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To any that will read it.
WHen I first undertooke this Poeme, or as some very skilfull
in this kind, have pleased to tearme it, this Herculean
labour. I was by some vertuous friends perswaded, that I
should receive much comfort and incouragement therein; and
for these Reasons: First, that it was a new, cleere way,
never before gone by any; then, that it contained all the
Delicacies, Delights, and Rarities of this renowned Isle,
interwoven with the Histories of the Britanes, Saxons,
Normans, and the later English: And further that there is
scarcely any of the Nobilitie, or Gentry of this land, but
that he is in some way or other, by his Blood iinteressed
therein. But it hath fallen out otherwise; for instead of
that comfort, which my noble friends (from the freedome of
their Spirits) proposed as my due, I have met with barborous
Ignorance, and base Destraction; such a cloud hath the
Devill drawne over the Worlds Judgement, whose opinion in a
few yeares fallen so farre below all Ballatry, that the
Lethargy is incurable; nay some of the Stationers, that had
the selling of the first part of this Poeme because it went
not so fast away in the Sale, as some of their beastly and
abominable Trash, (a shame both to our Language and Nation)
have either despightfully left out, or at least carelessely
neglected the Epistles to the Readers, and so have cousoned
the Buyers with unperfect Bookes; which these that have
undertaken the second Part, have beene forced to amend in
the first, for the small number that are yet remaining in
their hands. And some of our outlandish, unnaturall English,
(I know not how other-
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