To the right excellent and most honourable Lady, the Lady Mary, Countess of Pembroke.

If Amintas found favour in your gracious eyes, let Phyllis be accepted for Amintas’ sake. I have somewhat altered S. Tasso’s Italian and M. Watson’s Latin Amintas to make them both one English. But Tasso’s is comical, therefore this verse unusual; yet it is also pastoral, and in effect nothing else but a continuation of eclogues, therefore no verse fitter than this. For such as generally mislike this reformed kind of verse, as I spoke before, so I say still, I never heard better argument of them than this: such anyone has done but ill, therefore no man can do well, which reason is much like their own rhymes, in condemning the art for the fault of some artificers. For others, that like well of the thing, but not of my peculiar labour herein, mine answer is the same it was: if there were any penalty appointed for him that would not read, he might well complain of me that publish it to be read. But if it be in every man’s choice to read it or not to read; why then not in mine also to publish or not to publish it? He that will, let him see and read; he that will neither read nor see, is neither bound to see nor read. If any begin to read, when he begins to take no delight, let him leave off, and go no further. If he follow on in reading without pleasure, let him neither blame me, that did what I could, nor be angry with the thing, which has no sense, but reprehend himself, who would continue in reading, without any pleasure taking.

Your Honour’s most affectionate,

Abraham Fraunce.