A boke newly translated out of Latyn in to Englisshe, called The folowing of Christe with the Golden epistel of saynt Barnard.

The introductyon.

HEre after folowethe a boke callyd in la∣tyn (Imitacio Christi that is to saye in En∣glyshe / The folowe∣ynge of Christ / wher∣in be conteyned foure lytell bokes / whiche boke as some mē afferme was fyrst made & compyled in ••atyn by the famous clerke mayster Iohan Gerson Chaūcellour of Paris. And the sayd four bokes he nowe of late newely translated in to Englyshe in suche maner as here after apperyth / & thoughe .iii. of the fyrst bokes of the sayd iiii. bokes haue bē before this tyme right well & deuoutly translated in to englyshe by a famous clerke called mayster Williā Atkynson whiche was a doctour of diuy∣nyte. yet for as moch as the sayd transla¦tour for some cause hym mouing ī diuers places lyfte out moche parte of some of the chapytres / & somtyme varyed fro the letter as in the .iii. chapitre & in the .xviii. & .xix. chapitre of the firste boke / & also in dyuers other chapitres of the sayd .iii. bo¦kes wyll appere to thē that wyll examyn the latyne & the sayde firste trāslacyon to

gyder / therfore the sayd .iii. bokes be efte∣sones translatyd in to Englyshe in suche maner as here after foloweth / to y^e intēt that they that lyst may at theyr pleasure be occupyed with the one / or with the o∣ther after as theyr deuocyō shal styre thē to whan they haue sene them bothe. And after the sayd .iii. bokes foloweth the .iiii. boke whiche was fyrste translated out of Frenche ī to englyshe by the ryght noble & excellent princes Margarete late coū∣tesse of Richemoūt & De••by moder vnto the noble prynce of blessed memory kyng Henry y^e .vii. father vnto our soueraine lorde the kyng that nowe is kyng Henry the .viii. And for as muche as it was trā∣slatyd by the sayde noble pryncesse out of frenche it coulde nat folowe the latyn so nyghe ne so dyrectly as if it had ben trā∣slated out of latyn. And therfor it is now translated also out of latyn / & yet neuer¦theles it kepeth the substaūce & the effect of the fyrst trāslaciō out of frēche though sōtyme it vary ī wordes as to the reders wyll appere. And in the later ende after the .iiii. boke is a shorte & deuout moral doctryne whiche is called the spyrytuall glasse of the soule. And it is ryght good

and profytable to euery person ofte times to loke vpon it.

¶Here endeth the introduccion And here after foloweth the Imytacyon of Christe.

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