Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –

vii d.a. Kal. Martii VI Fran. PP

Harley MS 1860

1v
A pystle to the Ladye
Maryess Grace .

To the moste noble vertuouse and prudent

prynces Ladye Marye doughter to our late
Soveraigne Lorde of moste formouse memorye
Kyng Henry the eight, and syster to our moste
dreade soverigne Lorde Kyng Edwarde the
syxt. Mary Clarke her grace most hum=
ble oratryre wydowe, and doughter to Wyl=
lyim Rooper Esquyre, wissheth surveare
of all honour, welth, and felycyte .

When I for myne owne onely exercyse

had of late moste noble prynces fransla=
ted some parte of the clesyastyecall storye of
Eusebius out of Greke into Englyshe, not myn=
dyng to have bestowed my fardes labor, or ta=
ken more payne therin, veryly accomptyng all
my whole busynes brought to a fynall ende and
conclusyon, and my self in my mynde well eased
of all farder labor in that behalf, no thynge

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A pystle to the

lesse lookyng for, then that one busynes shoulde

have bene the begynnyng of an other , my labor
that I tooke for all readye fynyshed , I formde
of truewith in efferte very four from that poynte
and in manor lyfte more then begonne , For when
I had ones shewyd my franslaron unto some of
my deryst freendes, and that they had dylygently
perused yt, then they not leaving the matter so,
nor makyng an ende therewyth but beyng after
that very ernestly in hande wth me, labowred
to perswade me in all that ever they myght to
procede forth farder, wth tha I had begonne
in translatyng more of the same storye out
of Greeke, into our vulgare tongue, where
uppon all were yt so, that very heavy undons
tedly I was, to heresuche as were my moste
Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –
vii d.a. Kal. Martii VI Fran. PP

lete and deryst freende so ernestly desyre the

thinge of me, the doyng wherof, for many and
dyverse respecte went very sore against my

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Ladye Maryess grace

mynde, neverthelesse howe lothe so ever I was,

thynckyng yet that I cowlde not well denye
theym, theyse suche requeste, leste they myght
happely deme my refusall therof to procede
onely of stubburness, pryde and wyllfullnes,
or ells that I wous of slowthfullnes lothe to
take my travayle or payne therin , rather then
uppon my reasonable consyderacion movyng
me thereunto, whych to have my suche opynyon
of me conceyved I wolde have bene very sorye
and rather have endured to the uttermoste, ye
whole labour and payne therof, ye were yf
dowble as moche more, than they shoulde have
had any suche suspycon of me, i therfore bothe
for the contentacon of my freende, and also thyne
kynge myne owne tyme not unfrnyctefully spent
in the meane season, condescended unto theym
and forthwth fell in hande wth my formor
busynes a freshe, never reasyng untyll I had

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A pystle to the

the fyrste v booke accomplysshed, and theyin

thorowly brought unto an end, theruppon in
in anor makyng my self well assured that they
no more lookyng for, from thensforthe of me
leaving of all suche labour, woulde wth so many
booke have helde theym self content all thys
notwthstandyng they persevered and conty=
newed styll in theyr formor labour and ympor=
tune sute, no thyng lesse entendyng, then to
suffre me so to reste, Moreover where' as I
verely thought, they woulde have kepte my
translacion close and sereate to theym selvye,
they not onely moste instamntly requyred me
(as well for the consyderacion of the profytt
Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –
vii d.a. Kal. Martii VI Fran. PP

I shoulde my self take therby, as also for the

greate comodyte that shoulde as they sayd at
length not fayle to growe theron, and hereafter
recomde to marye a one besyde,) to fynyshe ye
whole worke of therrle syastyrall storye of

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Ladye Maryess grace

Eusebius, but nedys also willed me farder, to

dedycate unto some noble and meke parsonage
the fyrst .v. booke whych I had than trans=
lated all readye, whereby all good and well
dysposed people, might to the redyng of theym
be the rather moved and encowraged, Then
when I sawe they lyked my booke so well and
woulde in no wyse I should kepe theym serveate
to my self, bethynkyng me uppon whome I might
beste bestowe theym, I coulde fynde none, for
many consyderacons as I then sayd unto theym
yf that my labour were in dede worthye to be
accepted comparable to yowr noble grace,
howe beyt, after that I had revolued and called
to my mynde fyrst on the one partye, the no=
bylyte, the excellencye, and maistrye of yowr
parsonage, dyscendyng of moste hyghe and
royall blood, yowr so excellent and wondre=
full vertewes, yowr greate knowledge and

