RIght reuerend: I haue thought it my part (before I vvade further in publishing of these Posies) to lay open before your graue iudge­mentes, asvvell the cause vvhich presently moueth mee to present them, as also the depth and secrets of some conceytes, vvhich (being passed in clovvdes and figuratiue speeches) might per­case both be offensiue to your grauitie, and perillous to my credite.

It is verie neare tvvo yeares past, since (I beeing in Hollande in seruice vvith the vertuous Prince of O­renge) the most parte of these Posies vvere imprinted, and novv at my returne, I find that some of them haue not onely bene offensiue for sundrie vvanton speeches and lasciuious phrases, but further I heare that the same haue beene doubtfully construed, and (therefore) scan­dalous.

My reuerende and vvelbeloued: vvhatsoeuer my youth hath seemed vnto the grauer sort, I vvoulde bee verie loth novve in my middle age to deserue reproch: more loth to touch the credite of any other, and moste loth to haue mine ovvn name become vnto you odious. [Page] For if I shoulde novve at this age seeme as carelesse of reproche, as I vvas in greene youth readie to goe a­stray, my faultes might quickely grovve double, and myne estimation shoulde bee vvoorthie too re­mayne but single. I haue learned that although there may bee founde in a Gentleman vvhereby to be repre­hended or rebuked, yet ought he not to be vvoorthie of reproofe or condemnation.

All this I set dovvne in preamble, too the ende I maye thereby purchase youre pacience. And as I desyre that you vvyll not condemne mee vvyth­oute proofe, so am I contented, that if heereafter you finde mee guiltie, youre definitiue, sentence shall then passe publikelye vnder the Seale of Se­ueritie.

It vvere not reason (righte reuerende) that I shoulde bee ignoraunt hovve generally vvee are all magis proni ad malum quàm ad bonum. Euen so is it requisite that I acknovvledge a generall reformation of ma­ners more necessarie to bee taught, than anye VVhet­stone of Vanities is meete (in these dayes) to bee suf­fered. And therefore as youre grauitie hathe thought requysite that all ydle Bookes or vvanton Pam­phlettes shoulde bee forbidden, so might it seeme that I vvere vvoorthie of greate reprehension, if I shoulde bee the Aucthour of euill vvilfully, or a prouoker of vyces vvittingly. And yet some there are vvho haue not spared too reporte that I receyued greate summes of money for the first printing of these Posies, vvhere­by (if it vvere true) I mighte seeme not onely a craf­tie [Page] Broker for the vtteraunce of garishe toyes, but a corrupte Merchaunte for the sale of deceyptfull vvares.

For ansvvere heereof it is moste true (and I call Heauen and Earth too vvitnesse) that I neuer recey­ued of the Printer, or of anye other, one grote or pennie for the firste Copyes of these Posyes. True it is that I vvas not vnvvillinge the same shoulde bee imprinted: And that not of a vaineglorious de­syre too bee thought a pleasaunt Poet, neyther yet of a lyghte minde too bee counted a cunning Louer. For though in youth I vvas often ouerhardie too put my name in Ballaunce of doubtfull iudgementes, yet novve I am become so bashfull that I coulde rather bee content too leese the prayse of my follyes, than too hazarde the misconceyte of the graue and graye headed Iudges. But too confesse a truthe vntoo you right reuerende (vvith vvhome I maye not dissemble in cases vvhiche so generally doe touche all menne) I vvas the rather contented too see them imprinted for these sundrie considerations.

First, for that I haue seene dyuerse Authours, (both learned and vvell learned) vvhich after they haue both reformed their liues, and conuerted their studies, haue not yet disdeyned to reade the Poems vvhich they let passe their pennes in youth. For it seemeth vntoo mee that in all ages Poetrie hath beene not onely per­mitted, but also it hath beene thought a right good and excellent qualitie.

Next vnto this, I haue alvvayes bene of opinion, that it is not vnpossible eyther in Poemes or in Prose too vvrite both compendiously, and perfectly in our Eng­lishe tongue. And therefore although I chalenge not vnto my selfe the name of an English Poet, yet may the Reader finde oute in my vvrytings, that I haue more faulted in keeping the olde English vvordes (quamuis iam obsoleta) than in borovving of other languages, such Epi­thetes and Adiectiues as smell of the Ink horne.

