THE
AVTHORS
PREFACE
TO
THE
READER
.
IT
falles
out
often
,
that
the
effects
of
mens
actions
comes
cleane
contrarie
to
the
intent
of
the
Authour
.
The
same
finde
I
by
experience
(
beloued
Reader
)
in
my
Poëme
of
LEPANTO
:
For
although
till
now
,
it
haue
not
bene
imprinted
,
yet
being
set
out
to
the
publick
view
of
many
,
by
a
great
sort
of
stoln
Copies
,
purchast
(
in
truth
)
without
my
knowledge
or
consent
,
it
hath
for
lack
of
a
Praeface
,
bene
in
some
things
miscontrued
by
sundry
,
which
I
of
verie
purpose
thinking
to
haue
omitted
,
for
that
the
writing
therof
,
might
haue
tended
in
my
opinion
,
to
some
reproach
of
the
skilfull
learnednes
of
the
Reader
,
as
if
his
braines
could
not
haue
conceaued
so
vncurious
a
worke
,
without
some
maner
of
Commentarie
,
and
so
haue
made
the
worke
more
displeasant
vnto
him
:
it
hath
by
the
contrary
falen
out
,
that
the
lack
therof
,
hath
made
it
the
more
displeasant
to
some
,
through
their
mistaking
a
part
of
the
meaning
thereof
.
And
for
that
I
knowe
,
the
special
thing
misliked
in
it
,
is
,
that
I
should
seeme
,
far
contrary
to
my
degree
and
Religion
,
like
a
Mercenary
Poët
,
to
penne
a
worke
,
ex
professo
,
in
praise
of
a
forraine
Papist
bastard
:
I
will
by
setting
downe
the
nature
and
order
of
the
Poëme
,
resolue
the
ignorant
of
their
error
,
&
mak
the
other
sort
inexcusable
of
their
captiousnes
.
The
nature
then
of
this
Poëme
,
is
an
argument
,
à
minore
ad
majùs
,
largely
intreated
by
a
Poetike
comparison
,
beeing
to
the
writing
hereof
mooued
,
by
the
stirring
vppe
of
the
league
and
cruell
persecution
of
the
Protestants
in
all
countries
,
at
the
very
first
raging
wherof
,
I
compiled
this
Poëme
,
as
the
exhortation
to
the
persecuted
in
the
hinmost
eight
lines
thereof
doth
plainely
testifie
,
being
both
begun
and
ended
in
the
same
Summer
,
wherein
the
league
was
published
in
France
.
The
order
of
the
Cantique
is
this
:
First
,
a
Poetique
Praeface
,
declaring
the
mater
I
treat
of
:
wherein
,
I
name
not
DON-IOAN
,
neither
literally
nor
any
waies
by
description
,
which
I
behooued
to
haue
doone
,
if
I
had
penned
the
whole
Poëme
in
his
praise
,
as
VIRGIL
,
Arma
virumque
cano
,
&
HOMER
,
Dic
mihi
musa
virum
,
of
whose
imitation
I
had
not
bene
ashamed
,
if
so
my
purpose
had
bene
framed
.
Next
followes
my
inuocation
to
the
true
God
only
,
and
not
to
all
the
He
and
She
Saints
,
for
whose
vaine
honors
,
DON-IOAN
fought
in
all
his
wars
.
Next
after
my
inuocation
,
follows
the
poetique
History
of
my
comparison
,
wherin
following
furth
the
ground
of
a
true
History
,
(
as
VIRGIL
or
HOMER
did
)
like
a
painter
shadowing
with
vmbers
a
portrait
els
drawn
in
grosse
,
for
giuing
it
greter
viuenes
,
so
I
eike
or
paire
to
the
circumstaunces
of
the
actions
,
as
the
rules
of
the
poeticke
art
will
permit
:
which
Historicke
comparison
continues
till
the
song
of
the
Angels
:
in
the
which
I
compare
and
applie
the
former
comparison
to
our
present
estate
,
taking
occasion
thereupon
to
speake
some
what
of
our
religion
.
Lastlie
the
Epilogue
of
the
whole
in
the
last
eight
lines
,
declares
fully
my
intention
in
the
whole
,
and
explaines
so
fullye
my
comparison
and
Argument
,
from
the
more
to
the
lesse
,
as
I
cannot
without
shamefull
repetition
speake
anie
more
therof
.
And
in
a
word
:
what
so
euer
praise
I
haue
giuen
to
DON-IOAN
in
this
Poëme
,
it
is
neither
in
accompting
him
as
first
or
second
cause
of
that
victorie
,
but
onely
as
of
a
particular
man
,
when
hee
falles
in
my
way
,
to
speake
the
truth
of
him
.
For
as
it
becomes
not
the
honour
of
my
estate
,
like
an
hireling
,
to
pen
the
praise
of
any
man
:
So
becomes
it
far
lesse
the
highnes
of
my
rancke
and
calling
,
to
spare
for
the
feare
or
fauor
of
whomsoeuer
liuing
,
to
speake
or
write
the
trueth
of
anie
.
And
thus
crauing
pardon
(
beloued
Reader
)
for
this
longsome
Apologie
(
beeing
driuen
thereto
,
not
by
nature
,
but
by
necessitie
)
I
bid
you
hartely
fare-well
.