<B CMCAXPRO>
<Q M4 XX PREF CAXTON>
<N PROL AND EPIL>
<A CAXTON WILLIAM>
<C M4>
<O 1420-1500>
<M X>
<K X>
<D EMO>
<V PROSE>
<T PREFACE/EPIL>
<G X>
<F X>
<W WRITTEN>
<X MALE>
<Y 40-60>
<H PROF>
<U X>
<E X>
<J X>
<I X>
<Z X>
<S SAMPLE X>


[^CAXTON, WILLIAM.
THE PROLOGUES AND EPILOGUES
OF WILLIAM CAXTON.
EARLY ENGLISH TEXT SOCIETY, 176.
ED. W. J. B. CROTCH. 
LONDON, 1956 (1928).
PP. 10.25   - 15.37 (THE GAME AND PLAYE OF THE
                    CHESSE, SECOND EDITION, 1483)
PP. 35.1    - 36.12
PP. 36.13   - 37.31
PP. 64.1    - 68.33
P.  70.C1.1 - 70.C2.24
PP. 76.17   - 78.33
PP. 88.1    - 89.9
PP. 90.1    - 91.35^]

<P 10>
[}II}]
[}THE GAME AND PLAYE OF THE CHESSE}]
[} [\PROLOGUE\] }]

The holy apostle and doctour of the peple saynt
Poule sayth in his epystle. Alle that is wryten
is wryten vnto our doctryne and for our lernyng.
Wherfore many noble clerkes haue endeuoyred
them to wryte and compyle many notable werkys and
historyes to the ende that it myght come to the knowlege
and vnderstondyng of suche as ben ygnoraunt. Of which
<P 11>
the nombre is infenyte / And accordyng to the same saith
Salamon. that the nombre of foles. is infenyte / And
emong alle other good werkys. It is a werke of ryght
special recomendacion to enforme and to late vnderstonde
wysedom and vertue vnto them that be not lernyd ne can
not dyscerne wysedom fro folye. Thenne emonge whom
there was an excellent doctour of dyuynyte in the royame
of fraunce of the ordre of thospytal of Saynt Johns of
Jherusalem whiche entended the same and hath made a
book of the chesse moralysed. whiche at suche tyme as I
was resident in brudgys in the counte of Flaundres cam 
in to my handes / which whan I had redde and ouerseen /
<P 12>
[{m{]e semed ful necessarye for to be had in englisshe / And
in eschewyng of ydlenes And to thende that somme which
haue not seen it / ne vnderstonde frenssh ne latyn. J delybered
in my self to translate it in to our maternal tonge /
And whan I so had achyeued the sayd translacion / J
dyde doo sette in enprynte a certeyn nombre of theym /
Whiche anone were depesshed and solde. wherfore by cause
thys sayd book is ful of holsom wysedom and requysyte
vnto euery astate and degree / J haue purposed to
enprynte it / shewyng therin the figures of suche persons
<P 13>
as longen to the playe. Jn whom al astates and degrees
ben comprysed / besechyng al them that this litel werke
shal see / here / or rede to haue me for excused for the rude &
symple makyng and reducyn in to our englisshe / And
where as is defaute to correcte and amende / and in so doyng
they shal deserue meryte and thanke / and I shal pray for
them / that god of his grete mercy shal rewarde them in
his euerlastyng blisse in heuen / to the whiche he brynge
vs / that wyth his precious blood redemed vs Amen
   This book is deuyded and departed in to four traytyes
and partyes
<P 15>
(^Excerpt 1^)
   For. there is no thyng at this day
that so moche greueth rome and Italie as doth the college
of notaryes and aduocates publique / for they ben not of
one accorde. Alas and in Engelond what hurte doon the
aduocates men of lawe and attorneyes of court to the comyn
peple of the royame as wel in the spirituel lawe as
in the temporalle. how torne they the lawe and statutes
at their plesure / how ete they the peple / how enpouere they
the comynte / I suppose that in ale cristendom are not so
many pletars attorneys and men of the lawe as been in
englond onely. for yf they were nombrid alle that longe
to the courtes of the chaunserye kynges benche comyn
place cheker / ressayt / and helle / and the bagge berars of
the same / hit shold amounte to a grete multitude. And
how al thyse lyue and of whom / yf hit shold be vttrid and
tolde / hit shold not be beleuyd for they entende to theyr syn
guler wele and prouffyt and not to the comyn /
(^Excerpt 2^)
   Alas what 
habundance was somme tymes in the royames / & what
prosperite / in which was Iustyce. and euery man in his
offyce contente / how stood the cytees that tyme in worship
& renome. how was renomed the noble royame of englond 
alle the world dradde hit and spake worshyp of hit. How
hit now standeth and in what habundaunce I reporte me
to them that knowe hit. yf there ben theuys wyth in the
royame or on the see. they knowe that laboure in the royame /
and sayle on the see / I wote wel the same is grete
therof / I praye god saue that noble royame & sende good
trewe and polletique counceyllours to the gouernours of
the same
(^Conclusion.^)
   Thenne late euery man of what
condycion he be that redyth or herith this litel book redde
take therby ensaumple to amende hym
(\Explicit per Caxton\)


<P 35>
[}V}]
[} [\EPILOGUE\] }]
   & here endeth myn auctor his book
And howe be it that myn auctor writeth that he hath
founde nomore of thistorie of Iason / yet haue I founden
& red in the boke that bochace made of the genelagie of goddes
in his .xiij. boke / that whan so was that Iason & medea
were reconciled agayn to geder after that shee fled from egeon
that he went with her into colchos aga[{in{] / & whan he was