Thirdly, as I seeke aduauncement by vertue, so vvas I desirous that there might remaine in publike recorde, some pledge or token of those giftes vvhervvith it hath pleased the Almightie to endue me: To the ende that thereby the vertuous might bee incouraged to employ my penne in some exercise vvhich might tende both to my preferment, and to the profite of my Countrey. For many a man vvhich may like mine outvvarde pre­sence, might yet haue doubted vvhether the qualityes of my minde had bene correspondent to the proportion of my bodie.

Fourthly, bicause I had vvrittē sundry things vvhich coulde not chuse but content the learned and Godlye Reader, therefore I hoped the same should serue as vn­doubted proofe, that I had layde aside vanities, and de­lighted to exercise my penne in morall discourses, at least the one passing (cheeke by cheek) vvith the other, muste of necessitie persuade both the learned, and the light minded, that I coulde asvvell sovve good graine, as graynes or draffe. And I thought not meete (beeing intermingled as they vvere) to cast avvay a vvhole bu­shell of good seede, for tvvo or three graynes of Darnell [Page] or Cockle.

Lastly, I persuaded my selfe that as in the better sort of the same I shoulde purchase good lyking vvith the honourable aged: So euen in the vvorst sorte, I might yet serue as a myrrour for vnbrydled youth, to auoyde those perilles vvhich I had passed. For little may he do vvhich hath escaped the rock or the sandes, if he cannot vvaft vvith his hande to them that come after him.

These consideration [...] (right reuerend) did first moue me to consent that these Poemes shoulde passe in print. For recapitulation vvhereof, and to ansvvere vnto the obiections that may bee giuen: I say to the first that I neither take example of wanton Ouid, doting Nigidius, nor foolish Samocratius. But I delight to thinke that the reuerend father Theodore Beza, vvhose life is vvor­thily become a lanterne to the vvhole vvorlde, did not yet disdaine too suffer the continued publication of such Poemes as he vvrote in youth. And as he termed them at last Poëmata castrata, So shal your reuerend iudge­ments beholde in this seconde edition, my Poemes gel­ded from all filthie phrases, corrected in all erronious places, and beautified vvith addition of many moral ex­amples.

To the seconde, although I be sometimes constrey­ned for the cadence of rimes, or per licentiam Poeticam, to vse an ynkehorne terme, or a straunge vvord: Yet hope I that it shall be apparant I haue rather regarde to make our natiue language commendable in it selfe, than gay vvith the feathers of straunge birdes.

To the thirde reason may be obiected, that if I vvere so desirous to haue my capacitie knovvne, I shoulde [Page] haue done much better to haue trauelled in some notori­ous peece of vvorke, vvhich might generally haue spred my commendation. The vvhich I confesse. But yet is it true that I must take the Foord as I finde it: Sometimes not as I vvoulde, but as I may And since the ouersight of my youth had brought mee farre behinde hande and indebted vnto the vvorld, I thought good in the meane time to pay as much as I had, vntill it might please God better to inable me. For commonly the greediest credi­tor is appeased, if he see his debitor vvilling to pay vvhē he hath any thing. And therefore being busied in mar­tiall affayres (vvhereby also I sought some aduaunce­ment) I thought good to notifie vnto the vvorlde be­fore my returne, that I coulde as vvell persuade vvith Penne, as pearce vvith launce or vveapon: So that yet some noble minde might be incouraged both to exer­cise me in time of peace, and to emploie mee in time of seruice in vvarre.

To the fourth and last considerations, I had alled­ged of late by a right reuerende father, that although in deede out of euerie floure the industrious Bee may ga­ther honie, yet by proofe the Spider thereout also sucks mischeeuous poyson. VVherevnto I can none other­vvise ansvvere, but that he vvho vvill throvv a stone at euerie Dogge vvhich barketh, had neede of a great sat­chell or pocket. And if the learned iudgements and ho­nest mindes doe both construe my doings aright, and take therein either councell or commoditie, then care I the lesse vvhat the vvicked conceyue of my conceytes. For I esteeme more the prayse of one learned Reader, than I regard the curious carping of ten thousande vn­lettered [Page] lettered tattlers.

