To the right worshipfull syr Thomas Chaloner knight, and Clerke of the Kynges maiesties priuie Counsayle.

ALbeit right worshipfull, that this my treatise is bothe to vyle and base to bée set foorthe vnder your protection, beynge woorthely estéemed of all men, to be as well learned wyse and vertuouse, as any gen - tleman in this realme, notwithstandinge vpon hope of the humanitee and gentlenesse, which is euer in - cident to persons of sutche woorthie qualities, I am at this present bolde, hauing no acquaintance with yo[?]ur maistership, to dedicate this my rude collections vnto you, praying you to accepte it as a thinge written by me to induce children to the Latine to (n) gue, not moued thereto with the desire of vaine glory but with a feruente affection and loue I beare vnto my coun - trey. For accordynge to the sayinge of the deuine philosopher Plato. We are not borne onely for our owne commoditée[?], but partly our parentes, partly our fréendes, and partly our coun - trey, doth clayme a certaine dewtie of vs, whiche thinge made Codrus kynge of Athens, Curtius and Decius Romayne knightes, also Zopirus the noble persion, with diuers others to iopard their liues for the sauegard of their countreis, which examples of Infidels were sufficient to reproue me, if I should refuse to take a little peyne for the profyte of the publyke wealthe, and specially to preserue the tender youthe thereof from the infectioun of barbarousnesse, whiche therewith wil bée soone corrupte, not possible of longe tyme to be restored.

For as Horace doth witnesse, the potte will longe sau[?]our of the lycour wherewith it is seasoned. Also the finest colours will soonest be staygned, neyther can they be so soone purified and made cleane agayne. These thynges considered, I haue resorted to the most famous and ancient autho[?]urs, out of the

whiche as out of cleare fountaynes I haue drawen as dili - gentlye as I coulde, the propre names of thinges conteyned vnder one kynde, and disposed them in suche ordre, that a very childe b[?]eyng able to reade, may with little labour perfitely im - printe them in memory: Whiche shall not be onely profitable for them nowe in t[?]heir tendre age, but hereafter when they shalbe of[?] more iudgement and yeres, it shalbe vnto them a sin - gular treasure: for the lacke whereof they shalbe compelled, as I haue herde many profounde clerkes bothe in disputacion as also in familiar communication to vse in stéede of the pro - per and naturall woord[?]e,[?] a paraphrase or circumlocucion.

Now if in the transla[?]ting, or in the englishyng of these woor - des I haue erred, as I can not but so doo in so weightie a mat - tier, or if I haue omitted any thinge, as I haue done many purposely, because diuers greate learned men can not agrée v - pon them, I humbly submitte my selfe to your maystershippes correction, whome I knowe to bee excellentlye well learned bothe in the Gréeke and in the Latine, prayinge you here - after, whan occasion shall serue, to put your helpynge hande to the finisshynge of this little booke, whiche if you doo by the exaumple of syr Thomas Elyote that woorthy knyghte, you shall not onely binde all that be studious to praye for you, but also purchase to your selfe immortall fame and honour, whiche I pray God sende you, with longe life to his pleasure.