comen theder. he founde the olde king oetes fader vnto medea
bannissed & exiled out of his royame / whom he restored & sette
him by his valiaunce & puissaun[{c{]e in his kingdom agayn / &
after went into asie / where he had victorie in many batailes
And made so many conquestes with grete magnificence
in somoche that he was honoured & worshipped for a god / &
were made & edefied diuerce temples in his name which after
were destroied by the commandment of king Alexander
of macedone / who perauenture had enuye of his glorie & also
he saith that thoant & euneus where his sones whom he begate
on ysiphile as he went to colchos where as Stacius saith
Whiche were boren at ones. And for asmoch as it was
not the custome in lenos to fede & norisshe the men children
they were sent into an other countrey for to be nourysshed
wherefore the moder was put out of her Royaume. & taken
with pirates and theues. & after sold vnto Lygurgis king
of nemee. and after whan the sayde sones waxe men they
went with king Adrastus vnto the bataile of Thebes / & as
they went into the wode of nemee they herde of the sayd king
Adrastus reherse her burth & the caas of her moder / by which
rehersayll they knew that she was their moder / & in kyng
Lygurgis court they fonde her / whenne Opheltes his sone
was founde dede in the gardyn / what time the lady that hadde
charge of him went with the grekes to shew him the water
as in the siege of thebes it is more plainly shewd / but what
cam afterward of these two sones it is incertayn this saith
bochace in the .xiij. boke of the geneolagye of goddes. And
he saith he had an other sone whos name was philemelus /
and more haue I not red of the noble Iason / but this haue
<P 36>
I founden more thenne myn auctor reherceth in his boke / &      #
therfore 
I make here an ende of this storie of Iason. whom diuerce
menn blame because that he left & repudied Medea / but
in this present boke ye may see the euydent causes / why he
so dyd. Prayng my said lorde Prince taccapte & take yt
in gree of me his indigne seruiteur. whom I beseche god
almighty to saue & encrece in vertu now in his tendre iongth
that he may come vnto his parfait eage to his honour and
worship that his Renomme maye perpetuelly be remembrid
among the most worthy And after this present life               #
euerlastinglife
in heuen who grant him & vs that boughte vs
with his bloode blessyd Ihus Amen


<P 36>
[}VI}]
[}THE CONSOLACION OF PHILOSOPHIE}]
[} [\EPILOGUE\] }]
   Thus endeth this boke which is named the boke of
Consolacion of philosophie whiche that boecius made
for his comforte and consolacion he beyng in exile for the
comyne and publick wele hauyng grete heuynes & thoughtes
and in maner of despayr / Rehercing in the sayde boke
how Philosophie appiered to him shewyng the mutabilite
of this transitorie lyfe / and also enformyng howe fortune
and happe shold bee vnderstonden / with the predestynacion
and prescience of God as moche as maye and ys
possible to be knowen naturelly / as a fore ys sayd in this
sayd boke / Whiche Boecius was an excellente auctour
of dyuerce bookes craftely and curiously maad in prose
and metre / And also had translated dyuerce bookes
oute of Greke into latyne / and had ben senatour of that
noble & famous cite Rome. And also his two sones Senatours
for their prudence & wisedom. And for as moche
as he withstode to his power the tyrannye of the odorik thenne
Emperour / & wold haue defended the sayde cite & Senate
from his wicked hondes / wherupon he was conuict & putte
in prison / in whiche prisone he made this forsaide boke of     #
consolacion
<P 37>
for his singuler comfort, and for as moche as the stile
of it / is harde & difficile to be vnderstonde of simple        #
persones
Therfore the worshipful fader & first foundeur & enbelissher of
ornate eloquence in our englissh. I mene / Maister Geffrey
Chaucer hath translated this sayd werke oute of latyn
in to oure vsual and moder tonge. Folowyng the latyn
as neygh as is possible to be vnderstande. wherein in myne
oppynyon he hath deseruid a perpetuell lawde and thanke
of al this noble Royame of Englond / And in especiall
of them that shall rede & vnderstande it. For in the sayd
boke they may see what this transitorie & mutable worlde is
And wherto euery mann liuyng in hit / ought to entende
Thenne for as moche as this sayd boke so translated is
rare & not spred ne knowen as it is digne and worthy
For the erudicion and lernyng of suche as ben Ignoraunt
& not knowyng of it / Atte requeste of a singuler frende &
gossib of myne I william Caxton haue done my debuoir &
payne tenprynte it in fourme as is here afore made / In hopyng
that it shal prouffite moche peple to the wele & helth
of their soules / & for to lerne to haue and kepe the better
pacience in aduersitees / And furthermore I desire & require
you that of your charite ye wold praye for the soule of
the sayd worshipful mann Geffrey Chaucer / first translatour
of this sayde boke into englissh & enbelissher in making
the sayd langage ornate & fayr. whiche shal endure perpetuelly.
