Lyf of the noble and Crysten prynce, Charles the Grete / translated from the French by William Caxton and printed by him 1485 ; edited from the unique copy in the British Museum by Sidney J.H. Herrtage

CAXTON'S INTRODUCTION.

[sign. A ij.]

Saynt Poul, doctour of veryte, sayth to vs that al thynges that ben reduced̛ by wrytyng ben wryton to our doctryne, And̛ Boece maketh mencion that the helthe of euery persone procedeth dyuercely. Thenne sythe it is soo that the cristen feyth is affermed̛ and̛ corrobered̛ by the doctours of holy chyrche, Neuertheles the thynges passed̛ dyuersley reduced̛ to remembraunce engendre in vs correction of vnlauful lyf. For the werkes of the auncient and̛ olde peple ben for to gyue to vs ensaumple to lyue in good̛ & vertuous operacions digne & worthy of helth, in folowyng the good̛ and eschewyng̛ the euyl. And̛ also in recountyng̛ of hye hystoryes ["hye hystoryes:" Fr. histoires haultaines.] the comune vnderstondyng̛ is better content to the ymagnacion local than to symple auctoryte to which it is submysed̛ [Fr. lentendement comun est mieulx content a retenir pour la ymaginacion localle, a la quelle il est subzmis.] . I saye this gladly, [ "gladly:" Fr. volontiers.] For oftymes I haue been excyted̛ of the venerable man messire henry bolomyer, chanonne of lausanne, for to reduce for his playsyr somme hystoryes as wel in latyn & in romaunce as in other facion wryton, that is to say of the ryght puyssaunt, vertuous, and̛ noble charles the grete, kyng of fraunce and̛ emperour of Rome, Sone of the grete Pepyn: And of his prynces & barons, As Rolland, Olyuer, and̛ other, touchyng̛ [col. 2] somme werkes haultayne doon & commysed by their grete strength & ryght ardaunt courage, to the exaltacyon of the crysten fayth

and̛ to the confusyon of the hethen sarazyns and̛ myscreaunts, whiche is a werk wel contemplatyf for to lyue wel. And bycause the sayd̛ henry Bolomyer hath seen of thys mater and the hystoryes dysioyned̛ wythoute ordre, therfore at his request, after the capacyte of my lytel entendement, And after thystoryes and̛ mater that I haue founden, I haue ordeyned̛ this book folowyng̛. And it myght soo haue ben that yf I had̛ ben more largely enformed̛ [Fr. peult estre que je ieusse bien este informe.] and al playn I had̛ better made it, For I haue not sayd ony matere, but I haue therof ben enformed̛, Fyrst by an autentyke book named myrrour hystoryal, [See Introduction.] as by the canonnes and̛ somme other bookes whiche make mencyon of the werke folowyng̛. And by cause I may haue a lytel parte of honourable foundement I shal touche of the first cristen kyng of fraunce. For the moste parte of this book is made to thonour of the frenssh men and̛ for prouffyte of euery man, and after the desyre of the redar and̛ herer there shalle be founden in the table all playne the mater of whyche the persone shal haue desyre to here or rede wythoute grete atendacyon, by [sign. A ij, back] the playsyr of god̛, to whome I submytte al myn entente to write no thyng̛ that ought to be blamed̛ ne but that it be to the helthe & sauacion of euery persone.

Thenne for as moche I late had̛ fynysshed̛ in enprynte the book of the noble & vyctoryous kyng̛ Arthur, fyrst of the thre moost noble & worthy of crysten kynges, and̛ also tofore had reduced into englisshe the noble hystorye & lyf of Godefroy of boloyn kyng̛ of Iherusalem, [The "Book of the noble Hystoryes of Kynge Arthur and of certeyn of his Knyghtes, reduced into English by Syr Thomas Malory, Knyght, and by Mr. William Caxton, deuyded into xxi bookes, chapytred and emprynted in the abbey westmestre;" was printed also in 1485, folio. It is a book of the greatest rarity. There is a perfect copy in Earl Jersey's library, at Osterley Park, and an imperfect one, wanting four leaves, in the library of Earl Spencer. It was reprinted by Wynkyn de Worde in 1498, folio, and an unique copy of this reprint is also in Earl Spencer's library. "The last Siege and Conqueste of Jherusalem," which gives the account of Godfrey of Bullogne, appeared in 1481.] last of the said̛ iij worthy, Somme persones of noble estate and̛ degree haue desyred̛ me to reduce thystorye and̛ lyf of the noble and̛ crysten prynce Charles the grete, kyng of fraunce [Ed. frauuce.] & emperour of Rome, the second̛ of the thre worthy, to thende that thystoryes, actes, & lyues may be had̛ in our maternal tongue, lyke as they be in latyn or in frensshe. For the moost

quantyte of the people vnderstonde not latyn ne frensshe here in this noble royame of englond. And for to satysfye the desyre & requeste of my good̛ synguler lordes & specyal maysters and̛ frendes I haue enprysed̛ and̛ concluded in my self to reduce this sayd̛ book in to our englysshe, as all alonge and̛ playnely ye may rede, here, and̛ see in thys book [col. 2] here folowyng, besechyng al them that shal fynde faute in the same to correcte and̛ amende it, And also to pardone me of the rude & symple reducyng̛. and̛ though so be there be no gaye termes, ne subtyl ne newe eloquence, yet I hope that it shal be vnderstonden, & to that entente I haue specyally reduced̛ it after the symple connyng̛ that god hath lente to me, wherof I humbly & wyth al my herte thanke hym, & also am bounden to praye for my fader and̛ moders soules that in my youthe sette me to scole, by whyche, by the suffraunce of god, I gete my lyuyng̛ I hope truly. And̛ that I may so do & contynue I byseche hym to graunte me of his grace, and̛ so to laboure and̛ occupye my self vertuously that I may come out of dette & dedely synne, that after this lyf I may come to hys blysse in heuen. AMEN.