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1

II

2

THE GAME AND PLAYE OF THE CHESSE

3

PROLOGUE

4
5    The holy apostle and doctour of the peple saynt
6Poule sayth in his epystle. Alle that is wryten
7is wryten vnto our doctryne and for our lernyng.
8Wherfore many noble clerkes haue endeuoyred
9them to wryte and compyle many notable werkys and
10historyes to the ende that it myght come to the knowlege
11and vnderstondyng of suche as ben ygnoraunt. Of which

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12the nombre is infenyte / And accordyng to the same saith
13Salamon. that the nombre of foles. is infenyte / And
14emong alle other good werkys. It is a werke of ryght
15special recomendacion to enforme and to late vnderstonde
16wysedom and vertue vnto them that be not lernyd ne can
17not dyscerne wysedom fro folye. Thenne emonge whom
18there was an excellent doctour of dyuynyte in the royame
19of fraunce of the ordre of thospytal of Saynt Johns of
20Jherusalem whiche entended the same and hath made a
21book of the chesse moralysed. whiche at suche tyme as I
22was resident in brudgys in the counte of Flaundres cam
23in to my handes / which whan I had redde and ouerseen /

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24me semed ful necessarye for to be had in englisshe / And
25in eschewyng of ydlenes And to thende that somme which
26haue not seen it / ne vnderstonde frenssh ne latyn. J delybered
27in my self to translate it in to our maternal tonge /
28And whan I so had achyeued the sayd translacion / J
29dyde doo sette in enprynte a certeyn nombre of theym /
30Whiche anone were depesshed and solde. wherfore by cause
31thys sayd book is ful of holsom wysedom and requysyte
32vnto euery astate and degree / J haue purposed to
33enprynte it / shewyng therin the figures of suche persons

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34as longen to the playe. Jn whom al astates and degrees
35ben comprysed / besechyng al them that this litel werke
36shal see / here / or rede to haue me for excused for the rude &
37symple makyng and reducyn in to our englisshe / And
38where as is defaute to correcte and amende / and in so doyng
39they shal deserue meryte and thanke / and I shal pray for
40them / that god of his grete mercy shal rewarde them in
41his euerlastyng blisse in heuen / to the whiche he brynge
42vs / that wyth his precious blood redemed vs Amen
43    This book is deuyded and departed in to four traytyes
44and partyes

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45Excerpt 1
46    For. there is no thyng at this day
47that so moche greueth rome and Italie as doth the college
48of notaryes and aduocates publique / for they ben not of
49one accorde. Alas and in Engelond what hurte doon the
50aduocates men of lawe and attorneyes of court to the comyn
51peple of the royame as wel in the spirituel lawe as
52in the temporalle. how torne they the lawe and statutes
53at their plesure / how ete they the peple / how enpouere they
54the comynte / I suppose that in ale cristendom are not so
55many pletars attorneys and men of the lawe as been in
56englond onely. for yf they were nombrid alle that longe
57to the courtes of the chaunserye kynges benche comyn
58place cheker / ressayt / and helle / and the bagge berars of
59the same / hit shold amounte to a grete multitude. And
60how al thyse lyue and of whom / yf hit shold be vttrid and
61tolde / hit shold not be beleuyd for they entende to theyr syn
62guler wele and prouffyt and not to the comyn /
63Excerpt 2
64    Alas what
65habundance was somme tymes in the royames / & what
66prosperite / in which was Iustyce. and euery man in his
67offyce contente / how stood the cytees that tyme in worship
68& renome. how was renomed the noble royame of englond
69alle the world dradde hit and spake worshyp of hit. How
70hit now standeth and in what habundaunce I reporte me
71to them that knowe hit. yf there ben theuys wyth in the
72royame or on the see. they knowe that laboure in the royame /
73and sayle on the see / I wote wel the same is grete
74therof / I praye god saue that noble royame & sende good
75trewe and polletique counceyllours to the gouernours of
76the same
77Conclusion.
78    Thenne late euery man of what
79condycion he be that redyth or herith this litel book redde
80take therby ensaumple to amende hym
81Explicit per Caxton
82
83

