Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

THE PAGEANT OF

ENGLISH PROSE

Dus endeth the second book of the tecule of the his topes of Tropes/Whiche bookes were late trans lator m to fien/he out of latyn/by the labour of the vene table perfone raoul le feure preft as a fore is saidy/ Andr by me Indigne and vnworthy translated in to this rude engash/by the comandement of my saidy recoubtid lady duches of Bourgone: Andy for as moche as I fuppose the faide two lokes Ben not had to fore this tpme moure english langage, therfore I had the better wiff to accom pashe this said werke/ whiche werke was begonne m Brugie a contynuedy m gaunt And finp//hidem Colepn In the tpme of p troublous waldy and of the grete deux fone Bepng and repgnyng as well m the ropames of englonde and fraunce as mall other places vnpuersally thurgh the world that is to wete the pere of our lozdy a thousand four honderde lxxi. And as for the third book whiche treteth of the generall a laft deftruccon of Trope Hit neath not to tranllate hit m to english ffoz as mo, che as that woshifuff a re@gpo? man dan John Adgate monke of Burpe dide translate hit but late, after whos werke I fere to take vpon me that am not worthy to Bere hio penner 7 pnke Hozne after Hym. to medle me m that werke. But pet for as moche as I am bound to con template my sapdy ladpes goody grace andy also that his werke is mrpme / Andy as ferre as I knowe hit is not hidy m prose m our tonge / Andy also paraventure/he translated after some other Auctor than this 18 / Andy pet for as moche as dyuerce men ben of dpueræ æspæs. Some to ææ m Kpine andy metre. andy some m prose And also be cause that I have now good lep zer Beyng m Coleyn And Haue none other thynge to do atthis tyme

A PAGE FROM THE FIRST BOOK PRINTED IN ENGLISH

6

CAXTON'S LE RECUEIL DES HISTOIRES DE TROYE'

c. 1474

ENGLISH PROSE

BEING FIVE HUNDRED PASSAGES
BY THREE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-FIVE AUTHORS

EDITED BY R. M. LEONARD

'Mr. Savile was asked, by my lord of Essex, his opinion
touching poets, who answered my lord: "He thought them the
best writers, next to those that write prose."'

BACON'S Apophthegmes.

DOM MINA
INVS TIO

ILLV MEA

HUMPHREY MILFORD

OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

LONDON, EDINBURGII, GLASGOW
NEW YORK, TORONTO, MELBOURNE
CAPE TOWN AND BOMBAY

1920

« EdellinenJatka »