Latine tongue to obserue in verbes, with what Nownes they be

well vsed: and in Nownes, what Verbes and Adiectiues they haue ioyned with them. In the Verbe Creo, beside other you haue Aerumnas creare, to worke one miserie: Arbores creare, to bring foorth trees: Carmina creata de a∣liquo, Verses made vpon one: Commoditates creare alicui, to worke one sundry commodities: Fastidium creare, to cause lothsomnesse: Periculum creare, to procure daunger, &c. In Nownes also, as I sayde, it is good to consider first, what Substantiues or Adiectiues are ioyned to them as Epithetons. In the worde Amicitia, you haue Con∣dimentum amicitiae, Conciliator amicitiae, Fores amicitiae, sons, finis, exitus, ius, lex, ornamentum, simulatio, vincu∣lum amicitiae. Also these Adiectiues Ambitiosa, communis, pudica, grauis, excellens, infausta, iusta, vera, stabilis, sua∣uis, venusta, amicitia, with many other that for breuitie I rehearse not. Likewyse it hath these Verbes, Compara∣re, contrahere, consequi, conciliare, gignere, acquirere, parere amicitiam: conglutinare, coniungere, connectere, coniugare, constituere amicitiam: discindere, dirumpere, dissociare, dissuere amicitiam, with many mo of lyke sort, which diligently to marke shall both greatly helpe, not onely the knowledge of the right vse of the Latine tongue, but also the copious enriching of the same. This is not only to be done in Nownes and Verbes, but in Aduerbes, Coniunctions, and Prepositions. In the apt vse whereof consisteth a great part of the elegancie of the Latine tongue. Last of all, a studious yong man, with small paines, by the helpe of this booke may gather to himselfe good furniture both of wordes and approoued phrases and fashions of speaking for any thing, that he shall eyther write or speake of, and so make vnto his vse, as it were a common place booke for such a purpose. As in the matter of loue and friendship, if he take two or thrée of the chiefe wordes belonging to that purpose, as for example, Amicus, a∣mo, amor, and then consider the wordes deryued of them, and the phrases to the same belonging, there is nothing par••ayning to that matter, but that he shall be able copiously to vtter it. And if he adde the search of some mo words of that signification, as Charitas beneuolentia, &c. he shall marueylously enriche that common place. To shew this by the example of this matter of loue or friendship, for so much as it is somewhat copious, it woulde be longer, than thys place requyreth. I will declare it by a matter of smaller vse and copie. In the feate of shooting you haue these two chiefe instruments, Arcus, and Sagitta, in considering the phrases of which two, you may procure this store and furniture: Acer arcus, a strong or quicke casting bowe: Vastus arcus, a lugge, or a mightie bigge bow: Sonans arcus, a ringing bowe: Arcus laxus, remissus, retentus, a bowe vnbent: Arcus tentus, intentus, contentus, a bowe bent: Sumere & co••ripere manu arcum, to take a bowe in his hande: Arcum lentare, aut curuare, to boewe a bow, as one doth in assaying the strength of it, before it be bent: Arcum neruo temperare, to string a bow: Arcum tendere, intendere, contendere, flectere, to bende a bowe: Laxare, retendere, remittere arcum, to vnbend a bow: Arcum ad∣ducere, sinuare, lunare, to drawe a bowe: Arcu se exercere, to go on shooting, to practise shooting: Arcu telum diri∣gere, Dirigere arcum in aliquid, Obuertere arcum in aliquid, Tendere arcum aliquò, to lay his hande towarde a thing to shoote at it: Emittere vel expellere arcu sagittam, Neruo sagittam impellere, to shoote: Petere aliquem arcu, to shoote at: Stringere aliquid arcu, Arcu ferire, Insigere alicui sagittam, Configere sagitta, to hit••e that he shooteth at: Sagitta stridens, an arrow that singeth as he goeth: Sagittae leues, volucres, celeres, Arrowes swift of flight: Acuere sa∣gittam, & asperare sagittam ferro vel cuspide, to set an heade on an arrowe: Armari sagittis, to haue arrowes by his side: Deptomere & promere sagittam, to take foorth an arrowe to shoote: Corripere sagittam, to take foorth an ar∣rowe quickly: Neruus per Caelum diuerberat sagittam, the bowe deliuereth forth the arrowe: Sagittae pendent à la∣tere, his arrowes are by hys side: Expedire alimenta arcu, with his bowe to kill beastes or foule to liue by. There is more I graunt that may be brought to this purpose: but by these and the imitation of them, any thing well neare pertayning to that feate may be vttered in good Latine. This haue I here noted at the request of certayne, that by their owne labour without instruction or helpe of maisters traueyle to attayne the knowledge of the Latine tongue: as for other that eyther be themselfe well learned, or haue good 〈…〉〈…〉 ••hey haue no great néede of this booke, so haue they no néede at all of this admonition.