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84

V

85

EPILOGUE

86    & here endeth myn auctor his book
87And howe be it that myn auctor writeth that he hath
88founde nomore of thistorie of Iason / yet haue I founden
89& red in the boke that bochace made of the genelagie of goddes
90in his .xiij. boke / that whan so was that Iason & medea
91were reconciled agayn to geder after that shee fled from egeon
92that he went with her into colchos again / & whan he was
93comen theder. he founde the olde king oetes fader vnto medea
94bannissed & exiled out of his royame / whom he restored & sette
95him by his valiaunce & puissaunce in his kingdom agayn / &
96after went into asie / where he had victorie in many batailes
97And made so many conquestes with grete magnificence
98in somoche that he was honoured & worshipped for a god / &
99were made & edefied diuerce temples in his name which after
100were destroied by the commandment of king Alexander
101of macedone / who perauenture had enuye of his glorie & also
102he saith that thoant & euneus where his sones whom he begate
103on ysiphile as he went to colchos where as Stacius saith
104Whiche were boren at ones. And for asmoch as it was
105not the custome in lenos to fede & norisshe the men children
106they were sent into an other countrey for to be nourysshed
107wherefore the moder was put out of her Royaume. & taken
108with pirates and theues. & after sold vnto Lygurgis king
109of nemee. and after whan the sayde sones waxe men they
110went with king Adrastus vnto the bataile of Thebes / & as
111they went into the wode of nemee they herde of the sayd king
112Adrastus reherse her burth & the caas of her moder / by which
113rehersayll they knew that she was their moder / & in kyng
114Lygurgis court they fonde her / whenne Opheltes his sone
115was founde dede in the gardyn / what time the lady that hadde
116charge of him went with the grekes to shew him the water
117as in the siege of thebes it is more plainly shewd / but what
118cam afterward of these two sones it is incertayn this saith
119bochace in the .xiij. boke of the geneolagye of goddes. And
120he saith he had an other sone whos name was philemelus /
121and more haue I not red of the noble Iason / but this haue

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122I founden more thenne myn auctor reherceth in his boke / & therfore
123I make here an ende of this storie of Iason. whom diuerce
124menn blame because that he left & repudied Medea / but
125in this present boke ye may see the euydent causes / why he
126so dyd. Prayng my said lorde Prince taccapte & take yt
127in gree of me his indigne seruiteur. whom I beseche god
128almighty to saue & encrece in vertu now in his tendre iongth
129that he may come vnto his parfait eage to his honour and
130worship that his Renomme maye perpetuelly be remembrid
131among the most worthy And after this present life euerlastinglife
132in heuen who grant him & vs that boughte vs
133with his bloode blessyd Ihus Amen
134
135

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136

VI

137

THE CONSOLACION OF PHILOSOPHIE

138

EPILOGUE

139    Thus endeth this boke which is named the boke of
140Consolacion of philosophie whiche that boecius made
141for his comforte and consolacion he beyng in exile for the
142comyne and publick wele hauyng grete heuynes & thoughtes
143and in maner of despayr / Rehercing in the sayde boke
144how Philosophie appiered to him shewyng the mutabilite
145of this transitorie lyfe / and also enformyng howe fortune
146and happe shold bee vnderstonden / with the predestynacion
147and prescience of God as moche as maye and ys
148possible to be knowen naturelly / as a fore ys sayd in this
149sayd boke / Whiche Boecius was an excellente auctour
150of dyuerce bookes craftely and curiously maad in prose
151and metre / And also had translated dyuerce bookes
152oute of Greke into latyne / and had ben senatour of that
153noble & famous cite Rome. And also his two sones Senatours
154for their prudence & wisedom. And for as moche
155as he withstode to his power the tyrannye of the odorik thenne
156Emperour / & wold haue defended the sayde cite & Senate
157from his wicked hondes / wherupon he was conuict & putte
158in prison / in whiche prisone he made this forsaide boke of consolacion

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159for his singuler comfort, and for as moche as the stile
160of it / is harde & difficile to be vnderstonde of simple persones
161Therfore the worshipful fader & first foundeur & enbelissher of
162ornate eloquence in our englissh. I mene / Maister Geffrey
163Chaucer hath translated this sayd werke oute of latyn
164in to oure vsual and moder tonge. Folowyng the latyn
165as neygh as is possible to be vnderstande. wherein in myne
166oppynyon he hath deseruid a perpetuell lawde and thanke
167of al this noble Royame of Englond / And in especiall
168of them that shall rede & vnderstande it. For in the sayd
169boke they may see what this transitorie & mutable worlde is
170And wherto euery mann liuyng in hit / ought to entende
171Thenne for as moche as this sayd boke so translated is
172rare & not spred ne knowen as it is digne and worthy
173For the erudicion and lernyng of suche as ben Ignoraunt
174& not knowyng of it / Atte requeste of a singuler frende &
175gossib of myne I william Caxton haue done my debuoir &
176payne tenprynte it in fourme as is here afore made / In hopyng
177that it shal prouffite moche peple to the wele & helth
178of their soules / & for to lerne to haue and kepe the better
179pacience in aduersitees / And furthermore I desire & require
180you that of your charite ye wold praye for the soule of
181the sayd worshipful mann Geffrey Chaucer / first translatour
182of this sayde boke into englissh & enbelissher in making
183the sayd langage ornate & fayr. whiche shal endure perpetuelly.
184and therfore he ought eternelly to be remembrid. of
185whom the body and corps lieth buried in thabbay of Westmestre
186beside london to fore the chapele of seynte benet. by
187whos sepultre is wreton on a table hongyng on a pylere
188his Epitaphye maad by a poete laureat wherof the copye
189foloweth &c.
190
191

