tte by declaracion in fayr J Aourned volumes. to thende at science / Jartes lerned y founden of thinges passed myght had in perpetuel memorye J remembraunce / For the hertes of bles in eschewyng of Idlenes at suche tyme as they haue me other vertuouse occupacion on hande ought texcersise em in redyng / studieng / Jvisytyng be noble faytes J dedes

(Sig. a. iij, recto.)

(a 4, verso.)

4

that some men ben enclyned to visyte the bookes treatyng
of sciences particuler / And other to rede ๆ visyte bookes
spekyng of faytes of armes / of loue / or of other meruail- ||
lous histories / And emonge alle other this present booke
whiche is called the ymage or myrrour of the world /
ought to be visyted / redde / knowen / by cause it treateth
of the world and of the wondreful dyuision therof / in
whiche book a man resonable / may see and vnd[e]rstande 1
more clerer by the visytyng and seeyng of it and the
figures therin / the situacion and moeuyng of the firma-
ment / and how the vnyuersal erthe hangeth in the myd-
dle of the same / As be chapitres here folowyng shal more
clerly shewe and declare to yo[u] 2 / whiche said book was
translated out of latyn in to ffrensshe by the ordynaunce
of the noble duc / Johan of Berry and Auvergne the
yere of our lord. M.CC.xlv. And now at this tyme
rudely translated out of ffrensshe in to Englissh by me
symple persone william Caxton / at the request. desire. coste
and dispense of the honourable ។ worshipful man Hugh
Bryce Alderman ។ Cytezeyn of london / entendyng to
present the same vnto the vertuous noble and puissaunt
lord / wylliam lord hastynges lord Chamberlayn vnto
the most Crysten kynge / kynge Edward the fourthe
kynge of England J of ffraunce Jc and lieutenant
for the same of the toun of Calais and marches there
whom he humbly besecheth to resseyue in gree J thanke /
2 text: yon

1 text: vndrrstande

de fais darmes J damours on aultre
ment Et est ce present volume appelle
lymage du monde Et fu translate de
latin en franchois par le commandement ||
et ordonnance du noble duc Jehan de
berry et Dauuergne lan. M. deux cens
quarante cincq. Si contient cinquante
cincq chapitres et vingt sept figures sans
lesquelles il ne porroit estre de legier en-
tendu Et pour le mieulx declarier a este
ordonne en trois parties dont le pre-
miere partie contient xiiij chapitres et
huyt figures La seconde partie contient

of the sage wysemen somtyme trauaillyng in puffytable Fertues / of whom it happeth ofte that somme ben enclyned to ysite the bookes treatyng of sciences particuler / and other o rede vysite bookes spekyng of faytes of armes. of loue / ■r other meruayllous historyes / And emonge alle other his present book whiche is called the ymage or mirrour of The world / ought to be visyted / redde/Jknowen / by cause it reateth of the world J of the wondreful dyuision therof. n whiche book a man resonable / may see and vnderstande more clerer by the vysytyng and sayeng of it And the fyures therin / the sytuacion y moeuyng of the firmament. || how the vnyuersal erthe hangeth in the myddle of the sa ne / As the chapitres here folowyng shal more clerly shee declare to you whiche said book was translated out of atyn in to frensshe by the ordynaunce of the noble duk / Ioan of Berry J Auuergne the yere of our lord. M. CC. 1v. And now at this tyme rudely translated out of frens ne in to Englissh by me symple persone Wyllm Caxton. the request. desire coste dispense of the honourable and -orshipful man Hugh Bryce alderman and Cytezen of onden / entendyng to present the same vnto the vertuous oble and puyssaunt Lord wyllm lord hastynges lord Chamerlayn vnto the most Crysten kynge / kynge Edward the burthe kynge of England J of Fraunce Jc. and lieuteaunt for the same of the toun of Caleys J marches there hom he humbly besecheth to resseyue in gree J thanke. whi

xix figures Et la tresre partie est
de xxij chapitres et ix figures Si fu
grosse de tous poins ordonne comme
dit est en la ville de bruges lan del
Incarnation nostre seigneur Ihucrist mil
quatre cens soixante J quatre par le
commandement de Jehan le clerc libra
rier bourgois dicelle ville de bruges
priant dieu que tous ceuex qui le
lisront ou orront lire y puissent
tellement prouffitre que ce soit au prouf
fit et salut de leurs ames J a lonneur
et sante de leurs corps.

