Prolicionycion [sic]

SYth the tyme that the grete and high tour of babilone was bylded ••en haue spoken with dyuerse tonges / In such wi¦se that dyuerse men be strange 〈◊〉〈◊〉 other and vnderstōde not others speche / Speche is not knowen but yf it be lerned comyn lernyng of speche is by hering· & so alway he that is deef is alway dombe for he may not here speche for to / lerne / So men of fer countrees and londes that haue dyuerse speches / yef neyther of hem haue lerned others langage / nether of hem wote what other meneth / though they mete and haue gret nede of informacion and of loor of talkyng and of speche be the nede neuer so grete neyther of hem vnderstondeth others speche no more than / gaglinge of gees For Iangle that one neuer so fast that other is neuer the wyser though he shrewe hym in stede of good morow· ¶ This is a grete meschyef. that folo••eth now mankynde / But god of his mercy and grace hath ordeyned double remedye / One is that somme mā lerneth and knoweth many dyuerse speches / ¶And so bytwene strange men of the whiche neyther vnderstandeth others speche· ¶ Suche a man may be mene an•• telle eyther what other wole mene· That ot••er remedye is that one langage is lerned. vsed. and knowen in many nacions and londes. And so latyn is ler∣ned knowen and vsed specially on this half grece in alle the na¦cions and londes of Europe / Therfor clerkes of her godnes and curtosye make and wryten their bokes in latyn· For her wryting and bookes sholde be vnderstande in dyuerse nacions and londes ¶ And so Ranulphus monke of C••estre wrote in latyn his bookes. of Cronykes that descryueth the world aboute in leng∣the and in bre••de / And maketh mencion and mynde of doynges and dedes of meruaylles & of wondres· and rekeneth the yeres to his last dayes / fro the first makyng of heuen and of erthe And so therinne is grete and noble Informacion and loore to hem that can therinne rede and vnderstande ¶Therfor I wolde haue the∣se bookes of Cronykes / translated out of Latyn in to Englysshe for the moo men shold hem vnderstande and haue therof con̄yng Informacion and loore The Clerke These bookes of Cronykes ben wryten in latyn / And latyn is vsed and vnderstanden on this half grece in alle the nacions and londes of Europa ¶And comynly Englysshe. is not so wyde vnderstonde vsed ne knowen And thenglysshe transl••cion shold noman vnderstande but En∣glyssh men allone / Thenne how shold the moo men vnderstonde the Cronykes though they were translated out ••f latyn that

is so / wyde vsed and knowen / in to Englysshe that is not 〈◊〉〈◊〉 & knowen but of englyssh men allone The lord ¶This questi¦on and doubte is easy to assaylle ¶ For yf these cronykes were translated out of latyn in to Englyssh / thenne by that so many the moo men shold vnderstande hem / as vnderstonde Englysshe and no latyn The clerk Ye cunne speke rede and vnderstan∣de latyn. thenne it nedeth not to haue suche an englyssh transla∣cion The lord. ¶I denye this argument For though I can speke rede and vnderstande latyn· ther is moche latyn in these bookes of Cronykes that I can not vnderstonde / nether thou without studyeng auisement and lokyng of other bookes. Also though it were not nedeful for me / it is nedeful for other men that vnderstonde no latyn The clerke Men that vnder∣stonde no latyn may lerne and vnderstande ¶ The lord ¶ Not alle For somme may not for other manere besynesse / Somme for elde Somme for defaute of wytte Somme for defaute of ca∣tell other of frendes to fynde hem to scole / And somme for other dyuerse defautes and lettes ¶The Clerke Hit nedeth not that alle suche knowe the Cronykes / ¶The lord ¶Speke not to straytly of thynge that nedeth For straytly to speke of thynge that nedeth / only thynge that is and may not faylle nedeth to be. And so it nedeth that God be / for god is and maye not faylle / And so for to speke noman nedeth for to knowe the cronykes / ffor it myght and may be that noman hem knoweth· Otherwise to speke of thynge that nedeth· somwhat nedeth for to susteyne or to haue other thynges therby / And so mete and drynke ne∣deth for kepyng and susteynaunce of lyf. And so for to speke no man nedeth for to knowe the cronykes· But in the thyrdd ma∣ner to speke of thynge that nedeth / alle that is prouffytable ne∣deth / and so for to speke alle men nede to knowe the Cronykes ¶ Tle clerke Thenne they that vnderstande no latyn may axe and be enformed and y taught of hem that vnderstande latyn ¶The lord· Thou spekest wonderly for the lewde man wote not what he shold axe / and namely of loore of dedes that come ne¦uer in his mynde ner wote of whom comynly he shold axe / Also not all men that vnderstāde latyn haue such bokes tēforme leude men also som connen not & somme may not haue while / & so it ne¦deth to haue an englysshe translacion ¶The clerke ¶The latyn is both good and fayr / therfor it nedeth not to haue an englyssh translacion ¶The lord This reson is worthy to be plunged in

