Gentlemen

We see there is a necessity for our travailing in the common road or High-way of Prefacing; as if the Reader could neither receive nor digest the Pabulum mentis, or fatten by the mental nourishment, without a preparatory. And yet we think it savours neither of civility, nor good manners to fall on without saying something of a grace; but we do not love that it should be so tedious, as to take away your stomack from the meat, and therefore that we may not be condemned for that prolixity we mislike in others, we shall briefly tell you how little we value the favour of such Readers, who take a pride to blast the Wits of others, imagining thereby to augment the reputation of their own: What unexpected success we have obtained in the publication of the former parts, will keep us from despairing, that in this we shall be less fortunate than in the other. But although our Books have been generally received with great applause, and read with much delight and satisfaction, at home and abroad, (having travailed many thousand miles) yet we do not imagine them to be without their Errata’s, for which they have suffered very hard Correction; this is a younger brother to the former, lawfully begotten, and if you will compare their faces, you will find they resemble one another very much: Or else match this pattern with the former cloth, you will find it of the same colour, wool, and spinning, only it having passed the curious hands of an excellent Artist, he hath by shearing and dressing it made it somewhat thinner, and withall finer, than was intended; however we hope it will prove a good lasting piece, and serviceable. You cannot imagin the charge and trouble we have been at, in raising this building, which we must acknowledg was erected upon an old foundation. From the actions of others we gather’d matter, which materials we methodized, and so formed this structure. We challenge nothing but the order; it may be called ours, as the Bucentauro may be now called the same it was some hundred of years since, when the Pope therein first married the Duke of Venice to the Seas, having been from that time so often mended and repaired, as that it is thought, there is not left a chip of her primitive building. So what remarkable stories, and strange relations we have taken up on trust, by hear-say, or otherwise, we have so altered by augmentation, or deminution, (as occasion served) that this may be more properly called a new Composition, rather than an old Collection, of what witty Extravagancies are therein contained. As to the verity of those ingeniousingenious Exploits, Subtle Contrivances, crafty projects, horrid villanies, &c. we have little to say, but though we shall not assert the truth of them all, yet there are none, which carry not circumstances enough to make apparent their probability. And you may confidently believe, that most of them have been lately acted, though not by one, two, three, a score, nay many more. To conclude, (least we tire your patience with tedious preambles) it is our desire that you will have a charitable opinion of us, and censure not our writings according to their desert; we are ready to condemn them, before you examine their faults, what would ye more? We are not insensible, that ours are many, and are forc’t to bear the burden of the Printers too; we know the stile is mean and vulgar, so are the Interlocutors, and therefore most requisite and allowable; the Subject is Evil, (you say) and may vitiate the Reader; the Bee gathers honey from the worst of weeds; and the Toad poison, from the best of Herbs. An ignorant young Plowman learn’d from a Sermon how to steal an Ox, by the Parsons introducing a Simile; even as the stubborn Horn is made soft, pliable, and to be shaped as you please, by laying a Hot loaf thereon; so is &c. which he trying so effectually chang’d the form of the Ox-head, that the right Owner knew not his own Beast. There is no matter so good, but may be perverted, which is worst of all, for, Corruptio optimi est pessima; and there is no Subject so bad, out of which some good may not be collected; this drolling discourse, will, I question not, in the reading, prove not only facetious, but profitable, which if you find, we have obtain’d our desired end.

And subscribe our selves