TO THE READER.

Where as Horace sayeth, they that
runne ouer the sea, chaunge the ayer,
not the mynde: it is so reader, that I
passing ouer the sea out of England
in to Brabant, haue in some parte
chaunged also my mynde. For where
as being there, I mynded to send this treatise but
to one frend, who required it for his priuate instruction,
and neuer to set any thing abroade: now being
arriued here in Louaine, I haue thought good, by
putting it in printe, to make it common to many.
Yet to saye the trowth, hereto I haue ben prickte
more by zelouse persuasions of others, then induced
by myne owne lyking. For though dutie require,
be it with shame, or be it with fame, to employe
all endeuour to the defence of the Catholike faith,
in these most perilouse times much impugned:
yet partely by a certaine cowardly iudgement, and
specially by naturall inclination, I haue euer lyked
more that olde counsell vttered by the Grekes in two
wordes, which aduiseth a man so to lyue secretly,
as it be not knowen, he hath lyued. Wherefore
as this labour in that respecte deserueth lesse
thanke, so for my parte it ought lesse to be blamed.
If ought be fownde amysse, the blame thereof rightly
diuided betwen my frendes and me, the greater portion
shall redownde to them, the lesser to me, as on
whom the spotte of vnskille only shall cleaue, but
the note of vndiscretion shall remaine to them. For
as the defectes be myne and none others, so ouersight
of setting forth that, which was of lesse sufficiencie,

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is to be imputed to them, not to me. How so
euer it be, the meaning of vs bothe is only this Christen
reader, hereby to minister vnto thee, matter of
comforte in these sorowful, of staye in these wauering,
of vnderstanding the truth, in these erroneouse
times: withall, to call him backe, who in denying these
articles, hath ouerrunne him selfe. Wherein I am not
all together voyde of hope. Oure lord graunt, the spirite
of heresie, pride, stoutenes of hart in gainesaying,
estimation of him selfe, and regarde of this world,
stoppe not from him the holy ghostes working.
Would god he maye weigh this my dooing so indifferently,
as my meaning towardes him is right,
holesom, and frendly. But in case that deepe woonde
may not be cured with such salue, yet my truth is, it
shall doo thee good, reader, who art either yet hole,
or not so desperatly woonded: which if it doo, I shall
thinke my labour well requitted, and my selfe to haue
acheued that reward, which I sought.
Now this much I haue thought good here to warne
the of, that where as at the first, I appointed this
to my priuate frend only, and not to all in common,
though in sundry places I folow the maner of such as
mynde to publish their writinges I haue so both ordered
the matter and tempered the style, as I iudge it
might haue ben liked of my frend at home, and
doubte whether it may beare the light abroade. I see
mennes stomakes of oure time to be very delicate
and diuerse. Some require swete iunkettes, some sower
and sharpe sawces, some esteme the curiositie of cookerye,
more then the holesomnes of viandes, some
can like no dishe, be it neuer so well dighte. In this
diuersitie no man can please all. Who so euer seeketh
it, shal fynde him selfe deceiued. I wene the best waye
is, if a man herein mynde to doo ought, to make his
prouision of the thinges only, wich be holesome. So
shal he displease many, hurte none, and please al the
good. Who so euer in doing this directeth his whole
purpose and endeuour to this ende, that he may
profite and helpe all: in my iudgement, he doth
the dutie of an honest and a good man. Verely in this
treatise this hath ben myne onely purpose, and the
meane to bring the same to effecte, hath ben such, as
whereby I studied to profite holesomely, not to please
delicately. How much good I haue performed, I
know not, my conscience which is ynough beareth
me witnes of good will. What the Apostles haue pla~ted,
in this great barraynesse and drowth of faith, I
haue desyred againe to water. God geue encreace.
If the multitude of allegations brought for confirmation
of some these Articles, shal seme tediouse, no
merueile. I shuld mislike the same in an other my selfe.
I graunt herein I haue not alwayes kepte due comlynes.
For symply to saye, what I thinke hauing
leaue to retourne to my former metaphore soothly
in some courses, I haue ouer charged the borde with
dishes. Merueile not, I haue done that, I disco~mend my
selfe, to auoyde a more reproufe in greater respecte, I
haue wittingly done a thing, in some degree reproueable.
Neither thinke I greatly to offende, if in this time
of spirituall famine, I folow the woont of some feastemakers.
who of their neighbours twited with nyggardnes,

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to shewe their largesse and bountie, feaste the~
with lauishe. The aduersarie, as here thou mayst see,
hath not spared to irke vs with reproche of penurie, of
scarcitie of lacke: I meane of proufes for maintenance
of some good parte of oure religion. In this case to
me it semed a parte of iust defence, to vtter some
good store. And the nyggardes feaste by olde prouerbe
is well commended, thou knowest pardie. Neither
yet haue we empted all our spence, as hereafter it
shal appeare if nede require.
If some doo not alowe this consideration, who so
euer the same shall blame, him here co~cluding, shortly
I answere with Alexander king of Macedons. who to
Leonidas one of his Mynnions fynding faute with
spending much frankencense in sacrifices, wrote thus
in fewe Frankencense and myrre to the we haue
sent plentie, that now to the Goddes thou
be no more a nyggard. Fare well, at
Louaine: 14 of Iune:
1563.
Thom. Harding.