The prologe of Marke [From GY. Prologe of Marke. OQ. No initial rubric elsewhere.] .
MARK, the euangelist, of God chosun, and Petris sone in [of Q.] baptyme, and in Goddis word disciple, presthod [prechyde GKQY.] in Israel ledynge, aftir fleisch a dekene, he [Om. X.] , turnyd to the [Om. Q.] feith of Crist, wroot the gospel in Ytayle; schewinge theron [therin Q sec. m.] bothe [Om. Q.] what he owide [aȝte SX.] to his kynrede and to Crist. For whi the bigynnyng of his principle he ordeyn|ynge [ordeynde U.] in [and K.] the [a Q.] vois of a [the U.] prophetis [prophete G.] exclamacioun, schewith the ordre of dekenis eleccioun, that he, prechinge [preche X.] `the for-ordenede [therfore ordeynede K. the bifore ordeynde U. the forn ordeyned X.] John, Zakaries sone, sent out in vois of an aungel tellynge, not oonly Goddis sone maad man, but the body of the Lord, `that is, the churche [Om. X. that is, the charite Y.] , in to alle thingis by the word of Goddis vois quykid [quykened QU.] , schulde schewe in the bigynnynge of his prechinge of the gospel; that the which this redinge schulde knowe, to whom [whos Y.] the bigynnyng of fleisch in the [that K.] Lord, and Jhesu comynge to the habitacle, the fleisch schulde knowe, and in hym silf the word, `that is, Crist [Om. X.] , of the vois `John Baptist [that is, Jon Baptist S. Om. X.] , that in consonantis [consonaunces Y.] , `that is, in forme fadris [that is, in formere fadris QS. Om. X.] , he hadde lost, schulde fynde. Forsoth bothe he [and K.] , the work of the fulfillid gospel entringe, `and fro the baptym of the Lord bigynnynge [Om. G.] to preche God, ne [Om. X.] trauelide not to seie the natiuyte of fleisch [the flesh X.] , the which he hadde seene [seye G.] in othere [the othere S.] bifore, but he expressinge the exposicioun of al the desert, hath schewid out the fastinge of noumbre, `other the noumbre of fastinge [Om. X.] , the temptacioun of the fend, the congregacioun of beestis, and the seruyse of aungels, that he ordeynynge vs to vndirstonde, alle thingis in schort peyntynge to gidere, nother [Om. Q.] the autorite of thing do `schulde do awey [that he shulde not do awey Q sup. ras.] , and `in parformynge [that he Q sup. ras.] schulde not denye fulnesse to [of U.] the werk [werk to be perfourmed Q.] . Forsothe he is [Om. G.] seid to haue kit awey his thoumbe, that he myȝte be hadd as vnworthi to presthod. But so moche myȝte eleccioun bifore ordeyned, acordynge to the feith, that nothir so in the werk of the word he schulde leese, that rathire he hadde deseruyd `in kynde [vnkynde G. on kinde SVXY.] . For of Alexandre he was bischop; of whom bi alle thingis werk, `othir intencioun [Om. X.] , was to kunne, bothe to dispose the seiyngis [signes AGK. seyngis SY. seeynges UV pr. m.] of the gospel in `him silf [him K.] , and the [in XY.] disciplyne of the [Om. X.] lawe `to knowe [Om. Q pr. m.] in him silf, and `the nature of God to knowe in the [Om. X.] fleisch [to vnderstonde Goddis nature of the Lord in flesshe Q sup. ras.] , other [or U. that is, Q. Om. X.] in [Om. QSXY.] `the manhood of the Lord [manhed Q. of the Lord X.] . The [Om. X.] whiche thingis in vs silf first it behoueth to be requyrid; aftirward we wollith [wolen Q. wiln SX.] thingis souȝt to be knowe, hauynge the mede of exortacioun; for he that plontith, and he that moistith, beth [ben SX.] the same; but he that ȝyueth the encrees, is God.