haue to foretime as now still trauelled with the gardener, who first throweth vp his earth on a rude heape, the scattereth it, after smootheth it, next squareth it, & lastly bringeth it into knots and workmanship, before which you know, there are many weeds, loose hearbes, grasses, sticks, and rubbish to be picked vp & thrown out: And then and not before beginneth his worke to drawe towards the perfection.
As he so I, at the first threw vp this groundwork in a heape, and onely did scatter it: after, and hether vnto I haue endeuored to smooth and to square it, picking out thereof many thinges which lay to too much disordered. It onely now wanteth to be labored on by a more curious workmanship, but because it is my garden plat, & my prouision is too small to perfect on a sodaine so spacious a ground worke, I will temporize with those duties, which either by time may in me be supported or by a greater hability in others may happilie hereafter be performed.
Now because it is in all omissions the greatest omission not to bee thankefull for courtesies, I will acknowledge that as you haue hitherto benignly delt with me in the suruey of these labours, so haue you bound mee the more vnto you by your fauourable censures. And yet if after this continued trauell vnto this present, you either in mine or in the printers escapes find any thing blame worthy, couer it I pray you as before you haue done with the vaile of your courtesie. The copies before this, haue bene I confesse erroniously many wayes deliuered, and this by the blottings and interlinings had in the former amendements hath peraduenter also his escapes or mistakings: If any be, they are fewe I hope, and therefore the more easie to be tollerated. Onely correct where fault is, and the printer and I shalbe beholding vnto you.
Hauing thus performed for my selfe what vnto your worthines stoode meete to be considered, giue mee now leaue I pray you, touching the order and course in this Methode hereafter obserued, to say somthing to them which therby are to take any benefit or profite. In which case, the learner is circumspectly with himselfe to consider, the seuerall rules in the particular chapters preceeding the orders of those Epistles, in such sort as afterwards they are distinguished, & therein see, what to the better ordering and principall direction, of whatsoeuer hee shall take in hand to write, is there (for his better instruction) enioyned. By diligent animaduersion wherof, he shall the better vnderstand the seuerall natures and properties, that in the parts of euery Epistle, are ordinarily to be required, besides the vse of them in their seueral places, and what force they beare, being so sorted out, according to their speciall purposes and directions.
Next, for the better inducement and leading him into a plaine and perfect platforme of this Methode following, & to the intent he may as neere as may be, or as his capacitie (at leastwise) may any waies reach vnto, knowe (skilfully, & not by rote) how or in what sort he shall happen to doe either well or ill, I haue first (in a preamble or intermixed discourse, either preceeding or interchangeably passing, before or with the kindes of euery sorte of Epistles) declared the properties and vse of those Epistles, vpon what parts and places, they and euery of them doo consist, with what vehemencie or lesse application they are to bee inforced or quallified, so that he who seemeth to haue least knowledge at all (be it that he haue perseuerance to conceiue or to distinguish the parts he seeth there laid out before his eyes) may with great facilitie, attaine to whatsoeuer, herein prescribed, or by the circumstance thereof intended to be in any sort deliuered.
To the greater ornament whereof, I haue applied a number of Figures, Schemes, and Tropes in the margent of euery Epistle, euen with the places where they are vsed. And at the end of this worke, haue set them altogither, and therein explaned to the Learners view, and for his readier vse, their particular natures and qualities, to the end that they who (being vnlearned,& hauing a pretie conceit of inuention of themselues) haue heretofore vnknowing done well, may see how with skill and discretion hereafter to pursue the same, & the ignorant also hereof whose reach hath not been so ample as others, may be thereby informed what vnto well doing is most consonant and agreeing.
Now, for the readier finding of those Epistles, as each of their kindes are suted forth in sundrie Examples: Peruse but the head of euery page and there you shall find what in the same page is contained, viz. Where the Epistles be, you shall haue them noted in their kindes, as Epistles Hortatorie, Dehortatorie, Swasorie, or Disswasorie, &c. And likewise in the admixtions, you shall finde Places or Parts Hortatorie, Commendatorie, Petitorie, &c. as they fall out to be handled.
This booke thus shewing these parts before remembred, I haue termed as you see by the name of The Secretorie, being in the consideration thereof nothing ignorant what great perfection is to be required in such a one, by whose title the same is deliuered, neither supposing the matter herein contained to appeare so sufficient, as perfectly thereby to enable what in the same function is to bee required, but because the orderly writing of Letters, being a principall part belonging to a Secretorie, is by the Method: hereof deliuered to any Learners capacitie whereout the Scholler or any other that is vnfurnished of the knowledge thereof, may gather ayde and furtherance, I haue therefore endeuored to tearme it by the name of Secretarie.
These with my willing minde, and desire of well doing herein, I doo present to the generall and friendly regarde of all, wishing that in courtesie they repute of my trauels, as formost of all other things, I therein respected their benefites. In affoording whereof, they shall doo no more then belongeth to good mindes, and encourage me by whatsoeuer other meanes hereafter, to gratifie their fauours.
