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TO THE RIGHT Honourable ſir Henry Sydney Knight, Lorde Deputie Generall of Irelande, Lorde preſident of Wales, Knight of the moste noble Order of the Garter, and one of hir Maieſties priuie Counſel within hir Realme of Englande.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 _TAking in hande right Ho|norable to gather the perticular Hiſto|ries of diuers Countries and Nations, to ioyn vvith a Coſmographie, vvhich one Reginald VVoulfe late Printer to the Queenes Maieſtie, meant to pu|bliſhe in our Engliſh tounge: vvhen I came to cõſider of the Hiſtories of Ire|land, I founde my ſelfe ſo vnprouided of helpes, to ſet dovvne any perticular diſcourſe therof, that I vvas in diſpaire to enterprice to vvrite any thing at all concerning that realme, othervviſe thã incidently, as fell to purpoſe, to touche the ſame in the Hiſtorie of England.
Compare 1587 edition: 1 At length yet as Maiſter VVoulfes vſe vvas to imparte to me all ſuche helpes as he might at any hande procure for my fur|therance, in the collections of the other Hiſtories, vvherevvith I ſpecially dealte, his happe vvas to light alſo vpon a copie of tvvoo Bookes of the Iriſhe Hiſtories, compi|led by one Edmond Campion, fellovv ſomtime of S. Iohn Baptiſts Colledge in Ox|forde, very vvell penned certenly, but ſo briefe, as it vvere to be vviſhed that occaſion had ſerued him to haue vſed more leyſure, and thereby to haue deliuered to vs a lar|ger diſcourſe of the ſame Hiſtories: for as he himſelfe confeſſeth, hee had not paſte tenne vveekes ſpace to gather his mater: a very ſhorte time doubtleſſe for ſuche a peece of vvorke. But hovve breefe ſo euer I founde him, at the perſuaſion of Mai|ſter VVoulfe, vpon the hauing of that copie, I reſolued to make ſhift to frame a ſpe|ciall Hiſtorie of Irelande, in like maner as I had done of other Regions, follovvyng Campions order, and ſetting dovvne his ovvne vvordes, excepte in places vvhere I had mater to enlarge that (out of other Authours,) vvhich he had vvritten in briefe: and this I haue thought good to ſignifie, the rather for that I eſteeme it good dealing in no vviſe to defraude him of his due deſerued prayſe.