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A pystle to the

learnyng, the synguler and manyfolde gyftes

bothe of god and nature whych are in yowr
highnes so pleuntuously planted, that any man
were he as eloquent as Cicero or Demosthenes
as profoundely learned as Plato or Aristotell
wth as greate prudence as wysdome endewed
as Solon and Licurgus, might well be abashed
to presume to present any worke of hys, unto
so honourable, so vertewouse, so wyse and well
learned a pryncess, as yowr grace yes, then on
the other syde parte, what I myself was, one
neyther for wytt, erudycon, learnyng, or anye
Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –
vii d.a. Kal. Martii VI Fran. PP

other lyke qualytye mete to take uppon me, so

greate and waighty an entrepryse as yt should
be, moche lesse my symple ende translacon to
dedycate unto yowr highness, sytn that besyde
all other unabylytyes, I was also but a woman
where as the translatyng of suche a worke
in my opynyon requyred rather ye dylygent

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Ladye Maryess grace

labour of a wyse eloquent, expert, and in all

kynde of good lyterature, a very well execry=
sed man, For these respects was I surely not a
lytte abashed and trowbled in my mynde, Never=
thelesse the remembrannce of yowr moste gentle
nature, whych as all men reaporte taketh in
good parte any present, be yt never so symple,
that procedyth of good wyll and unfayned af=
fectyon foward yowr grace, all suche abash=
ment clenely excluded, specyally sych hereof
was I well assured that yf of yowr highness
my doynge were approved, they shoulde un=
doubtedly, be of all other a greate deale ye bet=
ter accepted, But when I thys comysdred a=
gayne, that my moste dere freende might pa=
radventure for the tendre love they bare unto
me, by reason of affectyon, the rather be blynded
and therfore of my translacon, not so synerely
iudge and dyscevre the trewth, my mynde could

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A pystle to the

in no wyse herewyth be satysfyed untyll, I had

farther shewed the same unto other also no then
one or twayne very wyse and well learned men
desyryng theyr advyse and iudgement therein,
beyng suche of theym selwes, as I well wyste
were neyther wth favor borne forward me, lykely
to be corrupted, nor againe for theyr wytt eru=
dycon and knowledge unable to conferr my
translacon wth the Greke, and soone perreyve
where I had swarved or varyed therfro ,
Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –
vii d.a. Kal. Martii VI Fran. PP

when they therfore whose advyse and cowncell

for theyr wysdome and learnyng I asked in yt
behalf, and whych have at my request vouche=
safed to rede over my booke had laysorly per=
vsed, examyned lyked 'and allowed the same,
then waxed I theruppon some what ye bolder
and wass moche the rather encowraged to dedy=
cate thys my symple worke unto yowr noble
grace, Nowe as towchyng the rawsyss that

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Ladye Maryess Grace

moved me to be so lothe fyrst to take theys

translacon in hande, to tell yowr highness the
very trewth, dyverse there were, but moste
specyally these, Fyrst was thys worke
never prynted in Greke, save onely ones, and
that in suche sorte, that yf ys in sundrye placys
wonderfully umperfecte and corrupte, ye blame
wherof can I not wholy ympute to the prynter
but rather doo I1 connecture that the copyes whych
the prynter folowed were eyther untrewlye
wrytten, or else perchannce wth longe leyng
in suche wyse worne and peryshed that in e=
very place thorowly the worde and sentencys
therof coulde not well be redd and dyscerned
Secondly doth Eusebius alledge many autho=
rytyes owt of sundrye Greke authors, which
were in hys tyme abrode in memys hande, but
syns have bene loste, and are nowe therfore to
owr knowledge, no where to come by, by reason

5r

A pystle to the

whereof who so stundyth or redyth that storye

ys fayne many tymes to passe over some parte
therof not fully and wholy satysfyed therin
for that suche allegacions being here and there
brought in by small patches and peycys doo2 for ye

1
Inserted later with a ^.
2
Inserted later with a ^.
Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –
vii d.a. Kal. Martii VI Fran. PP

moste parte necessaryly requyre ye knowledge

of the sentence in the woryter from whens they
be alledged, bothe foregoyng and after folowyng,
Thyrdly the names of measures, coynes, and
suche other things lyke, whych though they
were many a daye a go, comonly used and well
knowen, are nowe for all that, at thys present
tyme, growen quyte owt of use and utterly un=
knowen, Howe be yt, thys one thyng was I
evermore well ware of, that when so there
channred any suche strange names to comme
to my hande, neyther dyd I empayr the sence
and meanyng of the author, nor yet leave
againe the place so obscure and Darke, but

that yt might

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Ladye Maryess grace

that yt myght well and easely ynough be per=

ceyved and understanden, Fourthly y e profound
and grave style of Eusebius, whych as in so
high a matter as he tooke in hand to treate of
was moste decent and beste besenyng hym, so
thought me yf on the tother syte a thyng unde=
cent, and very farre unbesenyng, yf I should
not also for my parte labour and endevor my
self, wth all possyble Diligence to sett forth
the same lykewyse in Englyshe, somewhat ac=
cordyngly, as the growytye and ymportannce
of so notable a storye requyred, For well
maye I in dede, and wth good right call thyr
storye notable, syth onely scrypture excepted
no one worthbe ys ther, that entreateth of more
high more pleasant, more profytable matters
or thinge more mete and worthye to be redd
studyed, and knowen of every good chrysen
man and woman, then doth even thys fore

