The Holy Bible, containing the Old and New Testaments, with the Apocryphal books,

[Prologue to Joshua [This Prologue is from O.] .]

AT the laste whanne the fyue bookes of Moyses weren endid, we, deliuerid as of a gret boond, putten to the hond to Josue, the sone of Naue, whom Ebrewe clepen Josue Ben Nun, that is, Josue, the sone of Nun; and also we setten hond to the booke of Juges, which thei clepen Sophyn; and to the book of Ruth, and the booke of Hester, whiche thei tellen out with the same names. And we amonesten the re|dere, and the bisie writere awaite wel the silablis of names of Ebrews, and dis|tyncciouns departid bi membris, lest bothe oure traueyle and the studie of him pe|rische; and that he knowe in the bygyn|nynge,

as I ofte haue witnessid, that I haue not forged newe thingis in repreef of olde translatours, as my frendis putten blame on me; but for my foule parte I knowleche me to offre to men of my lan|gage, the whiche oure ensaumpleris de|liten, that thei haue oure makynge for the sixe saumpleris of Grekes, which han nede to cost and ful greet traueile. And if thei douten euere owther in the redynge of olde volyms, if thei bringen these to gider to thilke, thei moun fynden that that thei sechen; moost sithen anentis Latin men ther ben as many sampleris as bookes, and ech man aftir his owne dom he addide to, or with drowe that that semede to be do; and forsothe it may not be sooth that dis|cordith. Wherfor now the scorpioun ceesse to ryse aȝens vs with his crokide wounde, and stynte he to repreue an hooly werk with his venemouse tunge, ethir accept|ynge oure writyng if it plese, ethir dis|pisynge if it displese; and haue he mynde of these versis, Thi mouth aboundide with malice, and thi tunge wrouȝte tri|cheries; sittynge aȝens thi brothir thou speeke, and aȝens the sone of thi modir thou puttidist sclaundir; these thingis thou didist, and I held my pees; thou gessydist wickidly, that I schal be lijk thee; I schal vndirnyme thee, and make ordy|naunce aȝens thi face. For what profit is it of the herere, or of the redere, vs to sweete in trauelynge, and to othere men to trauaile in bacbytynge? ethir Jewis to be sory, that occasioun be don awey of chalengyng of hem, or of scornynge Cris|tene men, and men of Cristen chirche to dispise it, and also to tere with wordes, wherebi aduersaries ben turmentid? And if oonly the olde translacioun plese to hem, which displesith not me, and thei wenen that no thing schulde be acceptid with out that; whi thanne dispisen thei suche thingis that thei reden, to be addid to, ethir to be koruen awey vndur the signe of a sterre,

ethir vndir the signe of an arowe? And whi han chirchis resseyued Danyel aftir the translacioun of Theodocion? Whi mer|ueylen thei Origen, and also Eusebie of Pamphilie, expouninge alle translaciouns? Or what folie was that, that aftir tyme thei hadden seid trewe thingis, to brynge forth thoo that ben false? And wher of mowe thei preue witnessyngis that ben resseyued in the Newe Testament, the which ben not had in olde bookes? We seyn these thingis, lest we be seen vtterly to be still to wrongful calengers. Ferther|more aftir the deth of the hooly womman Paula, whos lijf is ensaumple of vertu, and aftir makynge of these bookis, whiche I miȝte not denye to Eustochie, the maiden of Crist, we han purposid vs to sitte to expownynge of the prophetis, al the while the spirit schal gouerne these lymes, and aftir to turne aȝen to that werk that longe hath be left bi hinde, as by a maner of turnynge aȝen aftir outlawynge; namely sith [Om. O pr. m.] Pawmachie, the hooly man and mer|uelouse, askith this same thing bi lettris, and we, heiȝynge to the cuntre of heuen, owen to passe ouer with a deeff eere the dedliche songis of meremaydens, and of othir that bacbiten ethir counselen othir weies than thei schulden.

Here endith the prolog, and bigynneth the book.