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

How the scriptures and scyences were saued ayenst the flood capitulo ¶••j^o

SYth Adam was deed ther were many men whiche lerned the scyences of the vij artes liberall / whiche god had sente to them in therthe / Of whome somme ther were that wolde enquyre what shold bycome of the world or euer it shold haue an ende / And they founde verily / that it shold be destroyed and take ende twyes / At the first tyme by the flood of water / but our lord wold not they shold knowe / whether it shold be first destroyed by water or by fyre / Thenne had they grete pyte for the scyences

that they had goten whiche they knewe / and so shold pe∣risshe / but yf it were kept and ordeyned fore by their wyse∣doms / Thenne they aduysed them of a grete wytte and bounte / as they that wel wiste / that after the first des∣truxion of the world / ther shold be other peple / wherfor they dyde do make grete pylers of stone / in suche wyse that they myght pourtraye / and graue in euery stone atte leste one of the vij sciences entierly / in suche wise that they myght be knowen to other / Of whiche somme saye that one of thise pylers was of a stone as hard as marble / & of suche natur•• that water myght not empayre it ne defface ne mynuysshe it / And they made other in a stronge maner of tyles all hole wythoute ony Ioyntures that fyre myght not hurte it in no wyse / In thyse grete colompnes or py∣lers as sayd is were entaylled & grauen the vij scyences in suche wyse / that they that shold come after them / shold fynde and lerne them /