TH’AUCTOR TO HIS BOOKE.

Crepe forthe, my boke, under the proteccion

Of suche as have bothe learnyng and eloquence;

Humbly submyttyng the to the correccion

Of worthy writers of virtuous excellence,

Besechyng all them, of ther benygn pacience

To take the meanyng, however the matter frame,

Of this thyn auctor, abasshed of his name.

For, first of all, whan I do behold

Of famous writers the goodly circumstance,

My quaking hand my penne unnethe can hold,

So dombe I ame of doctryn, lame of experience,

Stakeryng in style, onsavery of sentence,

Save oonly hope, that saithe withouten fayll,

That my well meanyng shall quytt my travayll.

Thus, not presumyng of learnyng ne eloquence,

Hope made me shove the boote from the shore;

Desyryng no thyng for my fare or expence,

But only good wyll; I aske no more:

And for [266] the hurt of envy that myght rore,

I shall set my shrowd [267] for my defence,

Under the mantell of well wyllyng audyence.

And principally this my work for to assist,

I humbly beseche that Lord that is eternall

To defend my penne that wrott this with my fist,

To be my savegard, my staffe, and my wall;

And consequently for feare least I shold fall

In the daynger of the learned [268] and honorable sort,

I pray them all my lamenes to support.

Least perchaunce the pleasaunt floode do faylle

Of witty writing or sugred eloquence,

Followe, therfore, good wyll at the boots taylle,

Me to preserve in the waves of ignorance,

Socoured by hope and gentill sufferance:

Nowe hale uppe, skuller; God graunt me wynd,

And Jhesu defend me to my lives end.

Whan thou, my boke, comest into the prease

Bothe of the wyse and learned multitude,

To excuse thyn auctor thou canst do no lesse,

Wantyng learnyng, and of utterance rude,

Which did never this enterprise entrude;

Trustyng either of wytt or learnyng,

But for an exercise, and non other thyng.

FINIE ET COMPILÉ LE XXIIIJ JOUR DE JUNIJ
Ᾱ REGNOR̄ PHILIPPI REX & REGINE MARIE IIIJ^TO. & V^TO.[269]
PER LE AUCTOR G. C.
Novus Rex, nova Lex: Nova sola Regina, probz pene ruina.

FINIS.

LONDON:
PRINTED BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS.