Catul.  Bl. iv. 94.] Alloquar? audiero nunquam tua verba loquentem? [Footnote:  Ib. 25.] Nunquam ego te vita frater amabilior, Aspiciam posthac? at certe semper amabo. [Footnote:  El. i. 9.]

     O brother rest from miserable me,
     All our delights are perished with thee,
     Which thy sweet love did nourish in my breath. 
     Thou all my good hast spoiled in thy death: 
     With thee my soule is all and whole enshrinde,
     At whose death I have cast out of my minde
     All my mindes sweet-meats, studies of this kinde;
     Never shall I, heare thee speake, speake with thee? 
     Thee brother, than life dearer, never see? 
     Yet shalt them ever be belov’d of mee.

But let us a little feare this yong man speake, being but sixteene yeares of age.

Because I have found this worke to have since beene published (and to an ill end) by such as seeke to trouble and subvert the state of our common-wealth, nor caring whether they shall reforme it or no; which they have fondly inserted among other writings of their invention, I have revoked my intent, which was to place it here.  And lest the Authors memory should any way be interessed with those that could not thoroughly know his opinions and actions, they shall understand that this subject was by him treated of in his infancie, only by way of exercise, as a subject, common, bareworne, and wyer-drawne in a thousand bookes.  I will never doubt but he beleeved what he writ, and writ as he thought:  for hee was so conscientious that no lie did ever passe his lips, yea were it but in matters of sport or play:  and I know, that had it beene in his choyce, he would rather have beene borne at Venice than at Sarlac; and good, reason why:  But he had another maxime deepely imprinted in his minde, which was, carefully to obey, and religiously to submit himselfe to the lawes, under which he was borne.  There was never a better citizen, nor more affected to the welfare and quietnesse of his countrie, nor a sharper enemie of the changes, innovations, newfangles, and hurly-burlies of his time:  He would more willingly have imployed the utmost of his endevours to extinguish and suppresse, than to favour or further them:  His minde was modelled to the patterne of other best ages.  But yet in exchange of his serious treatise, I will here set you downe another, more pithie, materiall, and of more consequence, by him likewise produced at that tender age.

OF BOOKS

I make no doubt but it shall often befall me to speake of things which are better, and with more truth, handled by such as are their crafts-masters.  Here is simply an essay of my natural faculties, and no whit of those I have acquired.  And he that shall tax me with ignorance shall have no great victory at my hands; for hardly could I give others reasons for my discourses that give none unto my selfe, and am