Brother Ambrose, to me thi litel &yogh;iftis perfitli berynge, hath brou&yogh;t with and ri&yogh;t swete lettres, the whiche han shewid sothfastnes of now proued feith, fro the bigynnyng of frenshipes, and newe thingis of olde frenship. Verrei forsothe that frenship is, and thur&yogh; the glew of Crist cowplid, the which not profit of famylier thing, not presens oonli of bodies, not grasping and trecherous flateryng, but the drede of God and the studies of Goddis scripturys ioynen. We han redde in olde stories, sum men to han vyrounde prouynces, to han gon to new puplis, to han passid the see, that hem whom thei han knowun of bokis, my&yogh;ten seen verreli present. So Pictagorax to the filosofers of Memphus, so Plato to Egipte, and to Archite Tarentyne, and thilk brynk of Itali, the which sum tyme was seid Grete Grece, ful traueilousli &yogh;ede; that he that in Athenys was a maister and my&yogh;ti, and whos doctrine the stodies of Achademy perfitli sowneden, wolde be maad a pilgrym and a disciple, more wilnyng other mennus thingis shamfastli to lernen, than his owne vnshamfastli `to prece forth. Aftirward whil he pursueth fleynge lettres as in al the world, takun of see theues and sold, also to a ful cruel tiraunt pered, led cheytif, boundun, and thral. Neuerthelater for he was a filosofre, he was more than his bier. To Tite Lyuy, wellynge with the mylk welle of faire speche, we han red, summe noble men to han comen

fro the vtmost costis of Spayne and of Fraunse; and whom Rome drow not to his si&yogh;t, `o mannus fame fulli ledde. That age hadde a myracle vnherd, and to alle worldis to ben ofte worshipid, that thei, gon in so greet a cite, other thing wold sechen with oute the cite. Apolony, or that deuynour, `or as the comunte spekith, a filosofer, as Pictagorax disciplis tellen, &yogh;ede into Perses, passid Kaukasoun, Albanus, Scitus, and Massegetos, &yogh;ede thur&yogh; the most plenteuows kyngdomes of Inde; and at the end, the brodest flode of Phison passid, come to Bragmanon, that Hiearch sittynge in the golden trone, and drynkynge of the welle of Tantali, among fewe disciplis techynge of kynde, of maners, of course of daies and of sterres, he my&yogh;t heren; fro thens bi Elamytas, Babiloyns, Caldeos, Medos, Assyrios, Parthos, Syros, Phenices, Arabes, Palestyns, turned a&yogh;en to Alisawndre, &yogh;ede to Ethiop, that he my&yogh;t se the maistres of the studies, and the most famows borde of `the sonne in grauel. That man fonde ouer al that he mi&yogh;te lerne, and that euermore profitynge, euermore he my&yogh;t be maad better than hym silf. Vpon this `Philostratus wrote most fullich in ei&yogh;t volumes. CAP. II.

What shal I speke of men of the world? sith the apostle Poul, the vessel of eleccoun and the maister of Gentilis, the which of conscience of so greet a gest in hym silf spak seiynge, “whether sechen &yogh;e experyment of hym that spekith in me Crist,” after Damask and Arabe enuyround, &yogh;ede vp to Jerusalem, that he my&yogh;t se Peter, and dwelte with hym fiftene daies; bi this forsothe mysterie of seuene and ei&yogh;t the prechour of Gentilis to comyng was to be enformyd; and eftsones aftir fourtene &yogh;eer, takun to hym Barnaba and Tyto, expownede with the apostlis the euangeli, lest perauenture in veyn

he shulde renne, or hadde ronnen. The dede of the quyk vois hath I not what of hidde inward worchyng, and into the eris of the disciple fro the mouth of the autour the vois ouer&yogh;otun strengerli sowneth. Wherfor and Eschyneus, whan he was exylid into Rodi, and was redde thilk orisoun of Demostens, that a&yogh;ens hym he hadde, wondrynge alle men and preisynge, si&yogh;ynge seith, “what if thilk beest &yogh;e hadden herd tellinge his owne wordis!” CAP. III.

