The Booke of Thenseygnementes and Techynge that the Knyght of the Towre made to his Doughters/Caxton's Preface
CAXTON'S PREFACE.
LLE vertuouse doctryne & techynge had & lerned of suche as haue endeuoured them to leue for a remembraunce after theyr dethe to vs, by whiche we ben enfourmed in scyence, wysedom, and vnderstandyng of knowleche, hou we ought to rewle our self in this present lyf, haue caused vs to know many good reules & vertuouse maners to be gouerned by. Emonge al other this book is a special doctryne & techyng, by which al yong gentyl wymen specially may lerne to bihaue them self vertuously, as wel in their vyrgynyte as in their wedlok & wedowhede, as al along shal be more playnly said in the same; which boke is comen to my handes by the request and desyre of a noble lady which hath brouȝt forth many noble & fayr douȝters which ben vertuously nourisshed & lerned; and for very ziele & loue that she hath alway had to her fayr children, & yet hath for to haue more knouleche in vertue, to thēde yͭ they may alwey perseuere in ye same, hath desired & required me to trāslate & reduce this said book out of frenssh in to our vulgar englissh, to thēde that it may the better be vnderstōde of al suche as shal rede or here it. Wherfor, atte cōtemplacion of her good grace, after the lytel connyng that god hath sent me, j have endeuoyred me to obeye her noble desyre & request, in whiche werk j fynd many vertuous good enseygnementis & lernynges, by euydent histories of auctorite & good ensāples for al maner peple in generally, but in especial for ladyes & gentilwymen, douȝters to lordes & gentilmen: for whiche book al the gentilwymen now lyuyng &
herafter to come or shal be, arn bounde to gyue laude, praysyng, & thankynges to the auctor of this book, & also to the lady that caused me to trāslate it, & to pray for her long lyf & welfare, &, when god wil calle her fro this transitory lyf, that she may regne in heuen sempiternally, where as is Ioye & blysse without ende. Thēne, fo as moche as this book is necessary to euery gentilwoman, of what estate she be, j aduyse euery gentilman or woman, hauyng such children, desyryng them to be vertuously brouȝt forth, to gete & haue this book, to thende that they may lerne hou they ouȝt to gouerne them vertuously in this present lyf, by whiche they may the better & hastlyer come to worship and good renommee. And I desyre all them that shall lerne or see ony thynge in this sayd book, by whiche they shal ben the wyser & better, that they gyue laude & thākyng to the sayd ladyes good grace, and also to praye for her; and where as ony
defaulte shalle be founde in the reducynge and translatynge in to our Englysshe tongue, that it be arrettid to me, whiche am Ignoraunt and not expert in the werke, thouȝ so be that I haue emprysed here to fore to smatre me in suche translacions, whiche I confesse and knowleche me ignoraunt and therin to be Imperfect. Wherfore I humbly requyre and byseche my sayd good lady to pardonne me of my symple and rude reducynge, and yf ony thynge be sayd or made vnto her playsyre, than I thynke my labour wel employed, whome j humbly byseche to receyue this lytel book in gree & thanke, & I shalle pray to almyghty god for her longe and good lyf, and to send to her after this shorte and transytory lyf euerlastyng lyf in heuen. Amen. And alle other that be vnderstandyng & fyndyng ony defaute, j requyre and pray them of theyre charyte to correcte and amende hit, and so doyng they shal deserue thanke and meryte of god, to whome I shalle pray for them.