A prolog on Þe booc of Eſter
Þe boc of Eſter to be maad vicious of dyuerſe tranſlatoures is knowen, whom I, of þe libraries of Ebrues takende vp, woord bi woord more openli tranſlatide; þe whiche boc þe comun making drawiþ along hider and þider wiþ þe torne draȝtis, addende þoo þingis, þat of tyme myȝten ben ſeid and herd; as it is wont to ſcoleris diſciplines, and a þeme taken, to out þenke what woordis he myȝte vſen, he þat ſuffride wrong, or he þat dide wrong. Ȝee forſoþe, O! Paule and Euſtache, þat onli han ſtudied to gon in to þe libraries of Ebrues, and þe ſtriues of interpretoures han knowen, holdende Eſter an Ebru boc, beholdeþ bi alle þe woordis oure tranſlacioun; þat ȝee moun knowen me no þing alſo to han encreſid addende, but wiþ trewe witneſſing ſimpleli, as it is had in Ebreu, þe Ebru ſtorie to han taken to Latin tunge. Ne we deſiren þe preiſingus of men, ne blamingus wee dreden. Forſoþe wee beſiende to pleſen to God, vtterli wee drede not þe þretis of men; for God ſcatereþ þe bones of hem þat deſiren to pleſen to men, and, after þe apoſtil, þey, þat ſuche men ben, moun not ben þe ſeruauns of Criſt. Ferþermor in þe boc of Eſter wee han maad an abece of red colour vnto þe eiȝþe lettre in diuers placis, willende, þat is, þe order of þe ſeuenti interpretoures bi þeſe þingus to ſhewen a wijs redere; we forſoþe after þe maner han leuere, and in þe making of þe ſeuenti remenoures, to purſue þe order of Ebrues.