AMonges all other ex­cellencies, moste gratious soueraigne lorde, wher with almyghty God hathe endowed mankynde, aboue the resydue of erthly crea­tures, as an outward declaration of reason or reasonablenesse, wherin consysteth the sy­militude of man vnto Angels, and the dyffe­rence betwene the same and brute beestes, I veryly suppose, that speche or langage is not to be reputed amonges the smallest or inferi­ours. For therby is expressed the conceyte of one to another in open and playne sentence, whych in the resydue of lyuely creatures, lacketh and is not shewed amonges them, but by certayn couert and derke sygnes, and that in sewe thynges hauynge course and opera­cion onely of nature. Thys speche or lan­gage, after the confusyon of tonges, sente by goddes punyshment for pryde and arrogance of people, hath bene be a certayne instyncte and dysposytion naturall dyuysed and inuented in sondry partes of the worlde, as felow­shyppes or cōpanyenges of folkes one wyth another chaunced, moche to the outward ex­pressynge of the thynge in worde or sounde, accordynge to that wherof it had meanynge or sygnificacyon. But in processe of tyme, by dilygence or policy of people, after dyuers fourmes, fygures, and impressyons in metal barkes of trees, & other mater vsed for me­morie and knowlege of thinges then present or passed, sondry letters or carectes were first amonges the Phenices dyuysed and founde, wyth suche knyttynges and ioynynges of one to another by a marueylous subtilte and crafte, as counterueyled was and is equiua­ualent to the same langages. So as the conceyte of mannes mynde, whyche at the begynnynge was vsed to be declared by mouthe onely, came to suche poynt, that it was as sensybly and vyuely expressed in wrytynge. Hervpon ensewed a great occasyon and corage vnto them that shulde wryte, to compone and adorne the rudenesse and bar­bariete of speche, and to forme it to an elo­quent and ordynate perfection, where vnto many and many greate poetes and oratours haue hyghly employed theyr studyes and co­rages, leauynge therby notable renoume of them selues, and exsample perpetuel to theyr posterite. Amonges other the Grekes in all kyndes of sciences, semed so to preuayle and so to ornate theyr tonge, as yet by other of ryght noble langages can not be perfytelye ymitated or folowed. The Latyns by exsample of the Grekes, haue gotten or wonne to them no small glorie, in the fourmynge, or­der, and vttrynge of that tonge. Out of the whyche two, yf it be well serched, that is to saye Greke and Latin (though by corruption of speche it shulde seme moche otherwyse) haue bene deryued y ^e resydue of the langages that be wrytten wyth the letters or carectes of eyther of them bothe: But of all speches, those whyche moost approche to the latinite, be the Italian and Spaynyshe tonges, of whome the one by corruption of the Gothes and Longobardes hadde her begynnynge, as latyn spoken by straungers of a barbare vnderstondyng. The other beinge also latyn was by Vandales, Gothes, Moores, Sara­cenes, and other so many tymes blemyshed, as maruayle it is to se nowe vnto what per­fection these two formed out of the latyn & barbare speches be reduced. Next vnto them in similitude to the latyn is the French tonge whyche by diligence of people of the same, is in fewe yeares passed so amended, as well in pronunciation as in wrytynge, that an Englyshe man by a smale tyme exercysed in that tonge hath not lacked grounde to make a grammer or rule ordynarye therof. Though of trouth (whyche some shall scarselye beleue) the Germayns haue so fourmed the order of theyr langage, that in the same, is both as moch plentie as nere concordaūce to the phrase of the latyn, as the Frenche [Page] tonge hath. And verely, lyke as all these and the rest haue ben thus vigilant and studious to meliorate or amende theyr langages: so hath there not lacked amonges vs Englyshe men, whych haue ryghte well and notablye endeuoured and emploied them selues, to the beautifyenge and betterynge of thenglyshe tonge.

