¶
To
the
right
honourable
Sir
Thomas
Bromley
Knight
,
Lorde
Chauncellour
of
Englande
,
one
of
the
Quenes
Maiesties
priuie
Councell
,
Thomas
Churchyarde
wisheth
greate
blessednesse
of
life
,
continuance
of
vertue
,
and
perfite
felicitie
.
AS
custome
and
continuaunce
of
tyme
,
bredes
a
lawe
in
Nature
,
and
conuertes
mannes
mynde
to
many
a
laudable
excercise
,
so
moste
honourable
,
the
good
will
of
men
is
neuer
vnoccupied
,
if
either
honest
labour
,
or
stdious
diligence
,
maie
please
those
greate
personages
,
that
affection
and
duetie
commaundes
vs
to
honor
.
And
as
it
hath
bin
(
through
tyme
out
of
mynde
)
an
auncient
maner
in
the
beginnyng
of
a
newe
yere
,
to
present
vnto
freendes
(
and
sutche
as
we
beste
fauour
)
some
signe
of
freendshipp
by
waie
of
newe
yeres
giftes
:
so
I
trust
the
maner
so
mutche
commended
emong
the
wise
,
and
so
long
vsed
with
all
sortes
of
people
,
(
for
the
purchasyng
of
good
liking
)
shall
excuse
my
ouer
greate
boldnesse
,
and
make
my
simple
gifte
accepted
.
For
as
I
vnderstande
,
and
my
betters
farre
haue
reported
,
it
is
not
the
valewe
of
the
presentes
,
nor
the
ritchnesse
of
the
Iewels
that
makes
our
giftes
welcome
,
and
bringes
the
giuer
in
the
good
opinion
of
the
worthies
in
this
worlde
:
but
it
is
the
vertuous
intent
of
the
minde
,
that
maketh
free
passage
to
that
whiche
is
presented
,
and
causeth
as
well
little
trifles
to
bee
estemed
,
as
greate
treasure
to
bee
made
of
.
If
otherwise
the
worthinesse
of
thynges
were
to
be
iudged
,
my
triflyng
booke
might
blushe
in
my
behalfe
:
and
the
vaine
verses
therein
would
rather
argue
my
disgrace
,
then
further
my
good
fame
.
And
therefore
my
good
Lorde
,
since
euery
mans
gift
is
receiued
&
waied
,
accordyng
to
the
good
will
of
the
giuer
:
I
haue
this
present
new
yeres
daie
,
presented
vnto
your
good
Lordshipp
good
Chaunce
,
and
so
with
this
good
Chaunce
salutyng
your
honor
,
(
with
all
seruisable
dueties
,
)
I
honor
your
Lordshipps
vertues
,
&
procede
to
the
purpose
of
my
matter
.
The
people
of
this
worlde
(
whose
sondrie
wittes
and
iudgementes
,
lookes
deepely
into
the
deuises
of
the
writers
in
our
age
)
if
thei
would
straitly
and
narrowly
beholde
,
how
busie
I
haue
bin
in
settyng
out
bookes
(
and
printyng
of
pamfletts
)
might
paraduenture
make
a
wonder
of
my
wearisome
woorkes
,
for
that
many
woordes
hath
bin
spent
to
little
profite
,
either
of
my
Countrey
,
or
commoditie
to
my self
,
because
my
small
learnyng
and
capacitie
,
could
neuer
reche
to
any
greate
knowledge
,
nor
searche
out
the
ground
of
any
profounde
seeret
or
science
.
But
how
so
euer
my
woorkes
maie
bee
construed
,
my
penne
hath
kept
me
from
slothe
and
Idelnesse
,
and
little
hath
bin
loste
by
my
studie
and
labors
.
For
freendes
and
fauourars
hath
bin
gotten
through
diligence
:
and
tyme
hath
bin
entertained
in
muche
contentation
of
minde
.
And
though
it
was
my
Chaunce
to
light
on
a
pleasant
disposition
in
making
of
verses
:
(
when
others
happened
by
Fortunes
election
on
a
multitude
of
benifites
,
)
yet
blessed
is
the
Chaunce
that
breedeth
merrie
thoughtes
,
and
vnlodes
the
harte
and
hedde
of
a
nomber
of
heauie
cogitations
.
For
though
small
abilitie
&
simple
callyng
,
bryngeth
no
greate
reputation
and
credite
:
yet
it
sitteth
free
from
the
bitter
blaste
of
Fortunes
tempestes
.
When
the
mindes
of
the
mightie
are
shocked
,
and
shaken
with
the
blusteryng
stormes
of
worldes
vnstablenesse
.
And
though
my
Chaunce
was
to
trauaill
abroade
to
seeke
after
Fortune
,
whiles
others
at
home
found
themselues
happie
:
yet
beyng
so
smally
prefarred
by
Chaunce
euery
where
,
I
am
neither
troubled
with
her
mutabilitie
,
nor
driuen
to
giue
her
thankes
,
for
any
good
tourne
she
hath
doen
me
.
And
yet
my
Chaunce
is
indifferent
,
that
bothe
in
warres
and
peace
(
possessyng
my
little
portion
)
I
haue
seen
thousandes
depart
from
this
worlde
,
and
sodainly
taken
from
their
abondance
.
My
chance
is
to
be
in
court
well
knowen
,
and
mutche
made
of
,
though
smally
considered
or
aduaunced
.
My
Chaunce
is
to
liue
awhile
and
write
Epitaphes
,
Sonets
and
sedules
on
many
a
worthie
personage
:
whiles
my
life
and
footesteps
,
drawes
the
bodie
to
his
long
home
,
and
leades
the
restlesse
daies
to
the
quiet
graue
.
