THou maist beleeve me ( gentle Reader ) without swearing , that I could willingly desire this book ( as a childe of understanding ) to be the most beautifull , gallant and discreet that might possibly bee imagined . But I could not transgresse the order of Nature , wherein every thing begets his like : which being so what could my sterile and ill-tild wit engender , but the History of a dry , toasted , and humorous sonne , full of various thoughts and conceits , never before imagined of any other ; much like one who was ingendred within some noysome prison , where all discommodities have taken possession , and all dolefull noyses made their habitation ? seeing that rest , pleasant places , amenity of the fields , the cheerfulnesse of cleer skie , the murmuring noyse of the cristal fountains , & quiet repose of the spirit , are great helps for the most barren Muses to shew themselves fruitful , & to bring forth into the world such births as may enrich it with admiration & delight . It oft times befals , that a father hath a child both by by birth evil favoured and quite devoid of all perfection , and yet the love that hee bears him is such , as it casts a mask over his eyes , which hinders his descerning of the faults and simplicities thereof , and makes him rather to deem them discretions & beauty , and so tels them to his friends for witty jests & conceits . But I ( though in shew a father , yet in truth but a step-father to Don Quixote ) will not bee born away by the violent current of the modern custome now a daies ; and therefore intreat thee with the tears almost in mine eyes , as many others are wont to doe , ( most dear Reader ) to pardon and dissemble the faults which thou shalt discern in this my soone ; for thou art neither his kinsman nor friend , and thou hast thy soul in thy body , and thy free will therein as absolute as the best , and thou art in thine own house , wherein thou art as absolute a Lord , as the King is of his subsidies , and thou knowest well the common Proverb , that Under my cloak a fig for the King , all which doth exempt thee , and makes thee free from all respect and obligation ; and so thou maiest holdly say of this History whatsoever thou shalt think good , without fear either to bee controled for the evill , or rewarded for the good thou shalt speak thereof .

I would very fain have presented it unto thee pure and Naked , without the ornament of a Preface , or the rabblement & Catalogue of the wonted Sonnets , Epigrams , Poems , Elegies , &c. which are wont to bee put at the beginning of Books . For I dare say unto thee , that ( although it cost me some pains to compose it ) yet in no respect did it equalize that which I took to make this preface which thou doest now read . I took oftentimes my pen in my hand to write it , and as often set it down again , as not knowing what I should write , and being once in amuse with my Paper before me , my Pen in mine eare , mine elbow on the table , and my hand on my cheek , imagining what I might write ; there entred a friend of mine unexpectedly , who was a very discreet and pleasantly witted man ; who seeing me so pensative , demanded of me the reason of my musing : And not concealing it from him , said , That I bethought my self on my preface I was to make to Don Quixotes History , which did so much trouble me , as I neither mean to make any at all , nor publish the History of the Acts of so noble a Knight : For how can I choose quoth I ) but be much confounded at that which the old legislator ( the Vulgar ) will say when it sees that after the end of so many years ( as are spent since I first step in the bosome of oblivion ) I come out loaden with my gray haires , and bring with me a Book as dry as a Kex , void of invention , barren of good phrase , poor of conceits , and altogether emptie both of learning and eloquence ; without quotations on the margents , or annotations in the end of the Book , wherewith I see other Books are still adorned , bee they never so idle , fabulous and prophane : so full of sentences of Aristotle and Plato and the other crue of the Philosophers , as admires the Readers , and makes them beleeve that these Authours were very learned and eloquent . And after , when they cite Plutarch or Cicero , what can they say , but that they are the sayings of S. Thomas or other Doctors of the Church ? observing herein so ingenious a method , as in one line they will paint you an enamoured gull , and in the other will lay you down a little seeming devout sermon , so that it is a great pleasure and delight to read or heare it ; all which things must be wanting in my Book , for neither have I any thing to cite on the margent or note in the end , & much lesse doe I know what Authors I follow , to put them at the beginning as the custome is , by the letter of the A.B.C. beginning with Aristotle , and ending in Xenophon , or in Zoylus , or Zeuxis . Although the one was a Railer , and the other a Painter . So likewise shall my Book want Sonnets at the beginning , at least such Sonnets whose Authours bee Dukes , Marquesses , Earls , Bishops , Ladies or famous Poets . Although if I would demand them of two or three Ahtificers of mine acquaintance , I know they would make me some such , as those of the most renowed in Spain would in no wise be able to equall or compare with them .

