1Forsooth it is found in writings [or in describings] of Jeremy, the prophet, that he commanded them that passed over, for to take fire, as it is signified, and as he bade to men passing over, or captive.

2And he gave to them the law, lest they forgot the behests of the Lord; and that they should not err in souls, [or understandings], seeing golden and silvern simulacra, and ornaments or adornments of them.

3And he said other such things, and admonished, that they should not remove the law from their hearts.

4Soothly it was in that writing, how the prophet bade, by God’s answer made to him, that the tabernacle and the ark follow with them, till he went out into the hill in which Moses ascended, and saw the heritage of God.

5And Jeremy came, and found there a place of [a] den, and brought in thither the tabernacle, and the ark, and altar of incense, and stopped the door.

6And some men came together that followed, for to mark the place to them, and [they] might not find.

7Forsooth as Jeremy knew, he blamed them, and said, that the place shall be unknown, till God gather the congregation [together] of people, and be made helpful, or merciful.

8And then the Lord shall show these things, and the majesty of the Lord shall appear; and a cloud shall be, as to Moses it was showed, and as when Solomon asked, that the place should be hallowed to the great God, this cloud showed;

9and as having wisdom, he offered sacrifice of hallowing, and of perform-ing of the temple.

10As and Moses prayed to the Lord, and fire came down from heaven, and wasted the burnt sacrifices; as and Solomon prayed, and fire came down from heaven, and wasted the burnt sacrifice[s].

11And Moses said, For that it is not cleansed, that was for sin, and it was wasted.

12Also and Solomon in eight days made solemn the hallowing.

13Forsooth and these same things were put in descriptions, and expo-sitions of Nehemiah; and as he made a little bible, and gathered books of countries, and of prophets, and of David, and epistles of kings, and gifts.

14Also soothly and Judas gathered all those things which he learned by battle, that befell to us, and they be with us.

15Therefore if ye desire these, send ye which shall bear to you.

16Therefore we doing purifying, have written to you; therefore ye shall do well, if ye shall do these days.

17Forsooth it is God that delivered his people, and yielded his heritage to all, and realm, and priesthood, and hallowing,

18as he promised in the law, we hope that soon he shall have mercy on us, and shall gather from under heaven into the holy place; for he delivered us from great perils, and purged the place.

19Soothly of Judas Maccabeus, and his brethren, and of purifying of the great temple, and of hallowing of the altar;

20but and of the battles, that pertain to Antiochus the noble or Epiphanes, and his son Eupator;

21and of lightnings that were made from heaven, to them that strongly did for Jews, so that, when they were few, they avenged all the country, and drove an heathen multitude,

22and recovered the most famous temple in all the world; and delivered the city, that the laws that were done away were restored; for the Lord was made helpful to them, with all peace-ability.

23And also we attempted or assayed for to abridge in one book, things comprehended of Jason of Cyrene in five books.

24Forsooth we beheld or beholding the multitude and hardness of books, to men willing for to begin the tellings of stories, for multitude of things;

25and soothly we had busyness [or we cared], that it were delectation, or liking, of soul to men willing for to read; forsooth to studious men, that they might lightlier betake to mind; forsooth that to all men reading profit be given.

26And soothly we took to us-selves [or ourselves] that received this work, by cause of abridging, not easy travail, but soothly a work full of wakings and [of] sweat.

27As these that make ready a feast, and seek for to please to the will of other men, for grace of many men, we suffer willfully travail;

28forsooth we grant the truth of all authors, but we us-self [or we our-selves] study to shortness, by the form given.

29Forsooth as it is to the chief carpenter [or the wright] of a new house, to be busy of all the building; to him soothly that busyeth for to paint, those things be to be sought out, that be covenable to adorning; so it is to be guessed also in us.

30Forsooth for to gather under-standing, and ordain a word, and full busily for to inquire all parts of the story, each by themselves, accordeth to an author;

31forsooth for to pursue shortness of saying, and for to eschew out pursuings of things, is to be granted to the abridger.

32Therefore from henceforth we shall begin the telling; be it enough for to have said so much of prefaction, or before-speaking; for it is folly for to float out, either be long, before the story, but in that story for to be made short.