1PURVEY, JOHN.
2TEXT: THE PROLOGUE TO THE BIBLE.
3THE HOLY BIBLE, CONTAINING THE OLD AND NEW
4TESTAMENTS, WITH THE APOCRYPHAL BOOKS,
5IN THE EARLIEST ENGLISH VERSIONS
6MADE FROM THE LATIN VULGATE BY JOHN
7WYCLIFFE AND HIS FOLLOWERS, VOL. I.
8ED. J. FORSHALL AND F. MADDEN.
9OXFORD: UNIVERSITY PRESS, 1850.
10PP. 56.1 - 60.14
11

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12

PROLOGUE.

13
14    Thouȝ these reulis either keies of scripture bringen men to greet vndirstonding thereof, ȝit
15men moten taken heede, what is seid of Crist bi his godheed, and what bi his manheed, for
16Crist bi his manheed, is seid lesse than the fadir, and bi the godheed he is seid euene with
17the fadir; and for as myche as Crist is bothe God and man, we graunten that God is
18deedly, and diȝede on the crosse, not bi his godheed, but bi the manheed of Crist, that was
19ioyned in oonhed of persone with the godheed, and we graunte, as the gospel doith, that
20man, while he was deedly on erthe, was in heuene, for his godheed was there, and he also
21bi resoun therof. Also we moun graunte wel, that a man made heuene and erthe, for Crist
22bi his godheed, which Crist is and was man, dide thus. Also hooly scripture tellith ofte
23the thouȝtis of men, and ofte the wordis and deedis; and whanne the thouȝtis, and wordis,
24and deedis of men ben contrarie, oo gospeller tellith the thouȝtis, and another tellith the
25wrdis; and bi this eguiuocacoun, either diuerse speking, thei ben acordid, ȝhe, whanne
26thei seemen contrarie in wordis; also ofte in storial mateer scripture rehersith the comune
27opynyoun of men, and affirmeth not, that it was so in dede. In this maner the gospel seith,
28that Joseph was the fadir of Crist, thouȝ he neuere gendride Crist; for Marie, Cristis
29modir, was euere clene virgyne. Thus the gospel seith, that at the biheeding of Joon
30Baptist, Eroude was soory, and ȝit, as doctouris seyn, he was ful glad thereof; but he
31feynede him sory for the puple, and the puple gessid him sory. Also thouȝ scripture rehersith,
32hou hooly men lyueden, and comendith hem greetly, it appreueth not alle hire
33deedis, for many greete seyntis erriden foule in manye poyntis; and thouȝ scripture tellith
34the stories of yuel men and dampned, it repreuith not herfore alle thingis whiche thei
35diden, for thouȝ thei weren hemsilf ful cursid, thei diden many goode deedis of kynde,
36and sumtyme perauenture goode dedis of vertu, if thei weren in grace for a tyme. At the
37laste take ȝe good heede, whanne scripture spekith bi comaundement to all men, and
38whanne it ȝeueth comaundement to certeyn persones of diuerse statis. In the first poynt,
39alle men moten do, as it seith; in the ij. tyme, the persoones of staatis specified moten
40nedis obeye; whanne scripture speketh oonly bi counceil, men moun be sauid, thouȝ thei
41do not the counceil, as ful many men and wymmen moun be sauid, thouȝ thei take not
42virginite, neither contynence, neither ȝeuen alle her goodis to pore men, and ȝit these ben
43heere counceils of Jhesu Crist in the gospel.
44
45

CAP. XV.

46
47    For as myche as Crist seith that the gospel shal be prechid in al the world, and Dauith
48seith of the postlis and her preching, "the soun of hem ȝede out into ech lond, and the
49"wordis of hem ȝeden out into the endis of the world," and eft Dauith seith, "the Lord
50schal telle in the scripturis of puplis, and of these princis that weren in it," that is, in holi
51chirche, and as Jerom seith on that vers, "hooly writ is the scripture of puplis, for it is
52"maad, that alle puples schulden knowe it," and the princis of the chirche, that weren
53therinne, ben the postlis, that hadden autorite to writen hooly writ, for bi that same that the
54postlis writiden her scripturis bi autorite, and confermynge of the Hooly Goost, it is hooly
55scripture, and feith of cristen men, and this dignite hath noo man aftir hem, be he neuere
56so hooly, neuer so kunnynge, as Jerom witnessith on that vers. Also Crist seith of the
57Jewis that crieden Osanna to him in the temple, that thouȝ thei weren stille stoonis
58schulen crie, and bi stoonis he vndirstondith hethen men, that worshipiden stoonis for
59her goddis. And we Englische men ben comen of hethen men, therfore we ben vndirstonden
60bi thes stonis, that schulden crie hooly writ, and as Jewis, interpretid knowlechinge,
61singnefien clerkis, that schulden knouleche to God, bi repentaunce of synnes, and bi vois