and therfore he ought eternelly to be remembrid. of 
whom the body and corps lieth buried in thabbay of Westmestre
beside london to fore the chapele of seynte benet. by
whos sepultre is wreton on a table hongyng on a pylere
his Epitaphye maad by a poete laureat wherof the copye 
foloweth &c.


<P 64>
[}XV}]
[}POLYCHRONICON}]
[} [\PROHEMYE\] }]
   Grete thankynges lawde & honoure we merytoryously
ben bounde to yelde and offre vnto wryters of hystoryes /
whiche gretely haue prouffyted oure mortal
lyf / that shewe vnto the reders and herers by the
ensamples of thynges passyd / what thynge is to be desyred /
And what is to be eschewed / For those thynges whiche oure      #
progenytours
by the taste of bytternes and experyment of grete jeopardyes
haue enseygned / admonested and enformed vs excluded 
fro suche peryllys / to knowe what is prouffytable to oure
lyf / and acceptable / and what is vnprouffytable and to be     #
refused /
He is / and euer hath ben reputed the wysest / whiche by the
experyence of aduerse fortune hath byholden and seen the noble
Cytees / maners / and variaunt condycions of the people of many
dyuerse Regyons / For in hym is presupposed the lore of         #
wysedome
and polycye / by the experyment of Jeopardyes and peryllys
whiche haue growen of folye in dyuerse partyes and contrayes /
yet he is more fortunat / and may be reputed as wyse yf he
gyue attendaunce without tastynge of the stormes of aduersyte
that may by the redyng of historyes conteynyng dyuerse customes
Condycyons / lawes & / Actes of sondry nacions come vnto
the knowleche of and vnderstandynge of the same wysedom and
polycye / J whiche hystoryes so wreton in large and aourned
volumes / he syttynge in his chambre or studye / maye rede /
knowe and vnderstande the polytyke and noble actes of alle the
worlde as of one Cyte / And the conflyctes / errours. Troubles  #
/
& vexacions done in the sayd vnyuersal worlde / Jn suche wyse
as he had ben and seen them. in the propre places where as they
were done / For certayne it is a greete beneurte vnto a man     #
that
can be reformed by other and straunge mennes hurtes and         #
scathes /
And by the same to knowe / what is requysyte and prouffytable 
for his lyf / And eschewe suche errours and Jnconuenytys /
by whiche other men haue ben hurte and lost theyr felycyte /
Therfore the counseylles of Auncyent and whyte heeryd men / in
<P 65>
whome olde age hath engendryd wysedom / ben gretely preysed
of yonger men / And yet hystoryes soo moche more excelle them /
As the dyuturnyte or length of tyme Includeth soo ensamples
of thynges and laudable actes. than thage of one man may        #
suffyse
to see / Historyes ought not to be Iuged moost proffytable
to yonge men / whiche  by the lecture / redyng & vnderstandyng
made them semblable & equale to men of greter age / and
to old men / to whome longe lyf hath mynystred experymentes
of dyuerse thynges / but also thystoryes able & make ryght      #
pryuate
men digne & worthy to haue the gouernaunce of Empyres &
noble Royammes / historyes moeue and withdrawe Emperours
and kynges fro vycious tyrannye / Fro vecordyous sleuthe /
vnto tryumphe and vyctorye in puyssaunt bataylles / Historyes
also haue moeued ryght noble knyghtes to deserue eternal laude
whiche foloweth them for their vyctoryous merytes / And cause
them more valiauntly to entre in Ieopardyes of batayles for the
defence and tuicion of their countrey / and publyke wele /      #
hystorye
also affrayeth cruel tyrauntys for drede of Infamye and shame
Infynyte / by cause of the detestable actes of suche cruel      #
personnes
ben oftymes plantyd and regystred in Cronykes vnto theyr
perpetuel obprobrye and dyuulgacion of theyr Jnfamye / As
thactes of nero and suche other / Truly many of hye and         #
couragyous
men of grete empayse / desyryng theyr fame to be perpetuelly
conseruyd by lyberal monumentis / whiche ben the permanente     #
recordes
of euery vyrtuouse and noble Acte / haue buylded and edefyed 
ryall and noble Cytees / And for the conseruacion of the
wele publycke haue mynystred and establysshed dyscrete and
prouffytable lawes / And thus the pryncipal laude / and cause
of delectable and amyable thynges / in whiche mannes felycyte
stondeth and resteth ought and maye wel be attributed to        #
hystoryes /
