ed to me, & that I
might in this thynge also (accordynge to my
bounden dutie) gratifie my frende) I haue hassard
my selfe in these daungerous dayes, where many
are so capcyous, some prone and redy to malygne &
depraue, and fewe whose eares are not so
festidious, tendre, and redy to please, that in
very tryfles & thynges of small importaunce, yet
exacte dylygence and exquisite iudgement is loked
for and requyred, of them whiche at this present
wyll attempte to translate any boke be it that the
matter be neuer so base. But what diligence I have
enployed in the translacio hereof I referre it to
the iudgement of the lerned sort, whiche coferynge
my translacion with the laten dyaloges, I dowte
not wyl condone and pardone my boldnesse, in that
that I chalenge the semblable lybertie whiche the
translatours of this tyme iustlie chalenge. For
some heretofore submytting them selfe to
seruytude, haue lytle ||respecte to the
obseruacio of the thyng which in translacyo is of
all other most necessary and requisite, that is to
saye, to rendre the sence & the very meanyng of
the author, not so relygyouslie addicte to
translate worde for worde, for so the sence of the
author is oftentimes corrupted & depraued, and
neyther the grace of the one tonge nor yet of the
other is truely observed or aptlie expressed. The
lerned knoweth that euery tonge hathe his peculyer
proprietie, phrase, maner of locucion, enargies
and vehemecie, which so aptlie in any other tog
can not be expressed. Yf I shal perceyue this my
symple doinge to be thankefully taken, and in good
parte accepted, it shall encorage me hereafter to
attempte the translacio of some bokes dysposing of
matters bothe delectable, frutefull, & expedient
to be knowen, by the grace of God, who gyuynge me
quyetnes of mynde, lybertie, and abylytie, shall
not desyste to communicat the frute of my
||spare howers, to such as are not lerned in
the laten tonge: to whome I dedycat the fyrste
frutes of this my symple translacyon.

* * * * *

A declaracion of the names.

Poliphemus sygnifieth, valyant
or noble, and in an other sygnifi-
cacion, talcatyfe or clybbe of tong. The
name of a Gyant called Cyclops, ha-
uynge but one eye in his forhed, of a
huge stature and a myghtie personage.
And is aplyed here to sygnifie a great