fair and honest terms and words in French; which I never saw before like, ne none so pleasant ne so well ordered; which book as seemed to me should be much requisite to noble men to see, as well for the eloquence as the histories.  How well that many hundred years past was the said book of Aeneidos, with other works, made and learned daily in schools, especially in Italy and other places; which history the said Virgil made in metre.  And when I had advised me in this said book, I delibered and concluded to translate it into English; and forthwith took a pen and ink and wrote a leaf or twain, which I oversaw again to correct it.  And when I saw the fair and strange terms therein, I doubted that it should not please some gentlemen which late blamed me, saying that in my translations I had over curious terms, which could not be understood of common people, and desired me to use old and homely terms in my translations.  And fain would I satisfy every man, and so to do took an old book and read therein, and certainly the English was so rude and broad that I could not well understood it.  And also my Lord Abbot of Westminster did do show to me lately certain evidences written in old English, for to reduce it into our English now used.  And certainly it was written in such wise that it was more like to Dutch than English, I could not reduce ne bring it to be understood.  And certainly our language now used varieth far from that which was used and spoken when I was born.  For we Englishmen be born under the domination of the moon, which is never steadfast but ever wavering, waxing one season and waneth and decreaseth another season.  And that common English that is spoken in one shire varieth from another, insomuch that in my days happened that certain merchants were in a ship in Thames for to have sailed over the sea into Zealand, and for lack of wind they tarried at Foreland, and went to land for to refresh them.  And one of them named Sheffield, a mercer, came into a house and asked for meat, and especially he asked after eggs; and the good wife answered that she could speak no French, and the merchant was angry, for he also could speak no French, but would have had eggs, and she understood him not.  And then at last another said, that he would have “eyren”; then the goodwife said that she understood him well.  Lo, what should a man in these days now write, eggs or eyren?  Certainly it is hard to please every man because of diversity and change of language.  For in these days every man that is in any reputation in his country will utter his communication and matters in such manners and terms that few men shall understand them.  And some honest and great clerks have been with me and desired me to write the most curious terms that I could find; and thus between plain, rude and curious I stand abashed.  But in my judgment the common terms that be daily used be lighter to be understood than the old and ancient English.  And forasmuch as this present book is not for a rude uplandish man