The worthye booke of old age othervvyse entituled the elder Cato contayning a learned defence and praise of age, and aged men: writen in latine by that father of eloquence Marcus Tullius Cicero, and now englished. VVherunto is annexed a recitall of diuerse men that liued long. With a declaracion of sundrye soortes of yeares, and the diuersitie betwene the yeres in the old time, and our yeares nowe adayes. Anno. 1569.

To the Reader.

IF I did not gentle Rea∣der truste more to thy frendly curtesie thenne to myne owne skill and iudgement, I would not with hazard of my fame haue enter∣prysed the diuulgacion of this my sim∣ple trauaile to the gazinge view of e∣uerye scrupulous and criticall behol∣der. But because it pleased some to de∣sire me (who notwithstanding had au∣thoritie to comaunde me, to take this small charge in hand. I am bold vpon their encouragemente and likinge to conceyue semblable hope of thy frend∣ly and fauourable acceptaunce. Albe∣it long it was, ere I would willinglye relent to their requestes, pleadinge in excuse of my vnablenes, and aledging

the incomparable sublymity and sap∣pye eloquence of y^e Authoure, wherby my Conscience vpbrayded me of pre∣sumption, in that, I hauing but a smal sclender vessel would aduenture into any suche sea. Furthermore I was not ignoraunte howe this same was tran∣slated about xxx yeares agone: but of al doubtes, this was the leaste, for as much as that translation beareth but the countenaunce of one, being none in dede to any purpose, being taken of the learned for noone at all, sithens neuer a page almost is answerable to the la∣tine textè, I wil not say, scātly any sen∣tence. Take therfore wel in worth my good, wil and aford me gentle report for my laboure which is the sole guer∣don that I do expect at thy hāds, and thinke not that the translatours vn∣skilfulnes

doth any thing derogate from the Authours worthynes, waigh my intente in the Balance of frende∣shippe and indifferencye, who to coun∣teruaile the wante of power, am stored wïth as muche good wil as the best to pleasure the.

Farrwell. T. Newton.