If Loyall Duty may bee counted presumption? then doubtlesse the best of my meanest worth must beg pardon, for clayming so Royall a Patronage: Yet to whom should I prostrate my Pen and Pilgrimage? if not unto your Sacred Majesty: Nay, none so able to Receive it, none so powerfull to Protect it; and none so justly to claime it, as your Soveraigne Selfe. The Subject treateth of my tedious and curious Travailes, in the best and worst parts of the world; which being begunne in Your hopefull Infancy, are now finally accomplished in the fulnesse of Your thrice blessed Majority.
The generall Discourse it selfe, is most fixed upon the Lawes, Religion, Manners, Policies, and Government of Kings, Kingdomes, People, Principalities and Powers; and therefore so much the more fit for your Majesty. The defect resting onely in me, the worthlesse Author, in handling a rare and plentifull Subject, with a homely and familiar Stile; no wayes fit for Soveraignity to peruse.
Yet (Royall Sir) vouchsafe to remember how thankefully Alexander, received a small Cup of Water; and what a high Value was set upon the Widdowes Mite. If I have made use of my poore Talent, the profit redoundeth unto my Country; which being shaddowed under your auspicuous Favour, shall leave a greater stampe to the Worke, and a deeper impression, of future knowledge, to the curious Understanders. And how often wont your ever blessed Father, graciously to peruse Lines of mine, of far lesser note then these be: Yea, and (viva voce) the punctuall Discourse of all my three Voyages, which are now layd open to the Vulgar World; and therefore I dare humbly expect a greater favour for a larger and more serious Taske.
So likewise your owne Princely adventures beyond Seas, in measuring large Kingdomes, & the glassie face of the great Ocean: have invited me to lay prostrate my painefull peregrinations, at your Sacred feete. Humbly beseeching your Regall goodnesse, to remarke the matter and manner of this Worke; howsoever the Gift, & the Giver bee deficient. And questionlesse as the Bee, gathereth sweetest Hony out of sowrest Flowers, your Royall understanding may finde something, to underprope the Defects of my nothing; and my soule to exult in the smallest sparke of your Gracious Clemency. And lastly, the grievous Sufferings, tortures, and torments, I sustayned in Malaga, being taken as a Spye for your Late Fathers Fleete, exposed agaynst Algier: and condemned to death by their bloody Inquisition for the Gospells sake. These (I prostrate say) doe command me to present the perfect passage thereof, unto your Royall & Religious consideration. Sufficient Certificates, and infallible approbations are annexed to the Tragicall discourse it selfe; and it also humbly bequeathing all, unto your Princely piety and pitty, to Commiserate both my case and cause. Wherefore (and as duty bindeth) I shall ever beseech God to preserve your Royall Raigne from wicked Achitophells, to guard your Sacred person with Heavenly Angels, and to guide your Monarchicke State, with faithful and Religious Counsellours.
AMEN.
Your Majesties most humble,
and most obedient Subject,
and Servant:
William Lithgow.
THE PROLOGUE TO THE READER
Judicious Lector; if good Bookes may be tearmed wise guides, then certainely true Histories, may be tearmed perfite Oracles, secret Counsellours, private Schoolemasters, familiar friends to cherish knowledge, and the best Intelligencers, for all intendements; being duely pondered, and rightly used. This laborious worke then of mine, depending on this preamble, is onely composed of mine owne eye sight, and occular experience; (pluris est occulatus testis unus, quam auriti decem) being the perfit mirrour, and lively Portraicture of true understanding, excelling far all inventions whatsoever, Poeticque, or Theoricque. And now to shun Ingratitude, which I disdaine as Hell, I thought it best to exhibit the profit of my paynefull travailes to the desirous world; for two respects, the one a naturall obligation, the other a generall request: for as my dangerous adventures, have bene wrought out from the infinit variety of variable sights, innumerable toyles, pleasures, and inevitable sorrowes; so doth it also best simpathize with reason, and most fitting, that I should generally dispose of the same, to the temperate judgements of the better sort, the sound and absolute opinions of the Judicious; and to the variable censures of calumnious Critticks, who run at random, in the fields of other mens labours, but can not find the home-bred way in their owne close grounds: And therefore the different disposition of the good and bad, doe best concurre with the interchangeable occurrences of the matter.
Neverthelesse, for thy more easier understanding I have divided this History, in ten severall parts, and they also in three Bookes; which being seriously perused, doubtlesse thy labour shall receave both profit and pleasure: Accept them therefore with the same love, that I offer them to thee, since they cost thee nothing but the reading, how deare soever they are to mee: But understand me better, I scorne to draw my pen to the ignorant foole, neither shall it stoop to the proud Knave, for I contemne both: To the wise I know it will be welcome, to the profound Historian, yeeld knowledge, contemplation, and direction, and to the understanding Gentleman, insight, instruction, and recreation; and to the true-bred Poet fraternall love, both in meane and manner. Now as touching the hissing of snakish Papists; a tush for that snarling Crew; for as this worke, being fensed with experience, and garnished with trueth, is more than able to batter downe the stinging venome of their despightfull waspishnes: so also they may clearely see therein, as in a Mirrour, their owne blindnes, and the damnable errours of their blind Guiders, Deceavers, and Idolaters: And above all the cruell infliction imposed upon me, by the mercilesse Inquisition of their profession in Malaga: which for Christs sake I constantly suffered, in tortures, tormentes, and hunger: And lastly they may perceave Gods miraculous mercy, in discovering and delivering me from such a concealed and inhumane murder. And now referring the well set Reader to the History it selfe, where satisfaction lyeth ready to receave him, and expectation desirous of deserved thanks; I come to talke with the scelerate Companion: If thou beest a Villane, a Ruffian, a Momus, a Knave, a Carper, a Crittick, a Bubo, a Buffon, a stupid Asse, and a gnawing worme with envious lips; I bequeath thee to a Carnificiall reward: where a flaxing rope will soone dispatch thy snarling slander, and free my toylsome travells, and now paynefull labours, from the deadly poyson of thy sharpe edged calumnies: and so go hang thy selfe, for I neither will respect thy love, nor regard thy malice: And shall ever and alwayes remayne;