126
ALBON UND AMPHABEL.
[BUCH I.]
To whose worshyp first I vndertoke
The translation of this lyttell holte,
At the request and vertuousbyddyng
Of my father, thabbot of that place,
885 A clerke noble, perfyte of lyuyng,
Hauyng in custome euery houre and
space —
To auoyde slouth and vertue to pur-
chace —
Lyke any Ample all seasons of the yere
To gadergrayneand stuffen his garner;
89° By whose notable compylations
Illumyned is not only his gaye library,
By also full diligent occupations
Agaynstydienes, to all vertue contrary,
Hat set in order, in his famous granery
895 A boke compyled, rycher than golde
in coffers:
Lyues of poetes and prudent philo
sophers.
Of his name the Ethymologie
Is sayd of an home or stede of whete —
Of god prouyded doth clereiy signifie
9°o Whete-glenes of the mouthe of tholde
poete,
Grcyne, | frute 1 and floure with rhe-
toriques swete
Of philosophers, callyng to memory
Of his labour the laureat repertory.
And as I say de, by his cömaun-
dement
905 I toke vpon me this translation,
First to compyle it in all my best entent
His famous knyghthode and renowne;
And nowe to tell of his conuersation
To Christis lawe, I cast me for to
wryte,
910 Folowynge the storye his passyon to
endite;
To precede, lyke as I am bounde,
For to accomplysshe brefly in sub
stance
This lyttellboke, andcallittheseconde,
Of his martyrdome and meke suf-
fraunce,
915 And put aforne clereiy in remem-
braunce
Howe Amphiball, as the crony cle sayth,
Tourned Albon vnto Christis fayth.
Eche of them (by recorde ofwrity nge)
Was plainely without others remem-
braunce:
920 For Albon had lost the knowlegynge
Of Amphabell | and all olde acquein-
taunce;
But by the meaneofgoddesordynaunce
I wyll declare, | as I am bounde of det,
In Verolamy ] to tell how they met,
925 Plainly precede, | as I vndertoke,
The residue to accomplysshe for his
sake,
Make here an ende of the first boke.
But now, forsothe, | my penne I fele
quake,
Voideofallcolour] saueof letters blake
93° In this processe my dulnesse to acquite
The martirdome of Albon to endite.
Finis.
Here endeth the first boke | whiche treateth of the lyfe of Albon before he was
conuerted to the fay the.
898 Ed. am st. an. 900 Ed. gleues. 906 tilge it.
884) Abbot (ohne the). 885) notable. 887) To wroth slought. 888) empte. 889) And gadre.
891) gaye fehlt. 892) But by d. o. 893) agayne. 894) hath, granarie. 895) cofurs. 896) philoso-
fours. 898) Seyde of an home or a st. 900) of the mouthe of that famous p. 904) And fehlt, tolde.
907) and his. 919) oute of other r. 925) to procede. 1 furst. 928) in sothe. 930) for to acquitee. 906) it fehlt.
931) forto endytee. Finis fehlt. Ms. Chr. schliesst; here endith the furst boke. And here begynnyth the
Prologe of the Secunde boke of the Conuercioun and Conuertynge of the blessid Martyr seint Albon.
