I Offer here unto your Grace a kind of present: which if it be valued by the greatness, is but small; if by the goodness either of it self, or of my dutiful affection towards your Grace, is surely great. Certain Sermons are they of that reverend learned Father of so worthy memory B. Ivel; which having received of a friend, and reserved by me some good time in written hand (howbeit faithfully written, as I trust shall after appear) I could no longer, no longer, I say, could I be either so injurious, or so envious to the public good, as not to publish them to the glory of God, and benefit of his Church. And if the renowned Orator ⟨image 3⟩Tully could not endure to have the least & meanest of his painful travels perish or be lost, were it but some familiar Epistle or letter, as is apparent by that he wrote to his friend Varro in the like case: Etsi [Greek or Hebrew] erat illa epistola, Albeit the letter which Caninius caused me to write (but as I take it, had forgotten to call for) were stale and out of season, yet have I sithence delivered it unto him for thee: Quia nolui perire lucubrationē mean, saith he. Nor blame him pardie, for why should so sweet a vein of wit and eloquence flow out in vain? Then what reason were it that these so many, so learned, so godly, so eloquent Sermons of this reverend Father & great Divine; especially treating, not as Tully doth, of matters earthly, but heavenly, not of things temporal, but eternal, not of the Commonwealth of the Romans, but the saving health of all christians: I say, what pity were it that these his so sundry & worthy labours, should either be smothered ⟨image 3⟩up in hugger mugger, or buried in oblivion, or [Greek or Hebrew] wife always impropried, engrossed, & restrained unto any one, & not rather imparted, divulged & made common unto many one, for the general behoof of the present age, & so of future posterity? They are in Philosophy (as your Grace well knoweth) rules both ancient & authentic: Bonum quo communius, quo diuturnius, eo melius, Good things the more they stretch themselves to the benefit of many, & the more durable they are, the better they are. For as Lactantius saith, and saith very well, Nostrae voces &c. Our words once uttered, dissolve & vanish into air: but let them be put in writing, or print, and for the most part they remain unto all succeeding ages.
I Offer here vnto your Grace a kind of present: which if it be valued by the greatnes, is but small; if by the goodnesse either of it selfe, or of my duetifull affection towards your Grace, is surely great. Certaine Sermons are they of that reuerēd learned Father of so worthy memorie B. Iuel; which hauing receiued of a friend, and reserued by me some good time in writtē hand (howbeit faithfully written, as I trust shal after appear) I could no longer, no longer, I say, could I be either so iniurious, or so enuious to the publike good, as not to publish thē to the glorie of God, and benefit of his Church. And if the renowned Orator ⟨image 3⟩Tully could not indure to haue the least & meanest of his painfull trauells perish or be lost, were it but some familiar Epistle or letter, as is apparēt by that he wrote to his friend Varro in the like case: Etsi 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 erat illa epistola, Albeit the letter which Caninius caused mee to write (but as I take it, had forgotten to cal for) were stale and out of season, yet haue I sithēce deliuered it vnto him for thee: Quia nolui perire lucubrationē meā, saith he. Norblame him pardy, for why should so sweet a veine of wit and eloquence flow out in vaine? Then what reason were it that these so many, so learned, so godly, so eloquent Sermons of this reuerēd Father & great Diuine; especially treating, not as Tully doth, of matters earthly, but heauenly, not of things temporal, but eternal, not of the Commonwealth of the Romans, but the sauing health of al christians: I say, what pity were it that these his so sūdry & worthy labors, should either be smothered ⟨image 3⟩vp in hugger mugger, or buried in obliuion, or 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 wife alwaies impropried, ingrossed, & restrained vnto any one, & not rather imparted, diuulged & made common vnto many one, for the generall behoofe of the present age, & so of future posteritie? They are in Philosophie (as your Grace well knoweth) rules both antient & authentike: Bonum quo communius, quo diuturnius, eo melius, Good things the more they stretch themselues to the benefit of many, & the more durable they are, the better they are. For as Lactantius saith, and saith verie well, Nostrae voces &c. Our words once vttered, dissolue & vanish into ayre: but let them be put in writing, or print, and for the most part they remaine vnto all succeeding ages.
