The Author's Dedication

I Cannot find anie other place, whither I maie better direct this my smale present, then to your Reuerende handes. For (settinge a part diuers and sundrie reasons of great importance, that bynde me so to do) certeinlie the wonderfull change of liffe, which your Reuerences haue made, and the holie example which you haue geuen to the world in this our corrupte age, are sufficient cawses to moue all such as doe anie thing desire the glorie of Christ, to serue you in this your spirituall iourney, that haue in such wise amplefied his glorie. I might well speake of this matter more largelie in this place, (and surelie without lyinge, or flatterie.) and to speake herein, were not to emploie the time, in the praises of men, but in the praise of almightie god. Forsomuch as it is manifest, that this your wonderfull change of life, hath not proceded of flesh and bloode, but of the right hand of the highest. But because it behoueth all men of our cote, and profession, to be free, not onelie from all flatterie, but also euen from all suspition of the same: I will therefore content my selfe at this present onelie with geuing thā ckes to our lord, for this notable vertuous act of yours, and I will confesse, that we haue seene that wonder in our daies, which the holie auncient father S. Ierome declareth to haue chaunced in his tyme. He writeth it in a certein Epistle to Ruffinus in theise wordes.

Bonosus thy frynd and myne, is now gone vp by that misticall ladder, ¹ which the Patriarck Iacob sawe: and according to the misterie of Moses, he hath now sacrificed the brasen serpent in the desert. where at this present he soweth with teares, that hereafter he maic Reape with ioye. Lett the truthe of this worthie act, putt to sylence all the lyenge wonders which the Greikes and Lattins haue written in their histories. Behold here a yong man brought vp in our companie, and instructed in all good artes, and learning, who had no want neither of landes, nor riches, nor honor, nor dignitie, emonge his equales, who forsakinge his mother, and his sisters, and aboue all, his most deerlie beloued brother, went to liue in an Iland, which is verie solitarie, and fearfull, and enuironed with diuers seas, there to dwell like a new inhabitor of paradice▪ and being alone in this place (howheit not alone, forsomuch as he is in the companie of Christ) he seeth now the glorie of almightie God: which the Apostles them selues neuer saw, but when they were alone in the mownt. Thus farre be S. Ieromes wordes. This holie example of Bonosus is treulie a thinge, wherein almightie God is to be praised, as in a singuler worke of his grace. And suerlie no lesse is he to be praised in your Reuerend and most honorable personages, who hauinge much more to forsake in the world, than Bonosus had, and being now in the verie flowers of your youth, haue forsaken the world and all the vayne pōpe and pryde thereof and with all your great landes and possessions, the dignitie of your highe noble estates, and the hope of so great honorable promotions that were due vnto your nobilitie and vertue, and to the renowmed desertes of your verie auncient and most noble families. And all this yow haue dō ne to embrace euen the pouertie, nakednes and obedience of Christ. you haue not done like that yong man in the gospell,² who remembring how great possessions he had, refused to followe the waie of perferction which our sauiour Christ tawght him. But ye haue done like that wise and prudent merchant, who after he had found the pretiouse pearle,³ sould all he had in the world to bye the same. And if vnto this wonderfull change of yours, we ioyne also the notable vertuous change of liffe, which the most noble and renowmed Duke of Gandia hath made in our daies,⁴ and the merueylous changes of sundrie other right honorable personages which might here be reheresed, it will verie euidentlie appeare, that there is more sweetenes in the waie of Christ, then the world thinketh there is: sithence euen those, that haue had so long and so greate experience both of the one kinde of life, and of the other, do verie hartelie and willinglie renownce all that euer the world geueth and promeseth vnto them, for the least crumme that falleth from Christes table: sayinge with the spowse in the Canticles. If a man geue all his substance, for charitie, he will contemne it as nothing.

Forsomuch therefore, as verie reason would, that euerie one should serue them, that serue our most mercifull and louinge lord, it seemeth vnto me, that it is my boundē deutie also, to do you some seruice, in this your spirituall iourney, at the least with this little volume: which treateth of prayer and meditation &c. that the holie and deuout exercises of your Reuerences maie be holpen somewhat by the same: the which (I trust in our lord) shalbe al waies furthered, and procede prosperouslie, both with it, and without it. And althowghe this be a dett which I owe vnto you: yet do I for this dett craue of you a grace, and this is that your Reuerences will most humblie beseach our lord, that it maie please him of his infinite mercie and goodnes, to graunt his fauour and assistance to this booke: that the profitt of them, that shall reade it, maie be answerable to the paines of him that made it, and to the good hart wherewith he offereth it vnto them.