FAirely disposed Friends : Since the world ( of Critiques ) for custome-sake at least , would take it else in scorne ; it being growne so coy and squeamish , or , good City-Dame , so much affecting , as we see , Court fashion , that with an oyly tongue shee must be complemented with ; otherwise in stead of courtesie nothing but curiositie can be expected . Bowing therefore to , rather then of singularitie offering to infringe her doted-on Darlings customary proceedings , that Momus so might haue lesse cause to carpe and mow at what he cannot mend , or Zoilus to bite and snarle at it , by this importunity I yeeld to be thus ceremonious , Preface-wise to salute a World of ( some captious and capricious , no doubt , others more friendly ) Readers ; and thy selfe , perhaps , a more iudicious , and so lesse supercilious Censurer : for satisfaction to such thy selfe , being somewhat here is to be said of this ensuing Treatise ; let mee find fauour to be borne with , in speaking these few words , more for fashion sake then else , of that thou knowest before , or canst not but streight-waies collect , from the but viewing the first Pages of this present Historie .

Historie her Encomium needs not farre fetching , so frequent in our mouthes , the Life , Light , and Mistresse of Prudence : Life of past ; Light of present ; Directresse of future actions : memorizing Monument , and Trophey of the worlds ages and minoritie ; Glasse of Time ; Historie so conspicuous in it selfe , enueyled in the robes of Poesie , if worthily commendable , in many a famous forreine Nations gests , I may well thinke it no wayes disallowable in our owne ; how-e're obscuritie like a Cymmerian night , hath ouer-clouded the infancy of this our Iland ! still bearing sway with most , thereby yet prouing vs not degenerate in that , from our not curious Ancestors , in conseruation of Antiquities , we quit as little , if not lesse industrious to obserue and note the same ! when notwithstanding , with the enuious Mans , and curious , our eyes gaze on our Neighbours ground , his manners , seldome looking to our selues , neare home . We better skill the warres of Troy and Thebes , with the Pharsalian fields , the halfe-feyned fights of Hercules , Achilles Turnus , Hector and Aeneas , ( I will not say of Amadis , Don Quixot , and such like ) then as Heroike , if not more warlike , and worthy to be renowned martiall spirits of our owne ; Danes , Saxons , Romans , Normans , Brittons , and other noble Captaynes here at home ; the great Britannicus Caesars , Cassiuelane , Guider , Hengist , Arthur , Egbert , Rollo , Alfred , Marcia's , Elfled's , and their equalls , as truely glorious and worthy Wights , in this our Sea-encompast little Bryttaine-World , as euer were those halfe-deified and Pagan-sainted Heroes , of whose acts Homer and Hesiods , the Mantuan and Theban Poets layes in that so famous and triumphant wise resound ! yet then I feare , we should not be the true , plaine , downe-right , shall I say , or fantastique English-men , if Apes , Toyes , Monkeyes , Parrots , and Baboones , or yond-sea Owles , other Country-far-fetcht and new-fangle fashions , were not more fancy-able to our braine-sicke humours , and plausible to our nice palats , then wiser and better obiects , more profitable and fitting matters , in staid and setled iudgements , nearer concerning both our selues and natiue home . Which being so , sans enuy be it spoken , for correcting our too generally corrupted iudgements , in applause of any nouell monstrous ( I might say Monsters ) manners , as more especially strangers gugawes , and to the present purpose , forreine stories neare or farre before our owne ; whereby the same lie more vntrimd and trodden vnder foot ; since , what Scholers studie see wee ? as nor Merchants traffique for those things , how good so-e're , that are but seldome sought for , want vent , and are not saleable . This yet , incited me the more to trie new wayes , that Noueltie it selfe , and Nouelists fancying fancie pleased , and others , the best at least , contented , Albion and her Worthies might by this meanes , at all hands receiue some , though the meanest part of their true lustre , due , ancient and deserued glorie .

The ayme of this discourse , the full scope of our Bryttish historie , so diuided , that according to the ten great Reall or apparant changes of Estate , each seuerall Booke or Ode , from such mutation , take their subiect and beginning in historicall order , and from some partie of prime note , denomination ; the first treating of our first Founder Samothes and his succession called Samothes ; the second Albion , of him chiefe actor in the same ; the third the Giants of their rude regiment ; the fourth named Brute , of his next stablishing a Kingdome ; fift Mulmutius , of his re-vniting the distracted Prouinces ; sixt Caesar , of his conquest , and the Roman Caesars gouernment ; the seuenth entituled Hengist , of his foundation of the Saxon Heptarchy ; eight Sueno , of his , and the then rapines and oppressions of the Danes ; ninth Gulielmus , of his Norman conquest ; tenth Iacobus , of him a plant of that pacifique Oliue , fortunate Peace-maker , of famous memorie HENRY the seuenth ; now anew also planting peace , and vniting foure Kingdomes ; whose other stories on that occasion are briefly there displayed . In all which passages , what is lesse lightsome , or delightsome , impute it , if not to the obscuritie and harshnesse of the matter , to his weaknesse , that yet was and is willing , far as able , to giue all best contentment in that kinde . That Poesie should shadow Historie , such 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 , and pleasant studie , I may hope to find out Patrons for protection , as well as patterns , and those right ancient and worthy , for imitation and excuse ! What nouell is should not for nouelty distaste ; the English Poeme glosse to the stranger Idiome , that speaks perhaps such barbarous States-matters , like our English Lawes , but rude ; the marginall notes seruing for illustration to them both , supplying the defects , guiding and supporting the course of Historie : other Annotations , Analyses , or Explications proposing order , pointing at method , light and life of all discourse ; as they cannot but yeeld some profit , how-e're painefull and laborious to me , I wish to thee as vsefull and commodious , not doubting then thy well acceptance of the same ! The Title , suiting to the Treatise , 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 - Albion , or Antiqua-Albion , should seeme to promise Albions antiquities , and ancient storie of our Ile ! if alluding to 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 - Olbion , as thou fauourest one , happily enioy the other ; and as a Fauorite of Albion mayst thou be fauoured in the highest Olbion ; for whose sakes I say , and wish to say ,

Not censuring before thou reade ; not reading with preiudicate opinions of thine owne or others ; and not condemning all , before thou haue read all . As I shall much expect such censure , and approue it ; so shall I most respect the Censurer ! I will not be so rash or harsh to say , commend , or else comemend ; yet doe conclude thus with the Poet ,