To conclude (right reuerend) as these considerations did specially moue me at first to consent to the imprin­ting of these posies, so novve haue I yet a further consi­deration vvhich moueth mee most earnestly to sue for this second edition or publishing of the same. And that is this. I vnderstande that sundrie vvell disposed mindes haue taken offence at certaine vvanton vvordes and sen­tences passed in the fable of Ferdinando Ieronimi, and the La­die Elinora de Valasco, the vvhich in the first edition vvas ter­med The aduentures of master F. I. And that also ther­vvith some busie coniectures haue presumed to thinke that the same vvas indeed vvritten to the scandalizing of some vvorthie personages, vvhom they vvoulde seeme therby to knovv. Surely (right reuerend) I smile to see the simplicitie of such, vvho being indeed starke staring blind, vvould yet seeme to see farre into a milstone. And the rather I scorne their rash iudgements, for that in tal­king vvith .xx. of them one after another, there haue not tvvo agreed in one coniecture. Alas, alas, if I had bene so foolishe as to haue passed in recitall a thing so done in deede, yet all the vvorld might thinke me verie simple if I vvoulde call Iohn, Iohn, or Mary, Mary. But for the better satisfying of all men vniuersally, I doe here pro­test vnto you (reuerend) euen by the hope of my salua­tion, that there is no liuing creature touched or to be no­ted therby. And for the rest you shall find it novv in this second imprinting so turquened and turned, so clensed from all vnclenly vvordes, and so purged from the hu­mor of inhumanitie, as percase you vvoulde not iudge that it vvas the same tale. For although I haue bin here­tofore [Page] contented to suffer the publication thereof, only to the ende men might see my Methode and maner of vvriting, yet am I novve thus desirous to set it forth eft­soones, to the ende all men might see the reformation of my minde. And that all suspitions may be suppressed and throughly satisfied, by this mine vnfeined protesta­tion vvhich I make vnto you in that behalfe. Finally, vvere it not that the same is alreadie extant in such sort as hath moued offence, I should rather be cōtent to can­cel it vtterly to obliuion, then thus to returne it in a nevv patched cote. And for full proofe of mine earnest zeale in Gods seruice, I require of you (reuerende) most in­stantly, that if hereby my skill seeme sufficient to vvade in matters of greater importance, you vvill then vouch­safe to employ mee accordingly. Surely you shall finde me no lesse readie to vndertake a vvhole yeares trauaile in anie vvorke vvhich you shall thinke me able to ouer­come, than I haue beene vvilling heretofore to spende three houres in penning of an amorous Sonnet. Euen so being desirous that all men generally (and you espe­cially) should conceiue of me as I meane, I haue thus farre troubled your lerned eies vvith this plaine Epistle, vvritten for my purgation, in matters vvhiche (else) might both haue offended you, and giuen great batterie to the ramparts of my poore credite. The God of peace vouchsafe to gouerne and product you, and me, and all his, in quiet of conscience, and strength of spirit. Amen. From my poore house at VValtamstovv in the Forest, this last day of Ianuarie. 1574.

GAllant Gentlemen, and lustie youthes of this my natiue Countrey, I haue here (as you see) published in print suche Posies and rymes as I vsed in my youth, the which for the barbarousnesse of the stile may seeme worthlesse, and yet for the doubtfulnesse of some darke places they haue also seemed (heretofore) daūgerous. So that men may iustly both condemne me of rashnesse, and wonder at my simplicitie in suffering or pro­curing the same to be imprinted.

A yong man well borne, tenderly fostered, and delicately ac­companied, shall hardly passe ouer his youth without falling into some snares of the Diuell, and temptations of the flesh. But a man of middle yeares, who hath to his cost experimented the vanities of youth, and to his perill passed them: who hath bought repen­tance deare, and yet gone through vvith the bargaine: who seeth before his face the tyme past lost, and the rest passing away in post: Such a man had more neede to be well aduised in his doings, and resolute in his determinations. For with more ease and greater fa­uour may we answere for tenne madde follies committed in grene youth, than one sober ouersight escaped in yeares of discretion. Lycurgus the good princely Philosopher, ordeyned that if an olde man perceiuing a yong man to commit any dishonestie; did not re­buke but suffer him: the aged shoulde be chastised, and the yong man should be absolued.

All this rehearsed and considered, you may (as I say) growe in some doubt, whether I were worse occupied in first deuising, or at last in publishing these toies & pamphlets: and much the rather, for [Page] that it is a thing commonly seene, that (nowe adayes) fewe or no things are so well handled, but they shall bee carped at by curious Readers, nor almost any thing so well ment, but may bee muche misconstrued.

And heerewithall I assure my selfe, that I shall bee generally condemned as a man verie lightly bent, and rather desyrous to continue in the freshe remembraunce of my follyes, than con­tent too cancell them in obliuion by discontinuance: especially since in a house where many yong childrē are, it hath bene thought better pollicie quite to quench out the fire, than to leaue any loofe cole in the imbers, wherewith Babes may play and put the whole edifice in daunger.

