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Florence of Worcester (that published under name of
Florence hath the very syllables of most part of
Marion the Scots Story, fraught with
English Antiquities; which will shew you how easily
to answer Buchanan's objection against our Historians
about Athelstans being king of all Albion,
being deceiv'd when he imagined that there was no other of
Marian but the common printed Chronicle, which is
indeed but an Epitome or Defloration made by Robert
of Lorraine, Bishop of Hereford under
Hen. I.) and the numerous rest of our Monkish and
succeeding Chronographers. In all, I beleeve him most which
freest from Affection and Hate (causes of
corruption) might best know, and hath, with most likely
assertion, delivered his report. Yet so, that, to explaine
the Author, carrying himselfe in this part, an
Historicall, as in the other, a Chorographical
Poet, I insert oft, out of the British story, what I
importune you not to credit. Of that kind, are those
Prophecies out of Merlin sometime interwoven:
I discharge my selfe; nor impute you to me any serious
respect of them. Inviting, not wresting in, occasion, I adde
sometime what is different from my task, but such as I
guesse would any where please an understanding Reader. To
aide you in course of Times, I have in fit place drawn
Chronologies, upon Credit of the Ancients; and, for
matter of that kinde, have admonisht (to the IV. Canto) what
as yet I never saw by any observ'd, for wary consideration
of the Dionysian Cycle, and mis-interpreted Roote of
his Dominicall yeere. Those old Rimes, which (some
number) you often meet with, are offer'd the willinger, both
for Variety of your Mother Tongue, as also, because
the Author of them Robert of Gloster never yet
appear'd in common light. He was, in Time, an Age before;
but, in Learning and Wit, as most others, much behind our
Worthy Chaucer: whose name by the way Occuring, and
my worke here being but to adde plaine song after Muses
descanting, I cannot but digresse to admonition of abuse
which this Learned allusion, in his Troilus, by
ignorance hath indured.
I am till God mee better mind send
At Dulcarnon right at my wits end.
Its not Necham, or any else, that can make mee
entertaine the least thought of the signification of
Dulcarnon to be Pythagoras his sacrifice after
his Geometricall Theorem in finding the Squares of an
Orthogonall Triangles sides, or that it is a word of
Latine deduction; but indeed by easier pronunciation
it was made of [...Arabic...] .i. Two horned: which
the Mahometan Arabians use for a Root in Calculation,
meaning Alexander, as that great Dictator of
knowledge Joseph Scaliger (with some Ancients) wills,
but, by warranted opinion of my learned friend Mr.
Lydyat in his Emendatio Temporum, it began in
Seleucus Nicanor, XII.. yeares after
Alexanders death; The name was applyed, either
because af-
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