(Sig. a. lij, verso.)

Sig. a. 5,

recto.

whiche booke conteyneth in alle lxx vij chapitres / Jxxvij figures / without whiche it may not lightly be vnderstande / And for to declare more openly / it is ordeyned in thre parties / Of whiche the firste conteyneth xx chapitres and viij figures / The seconde partie xxxiij chapitres, and ix figures / And the therde conteyneth xxiiij chapitres and || x. figures / whiche was engrossed and in alle poyntes ordeyned by chapitres and figures in ffrenshe in the toun of bruggis the yere of thyncarnacion of our lord. м. CCCC. lxiiij. in the moneth of Juyn / And emprised by me ryght vnable and of lytil connyng to translate J brynge it in to our maternal tongne be second day of the moneth of janyuer the yer of our said lord. M.CCCC lxxx in thabbay of westmestre by london / humbly requyryng alle them that shal fynde faulte / to correcte and amende where as they shal ony fynde / And of suche so founden that they repute not the blame on me / but on my copie / whiche jam charged to folowe as nyghe as god wil gyue me grace, whom j most humbly beseche to gyue me scyence connyng and lyf taccomplysshe and wel to fynysshe it Jc /

t

Henne who so wylle comprise and vnderstande the substaunce of this present volume / for to lerne and knowe specially the creacion. of this world / the gretnes of the firmament lytilnes of therthe in regard of heuen / how the vij sciences were ffounden and what they bee / by whiche he may the better auaylle in knowleche alle the dayes of his lyf / Thenne late hym rede this said volume treatably. auisedly. J ordynatly that in suche thing as he shal rede / he suffre nothyng to passe / but that he vnderstonde it right well / And so may he knowe J vnderstonde veritably the declaracion of this said volume / And he thenne that so wille obeye this commandement / May by the contente of the same lerne grete partie of the fourme and condicion of this worlde / And how by be wyll of our lord || it was by hym created made and accomplisshed / And the cause wherfor it was establisshid / wherof the debonayr lord hath don to vs so grete grace / that we euer ben bounden to gyue hym lawde and worshyp / or ellys we had not ben

.

recto.

the book conteyneth in alle. xxvij. chapitres J. xxvij. fygues / wythout whiche it may not lyghtly be understande / J or to declare more openly. it is ordeyned in thre partyes. Of whiche the first conteyneth xx. chapitres J viij. fygues / Te seconde partie xxiij. chapitres / Jix fygures / And The therde conteyneth xxiiij / chapitres and x fygures / whihe was engrossed Jin all poyntes ordeyned by chapitres nd fygures in frenshe in the toun of Bruggis the yere of hyncarnacion of our lord. M.CCCC. lxiiij. in the moeth of Iuyn. And emprysed by me right vnable ។ of lytil onnyng to translate ] brynge it in our maternal tonge ye econd day of the moneth of Ianyuer the yere of our sayde ord. M.cccc. lxxx / in thabbay of westmestre by londen / umbly requyryng all them that shal fynde faulte. to corecte J amende where as they shall ony fynde / And of suche || o founden that they repute not the blame on me. but on my Sig. a. iiij, opie. whiche I am charged to folowe as nyghe as god wyl gyue me grace. whom I most humbly beseche to gyue ne science connyngylyf taccomplysshe ៗ wel to fynysshe it Jc. Henne who so wylle comprise ។ vnderstande the substaunce of this present volume. for to lerne ៗ knowe pecially the creacion. of this world the gretenes of the fir nament and lytylnes of therthe in regard of heuen / how ye ij. sciences were founden and what they bee / by whiche he may the better auaylle in knowleche alle ye dayes of his lif henne late hym rede this sayd volume treatably / auisedly nd ordynatly that in suche thing as he shal rede / he suffre othyng to passe. but that he vnderstonde it right wel / And o may he knowe and vnderstonde verytably the declara ion of this sayd volume. And he thenne that so wylle oeye this commaundement / May by the contente of the same erne grete partye of the fourme y condicion of this world [ And how by the wyl of our lord it was by him created made complysshed. And the cause wherfore it was estalysshid. wherof the debonayr lord hath don to vs so grete race. that we euer ben bounden to gyue hym lawde ។ worhip. or ellys we had not ben of ony valew / ne worth ony hyng. nomore than vn [re]sonable 1 beestis / Thenne late vs raye the maker J creatour. of all creatures god almyhty