Þe Prolog of Þe Sawter
Whan it is knowe, alle þe profetis to han ſpoke bi reuelacioun of þe Holi Goſt, Dauid moſt of profetis to han ſpoken ſum wiſe in wrþiere and ouer paſſende maner, as þe trumpe of þe Holi Goſt, þan oþere profetis. Oþere forſoþe profetis profecieden bi ſum maner ymagis of þingus, and wiþinne coueryngis of woordis, þat is, bi ſweuenes, and viſeouns, and deedis, and ſawis; Dauid forſoþe, þurȝ ſtiring of þe Holi Goſt alone, wiþoute vttermor helpe his profecie made out. Wherfor couenabli þis boc is ſeid, Þe boc of ſolitarie ſpechis. It is alſo ſeid a Sauter, þe whiche name it toc of a muſik inſtrument, þat Ebruli is clepid nablum, Grekli a ſauter, of þis Grek woord ſallim, þat is, touching; Latinli is ſeid an orgne, þat is of ten cordis, and fro þe ouere part ȝiueþ ſoun, bi þe touch of hondis. Of þat forſoþe inſtrument at þe lettre þerfore is nemned þis boc, for at þe vois of þat inſtrument Dauid ſong ſalmys beforn þe arke in þe tabernacle of þe Lord; and as alle þe ſweete ſongus of þat inſtrument weren clepid ſalmys, ſo and alle þe particlis of þis boc, or clauſis. Alſo aftir þe ſpirituel vnderſtonding wel of þat inſtrument it takeþ name, for as þat inſtrument is of ten cordis, ſo þis boc techeþ þe al aboute keping of þe ten heſtis; and as þat inſtrument ȝiueþ ſoun fro þe ouere part bi þe touch of hondis, ſo þis boc techeþ wel to werche, not for erþeli þingis, but for heuenli þingus, þat ben aboue. Þis boc ſtant in an hundrid and fifti ſalmys, not biſide þe reſoun of heȝere ſignefiyng; þis forſoþe noumbre is notid to moſt ſolempne myſteries. It ſtant forſoþe of eiȝteti and ſeuenti. And eiȝtety al oon ſignefieþ þat eiȝte, and ſeuenti þe ſame þat ſeuene. Eiȝte forſoþe ſignefieþ þe eiȝtþe age of aȝeen riſing; for ſiþen þer ben ſixe agis of men liuende, and þe ſeuenþe of men diende, þe eiȝþe age ſhal ben of men aȝeen riſende. Bi ſeuene forſoþe is betocned þe time of þis lif, þat is paſſid bi þe ofteſiþes comyng of ſeuen daȝes. Riȝtli þanne þis boc is maad in ſuch a noumbre of ſalmys, whos partyes ſignefien þe beforſeid myſteries; for it techeþ ſo vs in þe ſeuenþe of þis lif to werken and to liuen, þat in þe eiȝþe of aȝeen riſing wee be not clad wiþ þe doublefold cloþ of confuſioun, but wiþ þe ſtole of double glorifiyng. Or þerfore in þat noumbre of ſalmys it is maad, for, as wee han ſeid, þis noumbre ſtant of eiȝteti and ſeuenti, þat al oon betocnen þat eiȝte and ſeuene. Eiȝte forſoþe betocneþ þe newe teſtament, þe fadris forſoþe of þe newe teſtament to ogdoadi, þat is, to eiȝte deſeruen. Þei kepen forſoþe þe eiȝþe dai of þe reſureccioun of Criſt, þat is, þe ſone dai, and þe vtas of ſeintis, and abijden þe eiȝte of þe aȝeen riſing. Bi ſeuene forſoþe is betocned þe olde teſtament þerfore; for þe fadris of þe olde teſtament ſerueden to ebdoady, þat is, to ſeuene. Forſoþe þei kepten þe ſeuenþe dai, and þe ſeuenþe wike, þe ſeuenþe moneþ, þe ſeuenþe ȝer, and þe ſeuenþe ȝer of þe ſeuenþe, þat is, þe fiftiþe, þat is ſeid iubile. Wherfore Salomon ſeiþ, "Ȝif partis ſeuene and alſo eiȝte." And Mychias, "Wee ſhul reren vp on hym ſeuen ſhepperdis, and eiȝte primatis." Weel þerfore þis boc in þat noumbre of ſalmys is maad, whos partis betocnen þe doctrine of eiþer teſtament, þat bi þat be ſhewid þe heſtis of eiþer teſtament to be contened in þis boc. Þis boc forſoþe is deuydid bi þre fifties; bi þe whiche þre ſtatis of criſtene religioun ben betocned. Of whiche þe firſte is in penaunce, þe ſecounde in riȝtwiſneſſe, þe þridde in preiſing of þe euere laſtende lif. Wherfore þe firſte fifti is endid in penaunce, þat is, þe ſalm þat begynneþ "Haue mercy of me, God;" þe ſecounde in riȝtwiſneſſe, þat is, þis ſalm, "Mercy and dom I ſhal ſingen to þee;" þe þridde in preiſing of þe euere laſtende lif, þat is, þis woord "Eche ſpirit preiſe God." And for þeſe þre þingus techeþ Dauid in þis boc, þerfore þis þrefold diſtinccioun of ſalmys is maad. Alſo it is to be notid, þis ſcripture mor þan oþere to ofte ben vſid in chirche ſeruyſis, þat þerfore is don, for in þis boc is þe fulle ending of þe hole boc of Godis woord.