a pludde and lede in powder of lewdnes and of shame / ¶It myght wel be that thou makest only in myrthe and in game. The Clerke ¶The reason muste stande but it be assoylled· ¶The lord ¶A bleere eyed man but he were al blynde of wytt myght see the Solucion of this reason / And though he were blynde he myght grope the solucion / But yf his feelyng hym faylled· For yf this reason were ought worth / by suche manere arguyng me myght preue that the thre score and ten Interpretours and aqui¦la Symachus Theodocion and Origenes were lewdly occupy∣ed whan they translated holy wrytte oute of hebrewe in to grue & also that saynt Iherome was lewdly occupyed whan he trans¦lated holy wrytte oute of hebrewe in to latyn / For the Ebrewe is bothe good. and fayr and y wrytte by Inspyracion of the holy gost And alle these for her translacions ben hyely preysed of al holy chirche ¶Thenne the forsayde lewde reason is worthy to be powdred· leyed a water and y soused Also holy wrytte in latyn is boothe good and fayr / And yet for to make a sermone of holy wrytte al in latyn to men that can Englysshe and no latyn / it were a lewd dede / for they be neuer the wyser / For the latyn but it be told hem in Englysshe what it is to mene / ¶And it maye not be· told in englyssh what the latyn is to mene without trans¦lacion out of latyn in to Englysshe / Thenne it nedeth to haue an englysshe translacion / and for to kepe it in mynde that it be not foryeten it▪ is better that suche a translacion be made and wryten. than sayd and not wryten / and so this forsayd lewd reason shold meue no••an that hath ony wytte to leue the makynge of En∣glysshe translacion ¶The Clerke ¶A greeet dele of these bookes stondeth moche by holy wrytte. by holy doctours and by philoso∣phye· thenne these bookes shold not be translated in to Englysshe ¶The lord ¶ It is wonder that thou makest so febel argumen¦tes and hast goon so longe to scole / Aristotles bookes and other bookes also of logyk and of philosophye were translated oute of grue in to latyn / ¶Also atte prayeng of kynge Charles Iohan Scot translated denys bookes out of grue in to latyn. and then̄e out of latyn in to ffrensshe. thenne what hath Englysshe trespa∣ced that it myght not be translated in to Englysshe ¶Also kyn¦ge Alurede that founded the vnyuersyte of Oxenford transla∣ted the best lawes in to Englysshe tonge / And a greet dele of the Sawter out of latyn in to Englysshe / And caused wyrefrith bis¦shop of wyrcetre to trāslate seynt gregoryes bookes. the dialogues

out of latyn in to Saxons Also Cedmon of whythy was en¦spyred of the holy goste and made wonder Poysyes in englisshe nyghe of alle the storyes of holy wrytte ¶ Also the holy man be∣da translated seynt Iohns gospel out of latyn in to Englisshe Also thou wotest where the Apocalips is wryten in the walles and roof of a chappel bothe in latyn and in Frensshe Also the gospel and prophecye and the right feyth of holy chirche must be taught and prechd to Englisshe men that conne no latyn Thenne the gospel & prophecye & the right feyth of holy Chirche must be told hem in englysshe / & that is not don but by Englissh trālsacōn for such englissh prechyng is very trāslacōn / & such en¦glisshe prechyng is good & nedefull. thēne englissh trāslacion is good and nedefull. The clerke / yf a translacion were made that myght be amended in ony poynt / Somme men it wold blame The lord / Yf men blame that is not worthy to be blamed / thenne they ben to blame / Clerkes knowe wel ynowgh that no synfull man doth so well that it ne myght doo better. ne make so good a translacion that he ne myght be better· Therfore Origenes made two translacions / And Ierome translated thryes the sawter / I desire not translacion of these the best that myght be for that were an ydle desire for ony man that is nowe alyue / But I wold haue a skylfull translacion that myght be knowe and vnderston¦den The Clerk ¶Whether is you leuer haue a translacion of these Cro••ykrs in Ryme or in prose ¶ The lord ¶ In prose For communly prose is moore cleere than ryme. more easy and more playne to knowe and vnderstande ¶The Clerke ¶Thenne god gran̄ce vs grace grathly to gynne / witte & wysedome wyse¦ly to worche Myghte and mynde of ryght menynge to make. translacion trusty and trewe. Plesyng to the Trynyte thre perso¦nes and one god in mageste· that euer was and euer shall be and made heuen and erthe and light for to shyne / And departed light and derknes. And callid light daye and derknes nyght / and so was made euetyde and morow tyde one day / that had no mo∣rowtyde ¶ The seconde day he made the firmament bytwene waters And departed waters that were vnder the firmamente· fro the wat••••s that were aboue the firmamente: And called the firmament heuen / the thyrd day he gadred watres that ben vnder the firmamente in to one pl̄ace and made the erthe vnheled· and named the gadryng of waters Sees and drye erthe londe / And made trees & gras The fourthe daye he made sonne and Mone

and st••rres / and sette hem in the firmament of heuene there for to shyne and to be tokenes and signes to departe times and yeres nyght and daye The fyfthe day he· made fowles and birdes in thayer and fysshes in the Water The sixth day he made beestes of the londe and man of the erthe and put hem in paradys for he shulde wyrche and wonne therinne / But man brake goddes heste and fylle in to synne and was put out of paradys in to wo & sorow worthy to be dampned to the peyne of helle without ony ende / But the holy Trynyte had mercy of man / And the fader sente the sone / And the holy gost a light on a mayde. And the so∣ne toke fflesshe and blood of that blysful mayde and deyde on the Rode to saue mankynde / and aroos the thyrd day gloryous and blysful. and taught his disciplis / and ascended in to heuen whan it was tyme / And shal come atte day of dome and deme quycke and dede / Thenne alle tho that ben writon in the book of lyf shall wende with hym in to the blysse of heuen. and ben there in bodye and sowle / and see and knowe his godhede and manhede in Ioye without ony ende·

¶ Thus endeth the dyalogue