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192

XV

193

POLYCHRONICON

194

PROHEMYE

195    Grete thankynges lawde & honoure we merytoryously
196ben bounde to yelde and offre vnto wryters of hystoryes /
197whiche gretely haue prouffyted oure mortal
198lyf / that shewe vnto the reders and herers by the
199ensamples of thynges passyd / what thynge is to be desyred /
200And what is to be eschewed / For those thynges whiche oure progenytours
201by the taste of bytternes and experyment of grete jeopardyes
202haue enseygned / admonested and enformed vs excluded
203fro suche peryllys / to knowe what is prouffytable to oure
204lyf / and acceptable / and what is vnprouffytable and to be refused /
205He is / and euer hath ben reputed the wysest / whiche by the
206experyence of aduerse fortune hath byholden and seen the noble
207Cytees / maners / and variaunt condycions of the people of many
208dyuerse Regyons / For in hym is presupposed the lore of wysedome
209and polycye / by the experyment of Jeopardyes and peryllys
210whiche haue growen of folye in dyuerse partyes and contrayes /
211yet he is more fortunat / and may be reputed as wyse yf he
212gyue attendaunce without tastynge of the stormes of aduersyte
213that may by the redyng of historyes conteynyng dyuerse customes
214Condycyons / lawes & / Actes of sondry nacions come vnto
215the knowleche of and vnderstandynge of the same wysedom and
216polycye / J whiche hystoryes so wreton in large and aourned
217volumes / he syttynge in his chambre or studye / maye rede /
218knowe and vnderstande the polytyke and noble actes of alle the
219worlde as of one Cyte / And the conflyctes / errours. Troubles /
220& vexacions done in the sayd vnyuersal worlde / Jn suche wyse
221as he had ben and seen them. in the propre places where as they
222were done / For certayne it is a greete beneurte vnto a man that
223can be reformed by other and straunge mennes hurtes and scathes /
224And by the same to knowe / what is requysyte and prouffytable
225for his lyf / And eschewe suche errours and Jnconuenytys /
226by whiche other men haue ben hurte and lost theyr felycyte /
227Therfore the counseylles of Auncyent and whyte heeryd men / in

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228whome olde age hath engendryd wysedom / ben gretely preysed
229of yonger men / And yet hystoryes soo moche more excelle them /
230As the dyuturnyte or length of tyme Includeth soo ensamples
231of thynges and laudable actes. than thage of one man may suffyse
232to see / Historyes ought not to be Iuged moost proffytable
233to yonge men / whiche by the lecture / redyng & vnderstandyng
234made them semblable & equale to men of greter age / and
235to old men / to whome longe lyf hath mynystred experymentes
236of dyuerse thynges / but also thystoryes able & make ryght pryuate
237men digne & worthy to haue the gouernaunce of Empyres &
238noble Royammes / historyes moeue and withdrawe Emperours
239and kynges fro vycious tyrannye / Fro vecordyous sleuthe /
240vnto tryumphe and vyctorye in puyssaunt bataylles / Historyes
241also haue moeued ryght noble knyghtes to deserue eternal laude
242whiche foloweth them for their vyctoryous merytes / And cause
243them more valiauntly to entre in Ieopardyes of batayles for the
244defence and tuicion of their countrey / and publyke wele / hystorye
245also affrayeth cruel tyrauntys for drede of Infamye and shame
246Infynyte / by cause of the detestable actes of suche cruel personnes
247ben oftymes plantyd and regystred in Cronykes vnto theyr
248perpetuel obprobrye and dyuulgacion of theyr Jnfamye / As
249thactes of nero and suche other / Truly many of hye and couragyous
250men of grete empayse / desyryng theyr fame to be perpetuelly
251conseruyd by lyberal monumentis / whiche ben the permanente recordes
252of euery vyrtuouse and noble Acte / haue buylded and edefyed
253ryall and noble Cytees / And for the conseruacion of the
254wele publycke haue mynystred and establysshed dyscrete and
255prouffytable lawes / And thus the pryncipal laude / and cause
256of delectable and amyable thynges / in whiche mannes felycyte
257stondeth and resteth ought and maye wel be attributed to hystoryes /
258whiche worde historye may be descryued thus / Historye is
259a perpetuel conseruatryce of thoos thynges / that haue be doone
260before this presente tyme / and also a cotydyan wytnesse of bienfayttes
261of malefaytes / grete Actes / and tryumphal vyctoryes
262of all maner peple. And also yf the terryble feyned Fables of
263Poetes haue moche styred and moeued men to pyte / and conseruynge
264of Justyce / How moche more is to be supposed / that
265Historye assertryce of veryte / and as moder of alle philosophye /
266moeuynge our maners to vertue / reformeth and reconcyleth ner
267hande alle thoos men / whiche thurgh the Infyrmyte of oure