whiche worde historye may be descryued thus / Historye is
a perpetuel conseruatryce of thoos thynges / that haue be doone
before this presente tyme / and also a cotydyan wytnesse of     #
bienfayttes
of malefaytes / grete Actes / and tryumphal vyctoryes
of all maner peple. And also yf the terryble feyned Fables of
Poetes haue moche styred and moeued men to pyte / and           #
conseruynge
of Justyce / How moche more is to be supposed / that
Historye assertryce of veryte / and as moder of alle            #
philosophye /
moeuynge our maners to vertue / reformeth and reconcyleth ner
hande alle thoos men / whiche thurgh the Infyrmyte of oure
<P 66>
mortal nature hath ledde the mooste parte of theyr lyf in       #
Ocyosyte
and myspended theyr tyme passed ryght soone oute of             #
Remembraunce /
Of whiche lyf and deth is egal oblyuyon /
The fruytes of vertue ben Inmortall / Specyally whanne they
ben wrapped in the benefyce of hystoryes /
Thenne it muste folowe / That it is mooste fayre to men         #
Mortalle
to suffre labours and payne / for glorye and fame Jnmortalle /
Hercules whan he lyued suffryd greete laboures and peryllys
wylfully puttyng hym self in many terryble and ferdful          #
ieopardyes
to obteyne of all peple the benefaytes of Inmortal laude &
renommee / We rede of other noble men / somme lordes &
somme other of lower astates reputed as goddes in dyuerse       #
regyons /
the whos famous actes / and excelle[{n{]t vertues only hystorye
hath preseruyd fro perysshyng in eternal memorye / Other
monymentes distributed in dy[{u{]erse chaunges / enduren but    #
for a
short tyme or season / But the vertu of hystorye dyffused &     #
spredd
by the vnyuersal worlde hath tyme / whiche consumeth all other
thynges as conseruatryce and kepar of her werke /
Ferthermore eloquence is soo precious and noble / that almooste
noo thyng can be founden more precious than it / By Eloquence
the grekes ben preferryd in contynuel honour to fore the rude   #
barbares /
Oratours and lerned clerkes in like wise excelle vnlerned
and brutyssh peple / Syth this eloquence is suche that causeth  #
men
emonge them self somme texcelle other / after the qualyte of    #
the
vertue and eloquence be seyn to be of valew / For somme we Iuge
to be good men digne of laude / whiche shewe to vs the waye
of vertue / and other haue taken another waye for tenflamme
more the courages of men by fables of poesye / than to          #
prouffyte
And by the lawes and Institutes more to punysshe than to teche
Soo that of thyse thynges the vtylyte is myxt with harme /
For somme sothly techyth to lye / But historye representynge    #
the
thynges lyke vnto the wordes / enbraceth al vtylyte & prouffite
Jt sheweth honeste / and maketh vyces detestable / It           #
enhaunceth
noble men and depresseth wicked men and fooles / Also thynges
that historye descryueth by experyence / moche prouffyten vnto  #
a
ryghtful lif / Thenne syth historye is so precious & also       #
prouffytable /
J haue delybered to wryte twoo bookes notable / retenyng
in them many noble historyes / as the lyues / myracles /        #
passyons
and deth of dyuerse hooly sayntes whiche shal be comprysed by
<P 67>
thayde and suffraunce of almighty god in one of them / whiche
is named (\legenda aurea\) / that is the golden legende /       #
And that
other book is named polycronycon / in whiche book ben comprised
briefly many wonderful historyees / Fyrst the descripcion of    #
the
vniuersal world / as wel in lengthe as in brede with the        #
diuisions
of countrees royammes & empyres / the noble cytees / hye        #
mountayns
famous ryuers / merueylles & wondres / & also the historical    #
Actes
& wonderful dedes syth the fyrst makyng of heuen & erth vnto
the begynnyng of the regne of kyng edward the fourth / & vnto
the yere of our lord M/CCCC lx. As by thayde of almyghty
god shal folowe al a longe / after the composynge & gaderynge   #
of
dan Ranulph monke of chestre fyrste auctour of this book / and
afterward englisshed by one Treuisa vycarye of barkley / which
atte request of one Sir thomas lord barkley translated this     #
sayd
book / the byble & bartylmew (\de proprietatibus rerum\) out of #
latyn  
in to englyssh / And now at this tyme symply emprynted &
sette in forme by me William Caxton and a lytel embelysshed
