1.1. To the Right Honorable, and his ſingular good Lord and maiſter, S.
William Brooke Knight, Lord warden of the cinque Portes, and Baron of
Cobham, all
increaſe of the feare and knowledge of God, firme obedience towarde
his Prince, infallible loue to the common wealth, and commen|dable renowne
here in this wo [...]lde, and in the worlde to come, lyfe euerlaſting.
EEBO page image 8
EEBO page image 8
To the Right Honorable, and his ſingular good Lord and maiſter, S.
William Brooke Knight, Lord warden of the cinque Portes, and Baron of
Cobham, all
increaſe of the feare and knowledge of God, firme obedience towarde
his Prince, infallible loue to the common wealth, and commen|dable renowne
here in this wo [...]lde, and in the worlde to come, lyfe euerlaſting.
Compare 1587 edition:
1 _HAVING had iust
occaſion, Right Honourable, to remayne in Lon|don, during the tyme of
Midſomer terme laſt paſſed, and being earneſt|lye required of diuers my
friends, to ſet downe ſome briefe diſcourſe of parcell of thoſe thinges,
which I had obſerued in the reading of ſuch ma|nifold antiquities as I had
peruſed toward the furniture of a Chronolo|gie, which I had then in hande, I
was at the firſt very loth to yeelde to their deſires: firſt, for that I
thought my ſelfe vnable for want of witte and iudgement, ſo ſodainly and
with ſuch ſpeede to take ſuch a charge vppon me: ſecondly, by|cauſe the
dealing therin might prooue an impechement vnto mine owne Treatize: and
final|lye for that I had giuen ouer all ſtudy of hystories, as iudging the
tyme ſpent about the ſame, to be an hinderaunce vnto my more neceſſarie
dealings in that vocation & function whereun|to I am called in the
myniſtery. But when they were ſo importunate with me, that no reaſona|ble
excuſe coulde ſerue to put by this trauaile, I condeſcended at the length
vnto their yrke|ſome ſute, promiſing that I woulde ſpende ſuch voyde time as
I had to ſpare, whyleſt I shoulde be inforced to tarie in the citie, vpon
ſome thing or other that shoulde ſtande in lieu of a de|ſcription of my
Country. For their partes alſo they aſſured me of ſuch helpes as they coulde
pur|chaſe, and thus with hope of good although no gaie ſucceſſe, I went in
hande withall, then al|most as one leaning altogither vnto memorie, ſith my
bookes and I were parted by fourtie myles in ſonder. In this order alſo I
ſpent a part of Michaelmas and Hillarie termes inſuing, being inforced
thereto I ſay by other buſineſſes which compelled me to keepe in the citie,
and abſent my ſelfe from my charge, though in the meane ſeaſon I had ſome
repaire vnto my libra|rie, but not ſo great as the dignitie of the matter
required, & yet farre greater then the Prin|ters haſte woulde
ſuffer. One helpe, and none of the ſmalleſt that I obtayned herein was by
ſuch commentaries as Leland had collected ſometime of the ſtate of
Britaine, bookes vtterly man|gled, defaced with wet, and weather, and
finally imperfite through want of ſundrie volumes ſecondly, I gate ſome
knowledge of things by letters and pamphlettes, from ſundrie places and
shires of Englande, but ſo diſcordaunt nowe and then amongeſt themſelues,
eſpecially in the names and courſes of riuers and ſcituation of townes, that
I had oft greater trouble to recon|cile them, then to penne the whole
diſcourſe of ſuch pointes as they contayned the thirde ayde did grow by
conference with diuers, eyther at the table or ſecretly alone, wherein I
marked in what things the talkers did agree, and wherein they impugned eche
other, chooſing in the end the former, and reiecting the later, as one
deſirous to ſet forth the truth abſolutely, or ſuch things in deede as were
moſt likely to be true. The laſt comfort aroſe by mine owne reading of ſuch
writers as haue heretofore made mention of the condition of our country, in
ſpeaking whereof, yf I shoulde make account of the ſucceſſe, and
extraordinary comming by ſundrie treatizes not ſuppoſed to be extaunt, I
shoulde but ſeeme to pronounce more then may well be ſayde with modeſtie,
and ſay farder of myſelfe then this Treatize can beare witneſſe of.
