Loue
and
liue
,
TO
THE
NOBILITIE
and
all
other
in
office
,
God
graunt
the
increase
of
wysedome
,
with
all
thinges
necessarie
for
preseruacion
of
their
estates
,
Amen
.
AMongst
the
wise
(
right
Honorable
)
whose
sentences
(
for
the
moste
parte
)
tende
either
to
teache
the
attaining
of
vertue
,
or
eschuing
of
vice
:
Plotinus
that
wonderfull
and
excellent
Phylosopher
,
hath
these
wordes
:
The
propertie
of
Temperaunce
is
to
couet
nothing
Your
humble
Iohn
Higgins
.
I.
Higgins
to
the
Reader
.
AMongst
diuers
&
sondry
Chronicles
of
many
Nations
,
I
thincke
there
are
none
(
gentle
reader
)
so
uncertaine
&
briefe
in
the
beginninge
as
ours
,
at
which
I
cannot
but
maruaile
sith
at
all
times
oure
Ilande
had
as
learned
writers
(
some
singuler
men
excepted
)
as
any
Nation
under
that
Sunne
.
Againe
those
,
which
now
are
our
best
Chroniclers
as
they
report
haue
great
Antiquities
,
but
what
they
publish
of
late
yeares
may
be
enlarged
in
many
places
by
Chronicles
of
other
Nations
:
whereby
it
is
manifest
they
are
either
ignoraunt
of
the
tongues
,
orels
not
giuen
to
the
study
of
that
which
they
most
professe
for
if
they
were
,
me
thincks
it
were
easye
for
them
with
such
Antiquities
as
they
brag
they
haue
,
to
fetch
our
Distories
from
the
beginning
,
&
make
them
as
ample
as
the
Chronicles
of
any
other
Country
or
Nation
.
But
they
are
faine
in
steede
of
other
stuffe
to
talke
of
the
Romaines
,
Greekes
,
Persians
,
&c.
and
to
fill
our
Distoryes
with
their
facts
&
fables
.
This
I
speake
not
to
that
end
I
would
haue
ours
quite
seperate
from
other
without
any
mention
of
them
,
but
I
would
haue
them
ther
onelye
named
wher
th'
affayres
of
both
countryes
by
warre
,
peace
,
truce
,
mariage
,
trafique
or
some
necessary
cause
or
other
is
intermired
.
I
haue
seene
no
auncient
antiquities
in
written
hand
but
two
,
one
was
Galfridus
of
Munmouth
which
I
lost
by
misfortune
,
the
other
an
old
Chronicle
in
a
kind
of
Englishe
Verse
,
beginning
at
Brute
and
endinge
at
the
death
of
Humfrey
Duke
of
Glocester
,
in
the
which
and
diuers
other
good
Chronicles
I
finde
manye
thinges
not
mentioned
in
that
great
tome
engroced
of
late
by
Maister
Grafton
and
that
where
he
is
most
barraine
and
wantes
matter
.
But
as
the
greatest
heades
,
the
grayest
heyres
,
and
best
clarkes
haue
not
most
witte
,
so
the
greatest
Bookes
,
titles
and
Tomes
containe
not
most
mater
.
And
this
haue
I
spoken
because
in
writinge
the
Tragedies
of
the
first
infortunate
Princes
of
this
〈◊〉
,
I
was
often
faine
to
vse
mine
owne
simple
inuention
(
yet
not
swaruing
from
the
matter
)
because
the
Chronicles
(
althoughe
they
wente
out
vnder
diuers
mens
names
)
in
some
suche
places
as
I
moste
needed
their
ayde
wrate
one
thing
:
and
that
so
brieflye
that
a
whole
Princes
raigne
,
life
and
death
,
was
comprised
in
three
lines
.
Yea
and
sometimes
mine
olde
booke
aboue
mentioned
holpe
mee
out
when
the
rest
forsoke
mee
,
as
for
Lanquet
,
Stowe
,
and
Grafton
were
alwayes
nighe
of
one
opinion
,
but
the
Floure
of
Histories
somewhat
larger
,
some
helpe
had
I
of
an
olde
Chronicle
imprinted
the
yeare
1515.
But
surely
mee
thincks
and
so
do
most
which
delite
in
historyes
,
it
were
worthily
done
if
one
Chronicle
were
drawne
from
the
beginning
in
such
perfect
sort
,
that
all
monuments
of
vertuous
men
,
(
to
that
eralting
of
Gods
glorye
)
and
all
punishments
of
vicious
persons
(
to
that
terrour
of
the
wicked
)
might
be
registred
in
perpetuall
remembraunce
.
