ynde nothyng in them but vanyte of vanytees and all vanyte yet I merueylle moche of them that ben lerned wyse J noble men in the lawe. that not withstondyng their rychesses. J sure yuyng as wel in spirituelte as in the temporalte contynully laboure to be enhanced ๆ promoted to hye dygnytees and ffyces. as though therin were perpetuel felycyte. In whyche e may see at eye that al is but vanyte. J they that men repute or wysest ៗ gretest aboute prynces in a moment ben ouerthro en J brought to nought. Not withstondyng for the moost arte. they of the spyrytuelte J also of the temporalte entende more to gete. worldly honours. rychesses ។ possessyons for to tisfye the appetyte of their inordynate desyre here in this tran torye lyf / which anone J hastely shal departe fro the corrupble body. than they for theternal lyf which shal euer endure a Ioye or in payne. Thenne to thende that euery man resonaLe remembre hym self that he is mortal. J shal withoute fayle eparte out of this lyf hastely J sone. I ought while he is here Tuyng to purueye ។ ordeyne for the perpetuel lyf to come / ⚫ to lyue accordyng to the lawe ៗ comandements of our lord occupye hym self in vertuous operacyons and werkes. in || chewyng al vices ។ synnes Jal the braunches of them. that they Sign. a ij. ay after this short J transytorye lyf attayne J com to the euer styng lyf in heuen / I purpose J attende by the suffraunce of myghty god to translate a book late delyuerd to me y reduce out of frensshe in to our comyn englysshe tonge. in whyche ery man may be enformed how he oust to kepe the lawe maundements of god. to folowe vertu J flee J eschewe vyces to pourueye ។ ordeyne for hym spyrituel rychesses in heuen petuel J permainent / which book was made in frensshe atte queste of Phelip le bele kyng of fraunce in the yere of thyncar cion of our lord MCClxxix. J reduced into englisshe at e request J specyal desyre of a synguler frende of myn a mer- of london the yere of our sayd lord / M.iiijC.lxxxiiij. whiche ok is entytled J named in frensshe. le lyure royal whiche is say in englisshe. the ryal book. or a book for a kyng. in whie book ben comprysed the x comandements of our lord. the xij ycles of the fayth / the vij dedely synnes with their braunches e vij petycions of the pater noster, the seuen yeftes of the holy Ost. the vij vertues and many other holy thynges ៗ maters d prouffytable for the wele of mannes soule. Thenne 1

4

verso.

[Sig. u 9.] recto, 1. 7.

exhorte y desyre euery man that entendeth to the prouffyt I sa
uacyon of his soule / to ouer see this sayd book / in whiche
shal fynde good ๆ prouffytable doctryne by which he may th
rather attayne to come to euerlastyng blysse. J alwaye wha
that is wryton is under correctyon of lerned men / humbly b
sechyng them to correcte ។ amende where as is ony defaute. -
so doyng they shal doo a merytory dede. For as nyghe as god
hath gyuen me connyng I haue folowed the copye as nyghe
as I can. J I beseche almyghty god that this sayd werk may
prouffyte the redars. J that is the special cause that it is made
fore / that knoweth god to whome noo thyng is hyd / whyche
gyue vs grace so to lyue vertuously in this short lyf. that after
this lyf we may come to his euerlastyng blysse in heuen amen ||
[Epilogue]

T

His book was compyled J made atte requeste of kyng Phelyp of Fraunce in the yere of thyncarnacyon of our lord / M.CC.lxxix. J translated or reduced out of frensshe in to englysshe by me wyllyam Caxto[n] 1 atte requeste of a worshipful marchaunt ។ mercer of london. whyche Instauntly requyred me to reduce it for the wele of alle them that shal rede or here it. as for a specyal book to knowe al vyces J braunches of them. J also al vertues by whyche wel vnderstonden J seen may dyrecte a persone to euerlastyng blysse. whyche book is callyd in frensshe. le liure Royal that is to say the ryal book. or a book for a kyng. For the holy scrypture calleth euery man a kyng. whiche wysely and parfytly can gouerne and dyrecte hym self after vertu. J this book sheweth J enseygneth it so subtylly. so shortly. so perceyuyngly J so parfyghtly. that for the short comprehencion of the noble clergye ។ of the right grete sub staunce. which is comprysed therin. It may J ought to be called wel by ryght and quycke reason aboue al other bookes in frensshe or in englysshe. the book ryal or the book for a kyng. J also by cause that it was made ๆ ordeyned atte request of that ryght noble kyng Phelyp le bele kynge of Fraunce. ought it to be called Ryall / as tofore is sayd. whiche translacion or reducyng oute of frensshe in to englysshe was achyeued. fynysshed accomplysshed the xiij day of Septembre in the yere of thyncarnacyon of our lord. M / CCCC.lxxxiiij / And in the second yere of the Regne of Kyng Rychard the thyrd /

XXIX

The Fayttes of Armes
[1489]

[EPILOGUE]

recto. 1. 6.

