chapytres, whiche speaken of many faire / and dyverse matters, whiche they that shall reade thys sayde chapytres, shall nowe see the history all alonge. Who that wyll know the history of the foure noble and worthye knyghtes / named the foure sonnes of Aymon, wherof the fyrste was called Reynawde, the seconde Alarde, the thyrde Guycharde, and fourthe Rycharde, let hym first reade this presente table folowynge / In whiche men shall fynde that thys [presente booke conteyneth. Heere foloweth the Table of this presente booke. And I shall praye almighty God for them that so doo, to rewarde them in suche wyse, that after this shorte / and transytory lyfe, we all may come to everlastyng lyfe in heven. For, accordyng to the coppy / whyche he sent to me, I have folowed as nigh as I can, and where as, as any defaute shall be founde, I submyt me to the correction of them / that vnderstande the cronycle & history, besethyng them to correcte it & amende there / as they shall fynde faute. And besechynge his said noble good grace / to pardon me of ye rude, and this simple worke. sonnes of Aymon, otherwyse named in Frenche, 'Les quatre fylz Aymon.' Whyche booke, accordynge to hys request, I have endevorde me to accomplyshe / and to reduce it into our englyshe, to my great coste / and charges, as in the translatinge / as in enprynting of the same, hopying & not doubtyng / but that hys good grace / shall rewarde me in suche wise that I shall have cause to pray for his good and prosperus welfare. And also that my sayd Lorde / desyreth to have other Hystories of olde tyme / passed of vertues chyvalry, reduced in lykewyse into our Englishe tongue: he late sent to me a booke in Frenche, conteynyng thactes / and faytes of warre / doone and made agaynst ye great Emperour and king of Fraunce, Charlemagne, by ye. Therfore, late at ye request and commaundement of the ryght noble and vertus Erle Iohn, Erle of Oxeforde, my good synguler / and especial lorde, I reduced and translated out of Frenche, into our maternall and Englyshe tongue, the lyfe of one of his predecessoures, named Robert, Erle of Oxeforde, tofore sayd, with [diverse & many great myracles / whiche God shewed for him as wel in his lyfe / as after his death, as it is shewed all a longe in hys sayde booke. And bycause that above all thinges, the princes & lordes of hie estate and entendement / desyre to see thystoryes / of the ryght noble and hye vertues of the prodecessours / whiche ben digne, and worthy of remembraunce of perpetuall recommendation.

And vpon these three they have greatly laboured / in suche that thanked be God, by theyr good dylygence / and laboures, they have had greate knowledge by innumerable volumes of bookes, whiche have be made / and compyled by great studye and payne / vnto thys day.

Some by Phylosophy, other by Poetrye, and other by Historyes / and cronyikes / of thynges passed. As the philosopher, in the fyrst booke of hys metaphysyque, sayth, that every man / naturally desireth to know / and to con newe thynges: And therfore have the Clerkes / & people / of great vnderstandynge desyred and concite to lerned sciences, and to know vertues of thinges.

Chevalier historie english translation