Þe Prolog in Þe Book of Yſaye
No man, whan þe profetes he ſhal ſeen wiþ verſis to ben diſcriued, in metre eyme he hem anent þe Ebrues to ben bounden, and any þing lic to han of Salmes, or of þe werkus of Salomon; but þat in Demoſtene and Tullio it is wont to ben do, þat bi dyuyſeouns, and vnder diſtincciouns þei ben writen, þe whiche forſoþe in proſe, and not in vers wryten. Wee forſoþe, to þe profit of rederes purueyende, þe newe remenyng wiþ a newe maner of writing han diſtinctly write. And firſt, of Iſaie it is to write, þat in his ſermoun he is wys; forſoþe as a noble man, and of curteis fair ſpeche, ne any þing is mengd of cherlhed in his faire ſpeche. Wherfore it falleþ, þat þe tranſlacioun ſhal not moun kepe þe flour of his ſermoun, biforn oþere. Þeraftir alſo þis is to be leid to, þat not more he is to be ſeyd a profete, þan euaungeliſt. So forſoþe alle þe myſteries of Criſt and þe chirche to cleer, or cleerli, he purſuede, þat not hym þou weene of þyng to come to profecien, but of þe þingis paſſid ſtorie to weue. Wherfore I eyme þe Seuenty Remenoures þat tyme not to han wold þe ſacramens of þer beleeue to ſhewe ful clerly to þe heþene, leſt hoeli to dogges, and margarites to ſwyn þei ȝeeue. Þe whiche whan þis making ȝee ſhul rede, of hem ȝee ſhul taken heed, or perceyue, hid þing. Ne I vnknowe of hou myche trauaile it be þe profetes to vnderſtonden, ne liȝtly any man to moun demen of þe remenyng, but if he ſchal vnderſtonden byfore he ſchal reden; wee alſo to ben opene to þe bitingus of manye men, þe whiche bi enuye ſtyrende, þat þat þei moun not han, þei diſpiſeden. Þanne I witende and ſleeȝ, in to þe flaume putte þe hond; and nerþelatere þis of noȝeſum rederes I preȝe, þat as Grekes after þe Seuenty tranſlatoures, Aquylam, and Symachum, and Theodocian þei reden, or for ſtudie of þer doctrine, or þat þe Seuenty more þey vnderſtonde of þe togidere leiynge of hem, ſo and þeſe namely oon remenour aftir þe raþere vouche þei ſaf to han. Rede þei raþere, and aftirward diſpiſe þey; leſt þei ben ſeen not of dom, but of preſumpcioun of hate vnknowen þyngus to dampnen. Forſoþe Iſaie profeciede in Jeruſalem and in Jewerie, not ȝit þe ten lynages led in to caitifte; and off euer eiþer rewme, now togidere, now ſeuerendely, he ordeynede þe profecie. And þoȝ oþer while he bihold to þe preſent ſtorie, and aftir þe caitifte of Babiloyne he betokneþ þe aȝeencomyng of þe puple in to Jewerie, nerþelatere al his biſyneſſe is of þe cleping of Jentiles, and of þe comyng of Criſt, whom hou myche more ȝee loouen, o Paule and Euſtoche, ſo myche more of hym aſkeþ, þat for þe preſent bacbityng by which me enemys vnceſendely to-tern, he to me ȝelde meede in tyme to come, þat wot me for þat þing to han ſwat in þe lernyng of a ſtraunge tunge, leſt þe Jewis lengere ſhulden put repreue to þe chirchis of hym, of þe falſhed of ſcriptures.