shewid; and the name of the Lord Tetragramaton in summe Grece volyms vnto this day we han founden with oold lettris expressyd. But and the Salmys sixe and thretti, and the hundrid tenthe, and the hundryd enleueth, and the hundrid ei&yogh;tenth, and the hundrid foure and fourtithe, albeit that thei ben wryten with dyuerse metre, neuerthelater thei ben weuyd with the abece of the same noumbre; and the Lamentaciouns of Jeremye, and the Preier of hym, and forsothe the Prouerbis of Salomon, in the eend, fro that place in whiche he seith, A strong womman who shal fynde, with the same abicees or markyngis ben noumbrid. Forsothe fyue dowble lettrys ben anentis the Ebrewis, Caph, Men, Nun, Phe, Sade; forsothe other wise thei writen bi thes the bigynningis and the mydils of wordis, other wise the eendis. Wherfore and fyue bokis, Samuel, Malachym, Dabreiamyn, Esdras, Jeremye with Cynoth, that is, his Lamentaciouns, ben eymyd of sum men dowble bookis. What maner wise therfor two and twenti elymentis ben, bi the whiche we wryten Ebrewly al that we speken, and mannus voyce with the bigynnyngis of hem is takun, so two and twenti volyms ben noumbrid, bi the whiche as bi lettris and bigynnyngis the tendre and the &yogh;it sowkynge childhod of the ri&yogh;twise man is tau&yogh;t in the doctrine of God. The first book anentis hem is clepid Bresith, which we Genesis seyn; the secounde, Ellesmoth, `the which Exodus is clepid; the thridde is Vagetra, that is Leuytik; the ferth, Vagedaber, `the which we clepen Noumbre; the fifthe Abdabarym, `the which is before notid Deutronomy. Thes ben the fyue bokis of Moyses, `the whiche thei clepen proprely Thorath, that is, the lawe. The secounde ordre of the prophetis thei maken, and bigynnen fro Jesu, the sone of Naue, `the which anentis hem is seid Josue Bennun.

Fro thens thei vndurweuyden Sophym, that is, the book of Jugis; and into the same thei putten in Ruth, for in the days of Jugis don is toold hir storye. The thridde folowith Samuel, the which we seyn the Firste and the Secounde of Rewmys; the ferthe, Malachim, that is, of Kyngis, the which is conteyned in the thridde and the ferthe volym of Rewmys; and mych betere it is to seye Malachym, that is, of Kyngis, thanne Malathot, that is, of Rewmes; forsothe not of many folk he discriueth rewmes, but of oon Yrael puple, that is conteyned in twelue lynagis. The fifthe is Ysay; the sixt Jeremye; the seuenthe Ezechiel; the ei&yogh;tith the book of the twelue prophetis, `the which anentis hem is clepid Thariasra. The thridde ordre weeldith Agiogropha, that ben holi wryten ensaumplis. And the first book bigynneth fro Job; the secounde fro Dauyd, the which men holden in fyue dyuysiouns, and in o volym of Psalmys; the thridde is of Salomon, hauynge thre bokis, Prouerbis, that thei clepen Parablis, that is, Masloth; the ferthe Ecclesiasten, that is, Coelech; the fifthe is Soonge of Songis, whom thei before noten bi title Syrassyrym; the sixte is Danyel; the seuenthe Dabreiamyn, that is, the wordis of days, the whiche more nameli we mowen clepe the Cronycle of al Goddis story, the which book anentis vs is wryten Paralypomynon the First and the Secounde; the ei&yogh;tthe Esdras, the which and he lijk maner, anentis Grekis and Latyns, in two bokis is dyuydid; the nynthe Ester. And so ben maad togidre the bokis of the oold lawe two and twenti, that is, of Moyses fyue, of Prophetis ei&yogh;te, of Agiografis, that ben expresse exsaumplis to holynesse, nyne; al be it that summe writen Ruth and Synoth among the Agiographis, and thes bookis in her noumbre thei wenen to be to noumbrid, and bi that to ben of the

oold lawe foure and twenti bookis; the whiche vndre noumbre of foure and twenti eldris the Apocalips of Joon bryngith yn, honourynge the loomb, and offrynge her crownes, the cheerys born doun, hem stondynge before the foure beestis eyed before and behynde, that is, biholdynge into that that is passid, and into that that is to comen, and criynge with contynuel voyce, Holy, Holy, Holi, Lord God Almy&yogh;ti, that was, and that is, and that is to comen! This prologe of Scripturis as an helmyd bigynnynge to al the bokis `the whiche fro Ebrewe we han turned into Latyn, may acoorde, that we mowen knowe that what euere thing out of thes is, it is to be put among the Apographase, that is, among tho thingis whos autor is not knowun of al holi chirch. Therfore Sapiens, that comounli is wryten in of Salomon, and of Jesu, the sone of Syrak, and the book of Judith, and Toby, and Pastor, ben not in the canoun. I foond the Fyrst book of Machabeis Ebrewe; the Secounde is Greke, that may be proued of that settynge. The whiche thingis whanne thei so han hem, thou reder, Y biseche thee, ne eyme thou my traueyle the repreuynge of oold men. In the tabernacle of God ech man offreth that he may; other men gold, and siluer, and precious stones; other men bise, and purpur, and cocko offren, and iacynct. With vs is wel doon, if we offren skynnys and heeris of she geet; and neuerthelater the Apostle oure more contemptible thingis shewith more nedeful. Wherfor and al the fayrnesse of the tabernacle, and the distinccioun of the present, and of the chirche to comen, bi eche spicis is couered with skynnys, and with herys; tho that ben fowler thingis letten the brennynge of the sunne, and the harme of wederis. Thanne rede thow first Samuel, and myn Malachym, myn forsothe, myn; what euere thing forsothe ofter turnynge and in amendynge

more bisili and we han lernyd, and we holden, oure is, oure is. And whanne thou vndurstoondist that bifore hoond thou knewe not, or eyme thou me a remenour, if thou art kynde, or a leeyer bisiden, if thow art vnkynde; al be it that Y haue no conscience to myself, me to haue chaungid eny thing fro Ebrews trewth. Certeyne, if thow ert of hard bileue, rede Greke bokis and Latyns, and ley togidre with thes litil werkis, `the whiche aboue we han out toold; and where euere thow see bitwix hemself to discorde, ask eny of the Ebrews, to whom more thou owist to &yogh;eue feith, and if oure thingis he stable, I trowe that thou shalt not eyme hym a lyer, for in the same place with me lijk maner he dyuyne. But and &yogh;ow, wymmen seruauntis of Crist, Y preye, the whiche anoynten the heed of the Lord, doun syttynge with the moost precyous myrre of bileue, the whiche sechen not the Saueour in sepulcre, for whom nowe Crist hath stied vp to the fader, that a&yogh;ens the berkynge houndis that a&yogh;ens me with wood mouth waxen cruel, and goon about the cytee, and in that demen hem self wyse, if to other they bacbiten, that &yogh;e a&yogh;en putten the targetis of &yogh;oure preyers. I, knowynge my lownes, of that sentence euere more Y shal recorde, I seyde, I shal kepe my weyes, that I trespasse not in my tunge; Y haue put to my mouth warde, whanne the synful stood a&yogh;ens me; Y bicam dowmbe, and am lowid, and heelde my pees fro good thingis. Here endith the prolog of the foure bokis of Kyngis, and nowe bygynneth the first book.

The firste of Kyngis.

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