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Honoured Sir,
FAme, which is the Worlds Herauld, ha∣ving proclaimed Your honor with his Golden Trumpet in the Maean∣ders of all mens Ears, and every place
Ecchoing with Your rare encomi∣ums, hearing this, these did call upon me to fly unto You, with my winged Devotion to serve You, and become the least of the least of Your devoted Servants. Therefore I make bold to Dedicate these Rude, Barbarous and Unpollisht Essayes and Charact∣ers unto Your Honor.
Right Honourable, do with these as that great Persian Emperour Xer∣xes, who accepted with a kinde As∣pect, and loving Respect, a Cup of Water presented to him by a poore man, with both his hands
I confesse that they rather deserve to be disowned then owned; be∣cause they may lay a blot on the door of Your Innocency; because they are delivered from my Pia Ma∣ter, in such Adulterate and bastard Phrase: I have Essayed and tryed to Characterize every man, but I have Characterized none so clearly as I have done my self, in shewing mine
Ignorance, Folly and Imbecility: These are Iron or Leaden Essayes, yet being Coyned with Your Im∣age, and having on them Your In∣scription, they will go currant with all that beholds them.
Worthy Sir, Do not esteem me a Gnatho, for what I speak, I think, but all that I think, I cannot speak.
Quid enim nisi verbis inane.
Essayes and Characters, are as so many Peculums, mirrours and Glasses, wherein one may see every one clear∣ly and perspicously, but these Glas∣ses unlesse they be guilded by such a Mercury, as you are with Silver As∣pects, what reflection will they have? None can see any thing in them, no more then in Looking-glasses, with out Silvered on the one side.
Sir, If You look with a kinde In∣fluence, with the two radiant Stars of Your Eyes upon me, frozen in the frigid Zone of Fear, then I shall re∣joyce;
but contrary if You scortch me with the flagrant flames of Your Anger, then You will melt me into Tears.
Pardon (Great Sir) pardon my Audacity, in Presenting this little Pamphlet unto You, who am a stran∣ger; but my reason is, that I would shew my good will to, and highest esteem of such Famous and Virtuous men; I therefore cast them and my self at Your Honours Feet; Accept of them if You please, reject them if they do displease, they are not worth presenting, much lesse worth re∣ceiving; What shall I say more? look I pray You for no profun∣dity of matter, no Rhetoricall Flusculations, no witty Inventi∣ons; but for a few plain Essayes, mean Characters, and meaner Lan∣guage, and think the Author meanest of all, Ʋtra Posse non est esse, no man can do no more then he can: but be pleased to consider,
they were every one written Ex∣tempore, and therefore by reason of other Studies; I had no time or very little to Study and Write them over; but according to my good will, I pray you Gracious Sir) accept them, and do not in∣tercept my weak endeavours, my poore Labours, and my painfull Pains: But in the Scales of Ju∣stice, allow me grains of allow∣ance, and do not scruple at them.
But I draw to a Conclusion, and to a beginning of my Work too; but the Gate ought not to be Great, when the City is so little; I crave leave, And
Remain Your Honours Devoted Servant, Samuell Person.