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62of goddis heriyng, so oure lewide men, suynge the corner ston Crist, mowen be singnefied bi
63stonis, that ben harde and abydinge in the foundement; for thouȝ couetouse clerkis ben
64woode by simonie, eresie, and manye othere synnes, and dispisen and stoppen holi writ, as
65myche as thei moun, ȝit the lewid puple crieth aftir holi writ, to kunne it, and kepe it,
66with greet cost and peril of here lif. For these resons and othere, with comune charite to
67saue alle men in oure rewme, whiche God wole haue sauid, a symple creature hath translatid
68the bible out of Latyn into English. First, this symple creature hadde myche trauaile,
69with diuerse felawis and helperis, to gedere manie elde biblis, and othere doctouris, and
70comune glosis, and to make oo Latyn bible sumdel trewe; and thanne to studie it of the
71newe, the text with the glose, and othere doctouris, and he miȝte gete, and speciali Lire on
72the elde testament, that helpide ful myche in this werk; the thridde tyme to counseile
73with elde gramariens, and elde dyuynis, of harde wordis, and harde sentencis, hou tho
74miȝten best be vndurstonden and translatid; the iiij. tyme to translate as cleerli as he
75coude to the sentence, and to haue manie gode felawis and kunnynge at the correcting of
76the translacioun. First it is to knowe, that the best translating is out of Latyn into
77English, to translate aftir the sentence, and not oneli aftir the wordis, so that the sentence
78be as opin, either openere, in English as in Latyn, and go not fer fro the lettre; and if
79the lettre mai not be suid in the translating, let the sentence euere be hool and open, for
80the wordis owen to serue to the entent and sentence, and ellis the wordis ben superflu
81either false. In translating into English, manie resolucions moun make the sentence open,
82as an ablatif case absolute may be resoluid into these thre wordis, with couenable verbe,
83the while, for, if , as gramariens seyn; as thus, the maistir redinge, I stonde , mai be resoluid
84thus, while the maistir redith, I stonde , either if the maistir redith , etc. either
85for the maistir , etc.; and sumtyme it wolde acorde wel with the sentence to be resoluid into
86whanne , either into aftirward , thus, whanne the maistir red, I stood , either aftir the
87maistir red, I stood ; and sumtyme it mai wel be resoluid into a verbe of the same tens,
88as othere ben in the same resoun, and into this word et , that is, and in English, as thus,
89arescentibus hominibus prae timore , that is, and men shulen wexe drie for drede . Also a
90participle of a present tens, either preterit, of actif vois, eithir passif, mai be resoluid into
91a verbe of the same tens, and a coniunccioun copulatif, as thus, dicens , that is, seiynge ,
92mai be resoluid thus, and seith , eithir that seith ; and this wole, in manie placis, make the
93sentence open, where to Englisshe it aftir the word, wolde be derk and douteful. Also
94a relatif, which mai be resoluid into his antecedent with a coniunccioun copulatif, as thus,
95which renneth, and he renneth . Also whanne oo word is oonis set in a reesoun, it mai be
96set forth as ofte as it is vndurstonden, either as ofte as reesoun and nede axen; and this word
97autem , either vero , mai stonde for forsothe , either for but , and thus I vse comounli;
98aud sumtyme it mai stonde for and , as elde gramariens seyn. Also whanne riȝtful construccioun
99is lettid bi relacion, I resolue it openli, thus, where this reesoun, Dominum formidabunt
100adversarij ejus , shulde be Englisshid thus bi the lettre, the Lord hise aduersaries
101shulen drede , I Englishe it thus bi resolucioun, the aduersaries of the Lord
102shulen drede him ; and so of othere resons that ben like. At the bigynning I purposide,
103with Goddis helpe, to make the sentence as trewe and open in English as it is in Latyn,
104either more trewe and more open than it is in Latyn; and I preie, for charite and for
105comoun profyt of cristene soulis, that if ony wiys man fynde ony defaute of the truthe of
106translacioun, let him sette in the trewe sentence and opin of holi writ, but loke that he