fro tholde makyng / and also haue added suche storyes as I      #
coude
fynde fro thende that the said Ranulph fynysshed his book which
was the yere of our lord. M.CCC lvij vnto the yere of the same
M C C C C lx / whiche an honderd & thre yere / whiche
werke J haue finysshed vnder the noble protection of my most
drad naturel and souerayne lord and moost cristen kynge / kyng
Edward the fourth / humbly besechyng his moost noble grace to
pardone me yf ony thynge be sayd therynne of Ignoraunce / or    #
other wyse
than it ought to be And also requyryng al other to amende
wher as ther is defaute / wherin he or they may deserue thank &
meryte / And J shal praye for them that soo doo / For I         #
knowleche
myn Ignoraunce and also symplenes / And yf ther be thyng
that may plese or prouffite ony man / I am glad that J have     #
achieued
it / And folowynge this my prohemye I shal set a table
shortly towchyd of the moost parte of this book / And where the
sayd Auctour hath alle his werke in seuen bookes, J haue sette
that whiche J haue added to after a parte. and haue marked it
the laste booke / and haue made chapytres acordyng to the other
werke / Of whiche accomplysshyng / J thanke Almyghty God
To whome be gyuen Honour / laude / and glorye / (\in secula     #
seculorum
Amen /
Deo gracias.\)

<P 68>
[}POLYCRONICON}]
[} [\BK VII. EPILOGUE.\] }]
   Thus endeth the book [{n{]amed Proloconycon made & compiled
by Ranulph monk of chestre / whiche ordeyned it in latyn &
atte request of the ryght worshipful lord / Thomas lord of      #
berkeley
it was translated into englisshe by one Treuisa thenne vycarye
of the Paryssh of barkley / And for as moche as syth the        #
accomplyssheme[{n{]te
of this sayd booke made by the sayd Ranulph
ended the yere of oure lord a / M / CCC / lvij / many thynges   #
haue
fallen whiche ben requysyte to be added to this werke / by      #
cause
mennes wyttes in this tyme ben oblyuyous and lyghtly forgeten
many thynges dygne to be putte in memorye / and also there
can not be founden in these dayes but fewe that wryte in theyr
regystres suche thynges as dayly happen and falle Therfore J
William Caxton a symple persone haue endeuoyred me to wryte
fyrst ouer all the sayd book of proloconycon / and somwhat haue
chaunged the rude and old englyssh / that is to wete certayn    #
wordes /
which in these dayes be neither vsyd ne vnderstanden / &        #
furthermore
haue put it emprynte to thende that it maye be had &
the maters therin comprised to be knowen / for the boke is      #
general
touchyng shortly many notable maters / & also am auysed to make
another booke after this sayd werke whiche shal be sett here
after the same / And shal haue his chapytres & his table a      #
parte
For J dar not presume to sette my booke ne ioyne hit to his /   #
for 
dyuerse causes / one is for as moche as I haue not ne can gete  #
no
bokes of auctoryte treatyng of suche cronykes / except a lytel  #
boke:
named (\fasciculus temporum\) / and another callyd (\Aureus de
vniuerso\) / in whiche bookes J fynde ryght lytel mater syth    #
the
sayde tyme / And another cause is / for as moche as my rude
symplenesse and ignorant makyng ought not to be compared / set
ne ioyned to his boke / Thenne J shal by the grace of god set   #
my
werke after a parte for to accomplysshe the yeres syth that he  #
fynysshed
his book / vnto the yere of our lord / M / CCCC / lx / and
the fyrst yere of the Regne of kyng edward the fourthe / whiche
amounte to an honderd and thre yere /


<P 70.C1>
[}XVII}]
[}THE GOLDEN LEGENDE}]
[} [\PROLOGUE\] }]
   And for as moche as this
sayd werke was grete & ouer
chargeable to me taccomplisshe
I feryd me in the begynnyng of the
translacyon to haue contynued it / by
cause of the longe tyme of the translacion /
& also in thenpryntyng of +t=e= same
& in maner halfe desperate to haue accomplissd
it / was in purpose to haue
lefte it / after that I had begonne to
translate it / & to haue layed it aparte
ne had it be at thynstaunce & requeste
of the puyssant noble & vertuous erle
my lord wyllyam erle of arondel / whiche
desyred me to procede & contynue
the said werke / & promysed me to take
a resonable quantyte of them when they
were achyeued & accomplisshed / and
sente to me a worshypful gentylman
a seruante of his named Iohn Stanney
whych solycyted me in my Lordes
