My good Lord, I can geeue nothinge moore agreable to your minde, and my fortune, then the willinge performance of such seruice as it shall please you to commaunde mee vnto. And therefore rather to obeye then boaste of my cunninge, and as a newe signe of myne olde deuocion, I doe presente the booke your Lordeship so longe desired. With assured hope that how so euer you mislike or allowe therof, you will fauourably conseale myne imperfections which to your Lordshippe alone I dare discouer, because most faithfully I honor and loue you. My long discontinuance of study, or rather the lacke of grounded knowledge did many times discorage me, yet the pleasure I tooke in the matter did counteruaile all dispayre, and the rather by encouragement of your Lordship who (as you wel remember) vnwares to me found some parte of this worke, and willed me in any wyse to procede therin. My meaning was not to haue imparted my trauayle to any, but your honour hath power to countermaund myne intencion. Yet I most humbly beseech you either not to make any pertakers thereof, or at the least wise those, whoe for reuerence to your Lordship or loue to mee, will willingly beare with myne errors. A nedelesse thinge I know it is to comforte you, whom nature and fortune hath not onelye not iniured, but rather vpon whom they haue bountifully bestowed their grace: notwithstandinge sith you delighte to see others acquited of cares, your Lordship shall not doe amisse to reade some part of Cardanus counsell: wherein consideringe the manyfolde miseries of others, you may the rather esteeme your owne happye estate with encrease of those noble and rare vertues which I know and reioyse to be in you.