PROLOGUE. Many men there ben that, with eeres openly sprad, so moche swalowen the deliciousnesse of jestes and of ryme, by queynt knitting coloures, that of the goodnesse or of the badnesse of the sentence take they litel hede or els non. Soothly, dul wit and a thoughtful soule so sore have myned 5 and graffed in my spirites, that suche craft of endyting wol not ben of myn acqueyntaunce. And, for rude wordes and boystous percen the herte of the herer to the in[ne]rest point, and planten there the sentence of thinges, so that with litel helpe it is able to springe; this book, that nothing hath of the greet flode of 10 wit ne of semelich colours, is dolven with rude wordes and boystous, and so drawe togider, to maken the cacchers therof ben the more redy to hente sentence. Some men there ben that peynten with colours riche, and some with vers, as with red inke, and some with coles and 15 chalke; and yet is there good matere to the leude people of thilke chalky purtreyture, as hem thinketh for the tyme; and afterward the sight of the better colours yeven to hem more joye for the first leudnesse. So, sothly, this leude clowdy occupacion is not to prayse but by the leude; for comunly leude 20 leudnesse commendeth. Eke it shal yeve sight, that other precious thinges shal be the more in reverence. In Latin and French hath many soverayne wittes had greet delyt to endyte, and have many noble thinges fulfild; but certes, there ben some that speken their poysye-mater in Frenche, of whiche 25 speche the Frenche men have as good a fantasye as we have in hering of Frenche mennes English. And many termes there ben in English, [of] whiche unneth we Englishmen connen declare the knowleginge. How shulde than a Frenche man born suche termes conne jumpere in his mater, but as the jay chatereth 30 English? Right so, trewly, the understanding of Englishmen wol not strecche to the privy termes in Frenche, what-so-ever we bosten of straunge langage. Let than clerkes endyten in Latin, for they have the propertee of science, and the knowinge in that facultee; and let Frenchmen in their Frenche also endyten their 35 queynt termes, for it is kyndely to their mouthes; and let us shewe our fantasyes in suche wordes as we lerneden of our dames tonge. And although this book be litel thank-worthy for the leudnesse in travaile, yet suche wrytinges excyten men to thilke thinges that 40 ben necessarie; for every man therby may, as by a perpetual mirrour, seen the vyces or vertues of other, in whiche thing lightly may be conceyved to eschewe perils, and necessaries to cacche, after as aventures have fallen to other people or persons.