name that I shold in no wyse leue it
but accomplisshe it promysyng that my
sayd lord shold duryng my lyf yeue
& graunte to me a yerely fee / that is
to wete a bucke in sommer / & a doo in
wynter / with whiche fee I holde me
wel contente / Thenne atte contemplacion
& reuerence of my sayd lord / J
haue endeuoyred me to make an ende
& fynysshe thys sayd translacion / and
<P 70.C2>
also haue enprynted it in the moost best
wyse that I haue coude or myght / and
presente this sayd book to his good &
noble lordshyp / as chyef causer of the
achyeuyng of hit / prayeng hym to take
it in gree of me Wyllyam caxton hys
poure seruaunte / & that it lyke hym to
remembre my fee / & I shal praye vnto
almyghty god for his longe lyf and
welfare / & after this shorte & transytorye 
lyf to come in to euerlastyng ioye
in heuen / the whiche he sende to hym &
me / & vnto al them that shal rede and
here this sayd book / that for the loue &
feythe of whome al these holy sayntes 
hath suffred deth and passyon amen /

   And to thende eche hystory[{e{] lyf &
passyon may be shortely founden I haue
ordeyned this table folowyng / where &
in what leef he shal fynde suche as
shal be desyred / and haue sette the nombre
of euery leef in the margyne /


<P 76>
[}XVIII}]
[}CATON}]
[} [\PROLOGUE\] }]
Here begynneth the prologue or prohemye of the book callid
Caton / whiche booke hath ben translated in to Englysshe by
Mayster Benet Burgh / late Archedeken of Colchestre and
hye chanon of saint stephens at westmestre / which ful craftly
hath made it in balade ryal for the erudicion of my lord        #
Bousher /
Sone & heyr at that tyme to my lord the erle of Estsex
And by cause of late cam to my hand a book of the said Caton
in Frensshe / whiche reherceth many a fayr lernynge and notable
<P 77>
ensamples / I haue translated it oute of frensshe in to         #
Englysshe /
as al along here after shalle appiere / whiche I presente
vnto the Cyte of london /

   Vnto the noble auncyent / and renommed Cyte / the Cyte
of london in Englond / J william Caxton Cytezeyn 
& coniurye of the same / & of the fraternyte & felauship
of the mercerye owe of ryght my seruyse & good wyll / and of
very dute am bounden naturelly to assiste ayde & counceille as
ferforth as I can to my power / as to my moder / of whom I haue
receyued my noureture & lyuynge / And shal praye for the
good prosperite & polecye of the same duryng my lyf / For as
me semeth it is of grete nede / by cause I haue knowen it in my
yong age moche more welthy prosperous & rycher than it is
at this day / And the cause is that ther is almost none / that  #
entendeth
to the comyn wele but only euery man for his singuler
prouffyte / O whan I remembre the noble Romayns / that for
the comyn wele of the Cyte of Rome / they spente not only
theyr moeuable goodes / but they put theyr bodyes & lyues in
Ieopardy & to the deth / as by many a noble ensample we may
see in thactes of Romayns / as of the two noble scipions        #
Affrican
& Asyan / Actilius & many other / And amonge al other
the noble Catho auctour and maker of this book / whiche he hath
lefte for to remayne euer to all the peple for to lerne in hit  #
and
to knowe how e[{u{]ery man ought to rewle and gouerne hym 
in this lyf / as wel for the lyf temporall / as for the lyf     #
spyrytuel /
And as in my Jugement it is the beste book for to be taught
to yonge children in scole / & also to peple of euery age
it is ful conuenient yf it be wel vnderstanden / And by cause
J see that the children that ben borne within the sayd cyte
encreace / and prouffyte not lyke theyr faders and olders / but
for the moost parte after that they ben comen to theyr parfight
yeres of discrecion / and rypenes of age / how wel that theyre
faders haue lefte to them grete quantite of goodes / yet        #
scarcely
amonge ten two thryue / J haue sene and knowen in other
londes in dyuerse cytees / that of one name and lygnage         #
successyuely 
haue endured prosperously many heyres / ye a v or
vj honderd yere / and somme a thousand / And in this noble 
cyte of london / it can vnnethe contynue vnto the thyrd heyr
<P 78>
or scarcely to the second / O blessyd lord whanne J remembre
this J am al abasshyd / J can not Juge the cause / but fayrer
ne wyser ne bet bespoken children in theyre yongthe ben nowher
than ther ben in london / but at their ful rypyng ther is no
