Gerardo, the unfortunate Spaniard., 1622,
Cespedes y Menezes,  Gonzalo (Don)

Brief Details Title Page Dedication Bibliographical Additional Information
Dedication Transcription:

| TO | THE RIGHT | HONORABLE, | IN NAME AND NOBLENESSE | Brothers, WILLIAM Earle of Pembrooke, Lord | High Chamberlaine of his Maie∫ties Hou∫hold, | And PHILIP, Earle of Montgomerie, | Baron of Shurland, Knights of the | mo∫t Honorable Order of | the Garter: | His GERARDO and Him∫elfe, with his | true∫t wi∫hes for all increa∫e of felicitie to | both their Lord∫hips, | D. D. | L. D. | Right-Noble. My Lords: | Tran∫lations (as ∫ayes a | witty Spaniard) are, in | re∫pect of their Origi- | nals, like the knottie | wrong-∫ide of Arras-Hangings: But | by | by his wits leaue, as the faire out-∫ide | could ill be ∫eene, without the helpe of the | knots within; no more can the ∫ame of | a wel-de∫eruing Author be far ∫pred, | without the labor of a Tran∫lator. This | made me, for the pre∫ent Spani∫h Au- | thor his ∫ake, venter to make him ∫peak | Engli∫h, and to do a publike good, by | publi∫hing the morall Examples con- | tained in the pre∫ent Tragicall Di∫- | cour∫es. Now, that I pre∫ume to offer | my weake endeuours to the view and | protection of both your Lord∫hips, | I ∫hall no way de∫paire of a pardon; | ∫ince the world, that takes notice of | your Noble Goodne∫∫e, (the fir∫t, be∫t | of your honour’d Titles) giues me a∫- | ∫urance, that (though a ∫tranger, ra- | ther then an intruder) I ∫hall be e∫tee- | med | To your Honors both, a deuoted | Seruant, | LEONARD DIGGES. |
Notes on Dedication/Dedicatee:  
Dedicatee:  William
Title: Earl of Pembroke and Lord High Chamberlain.
2nd Dedicatee:  , Philip
Title: Earl of Montgomerie and Baron Shurland.
Preliminary Material Sequence: Sig. A2 - Dedication. Sig. A3 - 'TO THE READER'. Sig. A4r - 'THE TRAGICKE POEME | To the READER'. Sig. A4v - Errata.
Preliminary Material Notes: The letter to the reader is worth transcribing: "Gentle Reader, I Present to thy view sixe exemplarie Discourses of Gerardo the vnfortunate Spaniard, written originally by Don Goncalo de Cespedes a Spainsh Gentleman, who in the time of fiue yeres of his Imprisonment, vnder the borrowed Name of Gerardo, personates himselfe in his owne misfortunes. And so partly with truth, partly with fiction, makes vp a first and second Part. Something there may bee in the weauing and contexture of the Worke, that may giue thee delight: sure I am, thou shalt find profit in it; espeically, if thou be such, as hath anyway beene subiect to wanton lust, or loose affection. The best is, if the Worke fall short of expectation, let the Authors credit looke to it; for a Translator hath no commission to better (suffice to come neere) his Originall. Some of the Verses in the Spanish Copie, I haue purposely left out, as being (in my iudgement) vnworthy to bee ranked with the Prose; others I haue altered, to make them more sutable to an English Reader. One by-discourse I haue left wholly out, as superstitiously smelling of Papisticall Miracles, in which I haue no beleefe", (sig. A3).