Finally good Sir , and my very deer friend ( quoth I ) I doe resolve that Sir Don Quixote remain intombed among the old Records of the Mancha , untill heaven ordain some to adorn him with the many graces that are yet wanting : for I find my self wholly unable to remedy them , through mine insufficiency and little learning ; and also because I am naturally lazie and unwilling to goe searching for Authors to say that which I can say well enough without them . And hence proceeded the perplexity , & extasie wherein you found me plunged . My friend hearing that , & striking himself on the fore head , after a long and lowd laughter said : In good faith friend , I have now at last delivered my self of a long and intricate error wherewith I was possessed all the time of our acquaintance ; for hitherto I accounted thee ever to bee discreet and prudent in all thy Actions , but now I see plainly that thou art as far from that I took thee to bee , as Heaven is from the Earth .

How is it possible , that things of so small moment and so easie to be redressed , can have force to suspend and swallow up so ripe a wit as yours hath seemed to bee , and so fitted to break up and trample over the greatest difficulties that can be propounded ? This proceeds not in good sooth from defect of will , but from superfluity of sloath , and penury of discourse : wilt thou see whether that I say be true or no ? Listen then attentively a while , and thou shalt perceive how in the twinkling of an eye , I will confound all these difficulties , and supply all the wants which doe suspend & affright thee from publishing to the world The History of the famous DON-QUIXOTE , the light and mirrour of all Knighthood Errant .

Say I pray thee , quoth I ( hearing what hee had said ) after what manner doest thou think to replenish the vacuity of my fear , and reduce the Chaos of my confusion to any cleernesse and light ? And hee replyed : The first thing whereat thou stopest , of Sonnets , Epigrams , Eglogues , &c. ( which are wanting for the beginning , and ought to be written by grave and noble persons ) may be remedied , if thou thy self wilt but take a little pain to compasse them , and thou mayest after name them as thou pleasest , and father them on Prester John of the Indians , or the Emperour of Trapisonde , whom I know were held to be famous Poets ; and suppose they were not , but that some pedantes and presumptuous , fellowes , would backbite thee and murmur against this truth , thou needest not waigh them two straws ; for although they could prove it to bee an untruth , yet cannot they cut off thy hand for it .

As touching citations in the margent , and Authours out of whom thou mayest collect sentences and sayings , to insert in thy History , there is nothing else to bee done , but to bob into it some latine sentences that thou knowest already by rote , or mayest get easily with a little labour : as for example , When thou treatest of liberty and thraldome , thou mayest cite that non bene pro toto libertas venditur auro : and presently quote Horace , or hee whosoever else that said it , on the margent . If thou shouldest speak of the power of death , have presently recourse to that , of Pallida mors equo pulsat pede pauperum tabernas , Regumque turres . If of the instability of friends , thou hast at hand Cato freely offering his disti●hon . Donec eris foelix multos numerabis amicos . Tempora si iuerint nubila , solus eris . If of riches , quantum quisque sua nummorum servat in arca tantum habet & fidei . If of love , hei mihi quod nullis amor est medicabilis herbis . And so with these latine Authorities , and other such like , they will at least account thee a good Grammarian , and the being of such a one , is of no little honour and profit in this our age . As touching the addition of annotations in the end of thy Book , thou mayest boldly observe this course . If thou namest any Gyant in thy Book , procure that it bee the Gyant Goliah ; and with this alone ( which almost will cost thee nothing ) thou hast gotten a fair annotation ; for thou mayest say , The Gyant Golias or Goliat was a Philistine , whom the Sheepheard David slew with the blow of a stone in the vale of Terebintho , as is recounted in the Book of Kings , in the chapter wherein thou shalt finde it written .