carnel ne good corn founden but chaff for the moost parte / J
wote wel there be many noble and wyse / and proue wel &
ben better and rycher than euer were theyr faders / And to
thende that many myght come to honoure and worshyppe / J
entende to translate this sayd book of cathon / in whiche J     #
doubte
not / and yf they wylle rede it and vnderstande they shal
moche better conne rewle them self ther by / For among all
other bookes this is a synguler book / and may well be callyd
the Regyment or gouernaunce of the body and sowle /
There was a noble clerke named pogius of Florence / And
was secretary to pope Eugenye / & also to pope Nycholas whiche
had in the cyte of Florence a noble & well stuffed lybrarye /
whiche alle noble straungyers comynge to Florence desyred
to see / And therin they fonde many noble and rare bookes
And whanne they had axyd of hym whiche was the best boke
of them alle / and that he reputed for best / He sayd / that he
helde Cathon glosed for the best book of his lyberarye / Thenne
syth that he that was so noble a Clerke helde this book for the
best / doubtles / hit must folowe that this is a noble booke /  #
and
a vertuous / and suche one that a man may eschewe alle vyces
and ensiewe vertue / Thenne to thende that this sayd book may
prouffyte vnto the herars of it / J byseche Almyghty god that
J may acheue and accomplysshe it vnto his laude and glorye
And to therudicion and lernynge of them that ben ygnoraunt
that they maye there by prouffyte and be the better / And J
requyre and byseche alle suche that fynde faute or errour /     #
that
of theyr charyte they correcte and amende hit / And J shalle
hertely praye for them to Almyghty god / that he rewarde
them


<P 88>
[}XXII}]
[}THE FABLES OF ESOPE}]
[} [\EPILOGUE\] }]
   Now thenne J wylle fynysshe alle these fables wyth
this tale that foloweth whiche a worshipful preest and
a parsone told me late / he sayd / that there were duellynge
in Oxenford two prestes bothe maystres of arte / of whome
that one was quyck and coude putte hym self forth / And
that other was a good symple preest / And soo it happed that
the mayster that was perte and quyck was anone promoted
to a benefyce or tweyne / and after to prebendys / and for to   #
be
a Dene of a grete prynces chappel / supposynge and wenynge
that his felaw the symple preest shold neuer haue be promoted
but be alwey an Annuel / or at the most a parysshe preest / So
after longe tyme that this worshipful man this dene came        #
rydynge
in to a good paryssh with a x or xij horses / lyke a prelate /
and came in to the chirche of the sayd parysshe / and fond
there this good symple man somtyme his felawe / whiche cam
and welcomed hym lowely / And that other badde hym good
morowe mayster Johan / and toke hym sleyghtly by the hand
and axyd hym where he dwellyd / And the good man sayd /
in this paryssh / how sayd he / are ye here a sowle preest or   #
a paryssh
preste / nay syr said he / for lack of a better though I be not
able ne worthy J am parson and curate of this parysshe / and
thenne that other aualed his bonet and said mayster parson I
praye you to be not displeasyd / J had supposed ye had not
be benefyced / But mayster sayd he / J pray you what is this
benefyce worth to yow a yere / Forsothe sayd the good symple
man / I wote neuer / for I make neuer accomptes therof / how
wel J haue hit four or fyue yere / And knowe ye not said
he what it is worth / it shold seme a good benefyce / No        #
forsothe
sayd he / but J wote wel what it shalle be worth to me /
why sayd he / what shalle hit be worth / Forsothe sayd he / yf  #
J
doo my trewe dylygence in the cure of my parysshens in prechyng
and techynge / and doo my parte longynge to my cure / I shalle
haue heuen therfore / And yf theyre sowles ben lost or ony of
<P 89>
them by my defawte / J shall be punysshed therfore / And herof
am J sure / And with that word the ryche dene was abasshed
And thought he shold be the better / and take more hede to his
cures and benefyces than he had done / This was a good answere
of a good preest and an honest / And here with J fynysshe 
this book / translated & emprynted by me William Caxton
at westmynstre in thabbey / And fynysshed the xxvj daye
of Marche the yere of oure lord MCCCC lxxxiiij / And the
fyrst yere of the regne of kyng Rychard the thyrdde


