GREENE'S FAREWELL TO FOLLY 1 Modern spelling tran

GREENE’S FAREWELL TO FOLLY 2
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To the honourable-minded gentleman, Robert Carey, esquire, Robert Greene wisheth as
many good fortunes as the honour of his thoughts do merit
Having waded, noble-minded courtier, through the censures of many both honourable
and worshipful in committing the credit of my books to their honourable opinions, as I
have found some of them not only honourably to patronize my works, but courteously to
pass over my unskilful presumption with silence, so generally I am indebted to all
gentleman that with favours have overslipped my follies. Follies I term them, because
their subjects have been superficial, and their intents amorous, yet mixed with such moral
principles that the precepts of virtue seemed to crave pardon for all those vain opinions
love set down in her periods.
Seeing then, worthy Maecenas of letters, that my works have been counted follies, and
follies the fruit of youth, many years having bitten me with experience, and age growing
on bidding me petere grauiora, to satisfy the hope of my friends and to make the world
privy to my private resolution I have made a book called my Farewell to Follies, wherein
as I renounce love for a fool, and vanity as a vein too unfit for a gentleman, so I discover
the general abuses that are engrafted in the minds of courtiers and scholars, with a
cooling card of counsel suppressing those actions that stray from the golden mean of
virtue. But, right Worshipful, some are so peremptory in their opinions that if Diogenes
stir his stumps they will say it is to mock dancers, not to be wanton; that if the fox preach,
‘tis to spy which is the fattest goose, not to be a ghostly father; that if Greene write his
Farewell to Folly, ‘tis to blind the world with folly, the more to shadow his own folly.
My reply to these thought-searchers is this: I cannot Martinize, swear by my fay in a
pulpit & rap out Gog’s wounds in a tavern, feign love when I have no charity, or protest
an open resolution of good when I intend to be privately ill, but in all public protestations
my words and my deeds jump in one sympathy, and my tongue and my thoughts are
relatives.
But omitting these digressions, right Worshipful, to my book, which as it is the farewell
to my follies, so it is the last I mean ever to publish of such superficial labours, which I
have adventured to shroud under the shelter of your Worship’s patronage, as under his
wing whose general love, bought with honourable deserts, may defend it from the injury
of every envious enemy. I can shadow my presumption with no other excuse but this,
that seeking to find out some one courtier whose virtuous actions had made him the hope
of many honours, at whose feet I might lay down the follies of my youth, & bequeath to
him all the profitable fruits of my ensuing age, finding none that either fame could
warrant me, or my own private fancy persuade to be of more hope than yourself, I set
down my rest, and ventured boldly on your Worship’s favour, which if as I have found
before, I obtain now, I shall think myself as fortunate in getting so honourable a patron
for my new endeavours as unhappy for blemishing my forepassed youth with such
frivolous labours. And thus hoping my honest resolution to do well shall be
countenanced with your Worship’s courteous acceptance, I commit you to the Almighty.
Your Worship’s in all humble service,
Robert Greene.
Modern spelling transcript copyright 2007 Nina Green All Rights Reserved