An epilogue, a testimony, and the peroration

An Epilogue.

Good my Lord, I beseech your grace, to allowe of my plaine and comfortable Epilogus, for this matter at this time. Seeing, my studious exercises, and conuersation ciuile, may be aboundantly testified, to my good credit, in the most partes of all Christendome: and that, by all degrees of Nobility, by al degrees of the learned, and by very many other, of godly and Christian disposition, for the space of 46. yeeres triall: (as appeareth by the Recordes lately viewed by two honourable witnesses, by Commission from her Maiesty,) And seeing, for these 36. yeeres, last past, I haue beene her most excellent Maiesties very true, faithfull, and dutifull seruaunt; At whose royall mouth, I neuer receiued any one word of reproch; but all of fauor, and grace: In whose princely countenance, I neuer perceiued frowne toward me, or discontented regard, or view on me: but at all times fauorable, and gracious: to the great ioy and comfort of my true, faithfull, and loyall hart. And (thirdly) Seeing, the workes of my handes, and wordes of my mouth (heere before notified, in the Schedule of my bookes, and writings) may beare liuely witnesse of the thoughts of my hart, and inclination of my minde, generally, (as all wise men do know, and Christ himselfe doth auouch) It might, in manner, seeme needlesse, thus carefully (though most briefely and speedily) to haue warned or confounded the scornefull, the malicious, the proud, and the rash in their vntrue reports, opinions, and fables of my studies, or exercises Philosophicall: but that, it is of more importance, that the godly, the honest, the modest, the discreet, graue, and charitable Christians (English or other,) louers of Iustice, truth, and good learning, may, hereby, receiue certaine comfort in themselues (to perceiue, that Veritas tandem praeualebit) and sufficiently be weaponed and armed with sound truth, to defende me against such kinde of my aduersaries: if hereafter they will begin afresh, or hould on, obstinately, in their former errors, vaine imaginations, false reportes, and most vngodly sclanders of me and my studies. ¶ Therefore, (to make all this cause, for euer, before God and man, out of all doubt:) Seeing, your Lordships good grace, are, as it were, our high Priest, and chiefe Ecclesiasticall minister, (vnder our most dread and Soueraigne Ladie, Queene Elizabeth) to whose censure and iudgement, I submit all my studies and exercises; yea all my bookes, past, present and hereafter to be written, by me (of my own skill, iudgement, or opinion,) I do, at this present time, most humbly, sincerelie, and vnfainedly, and in the name of Almighty God, (yea for his honor and glory) request, and beseech your Grace, (when, and as conueniently you may) to be well and throughlie certified of me, what I am, Intus & in cute: Reuerendissime in Christo Pater, & Dignissime Archipraesul, cognosce & agnosce vultum tàm internum, quàm externum pecoris tui: And wherein I haue vsed, doe or shall vse, pen, speech, or conuersation, otherwise then as it appertaineth to a faithfull, carefull, sincere, and humble seruant of Christ Iesu, That your grace woulde vouchsafe to aduertise me. So, I trust, Vltima respondebunt primis: in such sort, as this Authentick Recorde in latine annexed (ad perpetuam rei memoriam,) doth testifie: hauing neuer, hitherto, had occasion to shewe that, in any place of Christendome: to testifie better of me, then they had proofe of me, themselues, by my conuersation among them. (The Almighty, therefore, be highly thanked, praised, honored, and glorified, for euer and euer, Amen.)

But nowe, in respect of the generall intent of this briefe discourse, I most humbly, and reuerently, exhibit to your graces view, and perusing, the originall monument, and Authenticke Record, before mentioned, faire written in parchment, with the seale whole, and perfect, duly appendant: as I haue 46. yeeres, and somewhat longer, preserued it. The true copy wherof, your grace doth see, to be verbatim, as followeth.

[Figure: VNiuersis Sanctae matris Ecclesiae filijs, ad quos praesentes literae peruenturae sunt, Vicecancellarius Caetus q; omnis Regentium & non Regentium, Vniuersitatis Cantabrigiae, Salutem in Domino sempiternam. Conditiones & merita hominū in nostra Vniuersitate studentium, affectu sincero perpendentes, eos solos testimonio nostro ornandos esse arbitramur, quos scimus ob eruditionem, & morum probitatem promeritos esse, vt istud beneficium à nobis consequantur: Quamobrem, cùm hoc tempore, ipsa veritas testimonium nostrum sibi postulat, vestrae pietati, per has literas significamus, Quòd dilectus …]

For certaine due respects the very image of the foresaid seale, is not heere in portraiture published.

Peroratio.

THe Almightie and most mercifull God, the Father; for his only Sonne (our Redeemer) Iesus Christ his sake: by his holy spirit, so direct, blesse, and prosper all my studies, and exercises Philosophicall, (yea, all my thoughts, words, and deedes) henceforward, euen to the very moment of my departing from this world, That I may euidently and aboundantly be found, and vndoubtedly acknowledged of the wise and iust, to haue beene a zealous and faithfull student in the Schoole of Verity, and an Ancient Graduate in the Schoole of Charity: to the honor and glory of the same God Almighty, and to the sound cōfort and confirming of such as faithfully loue & feare his diuine Maiestie, and vnfeinedly continue in labor to do good, on earth: when, while, to whome, and as they may, Amen.

Very speedily written, this twelfth euen, and twelfth day, in my poore Cottage, at Mortlake: Anno. 1595. currente à Natiuitate Christi: ast, An. 1594. Completo, à Conceptione eiusdem, cum nouem praeterea mensibus, Completis.

Allwaies, and very dutifully, at your Graces commandement: Iohn Dee.