Ne this Y seye, that there be eny thing in me siche, that other thou my&yogh;tist of me here, or woldist lerne; but whether with thi feruour and studie of lernyng, also with outen vs, shulde be proued bi hem silf; a wit able to be tau&yogh;t and with outen techer is preisable. Not what thou fyndist, but what thou sechist, we taken heed. Neshe wax and li&yogh;t to formen, &yogh;he, if the hondis of the crafti man and of the fourmer cesen, neuertheles with ynne thoru&yogh; vertu is al what `euere may be. Poul the apostle at the feet of Gamaliel glorieth hym silf to haue lernyd the lawe of Moyses and the prophetis, that he, armed with spirytual daartis, aftyrward my&yogh;te seie tristily, “forsothe the armes of our kni&yogh;hode ben not fleishli, but my&yogh;ti thoru&yogh; God to the distruccoun of holdis, that we be destruyinge thou&yogh;tis, and al hei&yogh;nes reisynge it silf a&yogh;ens the kunnyng of God, and chatyuynge al vndirstondyng for to obeishe to Crist, and redi to vndir&yogh;oken al inobeishaunce.” To Tymothe tau&yogh;t in holi lettres fro childhode he wryteth, and enorteth the studie of lessoun, lest he leue of the grace, the which is &yogh;ouun to hym bi imposicoun of the prestis hond. To Tite he comaundide, among other vertues of a bishop, whom in short sermoun he depeyntid, that kunnyng also he leue not of scripturis, “holdynge,” he seith, “that sermoun, the which is aftir doctrine trewe sermoun, that he be my&yogh;ti to myche styre in holsum doctryne, and the withseieris to withstonde.”

CAP. IV.

Holi forsothe cherlhed to hym silf alone profiteth; and as myche as he edifieth of desert of lijf the chirche of Crist, so myche he noieth if to the destruyers he withstonde not. Malachie the prophete, &yogh;he, bi Malachye the Lord, askith prestis the lawe; in so myche the offis of the preste is, askid, to answeren `of the lawe. And in Deutronomy we reden, “aske thi fadre, and he shal telle thee; thi prestis, and thei shal seie to thee.” In the psalm forsothe the hundryd and ei&yogh;tetene, “thi iustifiyngis were to me chauntable in the place of my pilgrimage.” And in the discripcioun of the ri&yogh;twisman, whan David comparysownede hym to a tree of lijf that is in paradise, among other vertues this he brou&yogh;t forth, “in the lawe of the Lord the wil of hym, and in his lawe he shal thenk dai and ny&yogh;t.” Daniel in the ende of the most holi visioun seith ri&yogh;twise men to shyne as sterrys, and vndirstonders, that is, tau&yogh;t men, as the fermament. Thou seest how myche thei ben atwyn, ri&yogh;twise chirlehede and tau&yogh;t ry&yogh;twisnesse. Other men to sterres, other men to heuene ben comparisoned; al be it that, aftir the trewthe of Ebrew tung, either may be vndurstondun of lerned men. Thus we reden anentis hem, “thilk forsothe that weren tau&yogh;t shulen shyne as the shynyng of the firmament, and thoo that techen many men to rightwisnes as sterres into perpetuel eternytees.” Whi is Poul seid the vessel of eleccoun? forsothe for the vessel of the lawe, and of holi scripture he was the almery. The Faryseus ben stonyed in the doctryne of the Lord, and wondren in Petre and Joon, how thei kunnen the lawe, sith lettres thei lerneden not. What euer forsothe to other men excersice and ech dai thenkynge in the lawe was wont to &yogh;yuen, that to hem the Holi Gost tolde, and after that it is writin, “thei weren Goddis tau&yogh;t men,” that is, able men to li&yogh;tli be tau&yogh;t of God. Twelue &yogh;eer the Saueour hadde fulfillid, and in the temple sittynge, askynge of questiouns of the lawe more techeth,

whil he prudentli demaundeth. But perauenture we seyn chirl Petre, and cherl Joon, of whom either my&yogh;t seyn, “and if I be vnwise in word, neuerthelater not in kunnyng.” Chirl Jon fissher is vntau&yogh;t; and whens that vois, Y prey, “In the first was the word, and the word was anentys God, and God was the word?” Logos in Grece many thingis signifieth, for whi and word it is, and resoun, and noumbre, and chesoun of eech thing, bi the which alle thingis ben that ben; the whiche echoon we vndurstonden ri&yogh;tli in Crist. CAP. V.