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107examyne truli his Latyn bible, for no doute he shal fynde ful manye biblis in Latyn ful
108false, if he loke manie, nameli newe; and the comune Latyn biblis han more nede to be
109correctid, as manie as I haue seen in my lif, than hath the English bible late translatid;
110and where the Ebru, bi witnesse of Jerom, of Lire, and othere expositouris discordith fro
111oure Latyn biblis, I haue set in the margyn, bi maner of a glose, what the Ebru hath,
112and hou it is vndurstondun in sum place; and I dide this most in the Sauter, that of alle
113oure bokis discordith most fro Ebru; for the chirche redith not the Sauter bi the laste
114translacioun of Jerom out of Ebru into Latyn, but another translacioun of othere men,
115that hadden myche lasse kunnyng and holynesse than Jerom hadde; and in ful fewe bokis
116the chirche redith the translacioun of Jerom, as it mai be preuid bi the propre origynals of
117Jerom, whiche he gloside. And where I haue translatid as opinli or opinliere in English
118as in Latyn, late wise men deme, that knowen wel bothe langagis, and knowen wel the
119sentence of holi scripture. And wher I haue do thus, or nay, ne doute, thei that kunne
120wel the sentence of holi writ and English togidere, and wolen trauaile, with Goddis grace,
121theraboute, moun make the bible as trewe and as opin, ȝea, and opinliere in English
122than it is in Latyn. And no doute to a symple man, with Goddis grace and greet trauail,
123men miȝten expoune myche openliere and shortliere the bible in English, than the elde
124greete doctouris han expounid it in Latyn, and myche sharpliere and groundliere than
125manie late postillatouris, eithir expositouris, han don. But God, of his grete marci,
126ȝeue to vs grace to lyue wel, and to seie the thruthe in couenable manere, and acceptable to
127God and his puple, and to spille not oure tyme, be it short be it long at Goddis ordynaunce.
128But summe, that semen wise and holi, seyn thus, if men now weren as holi as
129Jerom was, thei miȝten translate out of Latyn into English, as he dide out of Ebru and
130out of Greek into Latyn, and ellis thei shulden not translate now, as hem thinkith, for
131defaute of holynesse and of kunnyng. Thouȝ this replicacioun seme colourable, it hath no
132good ground, neither resoun, neithir charite, for whi this replicacioun is more aȝens seynt
133Jerom, and aȝens the firste lxx. translatouris, and aȝens holi chirche, than aȝens symple
134men, that translaten now into English; for seynt Jerom was not so holi as the apostlis and
135euangelistis, whos bokis he translatide into Latyn, neither he hadde so hiȝe ȝiftis of the
136Holi Gost as thei hadden; and myche more the lxx. translatouris weren not so holi as
137Moises and the profetis, and speciali Dauith, neither thei hadden so greete ȝiftis of God, as,
138Moises and the prophetis hadden. Ferthermore holi chirche appreueth, not oneli the trewe
139translacioun of meene cristene men, stidefast in cristene feith, but also of open eretikis, that
140diden awei manie mysteries of Jhesu Crist bi gileful translacioun, as Jerom witnessith
141in oo prolog on Job, and in the prolog of Daniel. Myche more late the chirche of
142Engelond appreue the trewe and hool translacioun of symple men, that wolden for no good
143in erthe, bi here witing and power, putte awei the leste truthe, ȝea, the leste lettre, either
144title, of holi writ, that berith substaunce, either charge. And dispute thei not of the holynesse
145of men now lyuynge in this deadli lif, for thei kunnen not theron, and it is reseruid
146oneli to Goddis doom. If thei knowen ony notable defaute bi the translatouris, either
147helpis of hem, lete hem blame the defaute bi charite and merci, and lete hem neuere
148dampne a thing that mai be don lefulli be Goddis lawe, as weeryng of a good cloth for a
149tyme, either riding on an hors for greet iourney, whanne thei witen not wherfore it is
150don; for suche thingis moun be don of symple men, with as greet charite and vertu, as

