Paroimiographia Proverbs, or, Old sayed savves & adages in English (or the Saxon toung), Italian, French, and Spanish, whereunto the British for their great antiquity and weight are added ... / collected by J.H., Esqr.

TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE, (My most endeered LORD) RICHARD Earl of CARBERRY, &c. AT His Palace in Golden-Grove.

My LORD,

HAving had the happiness to know your Person first at the Spanish Court (in those glorious times, when our Prince of Wales did court his Mistress so gallantly,) And looking upon that considerable Tract of Time, which hath intercurd since, I may claim the pre∣rogative to be one of the ancientst Servants you have; therefore I hope, it will not be held an Intrusion, that I now make this publick address un∣to your Lordship; Nor will any well-weigh'd Reader find any Impertinence in this Dedicatory Address, if he regard the qualitie of the Work, your Lordship being the brightest Star that's fix'd in the British Firmament, whence from your fair Orb in Golden-Grove you display your Influences far and near, not only among those Hills, but to divers places also under the English Clime, who are witnesses of your Princely way of living, and noble Hospitalitie.

Now, my Lord, the design of this new Piece si, to redeem from the Dunge∣ons of so long obscuritie, and to furbish up as it were from the rust of time the Cymraegan Proverbs, or Cambrian Adages, and old sayed Sawes, which were so frequent among the Bards, Nay, some of them reach up unto, and were con∣temporary with the Druids themselves, from whom they receiv'd their first rise long before the Roman Eagles planted their talons in this Iland; which Druids being the Divines and Sages of those Times, (as the Magi, and Philosophers were in other Countreyes) grew so famous all the World over, that the Gaules, (now the French) with other Nations came hither by often transfre∣tations

to be indoctrinated by Them: Whence some of the most Learned Glottographers inferr, that the British was the first Language of France also, as well as of this Iland, in regard they did mutually understand one another in those times, which was long before the Latine or Greek came this side the Alpes.

Lastly, my Lord, besides the two motives above mentioned, there was ano∣ther which wrought strongly upon me, and induc'd me to this Dedication, which was, that I might exhibit to the World a publick Evidence of my ac∣knowledgements for so many noble favours, And that hereby both the pre∣sent Times may see how much I am, and future Ages may find how much I was

London 4^o Idus Martii, 1658.

My truly Honored Lord,

Your most humbly devoted Servant and Compatriot, Jam. Howell