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268mortal nature hath ledde the mooste parte of theyr lyf in Ocyosyte
269and myspended theyr tyme passed ryght soone oute of Remembraunce /
270Of whiche lyf and deth is egal oblyuyon /
271The fruytes of vertue ben Inmortall / Specyally whanne they
272ben wrapped in the benefyce of hystoryes /
273Thenne it muste folowe / That it is mooste fayre to men Mortalle
274to suffre labours and payne / for glorye and fame Jnmortalle /
275Hercules whan he lyued suffryd greete laboures and peryllys
276wylfully puttyng hym self in many terryble and ferdful ieopardyes
277to obteyne of all peple the benefaytes of Inmortal laude &
278renommee / We rede of other noble men / somme lordes &
279somme other of lower astates reputed as goddes in dyuerse regyons /
280the whos famous actes / and excellent vertues only hystorye
281hath preseruyd fro perysshyng in eternal memorye / Other
282monymentes distributed in dyuerse chaunges / enduren but for a
283short tyme or season / But the vertu of hystorye dyffused & spredd
284by the vnyuersal worlde hath tyme / whiche consumeth all other
285thynges as conseruatryce and kepar of her werke /
286Ferthermore eloquence is soo precious and noble / that almooste
287noo thyng can be founden more precious than it / By Eloquence
288the grekes ben preferryd in contynuel honour to fore the rude barbares /
289Oratours and lerned clerkes in like wise excelle vnlerned
290and brutyssh peple / Syth this eloquence is suche that causeth men
291emonge them self somme texcelle other / after the qualyte of the
292vertue and eloquence be seyn to be of valew / For somme we Iuge
293to be good men digne of laude / whiche shewe to vs the waye
294of vertue / and other haue taken another waye for tenflamme
295more the courages of men by fables of poesye / than to prouffyte
296And by the lawes and Institutes more to punysshe than to teche
297Soo that of thyse thynges the vtylyte is myxt with harme /
298For somme sothly techyth to lye / But historye representynge the
299thynges lyke vnto the wordes / enbraceth al vtylyte & prouffite
300Jt sheweth honeste / and maketh vyces detestable / It enhaunceth
301noble men and depresseth wicked men and fooles / Also thynges
302that historye descryueth by experyence / moche prouffyten vnto a
303ryghtful lif / Thenne syth historye is so precious & also prouffytable /
304J haue delybered to wryte twoo bookes notable / retenyng
305in them many noble historyes / as the lyues / myracles / passyons
306and deth of dyuerse hooly sayntes whiche shal be comprysed by

