the grace of the one tonge nor yet of the other is truely observed or aptlie expressed.  The lerned knoweth that euery tonge hathe his peculyer proprietie, phrase, maner of locucion, enargies and vehemecie, which so aptlie in any other tog can not be expressed.  Yf I shal perceyue this my symple doinge to be thankefully taken, and in good parte accepted, it shall encorage me hereafter to attempte the translacio of some bokes dysposing of matters bothe delectable, frutefull, & expedient to be knowen, by the grace of God, who gyuynge me quyetnes of mynde, lybertie, and abylytie, shall not desyste to communicat the frute of my ||spare howers, to such as are not lerned in the laten tonge:  to whome I dedycat the fyrste frutes of this my symple translacyon.

* * * * *

          A declaracion of the names.

        Poliphemus sygnifieth, valyant
      or noble, and in an other sygnifi-
   cacion, talcatyfe or clybbe of tong.  The
      name of a Gyant called Cyclops, ha-
     uynge but one eye in his forhed, of a
     huge stature and a myghtie personage. 
    And is aplyed here to sygnifie a great
     freke or a lubber, as this Poliphemus
      was, whiche beynge a man of warre or
     a courtyer, had a newe testament in his
       hande, and loked buselie for some
        sentence or text of scrypture
              and that Cannius his
                companyo espyed
                  and sayd to
                   hi as fo-
                    loweth.

* * * * *

[C]The parsons names are Cannius and Poliphemus.

Cannius. what hunt Polipheme for here?  Poliphemus.  Aske ye what I hunt for here, and yet ye se me haue neyther dogges, dart, Jauelyn, nor huntyng staffe.  Cannius.  Paraduenture ye hunt after some praty nymphe of the couert.  Poliphemus.  By my trouth and well coniectured, be holde what a goodly pursenet, or a hay I haue here in my hande.  Cannius.  Benedicite, what a straunge syght is this, me thinke I se Bachus in a lyons skin, Poliphemus with a boke in his hande.  This is a dogge in a doblet, a sowe with a sadle, of all that euer I se it is a non decet.  Poliphe.  I haue not onely paynted and garnyshed my boke with saffron, but also I haue lymmed it withe Sinople, asaphetida, redleed, vermilo, and byse.  Can.  It is a warlyke boke, for it is furnished with knottes, tassils ||plates, claspes, and brasen bullyons.  Poliphe.  Take the boke in your hand and loke within it.  Canni.  I se it wery well.  Truly it is a praty boke, but me thynkes ye haue not yet trymmed it sufficiently for all your cost ye have bestowed upon it.  Poliphe.  Why what lackes it?  Canni.  Thou shuldest haue set thyne armes upon it.  Poliphemus. what armes I beseche the?  Canius.  Mary the heed of Silenus, an olde iolthed drunkard totynge out of a hoggeshed or a tunne, but in good ernest,