The reply of the most illustrious Cardinall of Perron, to the ansvveare of the most excellent King of Great Britaine the first tome. Translated into English.

An admonition to the Reader.

COurteous reader, (for so I will esteeme of thee, whosoeuer out of a true desire of vnderstāding the truth, takest this learned work into thy hands, to peruse it with iudgment, and yet without preiudice,) vouchsafe before thou begin the perusall thereof, to take these few obseruations from me.

First, whereas the most eminent authour thereof, had proiected to di∣uide it into twelue seuerall bookes or partiall treatises, and died before he could make a compleat end thereof being often diuerted from it, by ma∣nifold employments which his high estate & calling was subiect vnto, & by some more necessary dispute & writings, which the cōdition of Fran∣ce did then affoord: his frinds, either not marking this his proiect, or be∣cause all the work was not ended, neglecting that diuision; set is foorth reparted into six bookes only, and those so vnequally sorted, that the first book alone is in the French edition farre bigger then all the other en∣suing fiue bookes taken together. This vnproportionable partition we haue amended in this English translation; as we might easily do by the citations, or quotations with which the authour himself bordered his margent: for in them, he sometimes referres him self to such a chapter of the second, seuenth, eleuenth, twelft booke, whereby he sufficiently insinuates into how many bookes he intended to diuide this his ex∣cellent worke, & at what matter euery booke should take its beginning: which his intention we haue obserued in this that now we present to thy view, that the fit diuision of matters therein handled, may make it more intelligible and lesse tedious.

Secondly the humour of the French demanded for their satisfaction that the many places which are cited out of learned, holy, and classicall autours, hould not only be faithfully translated in the text, but also placed at large in their originall languages in the margen: that the learned reader might without recourse to the seuerall volumes (which required a co∣pious library, whereof few are furnished) out of hand examin the faith∣fullnes of the trāslatiō, & cōsequētly how fitly the alleged authority made for the purpose. But this humour not yet (for ought I haue seen) much raigning in our country, we haue thought it sufficient, to cite the places only in the margen, which are fully expressed in the text; the rather be∣cause the excellent translatresse copy, which we haue faithfully expressed contayned no more; and more beseemed not her translation, as not de∣siring to make shew of skill in greek, and other such learned languages; but only of that which was sufficient, for her assumpt that it is of a faith∣full translation according to the significant expressement of the French.

Thirdly, we haue not presumed to alter or change any one word of her translation, but in some few places, where the French allusions could not be so well vnderstood, if they were expressed in English properly cor∣responding thereunto: for euery tongue hath some peculiar graces and elegancies, which be lost in the translation, yf they be put word for word; And yet this haue we done (as we sayde) very seldome, and that especial∣ly

in the word Church, wich we English men vse deriued from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as the house dedicated to our Lords seruice, which tropically we vse also to signify the congregation of the faithfull, most solemnly and vsually made in the Church; The French expresse it by the name of Eglise from 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 〈◊〉〈◊〉 vocatus ad professionem fidei, the company of the faithfull called by Christ to professe his lawe by which word they secundarily, or tropically vnderstand and call the Church or house of prayer. So in the name of S. Peter, in Frenche S. Pierre, which word also signifies a rock or stone in French, as 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 in greek, and Cephas in Syriak do; but in our English we haue no such allusion. No other change, but in these few, and such like haue we made; neither was it needfull, the translatresse hauing so fittly, and significantly expressed the autours meaning, that it would haue been lost labour to striue to do it better, and rather marring, then mending so perfect an expression.

Lastly, I desire thee (gentle reader) to beare with the faults of the presse: The printers being Wallons, and our English strange vnto them it was in∣credible to see how may faults they committed in setting: so that in o∣uerlooking the proofes for the print, the margins had not roome enough to hold our corrections: and do what we could, yet the number of our corrections being so many, a great many of them remayned vncorrected by the fastidious fantasy of our workman. Yet we iudge there is no fault that may hinder, or change the sence, but is amended; and for the rest we desire thee to pardon vs, considering how hard it is to make a stranger here to expresse our ortography. Farewell in our Lord, and he of his goodnes giue thee grace to take profit by reading these learned dis∣courses.

Thy Wellwisher in Christ Iesus F. L. D. S. M.