authorities, such as Thomas Aquinas, Roger Bacon and Vincent de Beauvais. It was certainly known in England as early as 1296, for there is a copy of that date at Oxford, and there still exist both in France and in England a considerable number of other manuscript copies, most of which date from the latter part of the thirteenth century and the early part of the fourteenth. The book was translated into English in 1398 by John de Trevisa,[40] chaplain to Lord Berkeley and vicar of Berkeley, and Bartholomew could scarcely have been more fortunate in his translator. At the end of his translation, Trevisa writes thus:-- "Endlesse grace blysse thankyng and praysyng unto our Lorde God Omnipotent be gyuen, by whoos ayde and helpe this translacon was endyd at Berkeleye the syxte daye of Feuerer the yere of our Lorde MCCCLXXXXVIII the yere of y{e} reyne of Kynge Rycharde the seconde after the Conqueste of Englonde XXII. The yere of my lordes aege, syre Thomas, Lorde of Berkeleye that made me to make this Translacōn XLVII." Salimbene shows that the book was known in Italy in 1283, and there are two MS. copies in the Bibliothèque Nationale of Paris, of which the earliest is dated 1297. Before Trevisa made his English translation, it had been translated into French by Jehan Corbichon, in 1372, for Charles V. of France. The book was first printed at Basle about 1470, and the esteem in which it was held may be judged from the fact that it went through at least fourteen editions before 1500, and besides the English and French translations it was also translated into Spanish and Dutch. The English translation was first printed by Caxton's famous apprentice, Wynken de Worde.[41] The translator in a naïve little introductory poem says that, just as he had looked as a child to God to help him in his games, so now he prays Him to help him in this book. "C[?]Rosse was made all of red . In the begynning of my boke . That is called, god me sped . In the fyrste lesson that j toke . Thenne I learned a and b . And other letters by her names . But alway God spede me . Thought me nedefull in all games . Yf I played in felde, other medes . Stylle other wyth noyse . I prayed help in all my dedes . Of him that deyed upon the croys . Now dyuerse playes in his name . I shall lette passe forth and far . And aventure to play so long game . Also I shall spare . Wodes, medes and feldes . Place that I have played inne . And in his name that all thīg weldes . This game j shall begynne. . And praye helpe conseyle and rede . To me that he wolde sende . And this game rule and lede . And brynge it to a good ende. ."