Here begynneth the table of the rubryshys of the boke of the fayt of armes and of chyualrye whiche sayd boke is departyd in to foure partyes ...

Here begynneth the book of fayttes of armes & of Chyual∣rye / And the first chapytre is the prologue / in wh̄iche xpry∣styne of pyse excuseth hir self to haue dar enterpryse to speke of so hye matere as is conteyned in this sayd book ¶ Capitulum primum

By cause that hardynes is so moche necessarye to entrepryse hye thynges / whiche without that shold neu{er} be enpryses That same is couenable to me at this present werke to put it forth wi¦thout other thyng / Seen the lytylhed of my per¦sone / whiche I knowe not digne ne worthy to treate of so hye matere / ne durst not only thynke what blame hardynes causeth whan she is folyssh / I thēne nothyng moeued by ar¦rogaūce in folyssh presūpcion / but admonested of veray af¦feccion & good desyre of noble men in thoffyce of armes am exorted after myne other escriptures passed / lyke as he that hath to forn beten doun many strōge edyfices / is more ••ardy to charge hym self defye or to bete doun a castell or for••••••esse whan he feleth hym self garnysshed of couenable stuffe therto necessarye / Thenne to entrepryse to speke in this presēt book of the right honorable offyce of armes & of Chyualrye as wel in thynges whiche thrto ben conuenyent / as in droyces whyche therto be appertenaunt / lyke as the lawes & dyuerse auctours declaren it / to the purpoos / I haue assēbled the ma¦ters & gadred in dyuerse bokes for to produce myne ē••enciō in this present volume / But as it apperteyneth this matere to be more executed by fayt of dyligēce & witte than by sub∣tyltees of wordes polisshed / and also considered that they that ben excersyng & experte in tharte of chyualrye be not comune¦ly clerkys ne instructe in science of langage / I entende not to treate / but to the most playn and entendible langage that

I shal mowe / to that ende that the doctryne gyuen by ma∣ny auctors / whiche by the helpe of god I purpose to declare in this present boke / may be to alle men clere & entendible / And by cause that this is thyng not accustomed & out of vsage to wymen / whiche comynly do not entremete but to spynne on the distaf & ocupie theim in thynges of houshold / I supplye humbly to the said right hie offyce and noble sta∣te of chyualrye / that in contemplacion of theyr lady mynerue born of the contre of grece / whome the aūcyents for hir grete connyng reputeden a goddesse the whiche fōde lyke as olde wry¦tyngis sayē / and as I haue other tymes sayd / And also the poete boece recyteth in his boke of clere & noble wīmen / and semblably recyten many other / the arte & manere to make har¦noys of yron & steel / whiche wyl not haue netake it for none euyl / yf I a woman charge my self to treate of so lyke a ma∣tere / but wyl ensewe thēseignemēt & techyng of seneke whi¦che saith / retche the not what they saye / soo that the wordes be good / And therfore & to purpos in manere poetyke / it plaiseth me tadresse suche a prayer to the foresayd lady / O mynerue goddesse of armes & of chyualrye / whiche by vertue of hye entēdemēt / aboue alle other wymē fōdest & institutest emōge thother noble artes & sciēces whiche of the toke their be¦gynnyng thusage to forge of yrō & steel / armours & harnois {pro}pice & couenable to couure & targe the body of man agaynst the strokes of dartes / noyous shotte & speres in bataylle fayt¦tes of armes / helmes / sheldes / targes / & other harnoys defēsa∣ble fro the first comen / institutest & gauest manere & ordre to arēge batailles / & tassaille & fight in manere / Adoured lady & hie goddesse be thou not displeased that I symple & lytyl w¦omā lyke as nothyng vnto the gretenes of thy renōmee in cūnyng / dare presently compryse to speke of so magnyfike

an offyce as is thoffice of armes / Of whiche fyrst ī the said renomed contree of grece thou gauest thusage / And in so moche it may plaise the to be to me fauorable / that I may be somwhat consonaūt in the nacyō where thou was born whi¦che as thēne was named the grete grece / the contree beyōde y^• alpes or mōtaygnes / whiche now is sayd puylle & calabre in ytalye where y^u were born / & I am as y^u were / a womā ytalien