Works of Joseph Hall, To the reader
Gentle READER,
THE end of making Tables is not that thereby men might bee made Truants, but it is rather to helpe to thoſe memories that are weake; or whoſe occaſions are ſo great, as that they cannot intend to turne ouer ſuch a Volume as this (though worth thy dayly and diligent reading and reuiewing.) For the further benefiting of thy ſelfe therefore take to thee this Rule.
Where euer thou findeſt any Obſeruation or Aphoriſme, there (if thou wilt make any further vſe) caſt thine eyes on that which goes before, or followes after, and thou ſhalt finde it offering thee both excellent comfort, and a furthering of thine inuention, to the benefiting both of thy ſelfe, and others.
And this I will promiſe thee further; that if God ſhall lend this Mellifluous Bernard of Our Times the time of perfecting His Contemplations, thou ſhalt hauehave in an other Volume as compleat a Table as this, for finding eueryevery particular word or Sentence.
And becauſe there is feare on the Buyers part, that there ſhall bee ſtill additions of his Contemplations, whereby he is diſcouraged from buying this Volume, let me aſſure thee that it is the Authors intention to ſet out no more parts thereof, vntill it riſeth to a complete ſecond Tome.
But content thy ſelfe with this that thou haſt, and pray to God with mee for the life and health of this Great Light, and ſhining Lampe of our Church, and I doubt not but he will giuegive good ſatisfaction vntounto thoſe that are induſtrious and ingenious. And ſo I reſt.
Thine as farre as thou wiſheſt well to this Workman and his Labours, Ro. Lo.
End of the text · Joseph Hall, Works of Joseph Hall (1625)