Gentlemen, and courteous readers whosoever: I have |
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here published in print for your sakes, the two tragical |
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discourses of the Scythian shepherd, Tamburlaine, that |
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became so great a conqueror, and so mighty a monarch. |
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My hope is that they will be now no less acceptable unto | 5 |
you to read after your serious affairs and studies, than they |
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have been (lately) delightful for many of you to see, when |
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the same were showed in London upon stages. I have |
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(purposely) omitted and left out some fond and frivolous |
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gestures, digressing (and in my poor opinion) far unmeet | 10 |
for the matter, which I thought, might seem more tedious |
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unto the wise, than any way else to be regarded, though |
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(haply) they have been of some vain conceited fondlings |
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greatly gaped at, what times they were showed upon the |
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stage in their graced deformities: nevertheless, now, to be | 15 |
mixtured in print with such matter of worth, it would prove |
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a great disgrace to so honourable and stately a history. |
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Great folly were it in me to commend unto your wisdoms |
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either the eloquence of the author that writ them, or the |
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worthiness of the matter itself; I therefore leave unto your | 20 |
learned censures, both the one and the other, and myself |
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the poor printer of them unto your most courteous and |
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favourable protection: which if you vouchsafe to accept, |
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you shall evermore bind me to employ what travail and |
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service I can, to the advancing and pleasuring of your | 25 |
excellent degree. |
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Yours, most humble at commandment, |
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