WHEN I CONsider , which thing I oftentimes do with my selfe , right Honorable , of what knowledge , sharpenesse of witte , and industrie , the learned and wise Philosophiers of auncient times were , I se cause both to reioyce , and to be sorie : reioyce we may , for that through their most excellent labors , it hath pleased almightie God , such is his goodnesse , so to open vnto vs the secrete workings of nature , and knowledge of sundrie things , which from many , were of a long time before secret and hidden : againe , sorie we may be , to see such singular instrumentes prouided for our welth and benefites , not only to be vtterlye ignorant in the moste comfortable , most hygh , and infallible doctrine , in the knowledge of their Creator , of our Redeemer and Maker , but also ( whereat needes muste we lament ) to be so dotinglye wedded vnto theyr owne willes , as wilfullie , or rather willinglie , and that ( alas ) without anye reason to yelde them selues bonde slaues and wretched captiues vnto the detestable seruitude , and most execrable bondage that euer sithens the creation of man reigned , vnto the embracing , I will not say of the euill , but of the most wicked , horrible , and monstruous Idolatrie of the heathens : that is , to worship the Sunne , to adore the Mone , to reuerence the Stars , to honor the fire , to take for their Gods the brute beastes of the earth , to esteeme for their Sauiours , some Rauenyng Fowle of the aire , and ( if all that be not madnesse and abhomination inoughe ) further to praye vnto most venemous snakes , to seeke helpe of vglie serpents , to accompt them for Goddes , to keepe , seede , and honor them . O blinde harts ! ô darkenesse palpable ! ô learning to no purpose auailable ! we may therfore wel say vnto such , yea , be he otherwise neuer so perfect an Orator , neuer so profound a Philosopher , Sapientia tua , & scientia tua , haec est quae decepit te : thy worldly wisdome , thy ouer curious knowledge , his , this , is it that hath blinded , beguiled , deceyued thee . For touching the excellencie of learning , and worthinesse of eloquence , if we weigh well , but the flowing stile of the incomparable Cicero , what can be more pleasant ? what maye with greater vehemencie perswade ? what can with more efficacie disswade ? who , to be briefe , may but with much admiration embrace it ? likewise , if we consider the great wisedome of Socrates , who is to be accompted ( this of the heathens I speake ) so woorthie ? so excellent ? so perfect as he ? Plato also was very famous , so were both the Catoes , Pythagoras , Sophocles , and Demosthenes , with many more : and yet how frowardlie , nay how frantikly these wandered from the right way , from the acknowledging of one God , and the same of a diuine essence , liuing , vnderstanding , of an infinite power , wisedome and goodnesse , true , bounteous , iust , chaste , and mercifull , which is the father , the sonne , and the holy ghost , three persons , and one God , how farre I say , and how wickedlie , from this they haue strayed , so euident it is , that for their sakes how should we but be sorie ? for ours , how can we but reioyce ? but what ? haue they erred in nothing , but in the doctrine ( which thing is verie all ) of our creation , and redemption ? haue they not in their owne doings oftentimes so foolishly reasoned , as , if wee fauored them not much , wee might seeme iustly to saye , that almost they had no reason ? and not to speake of Protagoras follie , nor of Diagoras his impietie , De nat. deo . lib. 1. to let all others passe , what if wee ripped vp the doings but of him whom amongst them all , I fauour most , of eloquent Cicero I meane ? might we not therin sometimes see , verie small proofes ? espie sclender reasons ? and finde suche childishe shiftes ? as better in my iudgement it were , to denie in some places the woorke , than to acknowledge it for the doings , in other things of so incomparable a man ? for to prooue his diuination , what I pray you among other things alleageth he ? De diuin. lib. 1. two Snakes forsooth ( so he sayth ) were taken in the house of a noble and wise man , one Ti. Gracchus , vnto whom the wise men ( for so I name them , whome the Persians call Magos : the Aegyptians Prophetas : the Assyrians Chaldaeos : and the Indians Gymnosophistas ) they being asked what these Snakes signified , did saye : that if he did let the Male escape , then should his wife shortly after die : if the Female , then should he . The Female was let gone ( for , loth a Gods name he was , that P. Affricanus his daughter , being a yong gentlewoman should die ) so he himselfe in fewe dayes after accordingly died . A worthie proofe of a thing neuer able to be proued Well , if anye of the twaine , sayth he , should escape , by that meane , the man , or the wyfe must nedes die . But as he had choyse to keepe which he woulde , so was he bound by no necessitie to let go anye . Why then kept he not both ? he was a wise man , why saued he not therby as well his owne life , as his wiues ? after the same maner myght we easilye confute ( were it not to long ) the famous Oracle at Delphi , the cutting of a whetstone with the rasour by Tarquinius , the dreame of Aeneas , and al such incredible , lewde and whetstone lies . But let Cicero herevnto ( for so he doth ) make this aunswere . What subtiltie is this , by trifling to condemne things , confirmed by yeares and antiquitye of time ? nay , what follie is it , without any reason , to receiue dreames and fonde fables , found out we know not how , why , nor by whom ? yet it is contained in blinde chronicles , it is of authoritie . Yea , but ipse dixit ( were the authoritie better than of those , qui sui quaestus causa , fictas suscitant sententias ) hindereth the learner , letting him from adiudging what in eche thing is right . In reasoning ( as Cicero himself saith ) the authoritie is not so much , as is the weight of the reason to be sought for , & required . What ? is this , will some say the opinion of Cicero ? is not his first booke of Diuination written in the name of his brother Quintus ? that I graunt . And yet , it is the doings of Tullie , it is his owne worke , and ( though it pleaseth him therin