_Io me n' andrò con la barchetta mia, Quanto l' acqua comporta un picciol legno; E ciò ch' io penso con la fantasia, Di piacere ad ognuno è 'l mio disegno: Convien che varie cose al mondo sia, Come son varj volti e vario ingegno, E piace a l' uno il bianco, a l' altro il perso, O diverse materie in prosa o in verso._ _Forse coloro ancor che leggeranno, Di questa tanto piccola favilla La mente con poca esca accenderanno De' monti o di Parnaso o di Sibilla: E de' miei fior come ape piglieranno I dotti, s' alcun dolce ne distilla; Il resto a molti pur darà diletto, E lo autore ancor fia benedetto._ PULCI. Most Prefaces are effectually apologies, and neither the Book nor the Author one jot the better for them. If the Book be good, it will not need an apology; if bad it will not bear one: for where a man thinks by calling himself noddy in the epistle, to atone for shewing himself to be one in the text, he does, with respect to the dignity of an author, but bind up two fools in one cover. SIR ROGER D'ESTRANGE. _Inter cuncta leges,— Quâ ratione queas traducere leniter ævum; Ne te semper inops agitet vexetque cupido, Ne pavor, et rerum mediocriter utilium spes;— Quid minuat curas; quid te tibi reddat amicum; Quid purè tranquillet, honos, an dulce lucellum, An secretum iter, et fallentis semita vitæ._ HORACE. _Si ne suis je toutesfois hors d'esperance, que si quelqu'un daigne lire, et bien gouster ces miens escrits, (encores que le langage n'en soit eslevé, ny enflé) il ne les trouvera du tout vuides de saveur; ny tant desgarniz d'utilité, qu'ils n'en puissent tirer plaisir et profit, pourveu que leurs esprits ne soyent auparavant saisiz de mal vueillance, ou imbuz de quelques autres mauvaises opinions. Je prie doncques tous Lecteurs entrer en la lecture des presents discours, delivres de toute passion et emulation. Car quand l'amertume d'envie ou mal vueillance, est detrempee en desir de contredire, elle ne laisse jamais le goust que depravé et mal jugeant._ PIERRE DE ST. JULIEN. Here are no forced expressions, no rack'd phrase, No Babel compositions to amaze The tortured reader, no believed defence To strengthen the bold Atheist's insolence, No obscene syllable that may compel A blush from a chaste maid. MASSINGER. Read, and fear not thine own understanding; this book will create a clear one in thee; and when thou hast considered thy purchase, thou wilt call the price of it a charity to thyself. SHIRLEY. One caveat, good Reader, and then God speed thee!——Do not open it at adventures, and by reading the broken pieces of two or three lines, judge it; but read it through, and then I beg no pardon if thou dislikest it. Farewell. THOMAS ADAMS.