APOPHTHEGMES, that is to fate,prompte,quicke,wittie and fentencious faiynges,of certain Emperouts, Kynges, Lapitaines, Philoso Fhters and Diatours, afwell Brekes, as Ro matnes, bothe veraye pleasaunt & profita ble to reade, partely for all maner of persones, e especially Gentlemen first gathered and compiled in Latine by the ryght fa mous clerke Mat fter Erasmus of Rotero

Facsimile of the first leaf of N. Udall's preface, from the 1542 edition.

NICOLAS VDALL VNTO the gentle and honefte herted readers well to fare.

Dzafmuchgas the autour fell in his preface here enlayng wos eth at large Declare the nature, the purpose, and the ble of s pophthegmes, to make of thes. Came matier double inculcacion fhould bee(as me femeth) bothe on my parte and whalf a thing superfluous,and allo a tedious dullyng to the reader. It Chall therefore at this prefête tyme be lufficiete to ads mony the you gentle readers, that of the whole werke of apophthegmes by the right excellente clerke Erasmus:for the mose plesaunte and the Came molte honefte, profitable, e holfome reas anys of allmaner persones, & in efpeciali of nos ble menne collected and digefted into eight bos lumes, haue thought better with twoo of the eight to ministre vnto you a tale of this bothe belectable and fruiteful recreacion, then by laps prepng it until whole werke might beepers Fedtely ablolued and finylched, to defraude you of Co many goodly hikkojies,Co many high poin des of counfaill, so many notable preceptes of wyledome, to greate a noumble of philofophiz call leffōs,fuche vnekymable treasure of mozall bodrine,as may of this litle pozcion in $mrane tyme with small labour a incomparable delite, cofiforte and folace of mynd, bee perceturd, gas thered,and acquired.And although vpon confiz deracions, (at a może propíce tyme herafter by godies grace to be declared ) I haue té lo bolde With myne autour,as to make the firfte booke *# Lecourds

TO THE READER. fecounde,whiche he maketh thirde and fourth, Yet in these twoo prefente volumes whiche ye Tee here lette foarth, I haue laboured to difs charge the ductie of a trandatour, that is, kes pyng and folowyng the lense of my booke, to interprete and turne the Latine into Englythe with as muche grace of our vulgare toung,as in my lendze power and knowelage hath lyen: not omittyng ne leattyng palle, either any one of all the apophthegmes as thet ftand in ozd12 (ercept twoo or three at molte beeyng of fuche Coste as honefice perfwaded me, to bee better paled ouer, then reherled or spoken of,) ozels any Greke oz Latine berle of woorde, wherofs pith and grace of the laiyng dependeth. Whers in delire the bnlearned readers not to bee afs fended for that I haue in many places entremis xed Gieke and Latine with the Euglythe. For injal thynges that I have alreadie heretofore of herafter Call Cette foorch, I have an especiall regarde buto poung Ccholares and studentes, bnto whom it is not poffible to bee exprelled, what great veilitee,benefite + knowelage doeth redound of conferryng one fraunge language with an other. Neither is it to bec doubted, but that Luche as are towardes the difciplines of good litterature in diuerle tounges, maye of Tuche dooyages as this, picke out as mache ba tilitce and furtheraunce of their Audies, as the vnlearned shall take pleasure, and fruite of the Engly the for their vle. Whōlo careth not fog the Latine mave passe it ouer and satılfie hyma Telf with the Engly the Who palleth not on the Breke,mate Cembleably pale it ouer, and make as though he lee none fuche. Ther is in this bes half no mannes labour lok but myne, and yet not that all loß neither, if my good zele & honeft

entente

NICOLAS VDALL VNTO

the gentle and honeste
hearted readers well to fare.

Orasmoche as the aucthour self in his preface here ensuyng, dooeth at large declare the nature, the purpose, and the use of Apophthegmes, to make of the same matter double inculcacion, should bee (as me semeth) bothe on my parte and behalfe a thing superfluous and also a tedious dullyng to the reader. It shall therefore at this presente tyme bee sufficiente, to admonishe you gentle readers, that of the whole werke of Apophthegmes by the right excellente clerke Erasmus: for the moste pleasaunt and thesame moste honeste, profitable, and holsome readyng of all maner persones and in especiall of noble men, collected and digested into eighte volumes, I haue thought better with two of the eight to minister vnto you a taste of this, bothe delectable and fruitefull recreacion, then by suppressyng it, vntill the whole werke might be perfectly absolued and finished, to defraude you of so many goodly histories, so many high poinctes of counsaill, so many notable preceptes of wisedome, so greate a nomber of Philosophicall lessons, soche vnestimable treasure of morall doctrine, as maie of this little porcion in the meane time, with smal labour and incomparable delite, comforte and solace of mind, be perceived, gathered, and acquired. And although vpon consideracions (at a more propice tyme hereafter by gods grace to