[From ‘To the Reader’]

| Right gentle reader, | in the yeare that King Henry | the eyght (of mo∫t famous me- | mory) be∫ieged and wonne the | ∫tronge towne of Bulloigne, I | brought this booke intituled, | THE FAMILIAR EPISTLES OF SIR ANTO- | NY OF GVEVARA, out of Spaine, wherin I haue | read the ∫pace of both of yeres and times, to my great | delight and plea∫ure, but much more to my com- | moditie and profite. And notwith∫tanding I haue | read many bookes, and ∫pent no ∫mall parte of my | life in the i∫∫ue therof, yet to this day I could neuer | encounter (the holy Scripture excepted, which en- | dureth no compari∫on) with that booke, which in | all poyntes might bee comparable to the ∫ame, as | right well may appeare vnto the diligent and con- | ceiuing Reader. And bicau∫e I would be very loth | to be found a nigard in things which co∫t but litle, | the which beeing giuen mo∫t plentifully, reboun- | deth mo∫t profitably not knowing of any other | Copy in all this lande, I thought it meete and con- | uenient, and al∫o my very duty , by tran∫lating the | ∫ame according to my poore ∫kill, to make thee | partner of the fruites therof… | … And bycau∫e I haue not perfour- | med the tran∫lation of my whole booke, neyther | could be pre∫ent at the printing of my vnperfect | copy,of neces∫itie ∫ome faultes mu∫t needes pa∫∫e, | the which I humbly pray thee (gentle Reader) to | beare withall vntil the whole tran∫lation be accom- | pli∫hed, | pli∫hed, and at the next impres∫ion I doubt not by | Gods grace, to render and yeld the ∫ame with ∫uch | perfection, that iustly any blame may not be im- | puted. And bycau∫e I haue found the Italian, but | e∫pecially the French tran∫lation, not onely | omit- | ting and varying, but al∫o raunging from the Spa- | ni∫h Author, I haue lefte their helpes, which other- | wi∫e might haue giuen a∫∫i∫tance….