¶ Here begoneth the preface or prologue of the fyrste book of Esope
Romulus ſon of thybere
Cyte of Atyque / gretyng / Esope man of grece / ſubtyll and Ingenyous / techeth in his fables how men ought to kepe and rewle them well / And to thende that he ſhold ſhewe the lyf and cuſtomes of al maner of men / he induceth the byrdes / the trees and the beeſtes ſpekynge to thende that the men may knowe wherfore the fables were found / In the whiche he hath wreton the malyce of the euylle people and the argument of the Improbes / He techeth alſo to be humble and for to vſe wordes / And many other fayr Enſamples reherced and declared here after / the whiche I Romulus have tranſlated oute of grekes tongue in to latyn tongue / the whiche yf thou rede them / they ſhalle aguyſe and ſharpe thy wytte and ſhal gyue to the cauſe of Joye /
