_These =Emblems=, graven in Copper by =Crispinus Passæus= (with a =Motto= in Greeke, Latine, or Italian, round about every =Figure=; and with two =Lines= (or =Verses=) in one of the same =Languages=, periphrasing those =Motto’s=) came to my hands, almost twentie yeares past. The =Verses= were so meane, that, they were afterward cut off from the =Plates=; And, the =Collector= of the said Emblems, (whether hee were the =Versifier= or the =Graver=, was neither so well advised in the =Choice= of them, nor so exact in observing the true =Proprieties= belonging to every =Figure=, as hee might have beene._ _Yet, the =Workman-ship= being judged very good, for the most part; and the rest excusable; some of my Friends were so much delighted in the =Gravers= art, and, in those =Illustrations=, which for mine owne pleasure, I had made upon some few of them, that, they requested mee to =Moralize= the rest. Which I condiscended unto: And, they had beene brought to view many yeares agoe, but that the =Copper Prints= (which are now gotten) could not be procured out of =Holland=, upon any reasonable Conditions._ _If they were worthy of the =Gravers= and =Printers= cost, being onely dumbe =Figures=, little usefull to any but to young =Gravers= or =Painters=, and as little delightfull, except, to =Children=, and =Childish-gazers=: they may now be much more worthy; seeing the life of =Speach= being added unto them, may make them =Teachers= and =Remembrancers= of profitable things._ _I doe not arrogate so much unto my =Illustrations=, as to thinke, they will be able to teach any thing to the =Learned=; yet if they cast their eyes upon them, perhaps, these =Emblems=, and their =Morals=, may remember them, either of some =Dutie=, which they might else forget, or minde them to beware of some =Danger=, which they might otherwise be unheedfull to prevent. But, sure I am, the =Vulgar Capacities=, may from them, be many waies both =Instructed=, and =Remembred=; yea, they that have most need to be =Instructed=, and =Remembred=, (and they who are most backward to listen to =Instructions=, and =Remembrances=, by the common Course of =Teaching=, and =Admonishing=) shall be, hereby, informed of their =Dangers=, or =Duties=, by the way of an honest =Recreation=, before they be aware._ _For, when levitie, or a childish delight in trifling Objects, hath allured them to looke on the =Pictures=; Curiositie may urge them to peepe further, that they might seeke out also their =Meanings=, in our annexed =Illustrations=; In which, may lurke some =Sentence=, or =Expression=, so evidently pertinent to their =Estates=, =Persons=, or =Affections=, as will (at that instant or afterward) make way for those =Considerations=, which will, at last, wholly change them, or much better them, in their =Conversation=._