THE ARTE OR CRAFTE OF RHETHORYKE
thynges for theyr purpofe / either in Herraogines among the Grekes / or els Tully or Trapefonce / among the Latines. And to them that be yonge begynners nothynge can be to playne or to f hort / wherfore Horace in his boke of the craft of Poetry fayeth Quicquid prcecipies efto breuis vt cito dicta Percipiant animi dociles teneantque fidcles.
what fo euer ye wyll teache (fayth he) be brief therin / that the myndes of the herers or reders may the eafiyer perceyue it / and the better bere it away. And the Emperour Juftinian fayeth in the fyrfte boke of his inftitucions in the paragraph of iuftice and right/ that ouer great curiofity in the fyrf t principles / make hym that is ftudioufe of the facultie either to forfake it or els to attayne it with very great and tedyoufe labour / and many tymes with great difpayre to com to the ende of his purpofe. And for this caufe I haue bene ferre leffe curioufe then I wolde els haue ben /and alfo a great dele the f horter. If this my labour [F iv b] may pleafe your lordf hyp / it is the thynge that I do in it mof te defyre / but yf it feme bothe to you & other a thyng that is very rude and f kant worthe the lokynge on : yet Aristotles wordes fhal comfort [me / who fayeth that men be nat onlye bounde to good autours 1 : but alfo to bad / bicaufe that by their wrytyng they haue p/^uoked cu^nynger me to take the mater on hande / which wolde els peraduenture haue helde theyr peace. Truely there is nothyng that I wolde be more gladder of/ tha;/ if it might chau^ce me on this maner to caufe the^z that be of moch better lernynge & excercife in this arte tha I, of whom I am uery fure that this realme hath great plenty / that they wolde fet the pe^ne to the paper / & by their i^duftry obfcure my rude igno- rauwce. In the meane fpace I befeche the reders / yf they fynde any thynge therin that may do them any pn?fyte / that they gyue the thankes to god and to your lordf hyp / and that they wyll of theyr charitie pray vnto the bleffyd Trinite for me/ that wha it fhall pleafe the godhed to take me from this traf itory lyfe / I may by his mercy be of the nombre of his electe to perpetuall faluacyon.
Imprinted at London in Fleteftrete 2 / by me Robert Redman / dwellyng 3 at 3 the 3 fygne 3 of 3 the 3 George. 3 4 Cum priuilegio.
X B. authors.
a Added in B by faynt Dunf tones chyrche at the fygne of the George.
3 Omitted in B.
4 Added in B. The yere of ourlorde god a thoufande, fyue hundred and two and thyrty.
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