rie 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 my meaning to haue
[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.]
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.

ABRAHAM FLEMING.

* * * * *

THE FIRST BOOKE

OF THE

HISTORIE OF ENGLAND.

* * * *