To
which
thing
the
right
reuerende
father
in
God
Matthew
Archbishoppe
of
Canterbury
&
Metropolitane
of
Englande
hath
brought
such
ayde
as
well
by
printing
as
preseruinge
the
written
Chronicles
of
this
Realme
that
by
his
Graces
studye
and
paines
,
the
labour
in
time
to
come
wil
be
farre
more
easye
to
them
shall
take
such
trauaile
in
hande
.
But
to
leaue
with
these
and
declare
the
cause
of
my
purpose
.
As
I
chaunced
to
reade
the
Mirour
for
Magistrates
&
worke
by
all
men
wonderfully
commended
,
and
full
of
fitte
instructions
for
preseruation
of
eche
estate
:
takinge
in
hand
the
Chranicles
,
and
minding
to
conferre
the
times
:
mee
thoughte
the
liues
of
a
nomber
euen
at
the
beginninge
the
like
infortunate
Princes
,
offered
themselues
vnto
mee
as
matter
verye
meete
for
imitation
the
like
admonition
,
miter
and
phrase
,
and
seing
Baldwine
by
these
woordes
moued
mee
some
what
thereto
:
It
were
(
sayth
hee
)
a
goodly
and
a
notable
matter
to
search
and
discourse
our
whole
story
from
the
beginninge
of
the
inhabiting
of
this
Isle
,
&c.
I
read
the
storyes
,
I
considered
of
the
Princes
,
I
noted
their
liues
,
and
therewith
conferred
theyr
deathes
.
On
this
I
toke
penne
in
hande
,
mindinge
nothinge
lesse
then
to
publishe
them
abroade
:
but
onelye
to
trye
what
I
coulde
do
if
neede
were
or
time
and
leasure
were
giuen
mee
to
bestow
in
such
wise
.
I
wrote
the
two
first
euen
as
they
now
are
,
and
because
I
would
not
keepe
secrete
my
first
labours
in
this
kinde
of
studye
(
though
I
might
well
haue
blushed
at
the
basenes
of
my
stile
)
I
shewed
them
to
a
freiude
of
mine
,
desiring
his
bufayned
iudgement
in
this
matter
:
which
when
he
had
read
he
neuer
left
intreating
mee
to
write
other
,
til
I
had
ended
all
to
the
byrth
of
CHRIST
,
and
yet
not
so
content
:
he
desired
meet'accomplish
the
residue
til
I
came
to
the
Conquest
,
(
which
were
welnighe
fiftye
Cragedies
)
but
wearied
with
those
which
I
had
written
,
I
desired
him
pause
on
this
,
till
time
and
leasure
were
giuen
mee
.
Yet
he
makinge
relation
to
other
his
frendes
what
I
had
done
,
left
mee
not
quiet
till
they
likewise
had
seene
them
.
Whose
perswasion
,
as
it
seemed
without
any
suspition
of
assentation
or
flatery
,
so
bath
it
made
mee
bolder
at
this
present
then
before
.
For
although
(
sayd
they
)
your
Tragedies
be
simple
and
not
comparable
to
those
which
the
other
before
haue
written
:
yet
when
men
consider
that
many
wrote
those
,
but
one
these
:
that
they
are
graue
writers
,
you
are
but
yong
:
the
perfection
of
those
stories
,
and
th'
imperfection
of
these
.
Finally
the
good
will
you
beare
to
your
country
,
the
commendation
of
vertue
,
the
detestation
of
vice
,
the
fall
of
ambition
,
the
horrible
ende
of
traytours
,
harlots
,
tyraunts
,
adulters
,
enchaunters
,
murderers
and
such
like
.
When
men
(
said
they
)
consider
these
things
they
cannot
(
how
simple
soeuer
your
Verse
bee
)
but
thincke
well
of
the
matter
.
At
length
with
these
perswasions
and
suche
like
:
I
was
contente
(
good
Reader
)
to
publishe
them
for
thy
behoufe
,
and
the
publique
weale
of
my
countrye
.
At
which
if
thou
enuye
:
I
minde
not
therefore
to
enuye
my selfe
and
staye
my
penne
:
but
God
willing
thou
shalt
as
fast
as
I
can
prepare
them
,
haue
other
Bookes
from
my
handes
which
maye
please
thee
againe
,
and
thus
with
all
my
harte
I
bidde
the
hartelye
farewell
.
Thy
freinde
I.
H.