Hier begynneth the booke callyd the Myrrour of the worlde ...

¶Prologue declaryng to whom this book apperteyneth /

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COnsyderyng that wordes ben perisshing vayne. and forgete∣ful / And writynges duelle / and abyde per¦manen••/ as I rede. ¶Vox audita perit littera scripta manet ¶ Thyse thynges haue caused that the faytes and dedes of Auncyent men▪ b••n sette by declaracion in fayr & Aourned volumes. to thende that sciēce / & artes lerned & foūden of thinges passed myght be had in perpetuel memorye & remēbraūce / For the hertes of nobles in eschewyng of Idlenes at suche tyme as they haue none other vertuouse occupaciō on hande ought texcersise them in redyng / studieng / & visytyng y^e noble faytes & dedes of the sage & wysemen somtyme trauaillyng in {pro}uffytable vertues / of whom it happeth ofte that some ben enclyned to vysite the bookes treatyng of sciences particuler / and other to rede & vysite bookes spekyng of faytes of armes of loue / or other meruayllous historyes / And emonge alle other. this present book whiche is called the ymage or mirrour of the world / ought to be visyted / redde / & knowen / by cause it treateth of the world & of the wondreful dyuision therof. in whiche booke a man resonable / may see and vnderstande more clerer by the vysytyng and sayeng of it And the fy∣gures therin / the sytuacion & moeuyng of the firmament.

& how the vnyuersal erthe hangeth in the myddle of the sa¦me / As the chapitres here folowyng shal more clerly she∣we & declare to you whiche said book was translated out of latyn in to frensshe by the ordynaūce of the noble duk / Io∣han of Berry & Auuergne the yere of our lord. MCC.xlv. And now at this tyme rudely translated out of frens¦she in to Englissh by me symple persone Wyllm Caxton. at the request. desire coste & dispense of the honourable and worshipful man Hugh Bryce alderman and Cytezen of londen / entendyng to present the same vnto the vertuous noble & puyssaūt Lord wyllm lord hastynges lord Cham∣berlayn vnto the most Crysten kynge / kynge Edward the fourthe kynge of England & of Fraunce &c. and lieute∣naūt for the same of the toun of Caleys & marches there whom he humbly besecheth to resseyue in gree & thāke. whi¦che book conteyneth in alle .xxvij. chapitres & .xxvij. fygu∣res / wythout whiche it may not lyghtly be vnderstande / & for to declare more openly. it is ordeyned in thre partyes. Of whiche the first conteyneth xx. chapitres & viij. fygu∣res / Te seconde partie xxxiij. chapitres / & ix fygures / And the therde conteyneth xxiiij / chapitres. and x fygures / whi∣che was engrossed & in all poyntes ordeyned by chapitres and fygures in frenshe in the toun of Bruggis the yere of thyncarnacion of our lord. M.CCCC.lxiiij. in the mo∣neth of Iuyn. And emprysed by me right vnable & of lytil connyng to translate & brynge it in our maternal to••ge y^e second day of the moneth of Ianyuer the yere of our sayde lord .M.cccc.lxxx / in thabbay of westmestre by londen / humbly requyryng all them that shal fynde faulte. to cor∣recte & amende where as they shal ony fynde / And of suche

so foūden that they repute not the blame on me. but on my copie. whiche I am charged to folowe as nyghe as god wyl gyue me grace. whom I most humbly beseche to gyue me sciēce cōnyng & lyf taccomplysshe & wel to fynysshe it &c.

THenne who so wylle comprise & vnderstande the sub∣staūce of this present volume. for to lerne & knowe specially the creacion. of this world the gretenes of the fir¦mament and lytylnes of therthe in regard of heuen how y^e vij. sciences were founden and what they bee / by whiche he may the better auaylle in knowleche all y^e dayes of his lif Thēne late hym rede this sayd volume treatably auisedly and ordynatly that in suche thing as he shal rede / he suffre nothyng to passe. but that he vnderstonde it right wel / And so may he knowe and vnderstonde verytably the declara¦cion of this sayd volume. And he thenne that so wylle o∣beye this cōmaundement / May by the contente of the same lerne grete partye of the fourme & condyciō of this world ¶And how by the wyl of our lord it was by him created made & complysshed. And the cause wherfore it was esta∣blysshid. wherof the debonayr lord hath don to vs so grete grace. that we euer ben bounden to gyue hym lawde & wor∣ship. or ellys we had not ben of ony valew / ne worth ony thyng. nomore than vnersonable beestis / Thenne late vs praye the maker & creatour. of al creatures god almyhty that at the begynnyng of this book it liste him of his most bou••teuous grace to departe wyth vs of the same that we may lerne / And that lerned to reteyne / and that reteyned so teche. that we may haue so parfyght science and knowle¦che of god / that we may gete therby the helthe of our sow∣les. and to be partyners of his glorye permanent & wyth∣out ende in heuen Amen /