To the right honourable and no less virtuous, Mary, Countess of Warwick.

Madam,

I am sensible, that it is a great presumption in me, being an obscure person and altogether unknown to your honour, to prefix that illustrious name of yours to this mean undertaking which has been already celebrated to the world, in the works of your honourable brother, whose learned pen, can give an immortality to anything it mentions. But to render my attempt herein, if not warrantable, yet the more excusable; I must say that my chief design herein, was an essay of gratitude towards your honour, as a poor acknowledgment of your favours, towards some, the nearness of whose relation to me, hath reflected a great part of the obligation, upon myself and rendered me your debtor. And under this character, I am bold to offer these fancies to your honours patronage, as a testimony to the world, of that real esteem and reverence the author of them bears to your admired virtues. The following lines were the unripe fruits of a youthful fancy and the divertissements of idle hours. They are innocent and harmless and that’s the best I will say of them. Recommending them to your honour’s gracious acceptance from

Madam,

Your obliged servant and honourer,

R. T.