I Here present unto thee a flower plucked out of that most excellent storeyard [Greek or Hebrew] meanly turned into vers, therefore I may boldly applaud, and admire the one, and refer my own unto thy censure, yet if this finds acceptance (from Loyal Subjects) it will incite me to proceed with the other Meditations; which if I shall not be so fortunate as to perform, I hope some more happier, & Diviner Muse will with an Elaborate ⟨image 3⟩Pen Dilucidate unto the world what is deficient in my Skill, but not in will, I am far from desiring any plaudit; 1Omnis insipience arrogantia & plausibus capitor Every fool is won with pride and his own flattering applaud, but as I should be sorry to affect the one, so I hate, and disrespect the other, it shall be sufficient to me, if I please them, who are Ravished with these Divine Meditations; which like A Diamond cannot lose their Lustre although they were mantled in Cimmerian-Darkness; The world must confess with me that they are obstacles to our profound Mercuralists, who can extract such Senses out of the Sacred Scripture, that are again the sense of common reason, which yet catch poor silly people by Shoals, as Fishermen with Drag nets take their Fishes, yet are not (or will not) our Trumpeters be sensible ⟨image 3⟩of it, but either encourage them, or remain silent as in a Lethargy; And thus, since neither our former, nor present sufferings can refine, or cleanse our drossy & leprous souls: HOW may we hope that our correction is ended? or that the rod shall be burnt?
I Here present unto thee a flower plucked out of that most excellent storeyard 〈non-Latin alphabet〉 meanly turned into vers, therefore I may boldly applaud, and admire the one, and referre my owne unto thy censure, yet if this findes acceptance (from Loyall Subjects) it will incite me to proceed with the other Meditations; which if I shall not be so fortunate as to performe, I hope some more happier, & Deviner Muse will with an Elaborate ⟨image 3⟩Penne Dilucidate unto the world what is deficient in my Skill, but not in will, I am farr from desiring any plaudit; 1Omnis insipience arrogantia & plausibus capitor Every foole is won with pride and his own flattering applaude, but as I should be sorry to affect the one, so I hate, and disrespect the other, it shall be sufficent to me, if I please them, who are Ravished with these Divine Meditations; which like A Diamond cannot lose their Luster although they were mantled in Cimmerian-Darkness; The world must confesse with me that they are obstacles to our profound Mercuralists, who can extract such Sences out of the Sacred Scripture, that are again the sence of common reason, which yet catch poore silly people by Shooles, as Fishermen with Drag nets take their Fishes, yet are not (or will not) our Trumpettors be sensible ⟨image 3⟩of it, but either encourage them, or remain silent as in a Lethargie; And thus, since neither our former, nor present sufferings can refine, or cleanse our drossie & leprous soules: HOW may we hope that our correction is ended? or that the rod shall be burnt?
- 1Menander.
