This item is
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Publicly Available
and licensed under:Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-SA 3.0)
Files for this item
Download all local files for this item (67.71 KB)
- Name
- volpone-0616.txt
- Size
- 62.2 KB
- Format
- Text file
- Description
- Version of the work in plain text format
BEN:IONSON
<TITLE VOLPONE OR THE FOXE.>
THE EPISTLE.
NEUER(MOST AEQUALL SISTERS) HAD ANY
MAN A WIT SO PRESENTLY EXCELLENT,
AS THAT IT COULD RAISE IT SELFE;BUT
THERE MUST COME BOTH MATTER,
OCCASION,COMMENDERS, AND FAUOURERS TO IT.
IF THIS BE TRUE,AND THAT
THE FORTUNE OF ALL WRITERS DOTH DAILY PROUE IT,IT
BEHOUES THE CAREFULL TO PROUIDE,WELL,TOWARD THESE
ACCIDENTS; AND,HAUING ACQUIR'D THEM,TO PRESERUE THAT
PART OF REPUTATION MOST TENDERLY,WHEREIN THE
BENEFIT OF A FRIEND IS ALSO DEFENDED. HENCE IS IT,THAT I
NOW RENDER MY SELFE GRATEFULL, AND AM STUDIOUS TO
IUSTIFIE THE BOUNTY OF YOUR ACT:TO WHICH,THOUGH
YOUR MERE AUTHORITY WERE SATISFYING,YET,IT BEING AN
AGE, WHEREIN POETRY AND THE PROFESSORS OF IT HEARE SO
ILL,ON ALL SIDES,THERE WILL A REASON BEE LOOK'D FOR IN
THE SUBIECT. IT IS CERTAINE,NOR CAN IT WITH ANY FORE-
HEAD BE OPPOS'D) THAT THE TOO-MUCH LICENCE OF
POETASTERS,IN THIS TIME,HATH MUCH DEFORM'D THEIR
MISTRESSE; THAT,EUERY DAY THEIR MANIFOLD,AND MANIFEST
IGNORANCE DOTH STICK VNNAT . . .
