AS Learning , hath delighted from her Cradle , to hide her selfe from the base and prophane Vulgare , her ancient Enemy ▪ vnder diuers vailes of Hierogl●phikes Fables , and the like ; So hath she pleased her selfe with no disguise more ; then in misteries and allegoricall fictions of Poesie . These haue in that kinde , beene of speciall reputation ; as taking place of the rest , both for priority of time , and precedence of vse ; being borne in the ould world , long before Hieroglyphicks or Fabels were conceiued : And deliuered from the Fathers to the Sonnes of Art ; without any Aucthor but Antiquity . Yet euer held in high Reuerence and Aucthority ; as supposed to conceale , within the vtter barke ( as their Eternities approue ) some sappe of hidden Truth ▪ As either some dimme and obscure prints of diuinity , and the sacred history ; Of the grounds of naturall ▪ or rules of morall Philosophie , for the recommending of some virtue , torturing some vice in general ( For howsoeuer Phisitions alledge ; that their medicins , respect non Hominem , ●e●t Socratem ; not euery , but such a speciall body : Yet Poets professe the contrary , that their phisique intends non Socratem sed Hominem , not the indiuiduall but the vniuersall ) Or else recording some memorable Examples for the vse of policie and state : euer ( I say ) enclosing within the Rinde , some fruit of knowledge howsoeuer darkened ; and ( by reason of the obscurity ) of ambiguous and different construction . 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 &c. Est enim ipsa Natura 〈◊〉 Poe●●● anigmatu● plena , Pl●t . in A●●b. 2. nec qu ●is eam dignostit : This Ambiguity in the sence , hath giuen scope to the varietie of expositions ; while Poem in al ages ( challenging , as their Birth-rights , the vse and application of these fictions ) haue euer beene allowed to fashion both , pro & contra , to their owne offencelesse , and iudicious occasions . And borrowing to farre the priuiledg'd licence of their professions ; haue enlarged , or 〈◊〉 the Allegory , with inuentions and dispositions of their owne , to extend it to their present doctrinall and illustrous purposes ▪ By which aucthority , my selfe ( resoluing amongst others , to offer vp my poore mite , to the honour of the late Nuptials ; betwixt the two most Noble personages , whose honored names renown the front of my Poeme ) singled out ( as in some parts harmelesly , and gracefully applicable to the occasion ) The Nuptials of Perseus and Andromeda , an innocent and spotlesse virgine , rescu'd from the polluted throate of a monster ; which I in this place applied to the sauage multitude ; peruerting her most lawfully-sought propagation , both of blood and blessing , to their owne most lawlesse and lasciuious intentions : from which in all right she was legally and formally deliuered . Nor did I euer imagine till now so farre-fetcht a thought in malice ( such was my simplicitie ) That the fiction being as ancient as the first world , was originally intended to the dishonor of any person now liuing : but presum'd , that the application being free I might pro meo iure dispose it ( innocenly ) to mine owne obiect : if at least , in mine owne wrighting , I might be reasonablie & conscionablie master of mine owne meaning . And to this sense , I confinde the allegory throughout my Poeme ; as euery word thereof , ( concerning that point ) doth cleerely and necessarilie demonstrate : without the least intendment ( I vow to God ) against any noble personages free state , or honor . Nor make I any noble ( whose meere shadowes heerin , the vulgar perhaps may imitatate ) any thought the more mixt with the grosse substance of the vulgar : but present the vulgare onely in their vnseuerd herde ; as euer in antient tradition of all autenticall Aucthours they haue beene resembled : To whom they were neuer beholding for any fairer Titles ; Caligula . then the base , ignoble , barbarous , giddie multitude ; The Monster with many heads ( which the Emperor , in his displeasure , wisht to haue sprung all from one necke ; that all at one blow , he might haue v●trunkt them ) cui lumen 〈◊〉 ; without an Eye ; or , at most , seeing all by one fight ( like the Lamiae , who had but one eie to serue all their directions , which , as anie one of them went abroad , she put on , and put off when she came home ) giuing vp their vnderstandings to their affections , and taking vp their affections on other mens credits , neuer examining the causes of their Loues or hates , but ( like curres ) alwaies ba●king at all they know not : whose most honored deseruings ( were they knowen to them as to others of neerer and truer obseruation ) might impresse in them as much reuerence as their ignorance doth rudenesse : Euermore baying lowdest at the most eminent Reputations , & with whom as in the kingdom of Frogges ) the most lowd Crier , is the loftiest Rule● ▪ No reason nor aucthority able to stoope them ; though neuer so iudicially & religiously vrdging them : whose impartiall and cleere truth ; not their owne bold blindnesse can denie ; vnlesse they will dare to mutter with the Oratour touching the Delphicke Oracles , and say our Oracles of Truth , 〈…〉 did likewise 〈◊〉 encline to Philip putting no difference betwixt Illusion and Truth , the consciences of learned religious men ▪ and the cunnings of prophane . And then how may my poore endeauours , in dutie to Truth , and my most deare Conscience ( for Reputation , since it stands , for the most part , on beasts feete , and Deserts hand is nothing to warrant it , let it goe with the beastly ) reforme or escape their vnrelenting detractions ? The Loues of the right vertuous and truly noble , I haue euer as much esteemed , as despised the rest ▪ finding euer of the first sort , in all degrees , as worthy as any of my rancke , till ( hauing enough to doe in mine owne necessary ends , hating to insinuate and labour their confirmation , and encrease of opinion , further then their owne free iudgements would excite and direct them ) I still met with vndermining laborers for themselues , who ( esteeming all worth their own , which they detract from others ) deminisht me much in some changeable estimations ( Amicu●● 〈◊〉 Animal facile mutabil● ) whose supplies yet farre better haue still brought me vnfought : and till this most vnequall impression opprest me , I stood firme vp with many , now onely , with God and my selfe . For the violent hoobub , setting my song to their owne tunes , haue made it yeeld so harsh and distastefull a sound to my best friends , that my Integritie ▪ euen they hold , affected with the shrill eccho thereof , by reflexion receiuing it from the mouthes of others . And thus ( to 〈◊〉 , as strooke dumbe with the disdaine of it , their most vnmanly lie both of my ba●●●ing and wounding , saying ▪ Take this for your Andromeda , not being so much as toucht , I witnesse God , nor one sillable suffering ) I will descend to a conclusion with this , that in all this my seede time , sowing others honours , 〈◊〉 super semi●auit Zizania &c. Whiles I slept in mine innocencie , the enuious man hath beene heere , who like a venomous spider , drawing this subtle thred out of himselfe , cunningly spred it into the eares of the manie ( who as they see all with one eye , so heare all with one eare , and that alwaies the left ) where multiplying and getting strength it was spred into an Artificiall webbe , to entangle my poore poeticall flie ; being otherwise ( God knowes ) for enough from all venome , saue what hath beene ●oro'st into her , by her poisonous enemy to sting her to death . But the allusion ( you will say ) may be extended so farre ; but qui nimium emulget elicet sanguinem ; a malicious reader by straining the Allegorie past his intentionall limits , may make it giue blood , where it yeeldes naturally milke , and ouercurious wits may discouer a sting in a flie : But as a guiltlesse prisoner at the barre sayd to a Lawyer thundring against his life , Num quia tu disertus es , ego peribo ? because malice is witty , must Innocence be condemned ? Or if some other , not sufficiently examining what I haue written , shall by mistaking the title , suppose it carrie such an vnderstanding ; doth any Law therfore cast that meaning vpon me ? Or doth any rule of reason make it good , that let the writer meane what he list , his writing notwithstanding must be construed in mentem Legentis ? to the intendment of the Reader ? If then , for the mistaking of an enuious or vnskilfull Reader , who commonly being praeiudicia pro iudicijs , I shal be exposed to the hate of the better sort , or taken forciblie into any powerfull displeasure , I shall esteeme it an acte as cruell and tyranous , as that of the Emperour , who put a Consul to death for the errour of a publique Crier ; misnaming him Emperour in stead of Consul . For my selfe I may iustly say thus much , that if my whole life were layd on the racke , it could neuer accuse me for a Satyrist or Libeller , to play with worthie mens reputations ; or if my vaine were so addicted , yet could I so farre be giuen ouer , as without cause or end , to aduenture on personages of renownd nobilitie ? hauing infallible reason to assure my selfe , that euen those most honoured personages , to whose graces I chiefly intended these labors , might they but in the lest degree haue suspected any such allusion by me purposed , as is now most iniuriously surmised against me , they would haue abhorred me and banisht me their sight . To conclude Hic Rhodus , hic saltus ; as I said of my life , so of my lines ; heere is the Poeme ; let euerie sillable of it be tortured by any how partiall and preiudicate so euer ( for as the case hath beene carried : I can now looke for no difference ) and if the least particle thereof , can be brought , necessarilie or iustly to confesse , any harmefull intention of mine to the height imagined , hauing already past the test of some of the most Iudiciall and Noble of this Kingdome : if Malice will still make vnanswerably mine , what her selfe hath meerely inuented , and say with Phisitians , that the fault of the first concoction cannot be corrected in the second , ( my meat supposed Harpy-like rauisht at first , into her vicious stomacke ) And that as Herodotus is vniustly said to praise onlie the Athenians , that all Grecians else he might the more freelie depraue , so Malice will as licentiouslie affirme , that my Poeme hath something honourablie applicable , that the rest might the more safely discouer my malignance : And lastelie , If my Iudges ( being preiudicd with my accusation , haue no eare left to heare my defence ) will therefore powerfullie continue their hostilitie both against my life & reputation , then Collum securi , I must endure at how inhumane hands soeuer ( at least ) my poore credits amputation : humblie retiring my selfe within the Castle of my Innocence , & there in patience possessing my Soule , quietlie abide their vttermost outrage : dedefending my selfe , as I maie , from the better sort , by a cleere conscience , from the baser , by an eternall contempt .