The boke named the Gouernour, deuysed by syr Thomas Elyot knight

The proheme of Thomas Elyot knyghte vnto the most noble & victorious prynce kyng Henry the eight kyng of Eng∣lande and Fraunce, defender of the true faythe, and lorde of Irelande.

I LATE CONSYDERYNGE (moste excellent prince and myn onely redoubted soue∣rayne lorde) my duetie, that I owe to my naturall coun∣trey, with my faith also of al∣ligeance and othe, wherwith I am double bound vnto your maiestie, more ouer thac∣compte that I haue to render for that one lytel talent deliuered to me, to employe (as I suppose) to the increase of vertue, I am (as god iuge me) violētly styred to deuul∣gate or set forth some part of my study, tru∣stynge therby to acquite me of my dueties to god, your highnes, & this my countrey. Wherfore taking comfort & boldnes, partly of your graces most beneuolent inclination towarde the vniuersall weale of your sub∣iectes, partly inflamed with zeale, I haue nowe enterprised to describe in our vulgar tunge, the forme of a iuste publike weale: whiche matter I haue gathered, as well of the sayinges of most noble autors (grekes

and latyns) as by myn owne experience: I beinge continually trayned in some dayely affaires of the publike weale of this your most noble realme almoste from my childe∣hode. Which attemptate is nat of presump∣tion to teache any person, I my self hauyng most nede of teaching: But only to the in∣tent that men, which wyl be studious about the weale publike, may find the thing ther∣to expedient cōpendiously writen. And for as moche as this present boke treateth of the education of them, that hereafter may be demed worthy to be gouernours of the publike weale vnder your highnes (which Plato affirmeth to be the fyrste and chiefe parte of a publyke weale, Salomon saying also, where gouernours be nat, the people shall fal into ruine.) I therfore haue named it the Gouernour, & do now dedicate it vn∣to your highnes as the fyrste fruites of my study: verily trustinge that your moste ex∣cellent wysedome wylle therein esteme my loyall harte and diligent endeuour, by the example of Artaxerxes, the noble kyng of Persia: who reiected nat the pore husband man, which offred to hym his homely han∣des full of cleane water, but mooste graci∣ously receiued it with thankes, estemynge the presente nat after the value, but rather to the wyll of the gyuer. Semblably kinge

Alexaunder retayned with hym the poete Cherilus honourably, for wrytyng his hi∣storie, all though that the poete was but of a smalle estimation: whiche that prince did nat for lacke of iugement, he beinge of ex∣cellent lernyng, as disciple to Arystotell: but to thentent that his liberalite emploied on Cherilus, shoulde animate or gyue cou∣rage to others moch better lernid, to con∣tende with hym in a semblable enterprise. And if, moste vertuous prince, I may per∣ceyue your hyghnes to be herewith plea∣sed, I shall soone after (god gyuynge me quietnes) present your grace with the re∣sidue of my study & labours. Wherein your highnes shall wel perceiue, that I nothing esteme soo moche in this worlde, as youre royall astate (my most dere souerayn lorde, and the publyke weale of my cuntrey) pro∣testynge vnto your excellent maiestie, that where I cōmende herin any one vertue, or disprayse any one vyce, I meane the gene∣ral description of thone and thother, with∣out any other particular mening to the re∣proche of any one persone: to the whiche protestation I am now driuen through the malignitie of this present tyme, all disposed to malicious detraction. Wherfore I most humbly beseche your highnes, to dayne to be patrone and defendour of this lyttelle

warke, agayne the assaultes of maligne in∣terpretours: whiche fayle nat to rente and deface the renoume of writers, they theym selfes beinge in nothynge to the publyque weale profitable: whiche is by no man so∣ner perceyued, than by your highnes, be∣inge bothe in wysedome and very nobilitie equall to the most excellent princis, whom I beseche god ye maye surmounte in longe lyfe and perfecte felicitie.

Amen.