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307thayde and suffraunce of almighty god in one of them / whiche
308is named legenda aurea / that is the golden legende / And that
309other book is named polycronycon / in whiche book ben comprised
310briefly many wonderful historyees / Fyrst the descripcion of the
311vniuersal world / as wel in lengthe as in brede with the diuisions
312of countrees royammes & empyres / the noble cytees / hye mountayns
313famous ryuers / merueylles & wondres / & also the historical Actes
314& wonderful dedes syth the fyrst makyng of heuen & erth vnto
315the begynnyng of the regne of kyng edward the fourth / & vnto
316the yere of our lord M/CCCC lx. As by thayde of almyghty
317god shal folowe al a longe / after the composynge & gaderynge of
318dan Ranulph monke of chestre fyrste auctour of this book / and
319afterward englisshed by one Treuisa vycarye of barkley / which
320atte request of one Sir thomas lord barkley translated this sayd
321book / the byble & bartylmew de proprietatibus rerum out of latyn
322in to englyssh / And now at this tyme symply emprynted &
323sette in forme by me William Caxton and a lytel embelysshed
324fro tholde makyng / and also haue added suche storyes as I coude
325fynde fro thende that the said Ranulph fynysshed his book which
326was the yere of our lord. M.CCC lvij vnto the yere of the same
327M C C C C lx / whiche an honderd & thre yere / whiche
328werke J haue finysshed vnder the noble protection of my most
329drad naturel and souerayne lord and moost cristen kynge / kyng
330Edward the fourth / humbly besechyng his moost noble grace to
331pardone me yf ony thynge be sayd therynne of Ignoraunce / or other wyse
332than it ought to be And also requyryng al other to amende
333wher as ther is defaute / wherin he or they may deserue thank &
334meryte / And J shal praye for them that soo doo / For I knowleche
335myn Ignoraunce and also symplenes / And yf ther be thyng
336that may plese or prouffite ony man / I am glad that J have achieued
337it / And folowynge this my prohemye I shal set a table
338shortly towchyd of the moost parte of this book / And where the
339sayd Auctour hath alle his werke in seuen bookes, J haue sette
340that whiche J haue added to after a parte. and haue marked it
341the laste booke / and haue made chapytres acordyng to the other
342werke / Of whiche accomplysshyng / J thanke Almyghty God
343To whome be gyuen Honour / laude / and glorye / in secula seculorum
344Amen /
345Deo gracias.
346

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347

POLYCRONICON

348

BK VII. EPILOGUE.

349    Thus endeth the book named Proloconycon made & compiled
350by Ranulph monk of chestre / whiche ordeyned it in latyn &
351atte request of the ryght worshipful lord / Thomas lord of berkeley
352it was translated into englisshe by one Treuisa thenne vycarye
353of the Paryssh of barkley / And for as moche as syth the accomplysshemente
354of this sayd booke made by the sayd Ranulph
355ended the yere of oure lord a / M / CCC / lvij / many thynges haue
356fallen whiche ben requysyte to be added to this werke / by cause
357mennes wyttes in this tyme ben oblyuyous and lyghtly forgeten
358many thynges dygne to be putte in memorye / and also there
359can not be founden in these dayes but fewe that wryte in theyr
360regystres suche thynges as dayly happen and falle Therfore J
361William Caxton a symple persone haue endeuoyred me to wryte
362fyrst ouer all the sayd book of proloconycon / and somwhat haue
363chaunged the rude and old englyssh / that is to wete certayn wordes /
364which in these dayes be neither vsyd ne vnderstanden / & furthermore
365haue put it emprynte to thende that it maye be had &
366the maters therin comprised to be knowen / for the boke is general
367touchyng shortly many notable maters / & also am auysed to make
368another booke after this sayd werke whiche shal be sett here
369after the same / And shal haue his chapytres & his table a parte
370For J dar not presume to sette my booke ne ioyne hit to his / for
371dyuerse causes / one is for as moche as I haue not ne can gete no
372bokes of auctoryte treatyng of suche cronykes / except a lytel boke:
373named fasciculus temporum / and another callyd Aureus de
374vniuerso / in whiche bookes J fynde ryght lytel mater syth the
375sayde tyme / And another cause is / for as moche as my rude
376symplenesse and ignorant makyng ought not to be compared / set
377ne ioyned to his boke / Thenne J shal by the grace of god set my
378werke after a parte for to accomplysshe the yeres syth that he fynysshed
379his book / vnto the yere of our lord / M / CCCC / lx / and
380the fyrst yere of the Regne of kyng edward the fourthe / whiche
381amounte to an honderd and thre yere /
382
383