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151summe, that holden hem greete and wise, kunnen ride in a gilt sadil, either vse cuyssyns
152and beddis and clothis of gold and of silk, with othere vanitees of the world. God graunte
153pite, merci, and charite, and loue of comoun profyt, and putte awei such foli domis, that
154ben aȝens resoun and charite. Ȝit worldli clerkis axen gretli what spiryt makith idiotis
155hardi to translate now the bible into English, sithen the foure greete doctouris dursten
156neuere do this? This replicacioun is so lewid, that it nedith noon answer, no but stillnesse,
157eithir curteys scorn; for these greete doctouris weren noon English men, neither
158thei weren conuersaunt among English men, neithir in caas thei kouden the langage of
159English, but thei ceessiden neuere til thei hadden holi writ in here modir tunge, of here
160owne puple. For Jerom, that was a Latyn man of birthe, translatide the bible, bothe out
161of Ebru and out of Greek, into Latyn, and expounide ful myche therto; and Austyn, and
162manie mo Latyns expouniden the bible, for manie partis, in Latyn, to Latyn men, among
163whiche thei dwelliden, and Latyn was a comoun langage to here puple aboute Rome, and
164biȝondis, and on this half, as Englishe is comoun langage to oure puple, and ȝit this day
165the comoun puple in Italie spekith Latyn corrupt, as trewe men seyn, that han ben in
166Italie; and the noumbre of translatouris out of Greek into Latyn passith mannis knowing,
167as Austyn witnessith in the ij. book of Cristene Teching, and seith thus, "the translatouris
168out of Ebru into Greek moun be noumbrid, but Latyn translatouris, either thei that
169translatiden into Latyn, moun not be noumbrid in ony manere." For in the firste tymes
170of feith, ech man, as a Greek book came to him, and he semyde to him silf to haue sum
171kunnyng of Greek and of Latyn, was hardi to translate; and this thing helpide more than
172lettide vndurstonding, if rederis ben not necligent, forwhi the biholding of manie bokis
173hath shewid ofte, eithir declarid, summe derkere sentencis. This seith Austyn there.
174Therfore Grosted seith, that it was Goddis wille, that diuerse men translatiden, and that
175diuerse translacions be in the chirche, for where oon seide derkli, oon either mo seiden
176openli. Lord God! sithen at the bigynnyng of feith so manie man translatiden into Latyn,
177and to greet profyt of Latyn men, lat oo symple creature of God translate into English, for
178profyt of English men; for if worldli clerkis loken wel here croniclis and bokis, thei shulden
179fynde, that Bede translatide the bible, and expounide myche in Saxon, that was English,
180either comoun langage of this lond, in his tyme; and not oneli Bede, but also king
181Alured, that foundide Oxenford, translatide in hise laste daies the bigynning of the Sauter
182into Saxon, and wolde more, if he hadde lyued lengere. Also Frenshe men, Beemers, and
183Britons han the bible, and othere bokis of deuocioun and of exposicioun, translatid in
184here modir langage; whi shulden not English men haue the same in here modir langage,
185I can not wite, no but for falsnesse and necgligence of clerkis, either for oure puple is not
186worthi to haue so greet grace and ȝifte of God, in peyne of here olde synnes. God for his
187merci amende these euele causis, and make oure puple to haue, and kunne, and kepe truli
188holi writ, to lijf and deth! But in translating of wordis equiuok, that is, that hath
189manie significacions vndur oo lettre, mai liȝtli be pereil, for Austyn seith in the ij. book of
190Cristene Teching, that if equiuok wordis be not translatid into the sense, either vndurstonding,
191of the autour, it is errour; as in that place of the Salme, the feet of hem ben
192swifte to shede out blood , the Greek word is equiuoik to sharp and swift , and he that translatide
193sharpe feet , erride, and a book that hath sharpe feet , is fals, and mut be
194amendid; as that sentence vnkynde ȝonge trees shulen not ȝeue depe rootis , owith to be
195thus, plauntingis of auoutrie shulen not ȝeue depe rootis . Austyn seith this there. Therfore

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196a translatour hath greet nede to studie wel the sentence, both bifore and aftir, and
197loke that suche equiuok wordis acorde with the sentence, and he hath nede to lyue a
198clene lif, and be ful deuout in preiers, and haue not his wit ocupied about worldli thingis,
199that the Holi Spiryt, autour of wisdom, and kunnyng, and truthe, dresse him in his werk,
200and suffre him not for to erre. Also this word ex signifieth sumtyme of , and sumtyme
201it signifieth bi , as Jerom seith; and this word enim signifieth comynli forsothe , and, as
202Jerom seith, it signifieth cause thus, forwhi ; and this word secundum is taken for aftir ,
203as manie men seyn, and comynli, but it signifieth wel bi , eithir vp , thus bi ȝoure word ,
204either vp ȝoure word. Manie such aduerbis, coniuncciouns, and preposiciouns ben set
205ofte oon for another, and at fre chois of autouris sumtyme; and now tho shulen be taken
206as it acordith best to the sentence. Bi this maner, with good lyuyng and greet trauel,
207men moun come to trewe and cleer translating, and trewe vndurstonding of holi writ,
208seme it neuere so hard at the bigynnyng. God graunte to us alle grace to kunne wel,
209and kepe wel holi writ, and suffre ioiefulli sum peyne for it at the laste! Amen.