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afore is sayd. And she hath well acceptid hit, and largely rewarded me: wherfore I beseche almyghty God to rewarde her euerlastyng blisse after this lyf. Prayng her said grace and all them that shall rede this book not to desdaigne the symple and rude werke, nether to replye agaynst the sayyng of the maters towchyd in this book, thauwh hyt acorde not vnto the translacion of other whiche haue wreton hit: for dyuerce men haue made dyuerce bookes, whiche in all poyntes acorde not...; but alle acorde in conclusion the generall destruccion of that noble cyté of Troye. And the deth of so many noble prynces, as kynges, dukes, Erles, barons, knyghtes, and comyn peple, and the ruyne irreperable of that Cyté that neuer syn was reedefyed, whiche may be ensample to all men duryng the world how dredefull and Ieopardous it is to begynne a warre, and what harmes, losses and deth foloweth. Therfore thapostle saith all that is wreton is wreton to our doctryne, whyche doctryne for the comyn wele I beseche God maye be taken in suche place and tyme as shall be moste nedefull in encrecyng of peas, loue, and charyté, whyche graunte vs he that suffryd for the same to be crucyfied on the rood tree. And saye we alle Amen for charyté.

Epilogue to Book III of the Recuyell of Troy

18

His Homage to Chaucer

HUS endeth this boke whiche is named the boke

THUS endeth this bokephilosophie, whiche that

of Boecius made for his comforte and consolacion, he beyng in exile for the comyn and publick wele, hauyng grete heuynes & thoughtes and in maner of despayr, Rehercing in the sayde boke howe Philosophie appiered to him, shewyng the mutabilité 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 bee knowen naturelly, as afore ys sayd in this sayd boke . . . 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 man 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 t'enprynte it in fourme as is here afore made, in hopyng that it shal prouffite moche peple to the

wele & helth of theire 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 man 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.

19

THE

Preface to Boethius de Consolacione Philosophie

Of Le Morte Arthur

HENNE al these thynges forsayd aledged I coude not wel denye, but that there was suche a noble kyng named Arthur, and reputed one of the ix Worthy, & fyrst & chyef of the cristen men. And many noble volumes be made of hym & of his noble knyghtes in frensshe, which I have seen & redde beyonde the see, which been not had in our maternal tongue. But in walsshe ben many, & also in frensshe, & somme in englysshe, but no wher nygh alle. Wherfore suche as have late ben drawen oute bryefly in to englysshe, I have after the symple connynge that God hath sente to me, under the favour and correctyon of al noble lordes and gentylmen, enprysed to enprynte a book of the noble hystoryes of the sayd kynge Arthur, and of certeyn of his knyghtes, after a copye unto me delyverd, whyche copye Syr Thomas Malorye dyd take oute of certeyn bookes of frensshe and reduced it in to Englysshe. And I accordyng to my copye have doon sette it in enprynte, to the entente that

12 of the ix Worthy) of the nine 'Christian Worthies' 22 enprysed) undertaken

noble men may see and lerne the noble actes of chyvalrye, the Ïentyl and vertuous dedes that somme knyghtes used in tho dayes, by whyche they came to honour, and how they that were vycious were punysshed and ofte put to shame and rebuke, humbly bysechyng al noble lordes and ladyes wyth al other estates of what estate or degree they been of, that shal see and rede. in this sayd book and werke, that they take the good and honest actes in their remembraunce, and to folowe the same. Wherin they shalle fynde many Joyous and playsaunt hystoryes, and noble & renomed actes of humanyté, gentylnesse and chyualryes. For herein may be seen noble chyualrye, Curtosye, Humanyté, frendlynesse, hardynesse, loue, frendshyp, Cowardyse, Murdre, hate, vertue, and synne. Doo after the good and leue the euyl, and it shal brynge you to good fame and renommee.

20

AND

Preface to Malory's Le Morte Arthur

SIR THOMAS MALORY

The Month of May

fl. 1470

ND thus it past on from Candylmas untyl after Ester that the moneth of May was come, whan every lusty herte begynneth to blosomme and to brynge forth fruyte. For lyke as herbes and trees bryngen forth fruyte and florysshen in May, in lyke wyse every lusty herte that is in ony maner a lover spryngeth and floryssheth in lusty dedes. For it gyvéth unto al lovers courage, that lusty moneth of May, in some thyng to constrayne hym to some 11 renomed) renowned

maner of thyng more in that moneth than in ony other
moneth, for dyverse causes. For thenne alle herbes
and trees renewen a man and woman.
And lyke wyse

lovers callen ageyne to their mynde old gentilnes and
old servyse, and many kynde dedes were forgeten by
neclygence. For lyke as wynter rasure doth alway
arase and deface grene somer, soo fareth it by unstable
love in man and woman. For in many persons there
is no stabylyté. For we may see al day, for a lytel
blast of wynters rasure anone we shalle deface and lay
aparte true love, for lytel or noughte, that cost moch
thynge. This is no wysedome nor stabylyté, but it
is feblenes of nature and grete disworshyp who somever
used this. Therfore lyke as May moneth floreth and
floryssheth in many gardyns, soo in lyke wyse lete every
man of worship florysshe his herte in this world, fyrst
unto God, and next unto the ioye of them that he
promysed his feythe unto. For there was never
worshypful man or worshipfull woman but they loved
one better than another. And worshyp in armes may
never be foyled, but fyrst reserve the honour to God,
and secondly the quarel must come of thy lady, and
suche love I calle vertuous love. But now adayes men
can not love seven nyghte but they must have alle
their desyres. That love may not endure by reason.
For where they ben soone accorded, and hasty hete,
soone it keleth. Ryghte soo fareth love now adayes:
sone hote, soone cold. This is noo stabylyté. But the
old love was not so. Men and wymmen coude love
togyders seven yeres, and no lycours lustes were
bitwene them, and thenne was love trouthe and
feythfulnes. And loo in lyke wyse was used love in
kynge Arthurs dayes. Wherfor I lyken love now
21 foyled) defiled 27 keleth) cooleth 32 togyders) together

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