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column 1

384

XVII

385

THE GOLDEN LEGENDE

386

PROLOGUE

387    And for as moche as this
388sayd werke was grete & ouer
389chargeable to me taccomplisshe
390I feryd me in the begynnyng of the
391translacyon to haue contynued it / by
392cause of the longe tyme of the translacion /
393& also in thenpryntyng of þ^e same
394& in maner halfe desperate to haue accomplissd
395it / was in purpose to haue
396lefte it / after that I had begonne to
397translate it / & to haue layed it aparte
398ne had it be at thynstaunce & requeste
399of the puyssant noble & vertuous erle
400my lord wyllyam erle of arondel / whiche
401desyred me to procede & contynue
402the said werke / & promysed me to take
403a resonable quantyte of them when they
404were achyeued & accomplisshed / and
405sente to me a worshypful gentylman
406a seruante of his named Iohn Stanney
407whych solycyted me in my Lordes
408name that I shold in no wyse leue it
409but accomplisshe it promysyng that my
410sayd lord shold duryng my lyf yeue
411& graunte to me a yerely fee / that is
412to wete a bucke in sommer / & a doo in
413wynter / with whiche fee I holde me
414wel contente / Thenne atte contemplacion
415& reuerence of my sayd lord / J
416haue endeuoyred me to make an ende
417& fynysshe thys sayd translacion / and

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418also haue enprynted it in the moost best
419wyse that I haue coude or myght / and
420presente this sayd book to his good &
421noble lordshyp / as chyef causer of the
422achyeuyng of hit / prayeng hym to take
423it in gree of me Wyllyam caxton hys
424poure seruaunte / & that it lyke hym to
425remembre my fee / & I shal praye vnto
426almyghty god for his longe lyf and
427welfare / & after this shorte & transytorye
428lyf to come in to euerlastyng ioye
429in heuen / the whiche he sende to hym &
430me / & vnto al them that shal rede and
431here this sayd book / that for the loue &
432feythe of whome al these holy sayntes
433hath suffred deth and passyon amen /
434
435    And to thende eche hystorye lyf &
436passyon may be shortely founden I haue
437ordeyned this table folowyng / where &
438in what leef he shal fynde suche as
439shal be desyred / and haue sette the nombre
440of euery leef in the margyne /
441
442

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443

XVIII

444

CATON

445

PROLOGUE

446    Here begynneth the prologue or prohemye of the book callid
447Caton / whiche booke hath ben translated in to Englysshe by
448Mayster Benet Burgh / late Archedeken of Colchestre and
449hye chanon of saint stephens at westmestre / which ful craftly
450hath made it in balade ryal for the erudicion of my lord Bousher /
451Sone & heyr at that tyme to my lord the erle of Estsex
452And by cause of late cam to my hand a book of the said Caton
453in Frensshe / whiche reherceth many a fayr lernynge and notable

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454ensamples / I haue translated it oute of frensshe in to Englysshe /
455as al along here after shalle appiere / whiche I presente
456vnto the Cyte of london /
457
458    Vnto the noble auncyent / and renommed Cyte / the Cyte
459of london in Englond / J william Caxton Cytezeyn
460& coniurye of the same / & of the fraternyte & felauship
461of the mercerye owe of ryght my seruyse & good wyll / and of
462very dute am bounden naturelly to assiste ayde & counceille as
463ferforth as I can to my power / as to my moder / of whom I haue
464receyued my noureture & lyuynge / And shal praye for the
465good prosperite & polecye of the same duryng my lyf / For as
466me semeth it is of grete nede / by cause I haue knowen it in my
467yong age moche more welthy prosperous & rycher than it is
468at this day / And the cause is that ther is almost none / that entendeth
469to the comyn wele but only euery man for his singuler
470prouffyte / O whan I remembre the noble Romayns / that for
471the comyn wele of the Cyte of Rome / they spente not only
472theyr moeuable goodes / but they put theyr bodyes & lyues in
473Ieopardy & to the deth / as by many a noble ensample we may
474see in thactes of Romayns / as of the two noble scipions Affrican
475& Asyan / Actilius & many other / And amonge al other
476the noble Catho auctour and maker of this book / whiche he hath
477lefte for to remayne euer to all the peple for to lerne in hit and
478to knowe how euery man ought to rewle and gouerne hym
479in this lyf / as wel for the lyf temporall / as for the lyf spyrytuel /
480And as in my Jugement it is the beste book for to be taught
481to yonge children in scole / & also to peple of euery age
482it is ful conuenient yf it be wel vnderstanden / And by cause
483J see that the children that ben borne within the sayd cyte
484encreace / and prouffyte not lyke theyr faders and olders / but
485for the moost parte after that they ben comen to theyr parfight
486yeres of discrecion / and rypenes of age / how wel that theyre
487faders haue lefte to them grete quantite of goodes / yet scarcely
488amonge ten two thryue / J haue sene and knowen in other
489londes in dyuerse cytees / that of one name and lygnage successyuely
490haue endured prosperously many heyres / ye a v or
491vj honderd yere / and somme a thousand / And in this noble
492cyte of london / it can vnnethe contynue vnto the thyrd heyr