But my lustie youthes, and gallant Gentlemen, I had an in­tent farre contrarie vntoo all these supposes, when I fyrst permit­mitted the publication heereof. And bycause the greatest of­fence that hath beene taken thereat, is, least your mindes might heereby become enuenomed with vanities, therefore vnto you I will addresse my tale, for the better satisfying of common iudge­ments. And vnto you I will explane, that which being before misti­cally couered, and commonly misconstrued, might be no lesse pe­rillous in seducing you, than greeuous euidence for to proue mee guiltie of condemnation.

Then to come vnto the matter, there are three sortes of men which (beeing wonderfully offended at this booke) haue founde therein three maner of matters (say they) verie reprehensible. The men are these: curious Carpers, ignorant Readers, and graue Phi­losophers. The faults they finde are, Iudicare in the Creede: Chalke for Cheese: and the cōmon infection of Loue. Of these three sorts of men and matters, I do but very little esteeme the two first. But I deeply regarde the thirde. For of a verie troth, there are one kinde of people nowadayes which will mislyke any thing, being bred (as I thinke) of the spawne of a Crab or Creuish, which in all streames and waters will swimme eyther sidewayes, or flat backwards: and when they can indeede finde none other fault, will yet thinke Iu­dicare verie vntowardlye placed in the Creede. Or (beeing a sim­ple Sowter) will finde fault at the shape of the legge: or if they be [Page] not there stopped, they wil not spare to step vp higher, and say, that Apelles paynted Dame Venus verie deformed or euill fauoured.

Of this sort I make small accounte, bycause indeede they seeke a knotte in the Rushe, and woulde seeme to see verie farre in a Mylstone.

There are also certaine others, who (hauing no skill at all) will yet be verie busie in reading all that may bee read, and thinke it sufficient if (Parrot like) they can rehearse things without booke: when within booke they vnderstande neyther the meaning of the Authour, nor the sense of the figuratiue speeches, I will forbeare to recyte examples by any of mine owne doings. Since all compa­risons are odious, I will not say how much the areignment and di­uorce of a Louer (being written in ieast) haue bene mistaken in sad earnest. It shall suffice that the contentions passed in verse long si­thence, betwene maister Churchyard and Camell, were (by a block­headed reader) cōstrued to be indeed a quarell betwene two neigh­bors. Of whom that one hauing a Camell in keping, and that other hauing charge of the Churchyard, it was supposed they had grown to debate, bicause the Camell came into the Churchyarde. Laugh not at this (lustie yonkers) since the pleasant dittie of the noble Erle of Surrey (beginning thus: In winters iust returne) was also con­strued to be made indeed by a Shepeherd. VVhat shoulde I stande much in rehersall how the L. Vaux his dittie (beginning thus: I loth that I did loue) was thought by some to be made vpō his death bed? and that the Soulknill of M. Edwards was also written in extremi­tie of sicknesse? Of a truth (my good gallants) there are such as ha­uing only lerned to read English, do interpret Latin, Greke, French and Italian phrases or metaphors, euē according to their owne mo­therly conception and childish skill. The which (bicause they take Chalke for Cheese) shall neuer trouble me, whatsoeuer fault they finde in my doings.

But the third sort (beeing graue Philosophers, and finding iust fault in my doings at the common infection of loue) I must needes alledge suche iuste excuse as may counteruayle their iuste com­playnts. For else I shoulde remayne woorthie of a seuere punish­ment. They wysely considering that wee are all in youth [Page] more apt to delight in harmefull pleasures, then to disgest whole­some and sounde aduice, haue thought meete to forbid the publi­shing of any ryming tryfles which may serue as whetstones to shar­pen youth vnto vanities.

And for this cause, finding by experience also, how the first Co­pie of these my Posies hath beene verie much inquired for by the yonger sort: and hearing likewise that (in the same) the greater part hath beene written in pursute of amorous enterpryses, they haue iustly conceyued that the continuance thereof hath beene more likely to stirre in all yong Readers a venemous desire of va­nitie, than to serue as a common myrrour of greene and youthfull imperfections. VVherevnto I must confesse, that as the industrious Bee may gather honie out of the most stinking weede, so the mali­cious Spider may also gather poyson out of the fayrest floure that growes.

And yet in all this discourse I see not proued, that either that Gardener is too blame which planteth his Garden full of fragrant floures neyther that planter to be dispraysed: which soweth all his beddes with seedes of wholesome herbes: neyther is that Orchard vnfruitfull, which (vnder show of sundrie weedes) hath medicina­ble playsters for all infirmities. But if the Chirurgian which should seeke Sorrell to rypen an Vlcer, will take Rewe which may more inflame the Impostume, then is hee more to blame that mistooke his gathering, than the Gardener which planted aright, and presen­ted store and choyse to be taken. Or if the Phisition will gather hote Perceley in stead of cold Endiue, shall he not worthily beare the burthen of his owne blame?

