TO THE RIGHT Honorable and his ſingular good Lorde, Sir VVilliam Cecill, Baron of Burghleygh, Knight of the most noble order of the Garter, Lord high Treaſou|rer of England, Maiſter of the Courtes of Wardes and Lyueries, and one of the Queenes Maieſties priuie Counſell.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 _COnſidering with my ſelfe, right Honorable and my ſin|gular good Lorde, how ready (no doubt) many wil be to ac|cuſe me of vayne preſumptiõ, for enterpriſing to deale in this ſo weighty a worke, and ſo farre aboue my reache to ac|compliſh: I haue thought good to aduertiſe your Honour, by what occaſion I was first induced to vndertake the ſame, al|though the cauſe that moued mee thereto, hath (in parte) ere this, bene ſignified vnto your good Lordſhippe.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Where as therfore, that worthie Citizen Reginald VVolfe late Printer to the Queenes Maiestie, a man well knowen and beholden to your Honour, meant in his life time to publiſh an v|niuerſall Coſmographie of the whole worlde, and therewith alſo certaine perticular Histories of euery knowen nation, amongst other whome he purpoſed to vſe for performance of his entent in that behalfe, he procured me to take in hande the collection of thoſe Histories, and hauing proceeded ſo far in the ſame, as lit|tle wanted to the accompliſhment of that long promiſed worke, it pleaſed God to call him to his mercie, after .xxv. yeares trauell ſpent therein, ſo that by his vntimely deceaſſe, no hope remayned to ſee that performed, whiche we had ſo long trauayled aboute: thoſe yet whome be left in trust to diſpoſe his things after his EEBO page image 3 departure hence, wiſhing to the benefite of others, that ſome fruite might follow of that whereabout he had imployed ſo long time, willed me to continue mine endeuour for their furtherance in the ſame, whiche although I was ready to do, ſo farre as mine abilitie would reach, and the rather to anſwere that trust which the deceaſſed repoſed in me, to ſee it brought to ſome perfection: yet when the volume grewe ſo great, as they that were to defray the charges for the Impreſsion, were not willing to go through with the whole, they reſolued first to publiſhe the Histories of Englande, Scotlande, and Irelande, with their deſcriptions, whiche deſcriptions, bycauſe they were not in ſuch readineſſe, as thoſe of forreyn countreys,William Ha|riſon, and Ri|chard Sta [...]y|burſt. they were enforced to vſe the helpe of other better able to do it than I.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 Moreouer, the Chartes wherein Maiſter VVolfe ſpent a greate parte of his time, were not founde ſo complete as wee wiſhed: and againe, vnderstanding of the great charges and notable enterprice of that worthie Gentleman maiſter Tho|mas Sackeforde in procuring the Chartes of the ſeuerall pro|uinces of this Realme to be ſette forth, wee are in hope that in tyme he will deliniate this whole lande ſo perfectly, as ſhal be comparable or beyonde any deliniation heretofore made of any other region, and therefore leaue that to his well deſerued prayſe. If any well willer will imitate him in ſo prayſe wor|thie a worke for the two other regions, we will be gladde to fur|ther his endeuour with all the helpes we may.