CUm me opusculum hoc aggressurum non attraxit affectat a ambitio; sed otii so­lius taedium devorandi desiderium: Non Ancipitem Janum, contra Ace­phalos, & sine fronte superbos, in ipso limine janitorem, nec Tricephalum Cer­berum contra multorum capitum belluam, bifronti huic libellulo acerrimum invocabo oppugnatorem. Te solum (candide lector) (ut Antiqui, aliquem è gentium diis) contra Molossos omnes malitiose delatrantes, Jovem nostrum Statorem posui, Apagè mancos istos & mutilatos judices, qui non tam poëma, quàm ejus vitia insectantur. Apage facundos illos contumelia­rum creatores! Tibi me advolve, in te securus per­manebit animus, & malis indignè non succumbet. Non magna do, non perfecta, non polita, sed rudia & incocta, quae (que) tui pumicem reposcunt. Ut tenuitati igitur meae succurras obsecro; si enim in opere jucundo & utili, est aliquid aliquò us (que) prodire, Candidos ar­bitror & ingenuos, inceptum hoc meum, non vitio [Page] prorsus daturos. Malè consultorū hominū ingenia ad detrahendū proclivia, non sic moror; exil [...]tatem meam agnosco, tantam enim in opere hoc ubique profundita­tem expertus, ut non cujusvis est (minime mei, qui inter eos qui divine poëscos amoris flammulis fervent, sum postremus) ad Cas [...]er penetrare Adyta. Aucto­ritate tuâ nobis opus est Far [...]bi, qui miseris nobis, Naufragium arduos contra Authorum scopulos factu­ris, misericordem temet praebere Tiphim non dedig­naris; sed calamum coërceo. Tuo praesidio tutus tuam (si quid mali adversatur) manum implore auxiliatri­cem; quae me ingenii (uti Aeneas patrem dexteritate virium) è mediâ incolumem eripi at flammâ. Vale.

A Word or two to thee, and I have done; and in English, for it may be, 'tis that which makes thee a reader. I know thou wilt start up Critick, if not Cynick; and therefore to prevent thee, I thus Apologize for my selfe to those of better judgement and af­fection. I confesse I have not been so precise­ly carefull in every Ode, as to render line for line (a thing so strictly stood upon by some late translators) for indeed the exuberant tor­rent of Elegancie, came so fast upon me, that I was forced to make my banks larger; choo­sing rather to make my fault in the excesse, then defect. I ingenuously acknowledge that I am not worthy to blow a coale of that divine fire, which spreads such glorious flames through every Ode; and indeed (if it were possi­ble [Page] to expect any mercy from thee) thou migh­test excuse me in this bold attempt; for I want those true Promethean helps, that heretofore fetch'd downe this fire, and dealt it freely a­mongst us; Those courteous sons of Maja, that with their powerfull rods could breake the barrs, and easily uncharme the knottiest Authours. Well, if thou takest no pleasure in reading, I did profit in writing, and I had rather, of the two, that thou shouldest be idle. The young Thing was ne're intended for the Presse, but the violence of some friends ra­vish'd her from me, in her virgin bloome, and now shee's growne common: use her and me as courteously as thou canst, however I bid thee fare-well.