To the Right Honorable my L. Borrow Lord Gouernor of the Breil, and Knight of the most honorable order of the Garter, T. C. wisheth continuall Honor, worthines of mind, and learned knowledg, with increas of worldlie Fame, & heauenlie felicitie.
HAuing a restlesse desier in the dailie exercises of Pen to present some acceptable peece of work to your L. and finding no one thing so fit for my purpose and your honorable disposition, as the knowledge of Armes and Weapons, which defends life, countrie, & honour, I presumed to preferre a booke to the print (translated out of the Italyan language) of a gentle mans doing that is not so gredie of glory as many glorious writers that eagerly would snatch Fame out of other mens mouthes, by a little labour of their own, But rather keeps his name vnknowen to the world (vnder a shamefast clowd of silence) knowing that vertue shynes best & getteth greatest prayes where it maketh smallest bragg: for the goodnes of the mind seekes no glorious gwerdon, but hopes to reap the reward of well doing among the rypest of iudgement & worthiest of sound consideration, like vnto a man that giueth his goods vnto the poore, and maketh his treasurehouse in heauen, And further to be noted, who can tarrie til the seed sowen in the earth be almost rotten or dead, shal be sure in a boūtiful haruest to reap a goodly crop of corne And better it is to abyde a happie season to see how things will proue, than soddainly to seeke profite where slowlye comes commoditie or any benefit wil rise. Some say, that good writers doe purchase small praise till they be dead, (Hard is that opinion.) and then their Fame shal flowrish & bring foorth the fruite that long lay hid in the earth.