THE
EPIGRAMS
OF
P.
VIRGILIVS
MARO
,
and
others
.
WITH
The
Praises
of
him
and
his
Workes
.
ALSO
His
Epitaphs
composed
by
diuers
illustrious
persons
.
And
lastly
,
the
Arguments
of
his
Workes
.
Englished
by
I.
P.
louer
of
Learning
.
Candidus
à
salibus
suffusis
felle
refugi
:
Nulla
venenato
littera
mista
ioco
est
.
Ouid.
2.
Trist
.
LONDON
,
Printed
by
G.P.
1624.
TO
THE
MOST
Flourishing
and
hopefull
BRANCH
of
a
most
ancient
and
generous
Stocke
,
NATHANIEL
GVRLIN
,
of
the
honourable
Society
of
Lincolnes
Inne
Esquire
.
THis
Dedicatory
custome
(
as
Lactantius
testifies
)
hath
beene
since
the
time
of
Iupiter
,
and
as
I
conceiue
)
will
continue
during
the
time
of
Iupiter
,
that
is
,
the
Planet
so
called
,
the
rather
for
that
a
booke
set
forth
without
a
Dedication
,
doth
intimate
or
raise
a
suspition
in
the
Reader
,
that
the
Author
studies
destitute
(
as
one
vnworhy
of
a
Mecoenas
.
For
which
cause
,
when
I
had
finished
this
Translation
according
to
my
slender
skill
and
weak
wit
,
whereof
I
may
say
with
Ouid
,
Ingenium
fregêre
meum
mala
,
cuius
&
ante
,
Fons
infecundus
,
paruaque
vena
fuit
.
Musing
with
my selfe
,
to
whose
Patronage
I
might
especially
commend
it
,
your
noble
worth
worthy
Sir
,
which
way
so
soeuer
I
turn'd
me
,
did
still
present
it selfe
to
my
vnsetled
mind
,
considering
the
generall
fame
of
your
pious
inclination
to
vertue
and
good
discipline
(
both
which
are
copiously
taught
and
exprest
in
these
Epigrams
)
with
detestation
of
the
contrary
.
Yet
(
worthy
Sir
)
more
exactly
weighing
that
Honourable
course
of
life
,
wherin
your
setled
industry
(
by
no
vicious
exercize
interrupted
)
hath
proued
so
proficient
,
that
diuers
yeeres
sithence
you
haue
meritoriously
attained
the
Worshipfull
degree
of
Barrister
(
which
is
rare
in
a
person
so
youthfull
)
and
are
growne
old
in
wisdome
,
learning
,
and
experience
,
I
conceiued
this
pety
Paper-present
,
as
well
for
the
difference
of
its
subiect
from
the
matter
of
your
practice
,
as
in
respect
of
my
rude
workemanship
hereupon
bestowed
,
to
be
farre
be-beneath
and
come
short
of
your
illustrious
merit
.
Howbeit
Plinie
saies
,
it
was
vsuall
with
Husbandmen
to
make
supplication
vnto
the
Gods
with
Milke
,
and
when
they
wanted
Frankincense
,
to
sacrifice
with
a
Cake
made
of
meale
,
water
,
and
salt
,
which
(
as
hee
thought
)
was
no
lesse
accepted
then
the
most
costly
and
odoriferous
burnt-offerings
.
Let
therefore
(
worthy
Sir
)
your
nobly-disposed
hart
with
a
cheerefull
benignitie
,
entertaine
this
gratefull
and
zealous
oblation
,
how
meane
and
vnmeet
soeuer
it
is
,
from
the
hands
of
him
that
will
not
only
pray
for
your
health
and
prosperous
proceedings
,
but
endeuour
to
deserue
your
fauourable
regard
by
all
respectiue
seruice
in
his
power
,
and
approue
himselfe
A
most
dutiful
declarer
of
your
Honour-worthy
Vertues
,
Iohn
Penkethman
.
The
Translator
to
the
vertuous-minded
English
Scholler
,
and
the
indifferent
READER
.