Thes thingis tau&yogh;te Plato knewe not; thes thingis Demosteynes the fayre speker wiste not; “I shal lese,” he seith, “the wisdom of wise men, and the prudence of prudent men Y shal reprouen.” Verreye wisdom shal spil the fals wisdom, and al be it that the foli of prechyng be in the cros, neuerthelater Poul spekith wisdom among perfit men; wisdom forsothe not of this world, the which is destruyed, ne of princes of this world; but he spekith wisdom of God in mysterie hid, that God bifore ordeynede bifore worldis. The wisdom of God Crist is; “Crist forsothe is the vertu of God and the wisdom of God.” This wisdom is in mysterie hid, and of the which the title of the nynthe salm is bifore notid, “for the hid thingis of the sone,” in the whiche ben alle the tresoures of wisdom and of the kunnyng of God hid; and `he that was in mysterie hid, is bifore ordeyned bifore the worldis; `bifore ordeyned forsothe and bifore figuryd in lawe and prophetis. Wherfore and prophetis weren clepid seers, for thei seien hym, whom other men seien not. “Abraham saw&yogh; the day of hym, and he was glad.” Heuenes weren openyd to Ezechiel, the which weren closid to the synful puple. “Opene,” seith Dauid, “myn ei&yogh;en, and I shal biholde the merueilis of thi lawe.” The lawe forsothe is spiritual, and nede it is openynge, that it be vndirstondun, and with opyn face we

biholden the glorie of God. The book in the Apocalipis is shewid seelid with seuene seelis, which if thou &yogh;yue to a man kunnynge letteres that he rede, he shal answere thee, I may not, it is forsothe seelid. How feel to dai wenen hem to han knowun letteres, holden the seelid book, and mown not openen, but if he vnlowke, that hath the keye of Dauyd, “the which openeth and no man closith, closith and no man openeth.” In the Dedis of the Apostlis the holi geldyng, &yogh;he, the holi man, so forsoth hym nemneth holi writ, whan he shulde rede Isaye the prophete, is askid of Philip, “wenest thou, whether thou vndirstondist thingis that thou redest?” and he answeride, “how may I, but ony man had tau&yogh;te me.” I that among speke of my silf, am not holier than this geldyng, ne more studious, the which from Ethiope, that is, fro the vttermost coostis of the world, come to the temple, forsoke the kyngis halle, and was so greet a louer of Goddis kunnyng and lawe, that in a chare wold reden holy lettres; and &yogh;it whan he shulde hold the boke, and the wordis of the Lord shulde conseyue in his thenkyng, with tunge shulde turne, with lippis shulde speke, vnknewe hym whom in the book unwitynge he worshipide. Philip com and shewide hym Jhesu, the which closed satte pryue in the lettere. O meruelous vertu of the doctour! the same our bileuede the geldyng, is baptisid, feithful and holi, and a maister is maad of a disciple; more fonde in the desert welle of the chirche, than in the goldun temple of the synagoge. Thes thingis of me shortli ben fulli writun. CAP. VI.

Forsothe the epistles streytnes suffryd not lenger this to ben outstrayed, that thow my&yogh;test vnderstonde thee not mown entre in holi scriptures with outen a forgoer and shewynge the stye. I holde my pees of gramariens and retorikis, filoferis, geometrers, logissians, musissians, astronomers, astrologerys, fisissians, whos sciens is ynew&yogh;, or ful profitable, to deedli men, and in thre partis it is diuidid, in doctrine, resoun,

