Hier begynneth the book callid the myrrour of the worlde ...

¶Prologue declaryng to whom this book apperteyneth

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COnsideryng that wordes ben perisshyng / vayne / & forgeteful / And wri∣tynges duelle & abi∣de permanēt / as I rede Vox audita perit / lit¦tera scripta man••t / Thise thinges haue caused that the faites and dedes of A••meyent men̄ / ben sette by declaracion in fair and Aourned volumes / to then̄de that science and Artes lerned and founden of thinges passed myght be had in perpetuel memorye and remembraunce / ffor the hertes of nobles in eschewyng of ydlenes at suche tyme as they haue none other vertuouse ocupacōn on hāde ought texcersise them in redyng / studyng / & visytyng the noble faytes and dedes of the sage and wysemen somtyme tr••••uaillyng in prouffytable vertues / of whom it happeth ofte that sōmen ben enclyned to visyte the bookes treatyng of sciences particuler / And other to rede & visyte bookes spekyng of faytes of armes / of loue / or of other meruail∣lous

histories / And emonge alle other this p̄sent booke whiche is called the ymage or myrrour of the world / ought to be visyted / redde / & knowen / by cause it treateth of the world and of the wondreful dyuision therof / in whiche book a man resonable / may see and vnderstande more clerer by the visytyng and seeyng of it and the figures therin / the situacōn and moeuyng of the firma∣ment / and how the vnyuersal erthe hangeth in the myd∣dle of the same / As y^e chapitres here folowyng shal more clerly shewe and declare to you / whiche said book was translated out of latyn in to ffrensshe by the ordynaunce of the noble duc / Iohan of Berry and Auuergne the yere of our lord .M.CC.xlv. And now at this tyme rudely translated out of ffrensshe in to Englissh by me symple {per}sone william Caxton / at the request. desire. coste and dispense of the honourable & worshipful mā Hugh̄ Bryce Alderman & Cytezeyn of london / entendyng to present the same vnto the vertuous noble and puissaunt lord / wylliam lord hastynges lord Chamberlayn vnto the most Crysten kynge / kynge Edward the fourthe kynge of England & of ffraunce {etc} and lieuten̄nt for the same of the toun of Calais and marches there whom he humbly besecheth to resseyue in gree & thanke / whiche booke conteyneth in alle lxxvij chapitres / & xxvij figures / without whiche it may not lightly be vnderstāde / And for to declare more openly / it is ordeyned in thre parties / Of whiche the firste cōteyneth xx chapitres and viij figures / The seconde partie xxxiij chapitres / and ix figures / And the therde conteyneth xxiiij chapitres and

.x. figures / whiche was engrossed and in alle poyntes or∣deyned by chapitres and figures in ffrenshe in the toun of beuggis the yere of thyncarnacion of our lord .M.CCCC.lxiiij. in the moneth of Iuyn / And emprised by me ryght vnable and of lytil connyng to translate & brynge it in to our maternal tongue y^e second day of the moneth of janyuer the yer of our said lord .M.CCCClxxx in thabbay of westmestre by london / humbly requy∣ryng alle them that shal fynde faulte / to correcte and 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 j am charged to folowe as nyghe as god wil gyue me grace / whom j most humbly beseche to gyue me scyence· connyng and lyf taccomplysshe and wel to fynysshe it {etc} /

THenne who so wylle comprise and vnderstande the substaunce of this present volume / for to lerne and knowe specially the creacion. of this world / the gretnes of the firmamēt & lytilnes of therthe in regard of heuen / how the vij sciences were ffounden and what they bee / by whiche he may the better auaylle in knowleche alle the dayes of his lyf / Thenne late hym rede this said volume treatably. auisedly. & ordynatly that in suche thing as he shal rede / he suffre nothyng to passe / but that he vnder∣stonde it right well / And so may he knowe & vnderstonde veritably the declaracion of this said volume / And he thenne that so wille obeye this cōmandemēt / May by the contēte of the same lerne grete partie of the fourme and condicion of this worlde / And how by y^e wyll of our lord

it was by hym created made and accomplisshed / And th•• cause wherfor it was establisshid / wherof the debonayr lord hath don to vs so grete grace / that we euer ben bounden to gyue hym lawde and worshyp / or ellys we had not ben of ony valew / ne worth ony thyng / nomore than vnreso∣nable beestis / Thenne late vs praye the maker and crea∣tour / of alle cratures god all myghty that at the begyni¦nyg of this book it liste hym of his most bounteuous grace to departe with vs of the same that we may lerne / and that lerned to reteyne / & that reteyned so teche / that we may haue so parfyght scyence and knowleche of god / that we may gete therby the helthe of our sowles / and to be partyners of his glorye permanent and without ende in heuen Amen /