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

Incipit prologus in librum Psalterij [From E. Proloug. F. Prologus H. No initial rubric in AC.] .

Whan it is knowe, alle the profetis to han spoke bi reuelacioun of the Holi Gost, Dauid [it is knowun Dauid OR.] most of profetis to han spoken sum [in sum C.] wise in wrthiere and ouer passende maner, as the trumpe of the Holi Gost, than othere profetis. Othere forsothe profetis profe|cieden bi sum maner ymagis of thingus, and withinne coueryngis of woordis, that is, bi sweuenes, and viseouns, and deedis, and sawis; Dauid forsothe, thurȝ stiring of the Holi Gost alone, withoute vttermor helpe his profecie made out. Wherfor couenabli this boc is seid, The boc of solitarie spechis. It is also seid a Sauter, the whiche name it toc of a musik instrument, that Ebruli is clepid nablum, Grekli a sauter, of this Grek woord sallim, that is, touching; Latinli is seid an [and H.] orgne, that is of ten cordis, and fro the ouere part ȝiueth soun, bi the touch of hondis. Of that forsothe instrument at the lettre therfore is [it is R.] nemned `this boc [Om. R.] , for at the [Om. H.] vois of that instrument Dauid song salmys beforn the arke in the tabernacle of the Lord; and as alle the sweete songus of that instrument weren clepid salmys, so and alle the particlis of this boc, or clausis. Also [And R.] aftir the spirituel vnderstonding wel of that instrument it taketh name, for as that instrument is of ten cordis, so this boc techeth the al aboute keping [the keping OR.] of the ten hestis; and as that instrument ȝiueth soun fro the ouere part bi the touch of hondis, so this boc techeth wel to werche, not for ertheli thingis, but for heuenli thingus, that ben

aboue. This boc stant [stondith AR.] in an hundrid and fifti salmys, not biside the resoun of heȝere signefiyng; this forsothe noumbre is notid to most solempne mysteries. It stant [stondith AI.] for|sothe of eiȝteti and seuenti. And eiȝtety al oon signefieth that [the same that doith OR.] eiȝte, and seuenti the same that seuene. Eiȝte forsothe signefieth the eiȝtthe age of aȝeen rising; for sithen ther ben sixe agis of men liuende, and the seuenthe of men diende, the eiȝthe age shal ben of men aȝeen risende. Bi seuene forsothe is betocned the time of this lif, that is passid bi the oftesithes comyng of seuen daȝes. Riȝtli thanne this boc is maad in such a noumbre of salmys, whos partyes signefien `the beforseid [parfite E pr. m.] mysteries; for it techeth so vs in the seuenthe [seuenthe age OR.] of this lif to werken and to liuen, that in the eiȝthe [eiȝthe age OR.] of aȝeen rising wee be not clad [clothid AEFHIOR.] with the doublefold cloth of confusioun, but with the stole of double glorifiyng. Or therfore in that noumbre of salmys it is maad, for, as wee han seid, this [the O.] noumbre stant [stoondith A.] of eiȝteti and seuenti, that al oon betocnen that [that same that doith O. the same that doith R.] eiȝte and seuene. Eiȝte forsothe betocneth the newe testament, the fadris [parties E pr. m.] forsothe of the newe testament to ogdoadi, that is, to eiȝte deseruen. Thei kepen [kepten O.] forsothe the eiȝthe dai of the resureccioun of Crist, that is, the sone dai, and the vtas of seintis, and abijden the eiȝte of the aȝeen rising. Bi seuene forsothe [Om. R.] is betocned the olde testament therfore; for the fadris [parties E pr. m.] of the olde testament serueden to ebdoady, that is, to seuene. Forsothe thei kepten [kepen E pr. m.] the seuenthe dai, and the seuenthe wike, the seuenthe moneth, the [and the A sec. m. Om. H.] `seuenthe ȝer [Om. H.] , and the seuenthe ȝer of the seuenthe, `that is, the [Om. E pr. m.] fiftithe, that is seid iubile. Wherfore Salomon seith, "Ȝif partis seuene and also eiȝte." And Mychias, "Wee shul reren `vp on [vp OR.] hym seuen shepperdis, and eiȝte primatis." Weel therfore this boc in that noumbre of salmys is maad, whos partis betocnen the doctrine of either testament, that bi that be [he OR.] shewid the hestis of either testament to be contened in this boc. This boc forsothe is deuydid bi thre fifties; bi the whiche thre [the thre R.] statis of cristene religioun ben betocned. Of whiche the firste is in penaunce, the secounde in riȝtwis|nesse [riȝtfulnesse OR.] , the thridde in preising of the [Om. AHOR.] euere lastende lif. Wherfore the firste fifti is endid in penaunce, that is, the salm that begynneth "Haue mercy of me, God;" the secounde in riȝtwisnesse [riȝtfulnesse O.] , that is, this salm, "Mercy and dom I shal singen to thee;" the thridde in preising of the [Om. A.] euere lastende lif, that is, this [the OR.] woord "Eche [alle E pr. m.] spirit preise God [the Lord AFHIOR.] ." And for these thre thingus techeth Dauid in this boc, therfore this threfold distinccioun of salmys is maad. Also it is to be notid, this scripture mor than othere to ofte ben vsid in chirche [chirchemennys E pr. m. the chirchis OR.] seruysis [seruyse OR.] , that therfore is don, for in this boc is the fulle ending of the hole boc of Godis woord. Heer forsothe ben discriued the meedis of goode men, the tor|mentis of euele men, the pleyne techyngus [techinge OR.] of begynende men, the forth going of pro|fitende men, the perfeccioun of ful comynge [kunnynge OR.] men, the lif of actif men, the [and the OR.] spirituel beholding of contemplatif men; heer also is taȝt what synne doth awei, what penaunce restoreth, what the gilti of synne othenkende [forthenkynge OR.] seye [seith AHOR.] , that is, "Lord, in thi wodnesse vndernyme thou not me," and in an other place, "Haue mercy of me, God, aftir thy mychile [miche IO.] mercy;" and what bi penaunce be [he OR.] purchasid, whan he vnderioyneth, "I shal teche wicke [wickid AIOR.] men thi weies, and vnpitous men to thee shul be conuertid;" bi whiche is shewid to [that OR.] no man, hou myche euere `trespasinge to be [be his trespas OR.] , to [Om. OR.] mystrosten of forȝiue|nesse, and of the merci of God, taken to the mecnesse of othenking [forthinking IOR.] ; whan forsothe

wee beholden Dauid, a man sleere and auoutrer, bi penaunce maad a doctour and a profete, to no man doende penaunce is laft place of wanhope; as of [Om. R.] the conuerting of Powil and his auaunsing in to apostil of the mercy of God pleynli wee ben certefied. Wherfore the chirche vsith in offisis [office OR.] , as the profecie of Dauid, the epistolis [epistle O. pistil R.] of hym more than of [Om. AOR.] othere; and therfore this profecie is oftene [ofter OR.] had in vse, for among othere profecies it passith in openyng of sawys; tho forsothe thingus that othere pro|fetis dercly and as bi figure seiden of the passion and the [of the A.] resureccioun of Crist, and of the euerlastende geteng, and of othere mysterijs, Dauid of profetis most excellent so euydentli openede, that more he be seen to euangelisen than to profecien.