To the Right Worshipful
Sir JAMES LEE, Kt.
The King's Attorney of his Court of Wards and Liveries; and to the Right Worſhipful, and my very good Uncle, Thomas Spencer, Eſq; and to the Reſidue of my Maſters of Lincoln's Inn.
IT may ſeem ſtrange, that after ſo many learned Writers in this Kind, I (a Man of ſo weak Parts) ſhould preſume to offer to the View of the World a Work of this Nature: Yet my Reaſons being conſidered with indifferent Favour, I hope to be excuſed not only with you, but with all others who are Lovers of their Country, and ſeek the Peace thereof. I confeſs my ſelf a long, yet an unprofitable Member of your Honourable Society; but ſeeing that my Calling is to a Country-Life, and conſidering that he who is of the meaneſt Condition, and hath the ſmalleſt Talent, may not (without juſt Reprehenſion) retire him ſelf ſo to his private Pleaſure or Profit, as that he ſhould neglect to ſhew ſome Fruit and Token of his Love to his Country, (leſt therein the Heathen Philoſopher might juſtly condemn him, who ſaid, Non ſolum nobis nati ſumus, ſed partim. Patriæ, &c.) I have been the bolder, according to my ſmall Power and Capacity, to offer this my Mite into the Treaſury of my Country; this Work (whatſoever it be) being written firſt as private Notes for my particular Help in this Buſineſs, wherewith my ſelf and many others are daily employed, without yielding any Pleaſure or Profit at all to us, otherwiſe than for the publick Good.
The Sweet of like Labours you, my great Maſters, (which I do moſt gladly behold) do from Time to Time reap more fully, riſing daily to great Honour and Wealth, through your Wiſdoms, Deſerts, and great Pains. That which remaineth to us Country-Juſtices (for the moſt part) is the Wearying of our ſelves, the Spending of our Time, and Eſtates, ut alii inde pace fruantur, being requited many Times not only with much evil Will from or by the Means of ſuch as we have in Juſtice to deal withal, but oftentimes alſo rather diſgraced than encouraged by ſome in higher Place.
I ſpeak not this without acknowledging it to be both juſt and meet, that the Actions and Proceedings of the Juſtices of Peace ſhould be well and duly looked into, and themſelves puniſted, when through Malice, or other Corruption, they ſhall do unjuſtly: But if through unwilling Ignorance they happen to err, they are rather to be better informed than ill intreated. Nemo naſcitur ſapiens, & humanum eſt errare.
I am bold to write unto you, my worthy Maſters and Friends, and the reſt of this Honourable Fellowſhip, knowing that there are many among you riſing to great Places, whoſe Honour it will be to maintain the Life of the Law, and Juſtice of the Realm, in cauſing due Execution thereof to be had and done; redreſſing the Abuſes and Defects thereof
