Your hand I kisse; and, thus my _Lines_ addresse Vnto your wise, and vertuous[A] GOVERNESSE. _For, MADAME, (as his PROXY) it is fit, That, YOV both =Read=, and =answere= for him, yet. To YOV for HIM, J therefore tender, here, To welcome-in the =New-beginning Yeare=, This harmelesse PLAY-GAME; that, it may have place, When somewhat =riper Daies=, shall Make his =GRACE=, Affect such =Objects=; which, to looke upon May pleasure yeeld him, e’re this =Yeare= be gone. 'Tis not the least =Discretion=, in great COVRTS, To know what =Recreations=, and what =Sports= Become young PRINCES; or, to find out those, Which may, with harmelesse pleasantnesse, dispose Their Mindes to =VERTVE=: neither in their =Cradles=, Should this be heeded lesse, than in their =Sadles=: Because, when first to =know=, we doe begin, A small =Occasion=, lets much =Evill= in. Among those things, which both =Instruct= and =please=; But few, (for =Children=) are surpassing these: For, they, to looke on =Pictures=, much desire; And, not to =Looke alone=, but, to enquire What things those are, that represented be, In ev’ry MAP, or EMBLEM, which they see. And, that which they shall =view=, or shall be =told=, (By meanes of any =Figure= they behold) =Experience= breedes; assisteth =Memory=; Or, helps to forme a =Witty Fantasie=: And, if those =Formes= to good Instruction tend, Oft steads them, also, till their lives have end. Then, since ev’n all of us, much Good receive By Vertuous PRINCES; And should, therefore, strive To adde some =helpes=, whereby they might acquire That =Excellence=, which wee in them desire. I (being able, to present his GRACE, With nothing but a =Rattle=, or a =Glasse=, Or some such =Cradle-play-game=) bring, to day, This BOOKE, to be as usefull as it may: And, =how=, and =when=, it will most =usefull= grow, Without my =Teaching=, YOV can fully show. For, what is of your =Ablenesse= believ’d, Through all these famous =Ilands=, hath receiv’d, A large applause; in =that=, from out of those Which =ablest= were, both =King= and =State= have chose Your =Faith= and =Wisedome=, to be TREASVRESSE Of their chiefe =Iewels=; and the GOVERNESSE Of our prime Hopes. And, now J this have weigh’d, Me thinks, there needs no more, by me, be said, But, (having pray’d your HONOVR to receive This PRESENT for the DVKE) =to take my leave=; And =Versifie= to =him=, some other day, When =Hee= can understand mee, what I say._ Till then, let it please your _Honour_ sometimes to remember _Him_, that I am his Graces daily and humble Oratour, GEO: WITHER. Footnote: [A] _The Countesse of Dorset._ _We best shall quiet clamorous =Thronges=, When, we our selves, can rule our =Tongues=._