prologue

The prologe of the translatour of this lytell treatyse in the seconde boke.

stanza 1

1Now whan we consyder / with mynde dylygent with a careful mind
The merueylous maners / & synguler condycion marvellous manners, habits / particular way of life
Of the comyn people ¹ / symple and neclygent,negligent, slovenly
Whiche without lytterature / and good informacyon
Ben lyke to Brute beestes / as in comparyson,are like brute animals
Rude / wylde / and boystous / by a prouerbe, certan,rough / according to a proverb
'Good maners and conynge / maken a man'. ² Good manners and knowledge make the man

stanza 2

8 Saynt Paule sayth / shewynge to the Romans ³ demonstrating to the Romans
How all thynge wryten / in holy scrypture
Is wryten for our doctryne / and ghostly ordynans , ⁴ for our instruction / spiritual guidance
For our great conforte / and endeles pleasure.
All thynge is knowen playnly / by lytterature,through literature
Morall vertues / be noted by it full playne Moral virtues are very clearly represented by it
From vyce and neclygence / to abstayne, certayne.vice / negligence

stanza 3

15 What were mankynde / without lytterature? ⁵ What would mankind be without literature?
Full lytel worthy / blynded by ignoraunce.Very unworthy
The way to heuen it declareth ryght sureheaven
Thrugh perfyte lyuynge / and good perseueraunce;perfect living / perseverance
By it we may be taught / for to do penaunce
Whan we transgresse / our lordes commaundyment;
It is a swete cordyall / for mannes entent.cordial, refreshment / aspiration

stanza 4

22How shulde the seuen / scyences lyberall ⁶ seven liberal arts
Haue ben preserued / vnto this day,
The wysdome / of the phylosophers all,
But alone by lernynge / it is no nay.there is no doubt
The notable actes / of our fathers, I say,
(yf litterature were nat) myght nat nowe be tolde,if literature did not exist
Nor auncient histories and cronycles olde.chronicles

stanza 5

29 The lawe of ciuile / and of holy canon ⁷ Civil law and holy canon law
By study be preferred with moche honouresteemed
To execute iustice / and for due reformacion;justice / punishment, correction
The most blessed doctrine of our sauiour,
The actis of the apostoles / with the doctours four ,Acts of the Apostles / the four teachers (i.e. Gospels)
Be preserued by wrytyng / and put in memorie,
With the lyues of saintes many a noble storie.

stanza 6

36Of whiche histories ⁸ we purpose speciall
To speke of saint Werburge / vnder your protection, ⁹ under your patronage
Declaryng the ende of her lyfe historiall her historical life (on earth)
As we haue begon / and made playne mencion told explicitly
In the fyrst volume by breue compliacion, ¹⁰ brief compilation, composition
There playnly descriuyng her liniall discens describing / line of descent
Of .iiii. myghty kyngdomes by true experience; ¹¹ From four powerful kingdoms

stanza 7

43Also we haue shewed in the sayd littell boke
Her goodly maners / and vertuous disposicion
Of her yonge age / who-so lyst theron to loke;whoever wishes to look there (i.e. in Book I)
And howe her bretherne suffred martyrdome; ¹² family
Of her fathers realme a litell discripcion:A little description of her father's realm
Howe she was professed in the place of Ely; ¹³
Of her conuersacion within the sayd monastery;manner of living

stanza 8

50After for her vertue / howe she was made abbasse because of / abbess
Of diuers monasteries, ¹⁴ flouryng in vertue;flowering in virtue
And of the great miracles whiche there done was
For her great charite / by the grace of Iesu;
Howe diuers of her kynrede dyd clerely exchewe many of her family completely rejected
All wordly pleasures and honours transetory,transitory
Professyng obedience at the place of Ely;