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493or scarcely to the second / O blessyd lord whanne J remembre
494this J am al abasshyd / J can not Juge the cause / but fayrer
495ne wyser ne bet bespoken children in theyre yongthe ben nowher
496than ther ben in london / but at their ful rypyng ther is no
497carnel ne good corn founden but chaff for the moost parte / J
498wote wel there be many noble and wyse / and proue wel &
499ben better and rycher than euer were theyr faders / And to
500thende that many myght come to honoure and worshyppe / J
501entende to translate this sayd book of cathon / in whiche J doubte
502not / and yf they wylle rede it and vnderstande they shal
503moche better conne rewle them self ther by / For among all
504other bookes this is a synguler book / and may well be callyd
505the Regyment or gouernaunce of the body and sowle /
506There was a noble clerke named pogius of Florence / And
507was secretary to pope Eugenye / & also to pope Nycholas whiche
508had in the cyte of Florence a noble & well stuffed lybrarye /
509whiche alle noble straungyers comynge to Florence desyred
510to see / And therin they fonde many noble and rare bookes
511And whanne they had axyd of hym whiche was the best boke
512of them alle / and that he reputed for best / He sayd / that he
513helde Cathon glosed for the best book of his lyberarye / Thenne
514syth that he that was so noble a Clerke helde this book for the
515best / doubtles / hit must folowe that this is a noble booke / and
516a vertuous / and suche one that a man may eschewe alle vyces
517and ensiewe vertue / Thenne to thende that this sayd book may
518prouffyte vnto the herars of it / J byseche Almyghty god that
519J may acheue and accomplysshe it vnto his laude and glorye
520And to therudicion and lernynge of them that ben ygnoraunt
521that they maye there by prouffyte and be the better / And J
522requyre and byseche alle suche that fynde faute or errour / that
523of theyr charyte they correcte and amende hit / And J shalle
524hertely praye for them to Almyghty god / that he rewarde
525them
526
527

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528

XXII

529

THE FABLES OF ESOPE

530

EPILOGUE

531    Now thenne J wylle fynysshe alle these fables wyth
532this tale that foloweth whiche a worshipful preest and
533a parsone told me late / he sayd / that there were duellynge
534in Oxenford two prestes bothe maystres of arte / of whome
535that one was quyck and coude putte hym self forth / And
536that other was a good symple preest / And soo it happed that
537the mayster that was perte and quyck was anone promoted
538to a benefyce or tweyne / and after to prebendys / and for to be
539a Dene of a grete prynces chappel / supposynge and wenynge
540that his felaw the symple preest shold neuer haue be promoted
541but be alwey an Annuel / or at the most a parysshe preest / So
542after longe tyme that this worshipful man this dene came rydynge
543in to a good paryssh with a x or xij horses / lyke a prelate /
544and came in to the chirche of the sayd parysshe / and fond
545there this good symple man somtyme his felawe / whiche cam
546and welcomed hym lowely / And that other badde hym good
547morowe mayster Johan / and toke hym sleyghtly by the hand
548and axyd hym where he dwellyd / And the good man sayd /
549in this paryssh / how sayd he / are ye here a sowle preest or a paryssh
550preste / nay syr said he / for lack of a better though I be not
551able ne worthy J am parson and curate of this parysshe / and
552thenne that other aualed his bonet and said mayster parson I
553praye you to be not displeasyd / J had supposed ye had not
554be benefyced / But mayster sayd he / J pray you what is this
555benefyce worth to yow a yere / Forsothe sayd the good symple
556man / I wote neuer / for I make neuer accomptes therof / how
557wel J haue hit four or fyue yere / And knowe ye not said
558he what it is worth / it shold seme a good benefyce / No forsothe
559sayd he / but J wote wel what it shalle be worth to me /
560why sayd he / what shalle hit be worth / Forsothe sayd he / yf J
561doo my trewe dylygence in the cure of my parysshens in prechyng
562and techynge / and doo my parte longynge to my cure / I shalle
563haue heuen therfore / And yf theyre sowles ben lost or ony of

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564them by my defawte / J shall be punysshed therfore / And herof
565am J sure / And with that word the ryche dene was abasshed
566And thought he shold be the better / and take more hede to his
567cures and benefyces than he had done / This was a good answere
568of a good preest and an honest / And here with J fynysshe
569this book / translated & emprynted by me William Caxton
570at westmynstre in thabbey / And fynysshed the xxvj daye
571of Marche the yere of oure lord MCCCC lxxxiiij / And the
572fyrst yere of the regne of kyng Rychard the thyrdde
573
574

