A67922:33
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol.…Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol.…
Acts and monuments of matters most special and memorable, happening in the Church. [vol. 1] with an universal history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitive age to these latter times of ours, with the bloody times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions against the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperors, as now lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realm of England and Scotland. Newly revised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time again published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the help of Christ our Lord) John Fox, which desireth thee good reader to help him with thy prayer.Actes and monuments of matters most speciall and memorable, happenyng in the Church. [vol. 1] with an vniuersall history of the same, wherein is set forth at large the whole race and course of the Church, from the primitiue age to these latter tymes of ours, with the bloudy times, horrible troubles, and great persecutions agaynst the true martyrs of Christ, sought and wrought as well by heathen emperours, as nowe lately practised by Romish prelates, especially in this realme of England and Scotland. Newly reuised and recognised, partly also augmented, and now the fourth time agayne published and recommended to the studious reader, by the author (through the helpe of Christ our Lord) Iohn Foxe, which desireth thee good reader to helpe him with thy prayer.
London: printed by John Daye, 1583London: printed by Iohn Daye, 1583
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
With like sophistication these also fare with me, who when they neither can abide to hear their own doings declared, nor yet deny the same, which they hear to be true for three or four escapes in the book committed (and yet some of them in the said Book amended) they neither reading the whole, nor rightly understanding that they read, inveigh and malign so perversely the setting out thereof, as though neither any word in all that story were true, nor any other story false in all the world besides. And yet in accusing these my accusers, I do not so excuse my self, nor defend my book, as though nothing in it were to be sponged or amended. Therefore I have taken these pains, & reiterated my labours in travailing out the story again, doing herein as Penelope did with her web, untwisting that she had done before: Or as builders do sometimes, which build and take down again, either to transpose the fashion, or to make the foundation larger. So in recognising this history I have employed a little more labour, partly to enlarge the argument which I took in hand: partly also to assay, whether by any pains taking I might pacify the stomachs, or satisfy the judgments of these importune quarrellers: which nevertheless I fear I shall not do, when I have done all I can. For well I know that all the heads of this hissing Hydra will never be cut of, though I were as strong as Hercules. And if Apelles the skilful Painter, when he had bestowed all his cunning upon a piece of work, which no good artificer would or could greatly reprove, yet was not without some controlling Suitor, which took upon him Ultra crepidam, much more may I look for the like in these controlling days.1
With like sophistication these also fare with me, who when they neither can abide to heare their owne doings declared, nor yet deny the same, which they heare to be true for three or foure escapes in the booke committed (and yet some of them in the said Booke amended) they neither reading the whole, nor rightly vnderstanding that they read, inueigh and maligne so peruersly the setting out therof, as though neither any word in al that story were true, nor any other story false in al the world besides. And yet in accusing these my accusers, I do not so excuse my self, nor defēd my book, as though nothing in it were to be sponged or amended. Therfore I haue taken these paines, & reiterated my labours in trauailing out the story again, doyng herein as Penelope did with her web, vntwisting that she had done before: Or as builders do sometimes, which build and take down againe, either to transpose the fashion, or to make the foundation larger. So in recognising this history I haue emploied a little more labour, partly to enlarge the argument which I tooke in hand: partly also to assay, whether by any paynes taking I might pacifie the stomacks, or satisfie ye iudgments of these importune quarellers: which neuerthelesse I feare I shall not do, when I haue done all I can. For well I know that all the heads of this hissing Hidra will neuer be cut of, though I were as strong as Hercules. And if Apelles the skilfull Painter, when he had bestowed all his cunning vpon a piece of worke, which no good artificer would or could greatly reprooue, yet was not without some controlling Sutor, which tooke vpon him Vltra crepidam, much more may I looke for the like in these controlling dayes.