How|beit, I referre not this ſucceſſe wholly vnto my purpoſe in this
Deſcription, but rather giue no|tice thereof to come to paſſe in the penning
of my Chronologie, whoſe cromes as it were fell out very well in the framing
of this Pamphlete. In the proceſſe therefore of this Booke, if your Ho|nour
regarde the ſubstaunce of that which is here declared, I muſt needes
confeſſe that it is none of mine: but if your Lordshippe haue conſideration
of the barbarous compoſition shewed EEBO page image 9 herein, that I may boldely
clayme and chalenge for myne owne, ſith there is no man of any ſo ſlender
skill, that will defraude me of that reproche, which is due vnto me, for the
meere negli|gence, diſorder, and euill diſpoſition of matter, comprehended
in the ſame. Certes I proteſt be|fore God and your Honour, that I neuer made
any choiſe of ſtile, or picked wordes, neither re|garded to handle this
Treatize in ſuch preciſe order and methode as many other woulde: thin|king
it ſufficient, truely & plainly to ſet forth ſuch things as I minded
to intreate of, rather then with vaine affectation of eloquence to paint out
a rotten ſepulchre, neither cõmendable in a writer nor profitable to the
reader. How other affayres troubled me in the writing hereof many know,
& peraduenture the ſlackeneſſe shewed herein can better teſtifie:
but howſoeuer it be done, & whatſoeuer I haue done, I haue had an
eſpeciall eye vnto the truth of things, & for the reaſt, I hope that
this foule frizeled Treatize of mine, will prooue a ſpurre to others, better
learned in more skilfull maner to handle the ſelfe ſame argument. As for
faultes eſcaped here|in as there are diuers, I muſt needes confeſſe, both in
the penning and printing, ſo I haue to craue pardon of your Honour,
& of all the learned readers. For ſuch was my shortneſſe of time
allowed in the writing, & ſo great the ſpeede made in the Printing,
that I could ſeldome with any deliberation peruſe, or almoſt with any
iudgement deliberate exactly vpon ſuch notes as were to be inſerted.
Sometimes in deede their leyſure gaue me libertie, but that I applyed in
following my vocation, many times their expedition abridged my peruſall, and
by this later it came to paſſe, that moſt of this booke was no ſooner penned
then printed, neither well concey|ued before it came to writing. But it is
now to late to excuſe the maner of doing. It is poſsible that your Honour
will miſtyke hereof, for that I haue not by myne owne trauaile and eyeſight
viewed ſuch thinges, as I doe here intreate of. In deede I muſt needes
confeſſe that except it were from the parish where I dwell, vnto your Honour
in Kent, or out of London where I was borne, vnto Oxforde and Cambridge
where I haue beene brought vp, I neuer trauailed 40 miles in all my lyfe,
neuertheleſſe in my report of theſe thinges, I vſe their authorities, who
haue performed in their perſons whatſoeuer is wanting in mine. It may be in
like ſort that your Honour will take offence at my rashe and rechleſſe
behauiour vſed in the compoſition of this volume, and much more that being
ſcambled vp after this maner, I dare preſume to make ten|doure of the
protection thereof vnto your Lordships handes. But when I conſider the
ſingular affectiõ that your Ho. doth beare to thoſe that in any wiſe will
trauaile to ſet forth ſuch things as lye hidden of their countries, without
regarde of fine & eloquent handling, & therinto do weigh on
mine owne behalfe my bounden duetie and gratefull minde to ſuch a one as
hath ſo many and ſundrie wayes profited and preferred me, that otherwiſe can
make no recompence, I can not but cut of all ſuch occaſion of doubt, and
therevpon exhibite it ſuch as it is, and ſo pen|ned as it is vnto your
Lordships tuition, vnto whome if it may ſeeme in any wyſe acceptable, I haue
my whole deſire. And as I am the firſt that (notwithſtanding the great
repugnauncie to be ſeene among our writers) hath taken vpon him ſo
particularly to deſcribe this Iſle of Bri|taine, ſo I hope the learned and
godly will beare withall and reforme with charity where I do treade amiſſe.
As for the curious, & ſuch as can rather euill fauouredly eſpy then
skilfully cor|rect an errour, & ſooner carpe at another mans doings
then publish any thing of their owne, keping themſelues cloſe with an
obſcure admiration of learning & knowledge among the cõ|mon ſort) I
force not what they ſay hereof, for whether it doe pleaſe or diſpeaſe them,
all is one to me, ſith I referre my whole trauaile in the gratification of
your Honour, & ſuch as are of experience to conſider of my trauaile,
and the large ſcope of things purpoſed in this Treatize, of whome my ſeruice
in this behalfe may be taken in good part, that I will repute for my full
re|compence, & large guerdon of my labours. The Almighty God
preſerue your Lordship in cõ|tinuall health, wealth, and proſperitie, with
my good Lady your wyfe, your Honours children, whome God hath indued with a
ſingular towardneſſe vnto all vertue & learning, and the reſt of
reformed familie vnto whome I wish farder increaſe of his holy ſpirit,
vnderſtanding of his worde, augmentation of honour, & finally an
earneſt zeale to follow his commaundements.
Your Lordſhips humble ſeruant, and houſhold Chaplein. W. H.