and vse. I shal com to the lesse craftys, and which not oonly with tung, but with honde ben mynystrid; erthe tilyers, masouns, smythes of metallis, and hewers of trees, also wulle graithers and fullers, and other that forgen dyuerse purtynauncis to howsis, and fowle litle werkis, mowe not be, with outen a techer, that that thei coueyten. Lechis bihoten that that is of lechis, forgers treten forgeable thingis; the craft oneli of scripturys is the which alle chalengen to hem pasemel. “We writen pasemel poyet sawes, of tau&yogh;t and of untau&yogh;t.” This craft of scripturys the olde chaterynge damme, this the dotid olde man, this the sofistre ful of wordis, this alle presumen, to-teren, techen or thei lernen. Other, with the brow born down, weiynge greet wordis, among &yogh;ong wymmen philosofien of holi lettres. Other lernen of wymmen that is shame that that thei techen men; and whether this be litle, with a maner li&yogh;tnes of wordis, &yogh;ee and hardynes, shewen out to other, that thei vndurstonden not. I holde my pees of lijk to me, the which thou&yogh; perauenture comen after seculer lettris to holi scripturis, and with a feir sermoun deliten the eeris of the puple, what euere thei seiyn, thei wenen it be the lawe of God, ne thei dedeynen to know what the prophetis, what the apostlis feleden; but to her owne cense shapen vncouenable witnesse, as thou&yogh; it were greet, and not vicyous maner of seiyng, to depraue sentensis, and to drawe at ther wil holi writ repugnynge. As thou&yogh; we had not red the bokys drawun out of Omere, and of Virgile, and not so also and Maronem we mowe seyn cristen with outen Crist, for he wroot, “Now turneth a&yogh;en and the mayden, turnun a&yogh;en Saturnus rewmes, nowe the newe kynrede is sent down fro the hei&yogh;e heuene,” and the fadre spekinge to the sone, “sone, my strengthes, my greet power aloon;” and after, the wordis of the Sauyour in the cros, “siche thingis he &yogh;aue hauynge mynde, and ficchid he dwelt.” Childishe ben thes thingis, and like to the pley of childeren pleiynge in the sercle, to teche that thou knowist not; &yogh;he, and

that I speke with indignacoun, foli is that not forsothe to knowe that thou knowist not. CAP. VII.

It is leueful to se, that `the storie of Genesis `be ful knowin, in the which of the creature of the world, of the bigynnyng of mankynde, of the deuysioun of the erthe, of the confusioun of tungis and of folkis, and of descendyng of the folk of Ebrew vnto Egipt, and vnto the goyng out is writun. Exodus is open with the ten plagis, with the ten hestis, with mystik, and with Goddis preceptis. Prest is the book of Leuy, in the which alle sacrifyces, &yogh;he, and almost alle silablis, and the clothis of Aron, and the hole ordre of Leuy, enspiren heuenli sacramentis. Numeri forsothe, whether thei conteynen not the `mysteries of al the hole craft of noumbrarie, and of prophecie of Balaam, and of the two and fourti mansiouns thur&yogh; wildernes? Deutronomy forsothe the secounde lawe, and the prefiguracoun of the lawe of the euangelie, hath he not so thilk thingis, that ben rather, that neuertheles alle thingis ben newe of the olde? Hider to Moyses, `hider to Pentateuchon, that is, the fyue bokis, with the which fyue wordis the apostle glorieth hym silf wilne to speke in the chirche. Job, the sawmpler of pacience, the which whethir not mysteries with his word knytteth? In proos he bigynneth, in verse he goth forthe, in word a fote, that is, in meke word, he is endid; and he determyneth alle the lawes of dialatik, in proposicoun, assumpcoun, confirmacioun, conclusioun. Ech wordis in it ben ful of wittis; and, that I holde my pees of other, the resurreccoun of bodies so profecieth, that no man of that, othere more open, or more slyly, my&yogh;t wryte. “I wote,” he seith, “that my forbier lyueth, and in the last dai Y

