The pityfull Historie of two Louing Italians, Gaulfrido and Barnardo le vayne which ariued in the countrey of Grece, in the time of the noble Emperoure Vaspasian. And Translated out of Italian into Englishe meeter by John Drout |
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T. Smith to the Reader.
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 | The pityfull Historie of two Louing Italians, Gaulfrido and Barnardo le vayne |  |
T. Smith to the Reader.
Syth euery man endeuerethto get a crowne of fame,
By setting foorth fine Tragedies
for to augment their name,
Why should not this our aucthor then
(seeke for some part of prayse)
Which hath set foorth this pretty Booke
for thee thereon to gayse?
Where thou with ease maist read the same
which he with cruell toyle,
Hath tourned volumes huge full ofte,
all for his countrey soyle:
Wherfore (good reader) giue to him
some recompence of payne:
For egall labor (men do say)
deserueth egall gayne.
If that Translation his be not
accompted good to be,
Mine must be called in agayne
as farre as I can see.
But this (our Drout) he hath his done
in euery poynt so well,
That for the changing of this speech
he onely beares the bell.
The Italians they them selues do loue
and dayly prayse our Drout,
verbatim thorowe out.
If that of men to vs vnknowne
he can get suche a prayse,
Then ought not we his countreymen
a greater fame to rayse?
We ought in deede, but yet we seeke
eache one to beare a name:
So that the Students yong can haue
no prayse to ease their payne.
But if this Drout be worthy prayse.
(and as he is in deede)
Seeme not but for to giue him prayse
to paye him for his meede.
Finis.
quoth T. S.
| The pityfull Historie of two Louing Italians, Gaulfrido and Barnardo le vayne | |