<P 90>
[}XXIV}]
[}CANTERBURY TALES}]
[} [\PROHEMYE\] }]
   Grete thankes laude and honour / ought to be gyuen
vnto the clerkes / poetes / and historiographs
that haue wreton many noble bokes of wysedom
of the lyues / passions / & myracles of holy sayntes
of hystoryes / of noble and famous Actes / and
faittes / And of the cronycles sith the begynnyng
of the creacion of the world / vnto thys present tyme / by      #
whyche
we ben dayly enformed / and have knowleche of many thynges /
of whom we shold not haue knowen / yf they had not left to vs
theyr monumentis wreton / Emong whom and inespecial to fore
alle other we ought to gyue a synguler laude vnto that noble &
grete philosopher Gefferey chaucer the whiche for his ornate    #
wrytyng
in our tongue may wel haue the name of a laureate poete /
For to fore that he by hys labour enbelysshyd / ornated / and
made faire our englisshe / in thys Royame was had rude speche &
Incongrue / as yet it appiereth by olde bookes / whyche at      #
thys day
ought not to haue place ne be compared emong ne to hys          #
beauteuous
volumes / and aournate writynges / of whom he made many
bokes and treatyces of many a noble historye as wel in metre
as in ryme and prose / and them so craftyly made / that he      #
comprehended
hys maters in short / quyck and hye sentences / eschewyng
prolyxyte / castyng away the chaf of superfluyte / and
shewyng the pyked grayn of sentence / vtteryd by crafty and     #
sugred
eloquence / of whom emonge all other of hys bokes / I purpose
temprynte by the grace of god the book of the tales of          #
cauntyrburye /
in whiche I fynde many a noble hystorye / of euery astate
and degre / Fyrst rehercyng the condicions / tharraye of eche
of them as properly as possyble is to be sayd / And after theyr
tales whyche ben of noblesse / wysedom / gentylnesse / Myrthe   #
/ and
also of veray holynesse and vertue / wherin he fynysshyth thys
sayd booke / whyche book I haue dylygently ouersen and duly
examyned to thende that it be made acordyng vnto his owen       #
makyng /
For I fynde many of the sayd bookes / whyche wryters
<P 91>
haue abrydgyd it and many thynges left out / And in
somme place haue sette certayn versys / that he neuer made ne   #
sette
in hys booke / of whyche bookes so incorrecte was one brought   #
to
me vj yere passyd / whyche I supposed had ben veray true &      #
correcte /
And accordyng to the same I dyde do enprynte a certayn
nombre of them / whyche anon were sold to many and dyuerse
gentyl men / of whome one gentylman cam to me / and said that
this book was not accordyng in many places vnto the book that
Gefferey chaucer had made / To whom I answerd that I had made   #
it
accordyng to my copye / and by me was nothyng added ne
mynusshyd / Thenne he sayd he knewe a book whyche hys fader
had and moche louyd / that was very trewe / and accordyng vnto
hys owen first book by hym made / and sayd more yf I wold
enprynte it agayn he wold gete me the same book for a copye /
how be it he wyst wel / that hys fader wold not gladly departe
fro it / To whom I said / in caas that he coude gete me suche   #
a book
trewe and correcte / yet I wold ones endeuoyre me to enprynte   #
it
agayn / for to satysfye thauctour / where as to fore by         #
ygnouraunce
I erryd in hurtyng and dyffamyng his book in dyuerce places
in settyng in some thynges that he neuer sayd ne made / and     #
leuyng
out many thynges that he made whyche ben requysite to be
sette in it / And thus we fyll at accord / And he ful gentylly
gate of hys fader the said book / and delyuerd it to me / by    #
whiche
I haue corrected my book / as here after alle alonge by thayde  #
of
almyghty god shal folowe / whom I humbly beseche to gyue me
grace and ayde to achyeue / and accomplysshe / to hys laude     #
honour
and glorye / and that alle ye that shal in thys book rede or
heere / wyll of your charyte emong your dedes of mercy /        #
remembre
the sowle of the sayd Gefferey chaucer first auctour / and      #
maker
of thys book / And also that alle we that shal see and rede
therin / may so take and vnderstonde the good and vertuous      #
tales /
that it may so prouffyte / vnto the helthe of our sowles / that
after thys short and transitorye lyf we may come to euerlastyng
lyf in heuen / Amen
By Wylliam Caxton