To speake English, it is your vsing (my lustie Gallants) or mis­vsing of these Posies that may make me praysed or dispraysed for publishing of the same. For if you (where you may learne to auoyd the subtile sandes of wanton desire) will runne vpon the rockes of vnlawfull lust, then great is your folly, and greater will growe my rebuke. If you (where you might gather wholesome hearbes to cure your sundrie infirmities) will spende the whole day in gathe­ring of sweete smelling Posies, much will be the time that you shal mispende, and much more the harme that you shall heape vpon my [Page] heade. Or if you will rather beblister your handes with a Nettle, then comfort your senses by smelling to the pleasant Marioram, then wanton is your pastime, and small will be your profite.

I haue here presented you with three sundrie sortes of Posies: Floures, Hearbes, and VVeedes. In which diuision I haue not ment that onely the floures are to bee smelled vnto, nor that onely the VVeedes are to be reiected. I terme some Floures, bycause being indeed inuented vpon a verie light occasion, they haue yet in them (in my iudgement) some rare inuention and Methode before not commonly vsed. And therefore (beeing more pleasant than profi­table) I haue named them Floures.

The seconde (being indeede morall discourses, and reformed in­uentions, and therefore more profitable than pleasant) I haue na­med Hearbes.

The third (being VVeedes) might seeme to some iudgements, neither pleasant nor yet profitable, and therefore meete to bee cast away. But as many weedes are right medicinable, so may you find in this none so vile or stinking, but that it hath in it some vertue if it be rightly handled. Mary you must take heede how you vse thē. For if you delight to put Hemlocke in your fellowes pottage, you may chaunce both to poyson him, and bring your selfe in perill. But if you take example by the harmes of others who haue eaten it before you, then may you chaunce to become so warie, that you will looke aduisedly on all the Perceley that you gather, least a­mongst the same one braunch of Hemlock might anoy you.

I assure you, my yong blouds, I haue not published the same to the intent that other men hereafter might be infected with my follies forepassed. For though it be a comfort in miserijs habere consortem, yet is it small consolation to a fellon, to haue a Coyner hanged in his companie. And I assure you (although you will think it straunge) that I haue not caused them to bee imprinted for anie vaine delight which I haue (my selfe) therein conceyued. For the most of them being written in my madnesse, might haue yeelded then more delight to my frantike fansie to see them published, than they now do accumulate cares in my minde to set them forth cor­rected: and a deformed youth had bene more likely to set them to [Page] sale long sithence, than a reformed man can be able now to pro­tect them with simplicitie.

The scope of mine intent, and the marke whereat I shoote is double. I meane grounded vpon two sundrie causes: the one that being indebted vnto the worlde (at the least fiue thousande dayes verie vainly spent) I may yeeld him yet some part of mine account in these Poemes. VVherein as he may finde great diuersitie both in stile and sense, so may the good bee incouraged to set mee on worke at last, though it were noone before I sought seruice. The other reason is, that bicause I haue (to mine owne great detriment) mispent my golden time, I may serue as ensample to the youthfull Gentlemen of England, that they runne not vpon the rocks which haue brought me to shipwracke. Beware therefore, lustie Gallants, howe you smell to these Posies. And learne you to vse the talent which I haue highly abused. Make me your myrrour. And if here­after you see me recouer mine estate, or reedifie the decayed walls of my youth, then beginne you sooner to builde some foundation which may beautifie your Pallace. If you see me sinke in distresses (notwithstanding that you iudge me quick of capacitie) then lerne you to mainteyne your selues swimming in prosperitie, and eschue betymes the whirlepoole of misgouernment.

Finally, I beseech you, and coniure you, that you rather encou­rage me to accomplish some worthier trauaile, by seeing these Po­sies right smelled vnto, than discourage me from attempting other labours, when I shall see these first fruites reiected or misused. I haue corrected them from sundrie faultes. VVhich if they had not brought suspition in the first copie, be you then out of doubt you had neuer bene troubled with these seconde presents, nor persua­ded to flourishe wisely with a two edged swoorde in your naked hands. But as I haue ment them well, so I craue of God, that they may both pleasure and profite you for the furtherance of your skill in any commendable enterprise.

From my poore house at VVal­tamstow in the Forest the second of Ianuarie. 1575