to try his wit ) his verie and full mind , as the same may well appeare aswell in other of his workes , as speciallye in hys writing vnto A. Caecinna , wherein he affirmeth , that no signes can be surer , that none may be more certaine , than Diuination . But let his first passe , and come vnto the seconde . Denieth he not therein , not onely dreames , whereof I speake not , but also visions ? not only Φαντάσματα , as therein the difference is pretye , Suidas : but also 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and yet we read that in the verie booke of God , how Daniel , S. Peter , S. Iohn , with others saw visions , regarded , estemed and expounded them . But here a while to omit the heathens , I would that we likewyse , euen we that are Christians , shoulde not trust ouermuch vnto authorities , vnto the writings , I meane , and coniectures of man , it is modestie to be allowed , and prudencie to be praysed , if we so reade them , as S. Aug. did the writings of S. Cyprian : that is , Aug. lib. 2 contra quendam Donatist . Quod in eis diuinarum scripturarum authoritati congruit , cum laude eius accipio : quod autem non congruit , cum pace eius respuo , that which agreeth in the same with the authority of diuine scriptures , to his prayse I receiue : but which agreeth not , that with his fauour I forsake , & leaue . Where let none thinke , that I contemne authorities , but only wishe , Sine ratione vt non valeret authoritas , that authoritie without reason or scripture , should not take place , and preuaile . For to saye the troth , some receyued of many as authorities , be so fonde , vt aures à commemoratione abhorreant . Peter ( saith some ) denied Christ , that he might follow him , and not for feare . O follie ! ô madnesse ! the scripture is plaine . A farre off followed Peter , he feared , yea , he was greatly afrayde . Some also affirme that S. Iohn died not , but was caried aliue , as Enoch , and Elias into Paradyse , and yet at his sepulchre is Manna , saye they , as it were bubling vp , euen vntill this daye , a sepulchre he had , he was buried , and notwithstanding all this , he died not . Alas , what weake authorities be these ? nay , what foolish , and intollerable dreaming is this , about the scriptures of God ? againe , such as childishlye do vnderstand , that the Lorde wil discend into a valley , vpon the side of the mount Olyuet , there to iudge the worlde , is not therein their wisedome so small , and their writings so fonde , as whether is most foolish , it is hard to tell ? Further , there be which alleage , that our Sauiour in no respect feared death , and that he was nothing afrayde of his passion . But the scriptures be altogether otherwise . For he himself sayth , My soule is heauye , euen vnto death . Of whom likewise the Euangelist thus speaketh , Marc. 14. Christ began to feare , and to be sorowfull . Ibidem . Let them therefore be ashamed , which thinke that our Sauiour , in respect of his manhode , feared not death , and that he did not through feare of his passion say Transeat à me calix iste , Math. 26. let this cuppe passe from me . There is moreouer , which write , that though our sauiour suffered , yet he felt no paine , though he were scourged , and wounded , yet he felt no smart , no griefe , no dolor , that all his passion was sine sensu poenae , without feeling of paine . What ? when he cried , Math. 27 Eli , Eli , lamasabachthani ? Lord , Lord , why hast thou forsaken me ? Were not then his paines great ? his dolors vnspeakeable ? his griefe exceding ? Oh , our infirmities he bare , Esa. 54. and our sorowes did he sustein . Wherfore , may wee not see , how slender sometimes , are the writings , and authoritie of man ? howe farre from the purpose they estray ? and how plainelye in some places they differ , from the Prophets , Apostles , Euangelists , and holy Ghost ? And to returne vnto the heathens againe , in whose workes although manie things be found vntrue , supersticious and lewde , yet thorowe them , as meanes , we haue attained the ryght entrie into Artes , the readye way how to vnderstand liberall sciences , and the playne path into the pleasaunt park of al laudable studies . And amongst all such benefits , which we thus at their handes haue receyued , no one seemeth more excellent , so profitable , and so to be accepted , as is the Arte of reasoning , which onelie ( as the Prince of Orators De leg . lib. 2. sayth ) doth conteine the whole skill of thorowly seeing and adiudging , what both is , and ought to be in euery matter . Yea , and that man , as sayeth the diuine Philosopher Plato , which vtterly in thys Arte is ignorant , seeth nothing else , were he otherwise neuer so rich and renowmed , but the verie shadowes , and hollow bare images of things . Therefore haue I thought it ( my singular good Lorde ) worth the labor , if wee in our tongue , as the Latines haue done in theirs , shoulde some briefly , & some at large , so set forth this Art ( which I may worthily term the verie treasure house of sciences , the Casket of Iewels , the ground of all good studies , and the very nurse of right perfect knowledge ) as it maye at the length appeare , that like as the Latine is nothing inferiour vnto the Greke , so our tongue may in time , either be comparable with both , or at the least ( somewhat to graunt them ) not much inferior vnto the second . Which my smal labour howsoeuer done , although in value little aboue the apple giuen by the poore man , vnto Artaxerxes Memor , I haue yet bene bolde to dedicate , and offer vnto your honor . First , as a token and pledge of the vnfeined good will which ( not to speake of your great clemencie ) for sundrye good causes , I am bounde to beare during lyfe , towardes your good Lordship : then , that vnder your protection , the same being published , the malice of Momus might be weakened , and the spite of Zoilus abated . For it cannot be but Logique hath enimies , but reason hath foes , but one industrious sometimes shall haue aduersaries . Thus humbly I craue that your honor would , with such hart and countenance receiue it , as thereby I may be encouraged ( if it shall please God , so to ayde me ) to beginne , and goe forwarde with greater things .