MY
Muse
being
not
inclined
(
according
to
the
custome
of
these
times
)
to
the
inuention
of
scandalous
or
reprehensiue
Inuectiues
,
by
way
of
Epigram
or
Satyre
,
either
for
the
disgorging
of
my
stomake
against
any
,
(
though
occasion
doth
excite
mee
to
reproue
many
from
whom
I
haue
receiued
insufferable
iniuries
)
or
otherwise
to
carpe
at
the
notorious
humours
and
vices
of
particular
persons
that
neuer
offended
me
,
onely
for
ostentation
of
my
wit
;
but
rather
desirous
to
spend
my
vacant
houres
,
and
imploy
the
poore
portion
of
my
little
learning
,
generally
for
the
good
admonition
and
reformation
of
the
vicious
,
and
instruction
of
the
ignorant
,
I
haue
aduentured
(
as
formerly
of
the
Schoole-book
inscribed
with
the
name
of
Cato
)
to
make
interpretation
of
these
Epigrams
,
which
(
notwithstanding
they
were
for
the
most
part
,
the
fruits
of
Virgils
minority
,
being
by
him
composed
at
his
age
of
15.
yeeres
,
as
I
note
in
his
life
written
by
Donatus
)
doe
containe
such
variety
of
good
doctrine
,
and
exquisite
inuentions
,
that
to
me
they
seeme
rather
to
haue
beene
brought
forth
in
his
Maiority
,
when
Learning
,
Iudgement
and
Wit
in
him
were
most
mature
,
or
else
the
greatest
number
of
them
to
haue
issued
(
as
Scaliger
and
other
Commentors
conceiue
)
from
the
learned
heads
of
more
ancient
Poets
.
And
for
that
cause
I
haue
punctually
obserued
the
peculiar
titles
of
these
Epigrams
as
they
stand
in
the
last
edition
of
the
Latine
,
without
addition
or
alteration
of
any
Authors
name
,
considering
withall
,
that
to
know
the
workeman
is
not
so
materiall
,
or
so
much
to
be
inquired
and
regarded
,
as
the
benefit
and
good
vse
of
the
worke
it selfe
:
and
as
in
meates
the
wholsomnesse
is
more
to
be
wished
then
the
toothsomnesse
,
so
in
bookes
,
the
goodnesse
of
the
matter
is
to
bee
preferred
before
the
eloquence
of
the
phrase
.
But
here
some
selfe-conceited
Grammarians
,
being
conditioned
like
the
dog
in
the
manger
,
neither
willing
to
bestow
their
owne
studies
in
translating
such
worke
,
nor
permitting
others
,
without
a
snarling
reproofe
,
to
performe
that
part
,
will
peraduenture
tax
and
accuse
me
(
as
they
haue
done
)
of
doing
iniury
to
Learning
,
by
making
it
so
common
,
that
now
adaies
they
can
discourse
or
deliuer
nothing
of
worth
out
of
Latine
Writers
,
but
the
Hearer
(
though
the
Latinist
)
is
ready
to
take
the
tale
by
the
end
,
as
one
that
knowes
already
no
lesse
then
themselues
,
and
that
Learning
thereby
is
vilified
,
and
daily
groweth
out
of
request
with
many
,
who
when
their
sonnes
haue
spent
some
time
at
Schoole
,
to
keepe
them
out
of
the
durt
(
as
they
say
)
and
from
hurt
and
idlenesse
,
choose
rather
to
binde
them
Apprentice
to
deceitfull
trades
,
and
mechanike
handy-crafts
,
then
to
place
them
in
the
Vniuersity
,
where
with
their
yeeres
they
might
increase
in
discipline
,
and
consequently
become
good
members
of
the
Church
or
Common-wealth
.
To
these
,
I
answer
,
that
not
onely
in
mine
owne
opinion
,
but
by
the
approbation
of
impartiall
(
and
those
profound
)
Schollers
,
whose
workes
extant
doe
witnesse
it
,
this
custome
of
translating
doth
rather
Right
then
Wrong
to
Learning
.
For
the
knowledge
of
good
discipline
ought
not
to
be
kept
priuate
or
restrained
,
like
treasure
in
a
misers
chest
,
in
the
possession
of
a
few
,
but
like
the
element
of
water
,
should
be
publike
and
vsefull
for
all
men
.
And
Parents
by
this
meanes
of
translating
,
finding
what
excellent
matters
are
comprized
in
Latine
Authors
,
doe
admire
and
fall
in
loue
(
as
I
may
say
)
with
the
worth
of
Learning
,
and
thereupon
doe
seeke
to
furnish
their
children
with
what
they
see
wanting
in
themselues
,
hoping
that
the
like
fruit
may
be
produced
by
their
future
studies
,
and
that
at
length
the
Fathers
obscure
family
may
(
as
hath
beene
lately
knowne
,
and
some
Latine
Authors
testifie
)
be
ennobled
by
their
sonnes
aduancement
.
And
thus
hauing
briefly
and
plainely
,
forthe
better
vnderstanding
of
the
vnlearned
,
yet
I
hope
sufficiently
apologized
for
this
my
translation
,
I
leaue
you
to
peruse
it
.