The Translators Preface.

In this giddy Age wherein each extravagant opinion finds a welcome, and Conceits more wilde than any Bedlam-phrensie, have been entertain'd with zeal, and promoted with passion, an innocent Paradox may fairly hope for Pardon at least, if not Appla se! "ince #$!% &yranny, #'!% In( stice, #)!% *gliness, and #+!% ,olly it self, have not wanted their respective Advocates amongst the -earned, I see small reason why Asserting the Pre-eminence of the ,emale "ex, sho ld too severely be cens red! #$!% Praised by Polycrates, and .isocrates! #'!% By /la co! #)!% By Paco00n s! #+!% By 1rasm s! B t 'tis n( st to debar 2eaders of that tic3ling delight they ta3e in finding fa lts, it being oftentimes all the consideration they have for laying o t their 4oney! &he "tationers h mo r and mine agree, -et them b t b y the Boo3, and then #being their own% se it as they please! I shall not therefore waste time, either in Co rting or . ffing the 2eader, #for both wayes are now commonly sed to s rprize his good opinion,% b t only endeavo r to give an Impartial Acco nt of the A thor, and 5esign of the ens ing 5isco rse! &o say m ch of the noble Agrippa1, were to p t an Affront on the 2eader, #if he pretend at all to traffic3 in the Commonwealth of -earning% by s pposing him a stranger to that 4an, who was ( stly admir'd as the Prodigy of his Age, for all 3ind of "cience! &hat vast progress he made, &am 4arte 6 am 4erc rio, in Arms no less than Arts7 the &itles and .ono rs he ac6 ir'd7 the respect paid him by most of the /randees, and famo s 4en, his Contemporaries7 and those 4on ments of -earning, wherewith he hath oblig'd Posterity7 all spea3 him a Person above the ordinary level of 4an3ind7 to be ran3t only amongst those few noble .eroes7 8 eis meliore - to finxit pr9cordia &itan! :hom &itan with a gentle 2ay, .ath mo lded of a p rer Clay! ;Cf! < venal, =I>! )+-?!@ '&is tr e, #li3e all great :its% he too3 no little pleas re in stemming the impet o s &ide of pop lar opinion, as if nothing had been impregnable against the p issance of his parts! .ence he made that desperate #?!% Anset, to prove in partic lar, what "olomon was content to affirm in the l mp, &hat all things are >anity7 and with an excess of /allantry ndertoo3 singly to d el all Arts and "ciences! #?!% .is Boo3 of the vanity of all Arts and "ciences! Bor was this present 1ssay any other than a sally of the same /enerosity, that delights to engage on disadvantages, and bravely to assist the wea3er party! After so many slanderers #li3e ngratef ll 4 les, t rning their br tish heels to 3ic3 those Paps whence they receiv'd their first B triment% had dipt their 3een Pens in /all, and fill'd their blac3 4o thes with Cal mnies, to s lly the 2ep te of this fair "ex, o r A thor was too noble, not to thin3 himself concern'd in its >indication7 Common < stice, no less than point of .ono r, obliging all to s cco r oppressed Innocency! .ere pon the /enero s Agrippa enters the -ists, to assert the .ono r of the ,emale Party, against the immerited oblo6 ies of the 4ale, which he chooses to attempt, not after the low, timero s method of an Apology, the shallow Invectives of the Adversaries being nworthy the ref te of his Pen7 b t li3e a politic3 /eneral, carrying the :ar into the enemies Co ntrey, startles them with an expected Invasion, and lets them 3now this noble "ex o ght to be the ob(ect of their veneration, nor contempt, being in all respects their s perio r!
1 Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa- philosopher, occultist, and writer; he is known for having controversial views and is the author of this work.

.ow pr dently this 5esign was nderta3en, or how well perform'd, I shall not fore-stall the 2eaders opinion, so far as to determine7 b t m st confess my self pleas'd with that 5iversion I met with in reading the Ariginal7 and there pon to have attempted the &ranslation, not witho t some Additions, and variation, to render it more smooth and gratef ll to the present Age, thin3ing I co ld scarce better devote my vacant ho rs, than to the service of that sweet "ex, which every one deserving the Bame of 4an, cannot b t love7 and to whom, whoever hath not forgot he had a 4other, is oblig'd to pay a reverential esteem! Cet is it no part of o r 5esign to flatter :omen, b t to p t some chec3 to the r de, ndeserv'd reproaches, cast on them by the 4enD &o ac6 aint the fair "ex with its nat ral 5ignity, that they may scorn to act any thing nworthy of themselvesD to treat them with variety of real #not 2omantic3% 1xamples of tr e Piety, exact Chastity, sincere, nalterable Affection, and other rare, s blime 6 alities7 whence inspir'd with a genero s em lation, they may strive ti o t-vye these ancient .eroinaes, and transcend the excellent Patterns here recommended7 finding, that it is >irt e alone that can embalm their 4emories, and render them still fresh and amiable, even then when Age or "ic3ness have plow'd their ,aces with wrinc3led f rrows, and swept away the spar3ling /lories of their 1yes! &o concl deD If the captio s :orld shall a while lay aside its s al severities, and vo chsafe any Acceptance of these o r inconsiderable pains, #now conf sedly h ddled p in hast,% we shall se o r tmost endeavo rs in the second 1dition to deserve that favo r, by some f rther Additions and 1mbellishments!