SENECA HIS ten TRAGEDIES, TRANSLATED INTO English.  
Mercurij nutrices, horae.  
IMPRINTED AT LONDON IN Fleetstreet near unto Saint Dunstan's church by Thomas Marsh. 1581   

TO THE RIGHT worshipful, SIR THOMAS HENNEAGE KNIGHT, TREASURER OF HER majesties CHAMBER: Thomas Newton wisheth all abundance of felicity, and Spiritual benedictions in Christ.⁂  
you may think Sir, some want of discretion in me, for thus boldly presuming to thrust into your hands these Tragedies of SENECA. From which boldness, the very Conscience of mine own unworthiness, might easily have dissuaded me, had not certain learned Gentlemen of good credit and worship thereunto persuaded & animated me. Assuring me (where of I thought myself afore assured) that your Worship (such is your love to learning, & the generosity of your Heroical mind) would deign not only to dispense with my temerity, but also take in worth my affectionate simplicity. And yet (all this notwithstanding) well dared I not have given the adventure to approach your presence, upon trust of any singularity, that in this Book hath unskilfully dropped out of mine own pen, but that I hoped the perfection of other's artificial workmanship, that have travailed herein as well as myself should somewhat cover my nakedness 〈◊〉 pùrchase my pardon. And hard were the dealing, if in payment of a good round gub of Gold of full weight and poised, one poor piece somewhat clipped and lighter than his fellows may not be foisted in among the rest, and pass in pay for currant coin. Theirs I know to be delivered with singular dexterity: mine, I confess to be an unfledge nestling, unable to fly: an unnatural abortion, and an unperfect Embryon: neither throughly laboured at Aristophanes and Cleanthes candle, neither yet exactly weighed in Critolaus his precise balance. Yet this dare I say, I have delivered mine author's meaning with as much perspicuity, as so mean a Scholar, out of so mean a store, in so small a time, and upon so short a warning was well able to perform. And whereas it is by some squeamish Areopagites surmised, that the reading of these Tragedies, being interlarded with many Phrases and sentences, literally tending (at the first sight) some time to the praise of Ambition, sometime to the maintenance of cruelty, now and then to the approbation of incontinency, and here and there to the ratification of tyranny, can not be digested without great danger of infection: to omit all other reasons, if it might please than with no forestalled judgement, to mark and consider the circumstances, why, where, & by what manner of persons such sentences are pronounced, they cannot in any equity otherwise choose, but find good cause enough to lead them to a more favourable and mild resolution. For it may not at any hand be thought and deemed the direct meaning of SÈNECA himself, whose whole writings (penned with a peerless sublimity and loftiness of Style, are so far from countenancing Vice, that I doubt whether there be any among all the Catalogue of Heathen writers, that with more gravity of Philosophical sentences, more weightiness of sappy words, or greater authority of sound matter beateth down sin, loose life, dissolute dealing, and unbridled sensuality: or that more sensibly, pithily, and bitingly layeth down the guerdon of filthy lust, cloaked dissimulation & odious treachery: which is the drift, whereunto he leveleth the whole issue of each one of his Tragedies. Howsoever & whatsoever it be, your worship's courteous acceptance shall easily counterpoise any of our imperfections. Unto whose learned Censure, we humbly submit these the exercises of our blushing Muses. The Lord God in mercy long preserve you in health and dignity with daily increase of many his gracious gifts, already richly abounding in you: to the propagation, and advancement of his truth (whereof ye are a zealous Professor, to the honour of her Majesty, to whom you are a most loyal servitor, and to the general benefit of your Country, whereof you are a rare and most worthy Ornament.  
From Butley in Cheshire the 24. of April. 1581. Your worships most humble, Thomas Newton.   

THE NAMES OF THE TRAGEDIES OF SENECA, AND by whom each of them was translated.  

1 Hercules Furens,  
2 Thyestes,  
6 Troas, 

By jasper Heywood.  
1560.    
5 Oedipus, 

By Alex Nevil.    
4 Hippolytus,  
7 Medea,  
8 Agamemnon,  
10 Hercules Oetaeus 

By john Studley.    
9 Octavia, 

By T. Nuce.    
3 Thebais. 

By Thomas Newton.