* * * * *
The order obserued in the description of Britaine, by reason of the
necessarie diuision thereof into bookes and chapters growing out of
the varietie of matters therein conteined, seemed (in my iudgement) so
conuenient a course deuised by the writer, as I was easilie induced
thereby to digest the historie of England immediatlie following into
the like method: so that as in the one, so likewise in the other, by
summarie contents foregoing euerie chapter, as also by certeine
materiall titles added at the head of euerie page of the said
historie, it is a thing of no difficultie to comprehend what is
discoursed and discussed in the same.
Wherein (sith histories are said to be the registers of memorie and
the monuments of veritie) all louers of knowlege, speciallie
historicall, are aduisedlie to marke (among other points) the seuerall
and successiue alterations of regiments in this land: whereof it was
[Sidenote: Pag. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 26, 27, 28, 49, 50, 51, of
the description: and pag. 765, 766, of the historie of England.]
my meaning to haue made an abstract, but that the same is
sufficientlie handled in the first booke and fourth chapter of the
description of Britaine; whereto if the seuenth chapter of the same
booke be also annexed, there is litle or no defect at all in that case
wherof iustlie to make complaint.
Wherfore by remitting the readers to those, I reape this aduantage,
namelie a discharge of a forethought & purposed labour, which as to
reduce into some plausible forme was a worke both of time, paine and
studie: so seeming vnlikelie to be comprised in few words (being a
matter of necessarie and important obseruation) occasion of tediousnes
is to and fro auoided; speciallie to the reader, who is further to be
aduertised, that the computations of yeares here and there expressed,
according to the indirect direction of the copies whense they were
deriued and drawne, is not so absolute (in some mens opinion) as it
might haue beene: howbeit iustifiable by their originals.
Wherin hereafter (God prolonging peace in the church and commonwelth
that the vse of bookes may not be abridged) such diligent care shall
be had, that in whatsoeuer the helpe of bookes will doo good, or
conference with antiquaries auaile, there shall want no will to vse
the one and the other. And yet it is not a worke for euerie common
capacitie, naie it is a toile without head or taile euen for
extraordinarie wits, to correct the accounts of former ages so many
hundred yeares receiued, out of vncerteinties to raise certeinties,
and to reconcile writers dissenting in opinion and report. But as this
is vnpossible, so is no more to be looked for than may be performed:
and further to inquire as it is against reason, so to vndertake more
than may commendablie be atchiued, were fowle follie.