am to aryse fro the erthe; and eftsones I shal be enuyround with my fel, and in my flehs Y shal se God, my Saueour, whom Y my silf am to se, and myn ei&yogh;en ben to biholden, and noon othere. This is myn hope put vp into my bosum.” Y shal com to Jhesu of Naue, the which berith the figure of the Lord, not oonli in gestis, but also in name. He passith Jordan, the rewmes of enemyes turneth vpsedoun, he deuydeth the erthe to the puple ouercomer, and bi alle cytees, villagis, hillis, and flodis, rennynge watres, and the ny&yogh; coostis he discriuede of the chirche, and of the heuenli Jerusalem the spiritual rewmes. In the book of Juges how feel princes of the puple, so feel figurys there ben. Ruth Moabites fulfillith the prophecie of Ysaie seiynge, “Lord, sende out the lomb, the lordshiper of erthe, fro the stoon of desert to the mownt of the dow&yogh;ter of Syon.” Samuel shewith the old lawe don awey in Heli deed, and in the sla&yogh;ter of Saul. Forsothe in Sadok and Dauid ben witnessid the sacramentis of the new presthod, and of new empyre. Malachym, that is, the thrid and the ferthe book of Kynges, discryueth the rewme of Juda, and the rewme of Israel, fro Salomon to Jecony, and fro Jeroboam, sone of Nabath, vnto Osee, the which was led into Asyries. If thow biholdist the storye, the wordis ben symple; if in the lettres thow biholdist the preuey witt, the fewnesse of the chirche, and the batails of eretikis a&yogh;ens the chirche, ben told. The twelue prophetis, togidre artid into the narewnes of o volym, myche othere than sowneth in the lettre bifore figuren. Osee often nemneth Effraym, Samary, Joseph, Jezrael, and the fornycary wijf, and the sonis of fornycacoun, and the auowtres closid in the bed of the husbond to setten myche tyme wydow, and vndir the mornyng cloth of the husbond to abide the comyng a&yogh;en to hir. Joel, the sone of Phatuel, discryueth the lond of the twelue lynagis wastid thur&yogh; the wort worm, bruk, locuste, thur&yogh; rust wastynge; and after the outturnyng of the rather puple, the Holi Gost shed out vpon the seruauntis of God and hond maydenes, that is,

vpon an hundrid and twenty names of bileuers, and the sunne shynynge like a reynbow held oute in the comune etyng place of Syon, the whiche hundrid and twenti, fro oon vnto fyftene, arawe and bi encrees arysynge, maken oute the noumbre of the fyftene grees, the whiche in the Sawter ben mystili conteyned. Amos, shepherd and cherl, and wel knowynge the beries of busshis, may not be openyd in fewe wordes. Who forsothe worthili may shew out the thre and foure wickidnessis of Damask, of Gaze, of Tyry, of Ydume, of the sones of Amon, and of Moab, and, in the seuenth and ei&yogh;te degre, of Juda and of Israel? This spekith to the fatt kien, that ben in the mownt of Samarie, and witnessith the more hows and the lesse to fallen. He seeth the maker of the locust, and the Lord stondynge vpon the dawbed wal and the adamauntyn, and the appel croke drawynge tourmentis to synful men, and hunger in the erthe, not hunger of bred, ne thrist of water, but of heryng of the word of God. Abdias, that is as myche to seie as the seruaunt of the Lord, ful thundreth a&yogh;ens Edom, and the blodi and erthli brother; also the euermore enemye of the brother Jacob, he smytith with a goostli dart. Jonas, the moost fayre culuer, in his shipbreche bifore figurynge the passioun of the Lord, clepith a&yogh;en the world to penaunce, and, vndir name of Nynyue, tellith helthe to Gentils. Micheas of Moraschym, the witheire of Crist, tellith the wastyng of a dow&yogh;ter of a priue thef, and he settith bisegyng a&yogh;ens hire, for she smote the cheke bone of the iuge of Israel. Naum, coumfortour of the world, blameth the citee of blodis, and after his turnyng awey spekith, “Loo, vpon the hillis the fete of the euangelisynge and tellynge pees.” Abacuc, a strong wristeler and a sharp, stondith vpon his waard, and ficcheth a weie of grees vpon the strengthe, that Crijst in cros he biholde, and seie, “The glorie of hym coueride heuenes, and of hys preisyng ful is the erthe; his shynyng shal be as li&yogh;t, and hornes in his hondis, there his strengthe is hid.” Sophonyas, the wayter and the knower of the priuetees of

