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

Here bigynneth the prolog of the foure bokis of Kyngis [The prolog of Kyngis. B. A prolog. I. No initial rubric in CFH.] .

THE tunge forsothe of Syrus, and of Caldeis, witnessith to ben anentis the [Om. I.] Ebrewis two and twenti lettris, the whiche of a [Om. I. oo H.] greet parti [part C.] niȝ coostieth to Ebrew; for and thei two and twenti elementis han in the same sown, but in dyuerse printis. Samarytans also the fyue [Om. I.] bokis of Moyses wryten in as feele lettris, oonli in figuris and printis dyuersynge; and it is certeyn Esdras, the scribe and the doctour of the lawe, after Jerusalem takun, and the restorynge of the temple vndur Zorobabel, to han foundun other lettris, the whiche we nowe vsen; whanne vnto that tyme weren the same printis of Samarytanys and of E|brews. Forsothe in the book of Noum|bris this same noumbrynge [noumbre I.] vnder the noumbre of Leuitis and prestis mistili is

shewid; and the name of the Lord Tetra|gramaton in summe Grece volyms vnto this day we han founden with oold let|tris expressyd. But and the Salmys sixe and thretti [threttithe CHI.] , and the hundrid tenthe, and the hundryd enleueth, and the hundrid eiȝtenth [eiȝtene I.] , and the hundrid foure and fourtithe, albeit that thei ben wryten with dyuerse metre, neuerthelater thei ben weuyd [wouen C.] with [of I.] the abece of the same noumbre; and the Lamentaciouns of Je|remye, and the Preier of hym, and for|sothe 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, Ma|lachym, 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 ȝit sowk|ynge childhod of the riȝtwise man is tauȝt in the doctrine of God. The first book anentis hem is clepid [callid CEI.] Bresith, which we Genesis seyn; the secounde, Ellesmoth, `the which [that C.] Exodus is clepid [cald I.] ; the thridde is Vagetra, that is Leuytik; the ferth, Vagedaber, `the which [that C.] we cle|pen [cal I.] Noumbre; the fifthe Abdabarym, `the which [that C.] is before notid Deutronomy. Thes ben the fyue bokis of Moyses, `the whiche [that C.] thei clepen [callen I.] proprely Thorath, that is, the lawe. The secounde ordre of the prophetis thei maken, and bigyn|nen fro Jesu [Josue A.] , the sone of Naue, `the which [that C.] anentis hem is seid Josue Bennun.

thens thei vndurweuyden [vnderwouen C.] Sophym, that is, the book of Jugis; and into [in I.] the same thei putten [puttiden I.] 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 ly|nagis. The fifthe is Ysay; the sixt Je|remye; the seuenthe Ezechiel; the [and the I.] eiȝtith the book of the twelue prophetis, `the which [that C.] anentis hem is clepid [cald I.] Thari|asra. The thridde ordre weeldith Agio|gropha, that ben holi wryten ensaumplis [exsaumplis CE.] . 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 Sa|lomon, hauynge thre bokis, Prouerbis, that thei clepen [callen I.] Parablis, that is, Mas|loth; the ferthe Ecclesiasten, that is, Coelech; the fifthe is Soonge of Songis, whom thei [we I.] before noten bi title Syras|syrym; the sixte is Danyel; the se|uenthe [seuenthe is I.] Dabreiamyn, that is, the wordis of days, the whiche more nameli we mowen clepe [calle I.] the [Om. I.] Cronycle of al Goddis story, the which book anentis vs is wryten Paralypomynon [in Paralypomynon EI.] the First and the Secounde; the eiȝtthe Esdras, the which and he [the I.] 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 Pro|phetis eiȝte, of Agiografis, that ben ex|presse 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 [Om. C.] 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 [Apocalipsis E.] 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 Almyȝti, that was, and that is, and that is to comen! This prologe of [to I.] Scripturis as an helmyd bigynnynge to al the bokis `the whiche [that C.] 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 Ma|chabeis 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 [cocce E. cok C. cocke I.] offren, and iacynct. With vs is wel doon, if we offren skynnys and heeris of she geet; and neuerthelater [nerthelatere C.] the Apostle oure more [moste I.] contemptible thingis shewith more nedeful. Wherfor and al the [that BCEFHI.] 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 [Om. E pr. m.] Malachym, myn forsothe, myn [Om. A.] ; what euere thing forsothe ofter [ouer I.] turnynge and in amend|ynge

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 [be I.] of hard bileue, rede Greke [Grekis CI.] bokis and Latyns, and ley [leye hem I.] togidre with thes litil werkis, `the whiche [that C.] aboue we han out [ouȝte H. not I.] toold; and where euere thow see bitwix [betwe C. bytwen BEFH.] hem|self to [Om. I.] discorde, ask eny of the Ebrews, to whom more thou owist to ȝeue 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 ȝow, wymmen ser|uauntis of Crist, Y preye, the whiche anoynten the heed of the Lord, doun syt|tynge with the [Om. I.] moost precyous myrre of bileue, the whiche sechen not the Sa|ueour in sepulcre [the sepulcre I.] , for [fro E pr. m. from I.] whom nowe Crist hath stied vp to the fader, that aȝens the berkynge houndis that aȝens me with wood mouth waxen cruel, and goon about the cytee, and in that demen hem self wyse, if to other they bacbiten, that ȝe aȝen putten the targetis of ȝoure 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 aȝens me; Y bicam dowmbe, and [and I I.] am lowid, and heelde [heuld I.] my pees fro good thingis.

Here endith the prolog of the foure bokis of Kyngis, and nowe bygynneth the first book [Here endith the prolog and bigynneth the firste book of Kingis. E. Here endeth the prolog se now the firste book of Kingis. I. No final rubric in BCFH.] .