Author: Ben JonsonNot Peer Reviewed
Prefatory Materials (Folio 1, 1663)
49vnto their parent. There is a great difference, vvhether any Booke 50choose his Patrones, or finde them: This hath done both. For, 51so much were your L L. likings of the seuerall parts, vvhen 52they were acted, as before they vvere published, the Volume ask'd to 53be yours. We haue but collected them, and done an office to the 54dead, to procure his Orphanes, Guardians; vvithout ambition ei- 55ther of selfe-profit, or fame: onely to keepe the memory of so worthy 56a Friend, & Fellow aliue, as was our SHAKESPEARE,
by hum- 57ble offer of his playes, to your most noble patronage. Wherein, as 58we haue iustly obserued, no man to come neere your L.L. but vvith 59a kind of religious addresse; it hath bin the height of our care, vvho 60are the Presenters, to make the present worthy of your H.H. by the 61perfection. But, there we must also craue our abilities to be considerd, 62my Lords. We cannot go beyond our owne powers. Country hands 63reach foorth milke, creame, fruites, or what they haue : and many 64Nations (we haue heard) that had not gummes & incense, obtai- 65ned their requests with a leauened Cake. It vvas no fault to approch 66their Gods, by what meanes they could: And the most, though 67meanest, of things are made more precious, when they are dedicated 68to Temples. In that name therefore, we most humbly consecrate to 69your H.H. these remaines of your seruant Shake
speare
; that 70what delight is in them, may be euer your L.L. the reputation 71his, & the faults ours, if any be committed, by a payre so carefull to 72shew their gratitude both to the liuing, and the dead, as is
73Your Lord
shippes mo
st bounden,