Compare 1587 edition: 1 Howbeit, although the gloſe of his fine a|bridgement, being macht with other mens dooings, bare a ſurpaſſing kinde of excellen|cie, yet it was ſo hudled vp in haſte, as in re|ſpect of a Campion his abſolute perfection, it ſéemed rather to be a work roughly hewed, then ſmoothly planed. Vpon which grounde the gentleman being willing, y^t his ſo tender a ſuckling, hauing as yet but gréene bones, ſhould haue béene ſwadled and rockt in a cra|dle, till in tract of tyme the ioynctes thereof were knit, and growen ſtronger, yet notwith|ſtanding he was ſo croſt in the nycke of thys determination, that his hyſtorie in mitching wyſe wandred through ſundry hands, and be|ing therwithall in certaine places ſome what tyckle tongued (for M. Campion dyd learne it to ſpeake) and in other places ouer ſpare, it twi [...]led more tales out of ſchoole, and drow|ned weightyes matters in ſilence, then the [...]uctor vpon better view, and longer ſearche woulde haue permitted. This much being by the ſager ſorte poudered, and the perfection of the hyſtorie earneſtly deſired, I as one of the moſt, that could doe leaſt, was fully reſolued, to enriche M. Campion his Chronicle, with further additiõs. But weighing on the other ſide, that my courſe pack thréede coulde not haue béene ſ [...]tably knit with his ſine ſticke, & what a diſgrace it were, hungerly to botch vp a riche garment, by clowting it with pat|ches of ſundrye coulours, I was foorthwyth reclaymed from my former reſolution, rec|kening it for better, that my penne ſhoulde walke in ſuch wyſe in that craggie and bal|kiſhe way, as the truth of the matter being forepriced, I would neyther openly borrow, nor priuily imbezell, ought to any great pur|poſe from his hyſtorie. But as I was ham|mering that worke by ſtealthes on y^e anuille, I was giuen to vnderſtande by ſome of mine acquaintaunce, that others had brought our rawe hyſtorie to that rypeneſſe as my paine, therein woulde ſéeme but néedeleſſe. Where|vpon being willing to be eaſed of the burden, and loath alſo in lurching wiſe to foreſtall a|ny man his trauayle, I was contented, to leaue them thumping in the forge, and quiet|lye to repayre to mine vſuall and priſtinate ſtudies, taking it not to ſtande with good ma|ners, lyke a flittering flye, to fall in an other man his diſhe. Howbeit, the little payne I tooke therin was not ſo ſecretly mewed with|in my cloſet, but it ſlipt out at one chincke or other, and romed ſo farre abroade, as it was whiſpered in their eares, who before were in the hyſtorie buſied. The gentlemen concey|uing a greater opinion of mée, then I was well able to vpholde, dealt very effectually with mée, that aſwell at their inſtaunce, as for the affection I bare my natiue countrey, I woulde put mine helping hand, to the buil|ding and perfecting of ſo commendable a EEBO page image 574 worke. Hauing breathed for a fewe dayes on this motion, albeit I knewe, that my worke was plumed with Doime, and at that time, was not ſufficientlye feathered to flée, yet I was by them weighed not to beare my ſelfe coy, by giuing mine entier friendes in ſo rea|ſonable a requeſt a ſquaimiſh repulſe. Wher|fore, my ſingular good Lorde, her [...] is layde downe to your Lordſhippe his view a briefe diſcourſe, with a iagged hyſtorie of a ragged Weale publicke. Yet as naked as at the firſt bluſhe it ſeemeth, if it ſhall ſtande wyth your Honour his pleaſure (whome I take to be an experte Lapidarie) at vacant houres to inſearche it, you ſhall finde therein ſtones of ſuch eſtimatiõ, as are woorthy to be coucht in riche and precious collets. And in eſpeciall your Lordſhip, aboue all others, in that you haue the charge of that countrey, may here be ſchooled, by a right line to leuell your go|uernement. For in peruſing this hyſtorie, you ſhall finde vice puniſhed, vertue rewar|ded, rebellion ſuppreſſed, loyaltie exalted, hautineſſe diſly [...]ed, courtiſie