The art or crafte of rhetoryke

¶ To the reuerende father in god & his singuler good lorde / the lorde Hugh Faryngton Abbot of Redynge / his pore client and perpetuall seruaunt Leonarde Cockes desyreth longe & prosperouse lyfe with encreace of honour.

COnsyderynge my spe∣ciall good lorde how great ly and how many ways I am bounden to your lord∣shyp / and among all other that in so great a nombre of connynge men whiche are now within this region it hath pleased your goodnes to accepte me as worthy for to haue the charge of the instruction & bryngynge vp of suche youth as resorteth to your gra∣mer schole / foūded by your antecessours in this your towne of Redynge / I studied a longe space what thyng I myght do next the busy & diligent occupienge of my selfe in your sayd seruyce / to the whiche bothe conscience and your stipende doth straytly bynde me / that myght be a significacion of my faithfull and seruysable hart which I owe to your lordeshyp / & agayne a long memory bothe of your singuler and bene∣ficiall

fauour towarde me: and of myn in∣dustry and diligence employed in your ser uyce to some profite: or at the leest way to some delectacion of the inhabitauntes of this noble realme now slouryshynge vn∣der the most excellent & victorious prynce our souerain Lorde kyng Henry the. viii.

¶ And whan I had thus long prepensed in my mynde what thynge I myght best those out: non offred it selfe more conue∣nyent to the profyte of yonge studentes (which your good lordshyp hath alwayes tenderly fauoured) and also meter to my {pro}fession: than to make som proper werke of the right pleasaunt and persuadible art of Rhetorique / whiche as it is very neces∣sary to all suche as wyll either be Aduoca tes and Proctours in the law: or els apte to be sent in theyr Prynces Ambassades / or to be techers of goddes worde in suche maner as may be moost sensible & accepte to theyr audience / and finally to all them hauynge any thyng to purpose or to speke afore any companye (what someuer they be) So contraryly I se no science that is lesse taught & declared to Scolers / which ought chiefly after the knowledge of Gra∣mer ones had to be instructe in this facul tie / without the whiche oftentymes the

rude vtteraunce of the Aduocate greatly hindereth and apeyreth his cliētes cause. Likewise the vnapt disposicion of the pre∣cher (in orderyng his mater) confoundeth the memory of his herers / and briefly in declarynge of maters: for lacke of inuen∣cion and order with due elocucion: great tediousnes is engendred to the multitude beyng present / by occasion wherof the spe ker is many tymes ere he haue ended his tale: either left almost aloon to his no li∣tle confusiō: or els (which is a lyke rebuke to hym) the audience falleth for werynes of his ineloquent language fast on slepe.

¶ wyllynge therfore for my parte to help suche as are destrouse of this Arte (as all surely ought to be which entende to be re∣garded in any comynaltie) I haue parte∣ly translated out a werke of Rhetorique wryten in the Latin tongue: and partely compyled of myn owne: and so made a ly∣tle treatyse in maner of an Introductyon into this aforesayd Science: and that in our Englysshe tongue. Remembrynge that euery good thyng (after the sayeng{is} of the Philosopher) the more comon it is: the more better it is. And furthermore tru stynge therby to do som pleasure and case to suche as haue by negligence or els fals

persuacions be put to the lernyng of other sciences or euer they haue attayned any meane knowlege of the Latin tongue.

¶ whiche my sayd labour I humbly offre to your good Lordeshyp / as to the chyefe maintener & nouryssher of my study / be∣sechynge you / thoughe it be ferre within your merites done to me / to accepte it as the fyrst assay of my pore and simple wyt / which yf it may fyrst please your Lord∣shyp / and nexte the reders / I trust by the ayde of almyghty god to endyte other werkes bothe in this facul∣ty and other to the laude of the hygh godhed / of whome all goodnes doth procede / and to your Lordshyps plea∣sure / and to profyte and delectacion of the Reder. ❧