the Lord, herith a cry fro the &yogh;aat of fisshes, and &yogh;ellynge fro the secound, and contricoun fro litle hillis; he tellith also the crie of weilynge to the dwellers of Pile; for al the puple of Chanaan helde his pees togidre, and echon ben disparpulid, that weren inlappid with siluer. Aggeus, solempne and glad, the whiche sewe in teres that he repe in ioy, edifieth the temple distruyed, and ledith in God the fadre spekinge, “&YOGH;it and a litle while and Y shal moue to gider heuene and erthe, the see and the drye, and I shal moue al folk, and the desyred shal com to al folk.” Zachary, mynde of his Lord, manyfold in profesie, Jhesus clothid with fowle clothes, and the stoon of seuene ei&yogh;en, and the goldun candilstik with as feel lanternes as ei&yogh;en, and two olyues fro the left syde of the lawmpe he biholdith, and fro the ri&yogh;t side; that after the reed horsis specked whith, and scatered plowes of fowre horsis of Effraym, and the hors of Jerusalem, he prophecie the pore kyng, and preche the kyng sittynge vpon the colt, sone of the she asse vsed to &yogh;ok. Malachi, apertlich and in the ende of alle prophetis, of the castyng out of Israel and the clepyng of Gentilis seith, “Wil is not to me in &yogh;ow, seith the Lord of oostis, and &yogh;ift shal I not take of &yogh;oure honde; fro the sunne arysyng vnto the goyng down greet is my name in Gentilis, and a clene offryng is sacrified, and offrid to my name in alle places.” Ysaie, Jeremye, Ezechiel, and Danyel, who may other vndirstond or expown? Of whom the first is not seyn to me to weuen prophecie, but euangelie. The secounde knyttith the note &yogh;erde, and the pot a fier fro the face of the north, and the leparde spuylide his colours, and the foure fold abice in dyuerse metres. The thrid hath bigynnyngis and ende with so feel derknessis enuolued, that, as anentis the Ebrewis, thilk partis with the bigynnyng of Genesis shulde not be rad bifore thretti wynter. The ferthe forsothe, the which and the laste among the foure prophetis, knower of tymes, a louer of stories of al the world, feer bifore tellith the stoon before kit of the hil with outen hondis, and al rewmes

subuertynge, with a clere sermoun. Dauid, oure Symphonydes, Pyndarie, and Alcheus, Flaccus, and Catullus, and Serenus, precheth Crist with the harp, and in the ten `cordid sawtri arereth vp the ariser fro helle. Salomon, the pesible and the ful loued of the Lord, mendith maneres, techith kynde, ioyneth Crist and the chirche, and the swete bryde song singith of the holi brydalis. Hester, in figure of the chirche, delyuerith the puple fro peril, and, Aman, that is as myche to sey as wyckidnes, slawn, she sendith partis of the feest, and a solempne day into the after geten. Perlipomynon, that is, the book of the olde instrument, recapitulatour, word bregger, is suche and so myche, that who so euere with outen it wole prowdli take to hym kunnynge of scriptures, scorne he hym silf; forsothe be alle names `o rewe, and ioynters of wordis, outlaft stories in the boke of Kyngis ben towched, and questiouns vnnoumbrable of the euaungelye ben maad open. Esdras and Neemy, helper, that is to sey, and coumfortour fro the Lord, ben artyd in o volume, enstoren the temple, the walles of the citee maken out, and al that congregacoun of the puple a&yogh;engoynge into her cuntre, and the discripcoun of prestis, of deknes, of Israel, and of men takun fro hethenes to the ryte of Jewis, and the deuydid werkis of walles and of toures bi singuler meynes, bryngen forth other thyng in the rynde, and in the mergh other thing withholden. Seest thow me for the loue of scripturys rauyshid to haue passid the maner of a pistle, and &yogh;it not haue fillid that I wolde? We han herd oonlich, what we mowe know, what coueyten, and forsothe that we mowe say, “my soule coueytide to desire thi justyfyyngis in al tyme.” Forthermore that of Socrates is fulfyllid in vs, “this oonli Y knowe that Y knowe not.” I shal towche and shortly the newe testament. Mathew, Mark, Luke, and Joon, the foure hors plowes of the Lord, and the verrey cherubyn, that is to sey, plente of kunnyng, thoru&yogh; out al the bodi ben i&yogh;ed, sparklis shynen out, li&yogh;tes hidir and thidir rennen, han ri&yogh;t feet and streychynge into hei&yogh;e, rigges fethered, and