beloued, brybery deteſted, iuſtice embraced, polling Officers to there parpetuall ſhame reproued, and vp|right gouernours to their eternall fame ex|tolled. And [...]ruely, to my thinking, ſuch magi|ſtrates, as meane to haue a vigilant eye to their charge, can not beſtow their tyme bet|ter, then when they ſequence themſelues frõ the affayres of the wealpublicke, to recreate & quicken their ſpirites by reading the Chro|nicles, that decipher the gouernement of a wealepublicke. For as it is no ſmall commẽ|dacion, for one to beare the dooings of many, ſo it breedeth great admiration, generally to haue all thoſe qualities in one mã herboured, for which particularly diuers are eternized. And who ſo will be addicted to the reading of hyſtories, ſhall readily finde diuers euentes woorthy to be remembred, and ſundry ſounde examples daily to be followed. Vpon which grounde the learned haue, not without cauſe, adiudged an hyſtorie to be, the Marrowe of reaſon, the creame of experience, the ſappe of wyſedome, the pith of iudgement, the library of knowledge, the kernell of pollicie, the vn|foldreſſe of treacherie, the kalender of tyme, the lanterne of trueth, the lyfe of memorie, the doctreſſe of behauiour, the regiſter of an|tiquitie, the trumpet of chiualrie. And that our Iriſhe hyſtorie being diligently héeded, yéeldeth al theſe commodities. I truſt the in|different reader, vpon the vntwyning there|of, will not denie. But if any man his ſto|macke ſhall be founde ſo tenderly niced, or ſo deintily ſpyced, as that he may not, forſooth, digeſt the groſe draffe of ſo baſe a countrey, I doubt not, but your Lordſhip, who is throu|ghly acquaynted with the woorthineſſe of the Iſland, [...] perſwaded, [...] [...]eaue [...]h quaint and [...]courous repaſt [...]s, to féede on their coſtly and delicate Woodcockes, & wil|lingly to accept the louing preſent of your hearty welwiller.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The gift is ſmall, the giuer hys good wyll is great, I ſtand in good hope, that the great|neſſe of the one wyll countrepoiſe the ſmal|neſſe of the other. Wherefore, that I may the ſooner vnbrayde y^e pel [...]ſh t [...]ſh, that is wrapt wythin thys Treatiſe, I ſhall craue your Lordſhippe, to lende me eyther your eares [...] hearing, or your eyes in reading the tenour of the diſcourſe following.

Compare 1587 edition: 1 The greater parte as well of Coſ [...]nogra|phers, as Chronographers, with one a [...]e affirme,The [...] and bred [...] of Ireland that Irelande (the vttermoſt We|ſterne Iſle knowne) is halfe as bigge as Bri|tannia. Which I take to be true, if the worde Britannia ſo farre diſplaye the ſignification, that it compriſe England, Wales, & Scot|land. To which opinion,Girald. Cambrie [...] lib. 1. to po [...] diſt. 1. ru [...] Polich. lik [...] cap. 32. Giraldus Cambrien| [...]e [...]elyeth, ſaying, that Britannia condemeth in length 800. myles, and 200. in breadth Ireland he taketh to be in length from the mountaynes called Torrache (the author of Polychronicon termeth them Brend [...]n hys hils) to ſ. Colũ [...]e his Iſland, eight dayes iour|ney, rating of long Iriſh myles, 40. miles to the day: and in breadth from Dublin to [...]. Pa|trike his hilles, & the ſea of Comaght foure dayes iourney, according to the former rate. So as by Cambrienſe his ſuruey (who was a curious enſearcher thereof) Ireland is 320. myles long of Iriſh myles, and 160. myles broade. And accompting 320. Iriſh myles to amount to 400. engliſh miles, which maye well be reckoned accordyng to their iudge|mentes, that haue trauayled in the Iriſh ter|ritories. Ireland wil be found halfe as big as Britannia, which Giraldus Cambrienſe auou|cheth, ſaying: that Irelande is as bigge as Wales and Scotland. Irelande hath on the eaſt, England, within one dayes ſaylyng: on the ſouth eaſt, it hath Fraunce: Hiſpayne on the ſouth, diſtant thrée dayes ſayling: on the weſt the mayne Ocean ſea.