Look for no splendid painted outside here, But for a work devotedly sincere; A thing low prized in these too high-flown days: Such solid sober works get little praise. Yet some there be Love true solidity. And unto such brave noble souls I write, In hopes to do them and the subject right. I write it not to please the itching vein Of idle-headed fashionists, or gain Their fond applause; I care for no such noise. I write it only for the sober sort, Who love right learning, and will labour for't; And who will value worth in art, though old, And not be weary of the good, though told Tis out of fashion By nine-tenths of the nation. I writ it also out of great good will Unto my countrymen; and leave my skill Behind me for the sakes of those that may Not yet be born; but in some after day May make good use Of it, without abuse. But chiefly I do write it, for to show A duty to the Doctor which I owe. THOMAS MACE. Physicians are many times forced to leave such methods of curing as themselves know to be the fittest, and being overruled by their patient's impatiency are fain to try the best they can in taking that way of cure, which the cured will yield unto: in like sort, considering how the case doth stand with this present age, full of tongue and weak of brain, behold we yield to the stream thereof: into the causes of goodness we will not make any curious or deep inquiry; to touch them now and then it shall be sufficient, when they are so near at hand that easily they may be conceived without any far removed discourse. That way we are contented to prove, which being the worse in itself, is notwithstanding now, by reason of common imbecility, the fitter and likelier to be brooked. HOOKER. _Qui lit beaucoup et jamais ne medite, Semble à celuy qui mange avidement, Et de tous mets surcharge tellement Son estomach que rien ne luy profit._ QUATRAINE DE PIBRAC. thus englished by Sylvester, Who readeth much and never meditates, Is like a greedy eater of much food, Who so surcloys his stomach with his cates That commonly they do him little good. _Je sçay qu'en ce discours l'on me pourra reprendre, que j'ay mis beaucoup de particularitez qui sont fort superfluës. Je le crois: mais, je sçay, que si elles desplaisent à aucuns, elles plairont aux autres: me semblant, que ce n'est pas assez, quand on louë des personnes, dire qu'elles sont belles, sages, vertueuses, valeureuses, vaillantes, magnanimes, libérales, splendides et très-parfaites. Ce sont loüanges et descriptions genérales, et lieux-communs empruntez de tout le monde. Il en faut specifier bien le tout, et descrire particuliérement les perfections, afin que mieux on les touche au doigt: et telle est mon opinion._ BRANTOME.