FAirely disposed Friends: Since the world (of Cri­tiques) for custome-sake at least, would take it else in scorne; it being growne so coy and squea­mish, or, good City-Dame, so much affecting, as we see, Court fashion, that with an oyly tongue shee must be complemented with; otherwise in stead of courtesie nothing but curiositie can be expected. Bowing therefore to, rather then of singularitie offering to infringe her doted-on Dar­lings customary proceedings, that Momus so might haue lesse cause to carpe and mow at what he cannot mend, or Zoilus to bite and snarle at it, by this importunity I yeeld to be thus ceremonious, Preface-wise to salute a World of (some cap­tious and capricious, no doubt, others more friendly) Rea­ders; and thy selfe, perhaps, a more iudicious, and so lesse supercilious Censurer: for satisfaction to such thy selfe, being somewhat here is to be said of this ensuing Treatise; let mee find fauour to be borne with, in speaking these few words, more for fashion sake then else, of that thou knowest before, or canst not but streight-waies collect, from the but viewing the first Pages of this present Historie.

Historie her Encomium needs not farre fetching, so fre­quent in our mouthes, the Life, Light, and Mistresse of Prudence: Life of past; Light of present; Directresse of fu­ture actions: memorizing Monument, and Trophey of the worlds ages and minoritie; Glasse of Time; Historie so conspicuous in it selfe, enueyled in the robes of Poesie, if [Page] worthily commendable, in many a famous forreine Nations gests, I may well thinke it no wayes disallowable in our owne; how-e're obscuritie like a Cymmerian night, hath ouer-clouded the infancy of this our Iland! still bearing sway with most, thereby yet prouing vs not degenerate in that, from our not curious Ancestors, in conseruation of Antiquities, we quit as little, if not lesse industrious to obserue and note the same! when notwithstanding, with the enuious Mans, and curious, our eyes gaze on our Neighbours ground, his manners, sel­dome looking to our selues, neare home. We better skill the warres of Troy and Thebes, with the Pharsalian fields, the halfe-feyned fights of Hercules, Achilles Turnus, Hector and Aeneas, (I will not say of Amadis, Don Quixot, and such like) then as Heroike, if not more warlike, and worthy to be renowned martiall spirits of our owne; Danes, Saxons, Romans, Nor­mans, Brittons, and other noble Captaynes here at home; the great Britannicus Caesars, Cassiuelane, Guider, Hengist, Arthur, Egbert, Rollo, Alfred, Marcia's, Elfled's, and their equalls, as truely glorious and worthy Wights, in this our Sea-encom­past little Bryttaine-World, as euer were those halfe-deified and Pagan-sainted Heroes, of whose acts Homer and Hesiods, the Mantuan and Theban Poets layes in that so famous and triumphant wise resound! yet then I feare, we should not be the true, plaine, downe-right, shall I say, or fantastique En­glish-men, if Apes, Toyes, Monkeyes, Parrots, and Baboones, or yond-sea Owles, other Country-far-fetcht and new-fangle fashions, were not more fancy-able to our braine-sicke hu­mours, and plausible to our nice palats, then wiser and better obiects, more profitable and fitting matters, in staid and setled iudgements, nearer concerning both our selues and na­tiue home. Which being so, sans enuy be it spoken, for cor­recting our too generally corrupted iudgements, in applause of any nouell monstrous (I might say Monsters) manners, as more especially strangers gugawes, and to the present pur­pose, forreine stories neare or farre before our owne; where­by the same lie more vntrimd and trodden vnder foot; since, what Scholers studie see wee? as nor Merchants traffique for those things, how good so-e're, that are but seldome sought for, want vent, and are not saleable. This yet, incited me the more to trie new wayes, that Noueltie it selfe, and Nouelists fancying fancie pleased, and others, the best at least, conten­ted, [Page] Albion and her Worthies might by this meanes, at all hands receiue some, though the meanest part of their true lustre, due, ancient and deserued glorie.

The ayme of this discourse, the full scope of our Bryttish hi­storie, so diuided, that according to the ten great Reall or ap­parant changes of Estate, each seuerall Booke or Ode, from such mutation, take their subiect and beginning in historicall order, and from some partie of prime note, denomination; the first treating of our first Founder Samothes and his succes­sion called Samothes; the second Albion, of him chiefe actor in the same; the third the Giants of their rude regiment; the fourth named Brute, of his next stablishing a Kingdome; fift Mulmutius, of his re-vniting the distracted Prouinces; sixt Caesar, of his conquest, and the Roman Caesars gouernment; the seuenth entituled Hengist, of his foundation of the Saxon Heptarchy; eight Sueno, of his, and the then rapines and op­pressions of the Danes; ninth Gulielmus, of his Norman con­quest; tenth Iacobus, of him a plant of that pacifique Oliue, fortunate Peace-maker, of famous memorie HENRY the se­uenth; now anew also planting peace, and vniting foure Kingdomes; whose other stories on that occasion are briefly there displayed. In all which passages, what is lesse lightsome, or delightsome, impute it, if not to the obscuritie and harsh­nesse of the matter, to his weaknesse, that yet was and is wil­ling, far as able, to giue all best contentment in that kinde. That Poesie should shadow Historie, such [...], and pleasant studie, I may hope to find out Patrons for protecti­on, as well as patterns, and those right ancient and worthy, for imitation and excuse! What nouell is should not for nouelty distaste; the English Poeme glosse to the stranger Idiome, that speaks perhaps such barbarous States-matters, like our English Lawes, but rude; the marginall notes seruing for il­lustration to them both, supplying the defects, guiding and supporting the course of Historie: other Annotations, Ana­lyses, or Explications proposing order, pointing at method, light and life of all discourse; as they cannot but yeeld some profit, how-e're painefull and laborious to me, I wish to thee as vsefull and commodious, not doubting then thy well ac­ceptance of the same! The Title, suiting to the Treatise, [...]-Albion, or Antiqua-Albion, should seeme to promise Al­bions [Page] antiquities, and ancient storie of our Ile! if alluding to [...]-Olbion, as thou fauourest one, happily enioy the other; and as a Fauorite of Albion mayst thou be fauoured in the highest Olbion; for whose sakes I say, and wish to say,

Not censuring before thou reade; not reading with preiu­dicate opinions of thine owne or others; and not con­demning all, before thou haue read all. As I shall much expect such censure, and approue it; so shall I most respect the Censurer! I will not be so rash or harsh to say, commend, or else come­mend; yet doe con­clude thus with the Poet,