This book is intituled confessio
amantis / that is to saye
in englysshe the confessyon of
the louer maad and compyled by
Johan Gower squyer borne in walys
in the tyme of kyng richard the second
which book treteth how he was confessyd
to Genyus preest of venus vpon
the causes of loue in his fyue wyttes
and seuen dedely synnes / as in thys
sayd book al alonge appyereth / and by
cause there been comprysed therin dyuers
hystoryes and fables towchyng
euery matere / I haue ordeyned a table
here folowyng of al suche hystoryes
and fables where and in what book
and leef they stande in as here after
foloweth
¶ Fyrst the prologue how johan gower
in the xvi yere of kyng rychard the
second began to make thys book and
dyrected to harry of lancastre thenne
erle of derby folio ¶ ii
Of thestate of the royames temporally
the sayd yere folio ¶ iii
Of thestate of the clergye the tyme of
robert gylbonensis namyng hym self
clemente thenne antipope folio ¶ iv
Of the estate of the comyn people
folio ¶ v
How he treteth of the ymage that nabugodonosor
sawe in his sleep hauyng
an heed of golde / a breste of syluer / a
bely of brasse / legges of yron / and
feet haffe yron & halfe erthe folio vi
Of thenterpretacion of the dreme / and
how the world was fyrst of golde / &
after alwey werse & werse folio vii
¶ Thus endeth the prologue
¶ Here begynneth the book