holden hem to gidre ouer al fleynge, and to hem siluen ben thur&yogh; out pleitid, and as a wheel with ynne a wheel ben turned, and gon whidre euer the breeth of the Holi Goost hem perfitly ledith. Poul the apostle writith to seuene chirches; the ei&yogh;t forsothe to Ebrewis of summe men out of the noumbre is put. Tymothe he enfourmeth, and Tite; Philomon he preieth for the seruaunt fugitife, vpon the whiche I wene beter to be stil, than to few thingis write. The Actes of the Apostlis forsothe nakid storye semen to sownen, and to weuen the childhod of the waxynge chirche; and for we knowen the wryter of hem Luke to ben a phisisian, whos preysyng is in the euangelie, we taken hede there with alle his wordis to ben medecyn of the langwissynge soule. James, Petre, Joon, Jude, seuene epistlis maden as wel mistik as redi, and short togidre, and long; short in wordis, long in sentencis, that he be seldom, that not wexeth blynd in the redyng of hem. The Apocalips of Joon so fele hath sacramentis, how fele wordis. Litle Y haue seid, and for the desert of the volym, al the preysyng is the lower; in euery wordis manyfold vnderstondyngis sitten hid. I prey thee, dere brother, among these thingis to lyuen, these thingis to thenken, noon othre thingis to knowun, and no thing ellis to sechen. Semeth it not to thee now here in erthis a dwellyng place of heuenli kyngdom? I wole not, that thou be offendid in holi scripturis thur&yogh; symplenes, and as thur&yogh; foulnes of wordis, the whiche, or thur&yogh; the vice of the vndoers, or of verrey purpose, ben so spokun, that the li&yogh;tloker thei my&yogh;ten enfourme a churlishe cumpany; and that in oon and the same sentence other wise the tau&yogh;t, othre wise the vntau&yogh;t my&yogh;ten fele. I am not so lustsum and dul, that I shulde bihote thes thingis me to know, and the fruytis of hem to gadere in the erthe, whos rotis ben ficchid in heuene; but I knowelech to wiln, but I professe me to enforse, I profer me to the sitter; forsakynge mayster Y bihote a leder, “to the asker me &yogh;yueth, to the knocker me openeth, the seker fyndith;” lerne we in erthis whos

nyng to vs dwellith in heuene. I shal take thee with met hondis a&yogh;ens othre, and that I heelde out sum what vncouenably that be of the bolnyng of Ermagore, what euer thou shulde seek with thee, I shal enforse to kunne. CAP. VIII.

Thou hast here the moost louyd brother of thee Eusebi, the which dowblid to me the grace of thi lettres, tellynge the honestee of thi maners, the dispisyng of the world, the feith of frenship, the loue of Crist; for prudence and fayrnes of speche also with outen hym thilke epistle tolde bifore. Hye, Y preye thee, and the corde of the boot dwellynge in the see rather kut of, than vnbynd; no man to renounse the world, wel may selle thingis that he hath dispisid for to selle. What euer into thi costagis of thin thow takest, cownte it for wynnyng; in

olde maner it is seid, to an auerowse man lackith, as wel that that he hath, as that that he hath not; to hym that bileueth al the world of richessis is, forsothe, an vnfeithful man, &yogh;he, nedith an half peny. So lyue we, as no thing hauynge and alle thingis holdynge in possessioun; lyuelod and clothing ben richessis of cristen men. If thow hast in thi power thi thing, selle; if thow hast not, cast awey; to hym that takith awey thi coote, the mantil is to be laft. And but thow euermore makynge a&yogh;en moru fro moru, and drawynge day fro day, sle&yogh;li fote bi fote thow sille thi litle possessiouns, hath not Crist wherof his pore men he fede? Al he hath &yogh;yuen to God, that offride hym silf. The apostlis oonli forsoken the boot and the nettis; the widwe putte two mytis into the tresorye of God, and it is put bifore the richessis of Cressi. Li&yogh;tli he dispisith alle thingis, the whiche hym silf euermore thenkith to be to dien. CAP. IX.

I haue takun desired epistlis of my man Desiderie, the which, thur&yogh; a maner bifore kunnynge of thingis that ben to com, with Danyel is fallun the name of hym, preiynge, that I shulde take to the erys of ourne the fyue bokis of Moyses translatid fro Ebrewe speche into Latyn tung. Certeyn a perylous werk, open to the berkyngis of backbyters, that seyn me to forgen new thingis for olde into the stranglyng of the seuenti interpretours, so wit as wyn prouing; sith Y ful oft haue witnessid me to offre in the tabernacle of God for a li&yogh;t porcoun thingis that I may, ne the richessis of an othre man to be defowlid with the porenes of othre. The which thing that I shulde dore don, me styryde the studie of Orygen, the which to olde translacioun mengide the translacoun of Theodocioun, with astericho, that is, with the signe of a `sterre, whan he makith clere the thingis that weren to

