_A Letter Mandatory from one friend to another._
My harty commendations remembred vnto you, good maister R. These are to certifie you that I haue presumed so much on your friendship, as to put ouer certaine causes of mine in your name, for so much as for many respects I find my selfe too far insufficient to deale with the parties, I must therefore desire you to receiue some instructions which I haue herwith sent you by this bearer, and therein to vse such needfull furtherance as in like cases of friendship you may commaund at my handes. I pray you also that you will take so much more further paines for me, as at conuenient leisure to walke towards S. and there to confer with my brother P. and vpon sight and hearing of such matter as by him shall bee shewed and set forth vnto you, to deale accordingly. Thus with my earnest desire to see you here at L. where you shall most hartily finde your selfe welcome, I take leaue this of, &c.
=Thus haue I led along, as you sée, this promised Methode by varietie of directions and examples, fitting to euery purpose I hope to the pleasing and content of all the indifferent readers: and here as a limit sufficient to that determined labour, doe I laie downe my rest. If anie faultes happen, as no doubt there will (for what from fault maie bee frée) let the learned I beseech them winke at it, the curteous ouerpasse it, and the considerate and well practised in such like trauels fauour me in it, seeing my endeuour therein was done for the best. And so doe I conclude my Methode.=
A DECLARATION of al such Tropes, Figures or Schemes, _as for excellencie and ornament in wri-_ ting, are speciallie vsed in this Methode.
Collected and explaned togithers, according to their applications, vsages, and properties.
Imprinted at London by P. S. for Cuthbert Burbie. 1599.
As in the two bookes before going (gentle Reader) my mind and purpose was to set foorth vnto the learner, how much the phrase of our daylie speech by well ordering and deliuerie is graced with Figures and other ornaments of Art, and to such end and purpose, haue I in the margent of euerie Epistle, directlie against the places where they are vsed, quoted them to be seen. I haue now for better supplement of the learners knowledge, determined in this place to make a collection of them all, remembring with my selfe, that vnto such as are vnexperienced in their particular applications, they shall be but of verie slender moment in their quotations, without also they may be instructed by example, how, where, and in what tearmes, wordes or cariage, they are vsed, and wherein, and by what conueyance their efficacies are explaned. For which cause, these briefe instructions following, conteining, as in the title before going, a demonstration of their true & seueral qualities, properties and natures, are to such ende deliuered: wherein my purpose is to omit nothing, which in my poore opinion may seeme vnto this deuised Methode anie wayes furthering. And howbeit my selfe in the writing of these collections, doe well consider the want I haue of other perfections, whereby to ornifie the matter hereof, with examples correspondent, yet shall it by such meanes appeare vnto all fauourers of science, what will and desire I haue to deserue with the best, confessing (as by due proofe I haue found) no speech to be accounted valuable or of weight, that is not graced with these parts. Thus hauing at large expostulated my true meaning herein, I commit the rest to your curteous censures, and my selfe to your good opinions.