University of Virginia Library

To the Reader.

Though truth do purchase hate,
and glosing beare the bell:
Yet is the man to be belikte
that truest tale doth tell,
Without respect of place.
of countrie, or of kinde:
For so the law of writing doth
eche honest writer binde:
Then Lazaro deserues
no blame, but praise to gaine,
That plainly pens the Spaniards prank
and how they liue in Spaine.
He settes them out to shewe
for all the world to see,
That Spaine when all is done, is Spaine
and what those gallants be.
The writer meant but well,
and he that tooke the paine,
To turne it to our mother tongue,
the readers thankes would gaine
For all his former toyle,
in penning of the booke,
The suite is small, allow him that,
that hapst hereon to looke.
Though small the volume be,
the value may be great:
Wherefore to yeeld him thy goodwill
let this my muse entreat:
Let Roulande haue reward
for this his taken paine:
And so thou (reader) mayest perhaps
the like hereafter gaine.