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575

XXIV

576

CANTERBURY TALES

577

PROHEMYE

578    Grete thankes laude and honour / ought to be gyuen
579vnto the clerkes / poetes / and historiographs
580that haue wreton many noble bokes of wysedom
581of the lyues / passions / & myracles of holy sayntes
582of hystoryes / of noble and famous Actes / and
583faittes / And of the cronycles sith the begynnyng
584of the creacion of the world / vnto thys present tyme / by whyche
585we ben dayly enformed / and have knowleche of many thynges /
586of whom we shold not haue knowen / yf they had not left to vs
587theyr monumentis wreton / Emong whom and inespecial to fore
588alle other we ought to gyue a synguler laude vnto that noble &
589grete philosopher Gefferey chaucer the whiche for his ornate wrytyng
590in our tongue may wel haue the name of a laureate poete /
591For to fore that he by hys labour enbelysshyd / ornated / and
592made faire our englisshe / in thys Royame was had rude speche &
593Incongrue / as yet it appiereth by olde bookes / whyche at thys day
594ought not to haue place ne be compared emong ne to hys beauteuous
595volumes / and aournate writynges / of whom he made many
596bokes and treatyces of many a noble historye as wel in metre
597as in ryme and prose / and them so craftyly made / that he comprehended
598hys maters in short / quyck and hye sentences / eschewyng
599prolyxyte / castyng away the chaf of superfluyte / and
600shewyng the pyked grayn of sentence / vtteryd by crafty and sugred
601eloquence / of whom emonge all other of hys bokes / I purpose
602temprynte by the grace of god the book of the tales of cauntyrburye /
603in whiche I fynde many a noble hystorye / of euery astate
604and degre / Fyrst rehercyng the condicions / tharraye of eche
605of them as properly as possyble is to be sayd / And after theyr
606tales whyche ben of noblesse / wysedom / gentylnesse / Myrthe / and
607also of veray holynesse and vertue / wherin he fynysshyth thys
608sayd booke / whyche book I haue dylygently ouersen and duly
609examyned to thende that it be made acordyng vnto his owen makyng /
610For I fynde many of the sayd bookes / whyche wryters

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611haue abrydgyd it and many thynges left out / And in
612somme place haue sette certayn versys / that he neuer made ne sette
613in hys booke / of whyche bookes so incorrecte was one brought to
614me vj yere passyd / whyche I supposed had ben veray true & correcte /
615And accordyng to the same I dyde do enprynte a certayn
616nombre of them / whyche anon were sold to many and dyuerse
617gentyl men / of whome one gentylman cam to me / and said that
618this book was not accordyng in many places vnto the book that
619Gefferey chaucer had made / To whom I answerd that I had made it
620accordyng to my copye / and by me was nothyng added ne
621mynusshyd / Thenne he sayd he knewe a book whyche hys fader
622had and moche louyd / that was very trewe / and accordyng vnto
623hys owen first book by hym made / and sayd more yf I wold
624enprynte it agayn he wold gete me the same book for a copye /
625how be it he wyst wel / that hys fader wold not gladly departe
626fro it / To whom I said / in caas that he coude gete me suche a book
627trewe and correcte / yet I wold ones endeuoyre me to enprynte it
628agayn / for to satysfye thauctour / where as to fore by ygnouraunce
629I erryd in hurtyng and dyffamyng his book in dyuerce places
630in settyng in some thynges that he neuer sayd ne made / and leuyng
631out many thynges that he made whyche ben requysite to be
632sette in it / And thus we fyll at accord / And he ful gentylly
633gate of hys fader the said book / and delyuerd it to me / by whiche
634I haue corrected my book / as here after alle alonge by thayde of
635almyghty god shal folowe / whom I humbly beseche to gyue me
636grace and ayde to achyeue / and accomplysshe / to hys laude honour
637and glorye / and that alle ye that shal in thys book rede or
638heere / wyll of your charyte emong your dedes of mercy / remembre
639the sowle of the sayd Gefferey chaucer first auctour / and maker
640of thys book / And also that alle we that shal see and rede
641therin / may so take and vnderstonde the good and vertuous tales /
642that it may so prouffyte / vnto the helthe of our sowles / that
643after thys short and transitorye lyf we may come to euerlastyng
644lyf in heuen / Amen
645By Wylliam Caxton