and instruct many great princes and princesses, as to decessed of
et apprendre pluisieurs grandz princes et princesses, comme a feu de
noble and recomended memory the prince Arthur, the noble kyng Henry
noble et recommandée memoire le prince Arthur, le noble roy Henry
for the present prosperously regnyng, to whom God gyve lyfe perpetuall:
pour le present prospereusement regnant, a qui Dieu doint uie perpetuelle:
the quenes of France and Scotlande, with the noble marquis of Excestre,
les roynes de France et dEscosse, auec le noble marquis dExcestre, etc.
for the whiche thynge to fulfyll I have done my power and dever to serche
pour la quelle chose accomplir jay fait mon pouoir et debuoir de perscruter
and seke all that which hath semed me to this purpose te serve: I have nat nevertheless
et cercher tout ce qui ma semblé a ce propos seruir: sy nay je toutesuois
founde rules infallybles, bycause that it is nat possyble to fynde any
peu trouvér régles infalibles, pour ce quil nest possible de telles les
suche, that is to say, suche whiche may serve without any faulte, as do
trouuer, cest a dire, telles que puissent seruir infalliblement, comme font
the rules compiled for to lerne Laten, Greke and Hebreu and other suche
les régles composéez pour apprendre Latin, Grec et Hebrieu et autres telz
languages: the whiche nevertheless the sayd compilatours have overtaken,
langages: ce que neantmoins les ditz compilateurs ont entrepris
te the ende that I ne say presumed to do, how beit they have nat ben but lytell
(affin que ne die presumés) de faire, ja soit quilz naient esté que petit de
tyme to lerne it, but now beit so that suche rules and techyng ben
temps a laprendre, mais or soit ainsy que telz régles et ensegnementz soient
sufficient and farre above my workes, by cause nevertheless that
tressuffisans et loing par desus mes oeuures, pour ce toutes fois que
now natwithstandyng myn ignorancy, I am agayne by my most redoubted
maintenant (nonobstant mon ignorance) suis derechief (par mon tres redoubté
lorde and prince the kynge above named, ordayned to administre myn accustomed
seigneur et prince le roy dessus nommé) ordonné dadministrer mon accoustumé
poore and unworthy servyce to most illustre, ryght exellente and ryght
poure et indigne seruice a tres illustre, tres exellente et tres
vertuouse lady my lady Mary of Englande his ryght entierly well beloved
uertueuse dame ma dame Mary dEngleterre sa tres entierement bien aymée
Page 897
doughter, the whiche right specially and straytly hath me commanded and
fille, laquelle tres espécialement et estroitement ma comandé et
encharged to reduce and to put by writtynge the maner how I have proceded
enchargé de reduire et mectre par escript la maniere coment jay procédé
towarde her sayd progenitours and predecessours, as that same also by the which
enuers ses dictz progeniteurs et predecesseurs, come celle aussy par la quelle
I have her so so taught, and do teche dayly whiche to refuse,
je lay tellement quellement instruit, et instruis journellement, ce que refuser
nat withstandynge the reasons above sayd alleged, I durst nat, nor wolde nat
(nonobstant les raisons dessus dictes alleguée) noseroie ne uouldroie,
how beit that I am ryght well assured to merite more for and by cause of myn
combien que soie tres asseuré de plus meriter pour et cause de mon
obedience than by any seruice or sacrifyce that to her I may do, fulfyllyng
obedience que par aulcun seruice ou sacrifice que luy puisse prestér, accomplissant
her most noble and gracious comandement, gratious say I, by cause
son tresnoble et gracieux comandement, gracieus dis je, pour ce
that her beniuolence and good wyll is to proffite to others as to
que sa beniuolence et bon uoulloir est de prouffiter aux aultres come a
herselfe, wherfore I supplie and require all reders the causes and reasons
elle mesme, pourquoi je suplie et requier tous lecteurs les causes et raisons
aboue sayd contempled and consydered to have me for to be excused, and ther
dessus dictes contempléez et consideréez mauoir pour excusé, et la
where they shall se the good Homer have ben aslepe to be wyllyng by good maner
où ilz verront le bon Homère auoir dormy le uoulloir par bonne maniere
to wake him, in correctyng the fautes in the whiche by cause of the same he is
esueiller en corrigeant les faultes esquelles a cause de ce il est
fallin, the whiche doyng they shall deserve nat only to be lauded and praysed,
encouru, ce que faisantz ilz mériteront nonseullement destre loués et prisés,
but also in theyr workes and operations taxed and estimed of maner
mais aussy en leurs euures et operations taxés et estimés de maniere
lyke, and to the same answeryng.
reciprocque et corespondent.
ENDE OF THE PROLOGUE.
Page 898
HERE AFTER FOLOWETH THE TABLE OF THIS PRESENT TREATYSE.
This lytle worke shalbe devided in two bokes, wherof the fyrst shal have two partes.
In the fyrst part shalbe treated of rules, that is redyng frenche, and what letters shall be lefte unbesounde, and the cause therof.
The seconde parte shalbe of nownes, pronownes, adverbes, participles, with verbes, prepositions, and conjunctions.
Also certayne rules for conjugations.