"Gentle Reader, thy frendly acceptance of these loose labors, the accompt of my idle howres, from exercises of greater profit and use, hath moved me, before I proceede any further, to overlooke and overlicke them once againe, as the beare is said to doe her unformed whelpes, and thereby both in portion and proportion to amend the same. I _have purposely passed_ over many imputations, and some secrete sences, which the deepe searchers of our time have rather framed then found: partly upon the science of myne owne conscience, and partly seeing no reason wherefore they should be more applied to this booke _then to the_ originall authors out of which it hath bene gathered, onely one offence I thought meete to meete with, and that is, concerning the rehearsall _of certaine oppressions both unusuall and intollerable_, and to no profitable purpose and end; which I heare to be hardly thought of and taken, not in regard of any moderate judgment, which may easily perceive how full it lyeth in the plaine path of the history, but _for feare_ of some quarrellous conceites, which may interpret it to be meant of an other tyme (although nothing like) then that whereof it was reported; which in one degree of melancholy further, would imagine the very belles to sound whatsoever hammereth within their heads. For my part _I am of opinion_, that no imposition at any time have bene either hurtfull to a prince or hatefull to the people, except two qualities do concurre: first, that it be excessive,--secondly, that it be wildly and wastfully expended: for if the one fayle, it never seemeth greevous; if the other, not odious. But if it be both moderate and also necessary; or great, joyned with greatnesse and importancy of neede: it standeth neither with reason nor with religion, for any subject to repine against it. _For the prince is a person of_ authority and trust, _to imploy_ the goods of the people, for their common good, _either_ in maintayning order among themselves, or in repelling the enterprises of their enemies: neyther can they possibly be preserved by the prince, if they withdraw theire owne endeavour and supply. And this the ancient wise men have endeavoured by a fable to make familiare; that all the parts of the body were once offended against the stomacke, for that they saw themselves vexed with perpetuall travayle and toyle, and the stomacke onely, not onely to be idle, but to consume all that they could provide. Hereupon they conspired together, that the hand should no more worke, nor the feete walke, nor the eye looke about, nor the mouth receyve, prepare, and send downe foode: so the stomacke not receyving nourishment, could not impart the same againe to every part of the body: whereby, first they languished and (being neere at the point to perish) at the last perceyved, that both their labour to get, and their