I schal not faillë teuchyng [[touchynge St.]] the substaunce,
Thogh on [[in St.]] makyng I ha no suffysaunce;
Line 148
ffor my wrytyng, in conclusion,
ys al yseyd vnder correcion.
And of the tyme playnly, & of the date
Whan I be-gan thys book to translate,
Line 152
yt was a thovsand (by computacion)
Affter crystys incarnacion,
ffour hundryd ouer, nouther fer ne nere,
The surples ouer, syxe & twenty yere,
Line 156
My lord that tymë beyng at Parys,
Wych gaff me charge, by hys dyscrete avys,
As I seyde erst, to settë myn entent
Vp-on thys book to be [ful] dyllygent,
Line 160
And to be-gynne vp-on thys labour,
Allë folkys be-sechyng of ffavour,
That on thys book after-ward schal rede;
And that hym lyst nat to taken hede
Line 164
To the makyng, but to the sentence;
ffor I am bareyn of all eloquence.
Ther-for I pray, what so that be seyde,
[Off [[St., C. burnt]] gentyll]esse not to be evel apayde, [folio 4b]
And my rudnessë helpyn to excuse,
ffor in metre I ha ne with me no muse:
Noon of the nyne that on Parnase duelle,
Nor she that ys [the] lady of the welle,
Line 172
Calliopë, [[C. inserts 'that ys']] be sydë cytheron,
Gaff to my pennë, plente nor fuson
Of hyr licovr, whan thys work was [be]gonne.
Nor I drank no-wer of the sugryd tonne
Line 176
Off Iubiter, couchyd in hys celer,
So strange I fonde to me hys boteler,
Off poetys [i]callyd Ganymede.
But to my labour now I woll me spede,
Line 180
Prayng ech reder me to reconforte,
Benignëly my rudenesse to supporte.
ffor wherso be my thonk, I lese or wynne,
Wyth yowrë gracë thus I wyll be-gynne.
Line 184
Here endyth the prologe off the translatour.