litle, and with obelo, that is, with signe of an arow, whan he any wast thing distroieth and scrapith awey, al his werk markynge; and moost tho thingis the whiche the autoryte of the apostlis and of the euangelistis openyde; in the which many thingis we reden of the olde testament, the whiche ben not had in oure bokis; as is that, “fro Egipt I clepid my sone;” and, “for he shal be clepid Nazare;” and “men shal seen, in whom thei han pungid;” and, “flodis shal flowe of his womb quyk watres;” and, “thingis that nether ei&yogh;e sei&yogh;, ne eere herde, ne in to the herte of man stiede, that God greithid to hem that hym louen;” and many othre thingis, the whiche desyren propre ordre. Aske we thanne hem, where thes thingis ben wrytun; and whanne thei mown not seye, of the bokis of Ebrewe brynge we forthe. The first witnes is in Osee, the secounde in Ysaye, the thrid in Zacharye, the ferthe in Prouerbis, the fifte as wel in Ysaye; the whiche many men vnknowynge folwen the deceyuyngis of scripturys, whos autor is vnknowun, and setten bifore, Spanyshe songes vpon deed men, or of noresses vpon ther children, autentik bokis. The cause of the errour is not myn to expown. Jewis seyn, that it is don with wise counsel, lest Ptholome herier of o God, also as anentis the Ebrewis shulde of take dowble Godhede; the whiche moost therfor thei diden, for he was knowen to falle into the techyng of Plato. Wherfore wher euere holi wrytt witnessith ony holi thing of the Fadre, and the Sone, and the Holy Goost, or othre wyse thei vndiden, or algatis helden ther pees, that thei my&yogh;ten do aseth to the kyng, and that thei opened not the priuete of the bileue. And I not who, the first auctour, thur&yogh; his lesyng maad out seuenti sellis at Alysawndre, in the whiche thei deuydide the same thingis shulde wryte; sith Aresteus, of the same Ptholome chefe counseylour, and keper of bokis, and myche tyme aftir Josaphus, not suche thinge tolden, but wryten hem, gadrid to

gider in o chirche, to han spokin togider, and not to haue prophecied. It is another to be a prophet, and an other to ben an vndoer of langage; there the spiryt seith bifore thingis that ben to comen, here teching and plente of wordis, thingis that he vndurstondith translateth. But perauenture Tullyus is to be wenyd enblowid with the spirit of retorik, to haue translatid the boke that is seid Economyk of Zenofontes, and the boke that is seid the Pictagore of Plato, and the boke that is seid Prothesifontes of Demostynes; other the Holi Gost wenyde witnessis of the same bokis othre wise bi the seuenti vndoers of tungis, othre wise bi the apostlis, that that thei helden ther pees, thes han li&yogh;id to ben writun. What thanne? dampne we the olde? nay, but after the studies of the rather men, in the hous of the Lord we traueilen that that we may. Thei han undon scripturis before the coming of Crist; and that that thei wisten not, thei han spokin with doutous sentence; we after the passioun and the resurreccoun of hym not oonli profesie, but storye wrytun. Othre weys forsothe thingis seen, other wise thingis herd ben told; that we beter vndirstonden, beter we tellen. Here than, thou enemye, herkyn, thow backbiter; I dampe not, I reprehende not the seuenti, but trustily I putte bifore the apostlis to alle tho; bi the mowthe of these to me Crist sowneth, whom before the prophetis amonge spiritual &yogh;iftis Y rede sett, amonge the which the vndoers of tungis holden fulli the last degre. Wherto art thou tourmentid with enuy? what sterist thow vnwise mennus willis a&yogh;ens me? if where Y seme to thee erre in the translating, aske the Ebrewis, conseil the maystrys of dyuerse citees; that thei han of Crist, thi bokis han not. It is another, if the witnessis vsurped of the apostlis after proueden a&yogh;en hem seluen, and the Latyn saumplers ben more amendid than Grekis, Grekis than Ebrews. But thes a&yogh;enus the enuyows. Now, ful dere Desidery, I preye thee, for that thou hast maad me to vndergon so greet werk, and to take the bigynnyng of Genesis,

helpe thow with preiers, that I mowe thur&yogh; the same spyryt, thur&yogh; which the bokis ben wrytun, translaten hem into Latyn sermown. `Here endith the Prologis.

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