Amonges whome moost excellent prince, my most redoubted and gracious soueraigne lorde, I your moost humble vassall, subiecte and seruaunt Willyam Thynne, chefe clerke of your kechyn, moued by a certayne inclina­cion and zele, whych I haue to heare of anye thynge soundynge to the laude and honoure of thys your noble realme, haue taken great delectation, as the tymes and laysers myght sustre, to rede & heare the bokes of that noble & famous clerke Geffray Chaucer, in whose workes is so manyfest comprobacion of hys excellent lernynge in all kyndes of doctrines and sciences, suche frutefulnesse in wordes, well accordynge to the mater and purpose, so swete and pleasaunt sentences, such perfecti­on in metre, the composition so adapted, such freshnesse of inuention, compendiousnesse in narration, suche sensyble [...]nd open style, lac­kynge neyther maiesty ne mediocrite couenable in dysposition, & suche sharpnesse or quycknesse in conclusyon, that it is moch to be maruayled, howe in hys tyme, when doutlesse al good letters were layde a slepe throughoute the worlde, as the thynge whyche eyther by the dysposition and influence of the bodyes aboue, or by other ordinaunce of God, semed lyke and was in daunger to haue vtterly pe­ryshed, suche an excellent poete in our tonge shuld as it were (nature repugnyng) sprynge and aryse. For thoughe it had ben in Demo­sthenes or Homerus tymes, whē al learnyng and excellency of sciences floryshed amonges the Grekes, or in y ^e season that Cicero prince of eloquence amonges latyns lyued, yet had it ben a thynge ryght rare and straunge and worthye perpetuall laude, that any clerke by lernynge or wytte coulde then haue framed a tonge before so rude and imperfyte, to such a swete ornature and composition, lykely yf he had lyued in these dayes, beynge good let­ters so restored and reuyued as they be, yf he were not empeched by the enuye of suche as maye tollerate nothynge, whyche to vnder­stande theyr capacite doth not extēde, to haue brought it vnto a full and fynall perfection. Wherfore gracious soueraygne lord, taking suche delyte and pleasure in the workes of thys noble clerke (as is afore mencioned) I haue of a longe season moche vsed to rede & vysite the same: & as bokes of dyuers impryntes came vnto my handes, I easely and with out great studye, myght and haue deprehen­ded in them many errours, falsyties, and de­prauations, whych euidently appered by the contrarietees and alteracions founde by col­lacion of the one wyth the other, wherby I was moued and styred to make diligēt serch, where I myght fynde or recouer any trewe copies or exēplaries of the sayd bokes, wher­vnto in processe of tyme, not wythout coste & payne I attayned, and not onely vnto suche as seme to be very trewe copyes of those workes of Geffray Chaucer, whyche before had bene put in print, but also to dyuers other ne­uer tyll nowe imprinted, but remaynynge al­moste vnknowen and in obliuion, whervpon lamentynge wyth my selfe, the negligence of people, that haue bene in thys realme, who doutlesse were verye remysse in the settynge forthe or auauncemēt eyther of the hystories therof, to the great hynderaūce of y ^e renoume of suche noble prynces and valyaunt conque­rours and capitayns as haue ben in the same or also of the workes or memorye of the fa­mous and excellente clerkes in all kyndes of sciences that haue floryshed therin. Of whyche bothe sortes it hath pleased God as hyghly to nobilitate thys yle as any other region of christendome: I thought it in maner appertenaūt vnto my dewtye, and that of very honesty and loue to my countrey I ought no lesse to do, then to put my helpyng hande to the restauracion and bryngynge agayne to lyght of the sayd workes, after the trewe co­pyes and exemplaryes aforefayde. And deuysynge wyth my selfe, who of all other were moost worthye, to whome a thynge so excellent & notable shulde be dedicate, whych to my conceyte semeth for the admiration, noueltye, and strangenesse that it myghte be reputed to be of in the tyme of the authour, in comparison, as a pure and fyne tryed pre­cyous or polyced iewell out of a rude or in­digest [Page] masse or mater, none coulde to my thinkynge occurre, that syns, or in the tyme of Chaucer, was or is suffycient, but only your maieste royall, whyche by discrecyon and iu­gement, as moost absolute in wysedome and all kyndes of doctryne, coulde and of hys in­nate clemence and goodnesse, wolde adde or gyue any authorite her vnto.

For this cause most excellent and in all ver­tues most prestant prince, I as humbly pro­strate before your kynglye estate, lowly sup­ply and beseche the same, that it woll vouch­safe to take in good parte my poore study and desyrous mynde, in reducyng vnto light this so precious and necessary an ornament of the tonge of thys youre realme, ouer pytous to haue ben in anye poynt lost, falsifyed, or ne­glected: So that vnder the shylde of youre most royall protectyon and defence it may go forthe in publyke, & preuayle ouer those that wolde blemyshe, deface, and in manye thyn­ges clerely abolyshe the lande, renoume, and glorie hertofore compared, and meritoriously adquired by dyuers prynces, and other of thys sayd most noble yle, whervnto nat one­lye straungers vnder pretexte of hyghe ler­nyng and knowlege of theyr malycyous and peruers mindes, but also some of your owne subiectes, blynded in folye and ignorance, do wyth great study contende. Most gracious, victorious, and of god moste electe and wor­thy prynce my most dradde soueraygne lord, in whom of very merite, dewtie, and succes­syon, is renewed the gloryous tytell of De­fensor of the christen faythe, whyche by your noble, progenytour, the great Constantyne, somtyme kyng of this realme, and emperour of Rome was nexte god and hys apostels, chefely maynteyned, corroborate, and defen­ded, almyghty Iesu sende to your hyghnesse the contynuall and euerlastyng habundaūce of hys infynite grace. Amen.