UNDERSTANDERS.
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or this time I must speake only to you: at another, _Readers_ mayperchance serve my turne; and I thinke this a way very free fromexception, in hope that very few will have a minde to confessethemselves ignorant. If you looke for an Epistle, as you have before ordinary publications,I am sory that I must deceive you; but you will not lay it to mycharge, when you shall consider that this is not ordinary, for if Ishould say it were the best in this kinde, that ever this Kingdomehath yet seene; he that would doubt of it must goe out of the Kingdometo enforme himselfe, for the best judgments, within it, take it forgranted. You may imagine (if it please you) that I could endeare it untoyou, by saying, that importunity drew it on; that had it not beenepresented here, it would have come to us from beyond the Seas; (whichperhaps is true enough,) That my charge and paines in procuring ofit hath beene such, and such. I could adde hereto, a promise of morecorrectnesse, or enlargement in the next Edition, if you shall in themeane time content you with this. But these things are so common, asthat I should profane this Peece by applying them to it; A Peecewhich who so takes not as he findes it, in what manner soever, heis unworthy of it, sith a scattered limbe of this Author, hath moreamiablenesse in it, in the eye of a discerner, then a whole body ofsome other; Or, (to expresse him best by himselfe) [Sidenote: _In the Storme._] --_A hand, or eye,By_ Hilyard _drawne, is worth a historyBy a worse Painter made_;-- If any man (thinking I speake this to enflame him for the vent ofthe Impression) be of another opinion, I shall as willingly spare hismoney as his judgement. I cannot lose so much by him as hee will byhimselfe. For I shall satisfie my selfe with the conscience of welldoing, in making so much good common. Howsoever it may appeare to you, it shall suffice mee to enforme you,that it hath the best warrant that can bee, publique authority, andprivate friends. There is one thing more wherein I will make you of my counsell, andthat is, That whereas it hath pleased some, who had studyed and didadmire him, to offer to the memory of the Author, not long after hisdecease, I have thought I should do you service in presenting themunto you now; onely whereas, had I placed them in the beginning, theymight have serv'd for so many Encomiums of the Author (as is usuallin other workes, where perhaps there is need of it, to prepare men todigest such stuffe as follows after,) you shall here finde them in theend, for whosoever reades the rest so farre, shall perceive that thereis no occasion to use them to that purpose; yet there they are, as anattestation for their sakes that knew not so much before, to let themsee how much honour was attributed to this worthy man, by those thatare capable to give it. _Farewell._ [The Printer _&c._ _1633-49:_ _om. 1650-69, which substituteDedication_ To the _&c._ (_p._ 4)] [2 you: _1635-49:_ you, _1633_] [The Printer to the Vnderstanders. _1635-69:_ The Printer tothe Reader. _1633. See note_] [28 here _1635-69: om. 1633_ (... you shall here finde them inthe end,...)] _Hexastichon Bibliopolae._ I see in his last preach'd, and printed Booke,His Picture in a sheet; in _Pauls_ I looke,And see his Statue in a sheete of stone,And sure his body in the grave hath one:Those sheetes present him dead, these if you buy,You have him living to Eternity.
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