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AN ADVERTISEMENT TO THE READER BEFORE HE READE THIS POEME, OF SOME THINGS TO BE OBSERVED, as vvell in the substance of this vvork••, as also in the setting forth thereof, vvith the vse of the Pictures, Table, and annotations to the same annexed.
THere are peraduenture many men, and some of those both graue and godly men, that in respect they count all Poetrie as meerly tending to wantonnesle and vanitie, will at the very first sight reiect this booke, and not onely not allow, but blame and reproue the trauel taken in letting forth the same in our mother tongue. And surely for such censurers as will condemne without hearing the cause pleaded, I can be well content to haue them spare the labor in reading, which they thinke I haue lost in writing; and appealing from them, if not to higher at least to more indifferent iudges, namely such as wil vouchsafe to heare what can be spoken in defence of the matter, and then will yeeld (as wise men euer should do) to the stronger reason: I do to them direct this my short aduertisement, which (because all that may reade this booke are not of equall capacities) I will endeuor to explane more plainly, then for the learned sort had haply bene requisite.
And first if any haue this scruple, that it might be hurtfull for his soule or conscience, * 1.1 to reade a booke of Poetry, as though it might alien his mind from vertue and religion, I referre him (beside many other excellent mens wri∣tings, both in defence and praise thereof) to a litle briefe treatise in the beginning of this booke, written by me generally in defence of Poemes, and specially of this present worke, which I dare affirme to be neither vicious nor profane, but apt to breed the quite contrary effects, if a great fault be not in the readers owne bad disposition.
Secondly I haue in the marginall notes quoted the apt similitudes, * 1.2 and pithie sentences or adages, with the best descriptions, and the excellent imitations, and the places and authors from whence they are taken.
Further, where diuers stories in this worke seeme in many places abruptly broken off, * 1.3 I haue set directions in the margent, where to find the continuance of euery such storie, though I would not wish any to reade them in that order at the first reading, but if any thinke them worthy the twise reading, then he may the second time not vnconueniently vse it, if the meane matter betweene the so deuided stories (vpon which commonly they de∣pend) be not quite out of his memorie.
Also (according to the Italian maner) I haue in a staffe of eight verses comprehended the contents of euery Book or Canto, * 1.4 in the beginning thereof, which hath two good vses, one to vnderstand the picture the perfecter, the other to remember the storie the better.
As for the pictures, they are all cut in brasse, * 1.5 and most of them by the best workmen in that kind, that haue bin in this land this many yeares: yet I will not praise them too much, because I gaue direction for their making, and in regard thereof, I may be thought partiall; but this I may truly say, that (for mine owne part) I haue not seene any made in England better, nor (indeed) any of this kind in any booke, except it were a treatise set forth by that profound man master Broughton the list yeare, vpon the Reuelation, in which there are some three or foure pretie pictures (in octauo) cut in brasse very workmanly. As for other bookes that I haue seene in this Realme, either in Latine or English with pictures, as Liuie, Gesner, Alciats emblemes, a booke de Spectris in Latine, and in our tongue the Chronicles, the booke of Martyrs, the booke of hauking and hunting, and M. Whitneys ex∣cellent Emblemes, yet all their figures are cut in wood, and none in metall, and in that respect inferiour to these, at least (by the old prouerbe) the more cost, the more worship.
The vse of the picture is euident, * 1.6 which is, that (hauing read ouer the booke) you may reade it (as it were a∣gaine) in the very picture; and one thing is to be noted, which euery one (haply) will not obserue, namely the perspectiue in euery figure. For the personages of men, the shapes of horses, and such like, are made large at the bottome, and lesser vpward, as if you were to behold all the same in a plaine, that which is nearest seemes greatest, and the fardest shewes smallest, which is the chiefe art in picture.
If the name of any man, * 1.7 woman, country, towne, horse, or weapon seeme strange to any, I haue made a table where to find it. And in the same table, a direction for the seuerall tales, where to begin and end, those that may conueniently be read single, of which kind there are many, and those not vnpleasant.
Lastly, at the end of euery Book or Canto, because the Reader may take not only delight, but profit in reading, I haue noted in all (as occasion is offered) the Morall, the Historie, the Allegorie, and the Allusion.
The Morall, that we may apply it to our owne manners and disposition, to the amendment of the same. * 1.8
The Historie, * 1.9 both that the true ground of the poeme may appeare, (for learned men hold, that a perfect po∣eme must ground of a truth) (as I shew more at large in another place) as also to explane some things that are lightly touched by him, as examples of all times, either of old or of late.
The Allegorie, * 1.10 of some things that are meerely fabulous, yet haue an allegoricall sence, which euery bodie at the first shew cannot perceiue.
The Allusion: * 1.11 of fictions, to be applied to some things done, or written of in times past, as also where it may be a••plied without offence to the time present. But these happen in very few bookes.
And this is all that •• haue to aduertise the Reader, for if any other notes happen to come after, it is but for want of oome in the margent, that they were faine to be put out of their due place. It remaines onely to wish (because I find it will be delightfull to many) that it may be hurtfull to none, lest (if it should) both they and I be called to account for it, where not onely euill workes, but idle words shall be punished.