Thus endeth this boke whiche Christyne of pyse made J dre Sig. S 5. - out of the boke named vegecius de re militari J out of arbre of bataylles wyth many other thynges sett in to the me requisite to werre J batailles whiche boke beyng in fren

was delyuered to me willm Caxton by the most crysten nge J redoubted prynce my naturel ។ souerayn lord kyng mry the / vij / kyng of englond J of fraunce in his palais of stmestre the / xxiij / day of Ianyuere the / iiij / yere of his re

desired ។ wylled me to translate this said boke J reduce in to our english natural tonge / J to put it in enprynte thende that euery gentylman born to armes ។ all manere -n of werre captayns / souldiours / vytayllers ។ all other old haue knowlege how they ought to behaue theym in the ttes of warre J of bataylles / and so delyuered me the said Ok thenne my lord therle of Oxenford awayting on his said _ce / whiche volume conteynyng four bokes / I receyued of said grace J according to his desire whiche to me I repute omandement / J verili glad to obeye / J after the lityl connyng t god hath lente me I have endeuoyrd me to the vtterest my power to fulfylle J accomplisshe his desire ។ comaundent / as wel to reduce it in to englyshe / as to put it in enprin / to thende that it may come to the sight J knowlege of eue gentylman man of warre / J for certayn in myn oppiny it is as necessary a boke J as requysite / as ony may be for =ry estate hye lowe that entende to the fayttes of werre || ether it be in bataylles sieges / rescowse / J all other fayttes sig. S 5. tyltees ៗ remedyes for meschieues / Whiche translacyon s finysshed the / viiij / day of Iuyll the sayd yere J enpryn the / xiiij / day of Iuyll next folowyngy ful fynyshyd / then syth I haue obeyed his most dredeful comaundement / I hum byseche his most exellent J bounteous hye [n]es1 to pardome of this symple J rude translacion where in be no cury 1 text: hyeues

ous ne gaye termes of rethoryk / but I hope to almighti go that it shal be entendyble J vnderstanden to euery man / J so that it shal not moche varye in sentence fro the copye rece ued of my said souerayn lord / And where as I haue erry or made defaulte I beseche them that fynde such to correcte i ៗ so dooyng I shal praye for them / Jyf ther be ony thing ther in to his pleasir / I am glad J thinke my labour wel enployed for to haue the name to be one of the litel seruantes to the hiest most cristen kyng J prince of the world / whom I by seche almyghty god to preserue / kepe / contynue in his noble ៗ most redoubted enterpryses as wel in bretayn / flaundres J other placis that he may haue victorie honour / J renommee to his perpetual glorye / For I have not herd ne redde that ony prynce hath subdued his subgettis with lasse hurte Jë and also holpen his neighbours ។ frendis out of this londe / In whyche hye enterprises I byseche almyghty god that he may remayne alleway vyctoryous / And dayly encreace fro ver tu to vertue ។ fro better to better to his laude Jhonour in this present lyf / that after thys short ។ transitorye lyf / he may atteyne to euerlast[y]ng1 lyf in heuen / Whiche god g[r]aunte to hym and to alle his lyege peple AMEN /

Per Caxton

XXX

Blanchardyn and Eglantine

[1489]
[PROLOGUE]

UNto the right noble puyssaunt J excellent pryncesse my redoubted lady my lady Margarete duchesse of Somercete / Moder vnto our natural ។ souerayn lord and most Crysten Kynge henry ye seuenth by the grace of god Kyng of englonde ។ of ffraunce lord of yrelonde Jc I wyllyam caxton his most Indigne humble subgette and lytel seruaunt presente this lytyl book vnto the noble grace of my sayd lady. whiche boke I late receyued in frenshe from her good grace and her cominaundement wyth alle / for to

ace J translate it in to our maternal J englysh tonge / whiche I had longe to fore solde to my sayd lady and knewe wel that storye of hit was honeste J Ioyefull to all vertuouse yong noble -ylmen J wymmen for to rede therin as for their passe tyme / for er correction in my Iugement / it is as requesyte other whyle to

in Auncyent hystoryes of noble fayttes J valiaunt actes of es J warre which haue ben achyeued in old tyme of many e prynces lordes J knyghtes / as wel for to see J knowe their auntnes for to stande in the specyal grace J loue of their ladyes in lykewyse for gentyl yonge ladyes J damoysellys for to lerne e stedfaste constaunt in their parte to theym that they ones promysed and agreed to suche as haue putte their lyues ofte in ardye for to playse theym to stande in grace. As it is to occupye n and studye ouer moche in bokes of contemplacion. Wherfore ynstaunce and requeste of my sayd lady. whiche I repute as for a maundemente I haue reduced this sayd boke out of frenshe in to englyshe: whiche boke specyfyeth of the noble actes and fayttes arre achyeued by a noble and victorious prynce named Blanchsone vnto the kynge of Fryse / for the loue of a noble pryncesse || 1 Eglantyne other wyse named in frensche lorguylleuse damours he is as moche to saye in englyshe. as the proude lady of loue e of tormaday: And of the grete aduentures. labours anguysshes / many other grete dyseases of theym bothe to fore they myghte ne for to come to the fynall conclusion of their desired loue / as ge by the grace of god it shall be shewed in thistorye of thys at book / Bysechynge my sayd ladyes bountyuous grace to ne this lityll boke in gree of me her humble seruaunt / and to une me of the rude and comyn englyshe. where as shall be faulte For I confesse me not lerned ne knowynge the arte of yk / ne of suche gaye termes as now be sayd in these dayes sed: B[u]t1 I hope that it shall be vnderstonden of the redars nerers: And that shall suffyse. ¶ Besechynge allmyghty god Lunte to her moste noble goode grace longe lyffe / and thaccomement of hir hihe noble and Ioyes desires in thys present And after this short and transytorye lyff. euerlastynge lyff Amen /