A67922:39
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
To the reader: Ad doctum Lectorem Joh. Foxus.To the reader: Ad doctum Lectorem Ioh. Foxus.
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.
Ad doctum Lectorem Joh. Foxus.
Ad doctum Lectorem Ioh. Foxus.
COgitanti mihi, versantique mecum in animo quàm peri•ulosa res aleae sit, emittere nunc aliquid in publicum, quod in man•s oculósque multorū subeat, his praesertim tam exulceratis moribus temporibúsque, ubi tot hominum dissidijs, tot studijs partium, tot morosis capitibus, tam rigidis censuris, & Criticorum sannis feruent ferè omnia, ut difficillimum sit quicquā tam circumspectè scribere, quod non in aliquam calumniandi materiam rapiatur: perbeati profectò foelicésque videnturij, quibus eum vitae cursū tenere liceat, ut in otio viventes cum dignitate, sic alienis frui queant laboribus, velut in theatro ociosi sedentes spectators, ut nullum interim ipsis uel ex actione taedium, vel ex labore periculum metuendum sit. Me vero nescio quo pacto longe diversa quidem hactenus exercuit vitae ratio, quippe cui nec fortunae illam foelicitatem, in cuius complexibus tam multos suaviter foveri video, nec otij amoenitatem experiri, vix etiam per omnem vitam degustare in continuo laborum ac negotiorum fervour ac contention contigerit. Quanquam de fortuna parum queror, quam semper contempsi, quin neque de laboribus multum dicturus, si modo lobores ij, tantum vel prodesse vel placere caeteris possent hominibus, quantum me privatim atterunt incommodántque. Nuncad meae infoelicitatis cumulum accedit in super, quod in eo argumenti genere laborandum fuit, quod praeter lugubrem rerum ipsarum materiam, praeter linguae inamoenitatem, praeter tractandi difficultatem, quae vix nitorem recipiat orationis, eo porro autorem ipsum redigit angustiae, ut neque falsa narrare sine iniuria historiae, nec verum dicere sine magna sua inuidia odi• que multorum liceat. Nam cum in eo historiae argumento mihi versandum fuit, quod non ad superiorum modo temporū res gestas altéque repetitas pertineat, sed hanc ipsam aetatem nostram, nostraeque gentis nunc homines etiamnum praesentes, vivôsque sic attingat, sic perfricet, sic designet, quemadmodum in hoc materiae genere necessario faciundum fuit: quaeso quid hîc mihi aliud expectandum sit, nisi postquā frustrà me defatigando, valetudinem attriverim, oculos perdiderim, senium acciverim, corpus exhauserim, demum ut post haec omnia multorum me hominum odijs, sibilis, inuidiae ac calumniae exponam.