ere begynnys the Buke callit The Buke of the Law of Armys, the quhilk was compilit be a notable man, Doctour in Decreis, callit Bonnet, Prioure of Sallon; the quhilk, quhen it was maid, callit it The Fleur of Bataillis, or the Tree; into the quhilk Buke thare salbe foure partis efter as the Rubryis schawis. The First part salbe, Of the Tribulacioun of the Kirk before the Natiuitee of Christe. The Secund party salbe, Of the Tribulaciouns and Destructioun of the Four Principale Realmes grettest of the Warld, &c. The Thrid salbe, Of Bataillis in generale. The Ferde, Of Bataillis in specialitee.

HERE BEGYNNYS THE RUBRYIS OF THE FIRST PARTY, ETC., BE THE QUHILKIS MEN MAY BETTER KNAW THE PROCESSE OF THE SAID BUKE, AND OF EUERY CHAPTERE SPECIALY.

In the First Chapiter he speris, Quhat thing is Bataill? i
The Second Chapiter is, Quhare was first foundyn Bataill? ii
The Third is, Of the tribulacions of the Kirk by passit, iij
The Ferde is, Of the first Angel, iiij
The Fyft is, Of the tother Angel, v
The Exposicioun apon the tothir party of the Visioun of Sanct Johne, vj
The thrid Angel, vij
The ferde Angel, viij
The fyft Angel, ix
And ȝit spekis he mare furtherly of the Visioun, x

Expliciunt Rubrice Prime Partis, etc.

Sequitur Prologus in breuibus.

Here folowis the Proloug of the said Buke, in termis, as the forenamyt Doctoure Bonnet, Prioure of Sallon, maid his first Intitulacioun and Prohemium: And syne efter sall folowe the principale parties of the Buke forenamyt, Translatit be me Gilbert of the Haye Knycht, Maister in Arte, and Bachilere in Decreis, Chaumerlayn vmquhile to the maist worthy King Charles of Fraunce, at the request of ane hye and mychty Prince and worthy Lord, Williame Erle of Orknay and of Cathnes, Lord Synclere, and Chancelare of Scotland, in his Castell of Rosselyn, the ȝere of our Lord a thowsand four hundreth fyfty and sex.

Fol. 2.

PROLOGUS.

To the haly Croune of Fraunce, in the quhilk this day regnys Charles the Sext of that name, the quhilk is lufit and redoubtit oure all the warld be the ordynaunce of God; till him be gevin honoure, lose, and glore, abune all erdely Lordschippis: Maist hye Prince I am callit, be my richt name, Bonnet Priour of Sallon, Doctoure in Decreis. The quhilk I haue had mony smale thouchtis and gude will to mak sum Buke; First, in the honoure of God, and of his suete Moder, and of ȝour hye Lordschip. And the resouns quhy I haue vndertane to mak this Buke ar gude yneuch, as semys me. And First and formast, for quhy? That the state of Haly Kirk is in sik tribulacioun that bot gif God oure Lorde set sum gude remede, the quhilk was wont till mak gude cheuisaunce and gude end, in that mater be the Brether of the faith, auentureris of the Christin Faith, I can se be na way that it may wele be, bot gif thare be sum gudely way of acordaunce fundyn and sone. The Secund cause is and resoun, For I se all Cristyndome sa grevit, and stroublit of weris, discensiouns, thiftis, and reueryis, haterentis, and envyes, that men kennys almaist na realme in Cristyndome bot it is in were. Thrid resone is, for quhy? That the land of Provence, of quhilk I am borne and vp brocht, is sa turnyt now for the renewing of new Lordschip, and for diuerse opyniouns that ar amang Lordis and the Communiteis, that with grete payne may ony wyse man here it be rehersit, the mekle sorowe that the Commouns sustenis for sik debatis. The Ferde resoun, for quhy? That mony notable Clerkis, the quhilkis wenys thai vnderstand wele the glosyng of ancien Prophecies, sais, that it sulde be ane of the hie lignie of Fraunce, the quhilk suld sett remede in all this thingis, and put this trauailland warld in pes and rest, that now is put in grete pestilence. And for this cause my curage has gevin me to mak sum newing of thing till enfourme ȝour ȝouthede of mony syndry knaulagis of Haly wrytt, sa that ȝour curage suld be movit the mare to help to sett remede in the Haly Cristyn faith, the quhilk is in poynt of perising, and geve it socour; and to geve ȝow corage for to do in sik manere, that the Prophecyes, the quhilkis are presumyt to be vnderstandin in ȝour persone maist worthy, be verifyit in ȝour maist noble and worthy Princehede, throu ȝour notable and haly werkis: And forthy, I mak ȝour Hienes hertly request and supplicacioune, that nathing that I sall put in this Buke, ȝe disprise, na lichtly, ffor all that I here say takis foundement of Haly Writt, and of the Decreis and Lawis Cannon and Ciuile, and Philosophy Naturale, that is Natural Resoun. The quhilk Buke sal be callit The Floure of Bataillis, or the Tree: And syne mon I pas to my werk; and tharefore is thare cummyn to me sik ane ymaginacioun, that I will ger mak a Tree, the quhilk sall bere bot fruyte of sorowe; as men may se, that all the persecuciouns of the Kirk and Contreis beris bot fruyte of dule and diseise; departit in Four Partis, as is before said, on the quhilkis Four Partis the diuisioun of oure Buke sal be foundit, etc.