English literature -- Middle English, 1100-1500; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 1066-1485 -- Sources
Sir Lancelot and his madness, and containeth 14 chapters. The thirteenth
book treateth how Galahad came first to King Arthur's court, and the
quest how the Sangreal was begun, and containeth 20 chapters. The
fourteenth book treateth of the quest of the Sangreal, and containeth 10
chapters. The fifteenth book treateth of Sir Lancelot, and containeth 6
chapters. The sixteenth book treateth of Sir Boris and Sir Lionel his
brother, and containeth 17 chapters. The seventeenth book treateth of
the Sangreal, and containeth 23 chapters. The eighteenth book treateth
of Sir Lancelot and the Queen, and containeth 25 chapters. The
nineteenth book treateth of Queen Guinevere, and Lancelot, and
containeth 13 chapters. The twentieth book treateth of the piteous death
of Arthur, and containeth 22 chapters. The twenty-first book treateth of
his last departing, and how Sir Lancelot came to revenge his death, and
containeth 13 chapters. The sum is 21 books, which contain the sum of
five hundred and seven chapters, as more plainly shall follow
hereafter.
_Eneydos_ (1490).
Prologue.
After divers work made, translated, and achieved, having no work in
hand, I sitting in my study whereas lay many divers pamphlets and books,
happened that to my hand came a little book in French, which lately was
translated out of Latin by some noble clerk of France, which book is
named _Aeneidos_, made in Latin by that noble poet and great clerk,
Virgil. Which book I saw over, and read therein how, after the general
destruction of the great Troy, Aeneas departed, bearing his old father
Anchises upon his shoulders, his little son Iulus on his hand, his wife
with much other people following, and how he shipped and departed, with
all the history of his adventures that he had ere he came to the
achievement of his conquest of Italy, as all along shall be shewed in
his present book. In which book I had great pleasure because of the fair
and honest terms and words in French; which I never saw before like, ne
none so pleasant ne so well ordered; which book as seemed to me should
be much requisite to noble men to see, as well for the eloquence as the
histories. How well that many hundred years past was the said book of
_Aeneidos_, with other works, made and learned daily in schools,
especially in Italy and other places; which history the said Virgil made
in metre. And when I had advised me in this said book, I delibered and
concluded to translate it into English; and forthwith took a pen and ink
and wrote a leaf or twain, which I oversaw again to correct it. And when
I saw the fair and strange terms therein, I doubted that it should not
please some gentlemen which late blamed me, saying that in my
translations I had over curious terms, which could not be understood of
common people, and desired me to use old and homely terms in my
translations. And fain would I satisfy every man, and so to do took an
old book and read therein, and certainly the English was so rude and
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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