Holinshed's Chronicles of England, Scotland, and Ireland ..

TO THE
RIGHT HONORARLE, AND HIS SINGULAR GOOD LORD AND MAISTER.
S. WILLIAM BROOKE KNIGHT,
XOUn WARDEN or THE CINQUET PORTS, AXD BARON OF COnilAM, ALL
INCREASE OF THE FEARE AND K NO W LEDG E O F GOD, FI RM B OB ED I E NC
TOWARD ins PRINCE, INFALLIBLE LOUE TO THE COMMON WEALI H,
AND COMMENDABLE RENOWME H I. R E IN THIS WORLD, AND IN THE
WORLD TO COME LIFE K UE RL ASTIN (i.
Hauino had iust occasion. Right Honorable, to remaine in London,
during the time of Trinitie terme last passed, and being earnestlie required
of diners my freends, to set downe some breefe discourse of parcell of those
things, which I had obserued in the reading of such maiiifold antiquities as
I had perused toward the furniture of a Chronologic, which I haue yet in
hand ; I was at the first verie loth to yeeld to their desires : first, for that I
thought my selfe vnable for want of skill and iudgment, so suddenlie Sc wiih
so hastie speed to take such a charge vpon me : secondlie, bicause the deal-
ing therein might prooue an hinderance and impechment vnto mine owne
Treatise: and finallie, for that I had giuen ouer all earnest studie of his-
tories, as iudging the time spent about the same, to be an hinderance vnto
my more necessarie dealings in that vocation & function wherevnto 1 am
called in the ministerie. Jjut when they were so importunate with me,
that no reasonable excuse could serue to put by this trauell, I condescended
at the length vnto their yrkesome sute, promising that I would spend such
void time as I had to spare, whilest 1 should be inforced to tarie in the citie,
vpon some thing or other that should satisfie their recjuest ; and stand
in lieu of a description of my Countrie. For their parts also they as-
sured me of such he]j)S as they could purchase : and thus with hope of
voi;,. I. b good,
K