2 On euerie syde, wheras I glaunce my rouyng eye,

3Silence in all eares bent I playnly do espie:

4But if your egre lookes doo longe suche toyes to see,

5As heretofore in commycall wise, were wont abroade to bee:

6Your lu st is lo st, and all the pleasures that you sought,

7Is fru strate quite of toying Playes. A soden change is wrought,

8For loe, our Aucthors Muse, that masked in delight,

9Hath for st his Penne agayn st his kinde, no more suche sportes to write.

10Muse he that lu st, (right wor shipfull) for chaunce hath made this change,

11For that to some he seemed too muche, in yonge desires to range:

12In whiche, right glad to please: seyng that he did offende;

13Of all he humblie pardon craues: his Pen that shall amende:

14And yet (worwipfull Audience,) thus much I dare aduouche.

15In Commedies, the greate st Skyll is this, rightly to touche

16All thynges to the quicke: and eke to frame eche person so,

17That by his common talke, you may his nature rightly know:

18A Roy ster ought not preache, that were to straunge to heare,

19But as from vertue he doth swerue, so ought his woordes appeare:

20The olde man is sober, the yonge man ra she, the Louer triumphyng in ioyes,

21The Matron graue; the Harlat wilde and full of wanton toyes.

22Whiche all in one course they no wise doo agree:

23So correspondent to their kinde their speeches ought to bee.

24Which speeches well pronoun ste, with action liuely framed,

25If this offende the lookers on, let Horace then be blamed,

26Which hath our Author taught at Schole, from whom he doth not swarue,

27In all suche kinde of exercise decorum to obserue,

28Thus much for his defence (he sayth) as Poetes ear st haue donne,

29Which heretofore in Commodies the selfe same rase did ronne:

30But now for to be briefe, the matter to expre s s e,

31Which here wee shall present: is this Damon and Pithias,

32A rare ensample of Frend ship true, it is no Legend lie,

33But a thinge once donne in deede as Hy stories doo discrie,

34Whiche doone of yore in longe time pa st, yet present shalbe here,

35Euen as it were in dooynge now, so liuely it shall appeare:

36Lo here in Siracus ae thauncient Towne, which once the Romaines wonne,

37Here Dioni sius Pallace, within whose Courte this thing mo st strange was donne,

38Which matter mixt with myrth and care, a iu st name to applie,

39As seemes mo st fit wee haue it termed, a Tragicall Commedie,

40Wherein talkyng of Courtly toyes, wee doo protest this flat,

41Wee talke of Dioni sius Courte, wee meane no Court but that,

42And that wee doo so meane, who wysely calleth to minde,