And
so
as
Chance
hath
fallen
out
,
and
alotted
me
by
a
bond
of
causes
(
through
the
originall
&
ground
of
all
goodnesse
)
the
pleasure
of
penne
and
the
pain
of
studie
,
euen
so
in
like
maner
I
gladly
plaie
out
my
part
on
the
stage
in
this
toilesome
,
and
tragicall
pilgrimage
,
where
nothyng
easeth
our
labours
so
mutche
,
as
the
sweete
contentation
of
minde
.
But
to
what
purpose
trouble
I
your
honourable
iudgement
and
grauitie
,
with
the
rehersall
of
trifles
,
or
why
doeth
rashenesse
in
so
bolde
a
maner
,
dedicate
sutche
a
woorke
(
scarce
worthie
the
looking
on
)
to
sutche
a
worthie
Magistrate
,
whose
wisedome
maie
disdaine
the
reading
of
so
simple
a
discourse
.
The
trothe
is
my
right
good
Lorde
,
this
present
is
offered
as
a
peece
of
a
meane
,
to
passe
awaie
the
tyme
,
amid
great
affaires
,
and
weightie
causes
,
whiche
with
light
matters
findes
recreation
,
&
by
the
inuention
of
pretie
deuised
sportes
:
the
studie
and
care
of
commonweale
,
seemeth
lesse
tedius
and
troublesome
.
For
the
minde
wearied
with
ouer
long
labours
,
and
sadde
motions
of
the
spirite
(
that
through
continuaunce
,
maie
dull
the
senses
)
is
sharpened
and
made
better
at
commaundement
,
when
chaunge
of
pastymes
,
with
some
pleasaunt
exercises
hath
eased
the
bodie
,
and
refreshed
the
memorie
:
My
verses
God
wot
,
are
voide
of
sutche
deuine
vertue
.
And
I
wantyng
the
grace
of
Mercurie
,
or
Pipe
of
Appollo
,
presumeth
to
farre
to
please
the
eares
of
Minerua
,
with
the
rashe
sounde
of
rusticall
Musicke
.
But
though
the
harmonie
be
not
so
sweete
and
delicate
,
as
is
to
be
wished
,
the
desire
to
doe
well
,
is
the
instrument
onely
,
that
maie
bryng
suche
delite
,
whiche
maie
for
euer
purchace
good
acceptation
.
And
for
that
to
the
art
of
Musicke
and
harmonie
,
belongeth
seuerall
sortes
of
partes
,
to
make
good
concordance
,
I
haue
tuned
all
my
notes
and
songes
worthie
the
hearyng
,
into
one
kind
of
voice
and
order
.
Meanyng
that
where
many
a
peece
of
descant
is
to
bee
seen
(
and
some
iarres
maie
happen
by
misliking
of
discordes
)
yet
a
nomber
of
partes
soundyng
together
,
maie
couer
the
faultes
and
imperfections
of
an
ignoraunt
Musition
.
And
because
in
the
sweete
soile
of
Salop
(
in
whiche
parties
your
Lordshippe
was
nourished
)
whiche
seate
I
honour
of
nature
,
and
toke
some
sauor
and
taste
of
Science
in
,
the
gladder
are
my
muses
to
reuerence
with
verses
,
a
speciall
sparke
and
spectacle
of
the
countrey
I
was
borne
in
,
either
with
Musicall
melodie
,
or
Poeticall
pastymes
and
passages
,
delated
for
pleasure
and
delite
,
and
dedicated
where
I
desire
my
duetifull
good
will
maie
be
embraced
.
The
matters
I
treate
of
,
are
written
of
sutche
sondrie
humours
and
subiectes
,
that
thei
are
more
to
be
redd
for
the
varietie
of
woordes
,
then
for
the
goodnesse
of
the
verses
:
and
the
cause
why
and
wherefore
I
dedicate
sutche
a
matter
to
your
Lordship
,
is
for
that
I
would
be
sorie
that
my
daies
and
yeres
should
bee
spent
,
with
the
losse
of
tyme
,
and
that
my
labour
and
studie
well
ment
,
should
be
forgotten
and
caste
in
a
corner
,
for
want
of
the
printing
.
The
strange
motions
and
maner
of
the
writyng
showes
nothyng
but
the
nature
of
mans
fansies
,
that
neuer
continueth
in
one
kinds
of
consait
.
The
occasions
of
so
many
seuerall
discourses
,
rose
but
on
the
innumerable
deuises
of
the
hed
,
that
euer
in
one
pointe
or
other
,
by
imagination
is
occupied
.
And
the
whole
somme
and
substance
of
that
whiche
is
written
,
is
but
to
publish
to
the
worlde
,
that
ill
is
better
to
be
meanely
exercised
in
honest
pastymes
,
then
basely
bent
and
giuen
to
barraine
slothe
and
Idelnesse
.
Thus
trustyng
your
good
Lordship
will
take
in
good
part
,
a
part
of
the
portion
that
from
the
heauens
is
giuen
me
:
I
presente
vnto
your
handes
this
newe
yere
,
some
of
mine
old
labors
&
studies
,
Printed
al
bound
in
one
newe
volume
,
for
sutche
as
pleases
to
buye
them
.
And
so
as
best
becommeth
me
(
and
duetie
commaundes
)
I
remaine
a
well
willer
to
your
honour
duryng
my
life
,
moste
willyngly
at
commaundemente
.
Thomas
Churchyard
.