After all this , to shew that thou art learned in humane letters , and a Cosmographer , take some occasion to make mention of the River Tagus , and thou shalt presently finde thy self stored with another notable notation , saying the River Tagus was so called of a King of Spain , it takes it beginning from such a place , and dies in the Ocean Seas , kissing first the walls of the famous Citie of Lisborne : And some are of opinion , that the sands thereof are of Gold , &c. If thou wilt treat of Theeves , I will recite the History of Cacus to thee , for I know it by memory . If of Whores or Curtezans , there thou hast the Bishop of Mondonnedo , who will lend thee Lamia , Layda , and Flora , whose annotation will gain thee no small credit . If of cruell persons , Ovid will tender Medea . If of Enchanters and Witches , Homer hath Calipso and Virgill Circe . If of valorous Captains , Julius Caesar shall lend himself in his commentaries to thee ; and Plutarch shall give thee a thousand Alexanders . If thou doest treat of Love , and hast but two ounces of the Thuscane language , thou shalt encounter with Lion the Hebrew , who will replenish thy vessells with store in that kinde ; but if thou wilt not travel for it into strange Countries , thou hast here at home in thy house Fonseca of the love of God , wherein is deciphered all that either thou , or the most ingenious capacitie can desire to learn of that subject . In conclusion , there is nothing else to bee done , but that thou only indeavour to name those names , or to touch those Histories in thine own which I have here related , and leave the adding of Annotations and citations unto me , for I doe promise thee that I will both fill up the margent , and also spend four or five sheets of advantage at the end of the Book .

Now let us come to the citation of Authours , which other Books have , and thine wanteth , the remedie hereof is very easie ; for thou needest doe naught else but seek out a Book that doth quote them all from the Letter A untill Z , as thou saidst thy self but even now , and thou shalt set that very same Alphabet to thine own Book , for although the little necessity that thou hadst to use their assistance in thy work , will presently convict thee of falshood , it makes no matter , and perhaps there may not a few bee found so simple as to beleeve that thou hast holp thy self in , the Narration of thy most simple & sincere History , with all their authorities . And though that large Catalogue of Authors doe serve to none other purpose ; yet will it at least give some authority to the Book at the first blush : and the rather , because none will bee so mad as to stand to examine whether thou doest follow them or no , seeing they can gain nothing by the matter . Yet if I doe not erre in the consideration of so weighty an affaire , this Book of thine needs none of all these things , for as much as it is only an invective against Books of Knighthood , a subject whereof Aristotle never dreamed , Saint Basil said nothing , Cicero never heard any word . Nor doe the punctualities of truth , nor observations of Astrologie fall within the Sphear of such fabulous jestings . Nor doe Geometricall dimentions impart it anything ; nor the confutation of arguments usurped by Rhetorick ; nor ought it to preach unto any the mixture of holy matters with prophane ( a motly wherewith no Christian well should bee attyred ) only it hath need to help it self with imitation ; for , by how much the more it shall excell therein , by so much the more will the work be esteemed . And since that thy labour doth aime at no more then to diminish the authoritie and acceptance that Books of Chivalrie have in the world , and among the vulgar , there is no occasion why thou shouldest goe begging of sentences from Philosophers , fables from Poets , Orations from Rhetoritians , or miracles from the Saints , but onely endeavour to deliver with significant , plain , honest , and well-ordered words thy joviall and cheerfull discourse , expressing as neer as thou mayest possibly thy intention , making thy conceits cleer , and not intricate or dark ; and labour also , that the melancholy Mare by the reading thereof , may bee urged to laughter , the pleasant disposition increased , the simple not cloyed ; and that the judicious may admire thy invention , the grave not despise it , the prudent applaude it . In conclusion , let thy project bee to overthrow the ill-compiled Machina , and bulk of those knightly Books , abhorred by many , but applauded by more . For if thou bring this to passe , thou hast not atchieved a small matter .

I listned with very great attention to my friends Speech ; and his reasons are so firmly imprinted in my minde , as without making any reply unto them , I approved them all for good , and framed my preface of them : Wherein ( sweet Reader ) thou mayest perceive my friends discretion , my happinesse to meet with so good a councellour at such a pinch , and thine own ease in finding so plainly and sincerely related , The History of the famous DON-QUIXOTE of the Mancha , of whom it is the common opinion of all the inhabitants bordering on the Fields of Montiel , that hee was the most chaste , enamoured and valiant Knight that hath been seen , read , or heard of these many ages . I will not indeer the benefit and service I have done thee , by making thee acquainted with so Noble and Honourable a Knight , but only doe desire that thou gratifie me for the notice of the famous Sancho Panca his Squire ; in whom , in mine opinion , are deciphered all the Squire-like graces dispersed throughout the vain rout of Knightly Books : And herewithall I bid thee farewell , and doe not forget me .