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A pystle to the

remembred storye of Eusebius, For though

Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –
vii d.a. Kal. Martii VI Fran. PP

there hath bene no tyme syns the Ascensyon of owr

Savyour Chryste, but that yf hath pleased the
goodnes of all mighty god to worke wonderfully
by hys servante, to bewtyfye and adorne hys
holy churche wth the gyfte of learnyng, trewth,
fervent fayth, of vertewouse and godly lyvyng,
yet no tyme ys ther, that can be matched or compa=
red wth the prymytyve churche, in whych flo=
ryshed so many gloryouse martyrs, so many ho=
ly confessors, so excellent, so syncerely learned
doctors, so notable workers of myracles, so noble
prelates and bysshoppes, so dylygently tendring
the weale of theyr floke, and fynally also, so
manye wth all godly gyfte and qualytyes re=
plenyshed, that no tyme hath there bene from
the very fyrst creacon of the worlde tyll then
nor from thensforth agayne, even fyll, owr
dayes, no nor yet as I verely suppose shall be

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Ladye Maryess grace

neyther to ye very laste end of the world, that

thereunto in any thyng maye be fonde compacable,
wherfor for as moche as thys so notable a storye
requyred a notable style, no marvayle was yt
though partly in consyderacon of myne owne rude
style, namely syth wth suche manor matters I
had never bene inured partly for ye other cawses
here to fore rehersed I was moche dysrowraged
to take uppon me to translate so profound and
excellent a worke, But nowe syth the fyrst
.v. booke I have all ready endyd, and the same
thought meke above all other to dedycate unto
yowr gracyes goodnes of yowr excellent pru=
dence and incomparable beingyte to hold my
rude boldnes excused gratyously acceptyng (as
my trust ys, my good wyll and endevor in thys
behalf, whych doyng yowr grace shall not
onely cawse me to be glad that I have done

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A pystle to the
Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –
vii d.a. Kal. Martii VI Fran. PP

the thyng whych to yowr noblenes shoulde be ac=

ceptable, but also greately encowrage me there=
wth all to procede forth wth the remandmte of
the storye, And where as further for retayne
consyderacons moste noble prynces, one for myne
owne execcyse in the latyn tonge, an other for
that I thought thys kynde of studye should be
to me no small fartherannce toward the af=
taynyng of the trewe sence and understandyng
of the anthor, and specyally for as moche as
Ruffyne by whome thys worke was (as far
as ever I cowld here, fyrst translated in to
latyn (I meane not here any thyng to speake to
hys dysprayse, for yf he had not taken payne
thereabowt, the latyn churche of lykelyhod
thys eleven hundreth yere and more (whych
had bene wth owt doubt greate pynte) should
have lacked the knowledge of so godly and
profytable a storye) doth not in all poynte

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Lady Maryess grace

thorowly performe the offyce of a trewe

interpretor, sometyme alteryng yevery sence
sometyme omyttyng whole sentens to gyther,
sometyme addyng and puttyng to of hys owne,
as manyfestly in hys translacon apperyth,
where as I for these consyderacons and dyvers
other, enterprysed also to translate the same
storye owt of greke in to latyn, and had made
an end of the fyrst booke, I was theruppon
ymmeadyately for a very trewth enformed yt
a greate learned man had the whole trans=
lacon thereof fully fynysshed all readye,
whereuppon I (as me thought was mete leste
of thys my foresayd enterpryse beyng nowe
so bold yet ones agayne as thys my poor labor
to present unto yowr highnes, moste humbly
desyryng yowr grace of yowr great goodnes
to attempt and take in good parte thys lyttle pese
also, and moreover to pardon me for ye cawse

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Hic manuscriptus transcripsi in Kansiopoli ad Universitatem Kansiopolis in Missouria –
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A pystle

here to fore rehersed that I procede no farther

therein, Thus the Holy Trynyte evermore
preserve yowr moste noble grace in soery
prosperouse estate and worthye yowr byrth
and vertewe, and grannte unto yowr high=
nes good helth wth longe lyf, and what so
ever thyng besyde yowr noble harte ran
well wyshe or desyre,