¶ Thexcusacyon of thauctour. ix

This werke, accomplysshed̛ to the playsyr of god̛ tofore wryton, conteyneth thre bookes, by the chapytres deuyded̛, as it appereth openly to the reders, and̛ I haue made them thre, after that I haue comprysed̛ in the separacyon and̛ deuydyng̛ of the matyer. Of whyche the fyrst book speketh of the begynnyng̛ of fraunce, and̛ of the fyrst crysten kyng̛ of fraunce, whyche was named̛ Cloys by the moyen of his wyf clotildys, in descendyng to kyng̛ Pepyn, fader of themperour Charles, In the honour of whome thys book is composed̛ for the moost parte; to the whyche Pepyn the lygnage of [sign. m vij] kyng̛ Cloys took an ende in successyon of the Royalme of Fraunce. And̛ the sayd̛ fyrst book sayth, more ouer, how Charles was nourrysshed̛, of hys corpulence, of hys etyng̛, of hys strengthe, of hys scyence, & other werkes of magnyfycence. The second̛ book speketh of the bataylle that Olyuer dyd̛ ayenst Fyerabras, the meruayllous geaunte, sone of ballant, Admyral of spayne, a puyssaunt kynge; & al the fyrst parte of the second book is attrybuted̛ to noble olyuer, Page  250 and̛ in the honour of hym. After ye shal fynde how the peres of fraunce were deteyned̛ in Aygremore and̛ put in surete, & after saued fynably by florypes, the curtoys doughter of the sayd ballant; And̛ the holy relyques recouured̛, and̛ other maters of grete meruaylles. The iij book speketh how, by reuelacyon of saynt Iames, charles went and conquerd spayne & galyce, where as he dyd̛ operacions vertuous, & made constytucyons of sauacyon, wyth many bataylles doon by hym and̛ hys subgettes; and fynably of the trayson of Ganellon, by the whyche the deth of Rolland̛ was pyetous, the deth of Olyuer dolorouse, and of the other peres of crysten knyghtes slayn & dede. And̛ fynably the deth of Charles themperour, as tofore is sayd̛ and wryton. and̛ [sign. m vij, col. 2] after that ony persone wyl here or rede of thys matere, the table made atte begynnyng shal shewe it to hym lyghtly, yf it be hys playsyr to here or rede of y^e werk in thys book composed̛.