Here we have an authentic date, which there could be no earthly reason to falsify, and this MS. was written--unless Weever and others are liars--during the man's lifetime. For, according to their authority, he did not die until _November_ of that year, and we must not fail to remember that Liege was not a very far cry from Paris, and that his fame must have been great, or his book would never have been written as a present for the king, as it probably was. This manuscript, being the earliest known, is also useful in another way. By some singular chance, all the English versions make out that Mandeville wrote his book first in Latin, then in French, and afterwards in English. But this manuscript settles the point, as it says, "Et sachies [~q] je eusse cest livret mis en latin pour plus briefment deviser. Mais pour ce que pluseurs entendent mieulx ro[~m]ant que latin je lay mis en ro[~m]ant par quoy [~q] chacun lentende." Which I translate: "And know that I should (or might) have written this book in Latin, for the sake of brevity. But, because more people know the Romance (or French) tongue, than Latin, I have written it in Romance, so that anyone may understand it." And this translation is endorsed by E. M. Thompson, Esq., the head of the MS. department in the British Museum. It all depends on the words "je eusse." They do not mean _I had_; and, even in modern French, might be used for _I should have_, although of course _j'aurais_ would be better. For many years he has been called the "father of English Prose," but this title, after the above, is doubtful, even if his existence is granted, and belongs of right to Wyclif. Another book, and a very rare and curious one it is, is attributed to Mandeville. There is a copy of this book in the British Museum (C. 27, f. 2), which, although in Gothic letter, gives no clue as to its date, or place of birth, nor do any of the bibliographical authorities which I have consulted (and they are all that can be found in the British Museum) throw any light upon it. The museum authorities catalogue it as _Lyons? 1530?_ Its title is "LE LAPIDAIRE _en francoys compose par messire Jehan de mandeuille chevalier_." Its contents are of little worth, except that they contain a store of legendary lore relating to precious stones, such as are met with in most medieval treatises on jewels and it winds up with a prayer. The authorship of this book, too, must be a matter of faith, since it has nothing to guarantee it but its title-page. It is somewhat singular too, that the Latin letter supposed to be written by Mandeville to King Edward the Third, and which is _apropos_ of nothing, only exists in the French edition. In the appended Travels of Oderico, the Minorite Friar, I have italicized many of the passages which are identical with Mandeville's description in order that the reader may have easier reference.