IN tyme paste whanne this warke was prynted , I can not very well coniecte , what was the cause therof , the prologue before was cleane altered . And by that mene it wold seme , that Gower dydde compyle it at the requeste of the noble duke Henry of Lancastre . And all though the bokes that be wrytten , be contrary , yet I haue folowed therin the prynt copie , for as moche as it may serue both weyes , and bycause most copies of the same warke are in printe : but yet I thought it good to warne the reder , that the writen copies do not agre with the prynted . Therfore syr I haue prynted here those same lynes , that I fynde in the wrytten copies . The whiche alteration ye shall perceyue beganne at the .xxiij. lyne in the prologue , and goth forth on , as ye se here folowynge .

¶ And thus I saye for these .lxx. lynes , there be as many other printed , that be cleane contrarye vnto these bothe in sentence and in meanyng . And farthermore there were lette out in dyuers places of the warke lynes and columnes , ye and sometyme holle padges ; whiche caused , that this mooste pleasunt and easy auctor coude not wel be perceyued : for that and chaungynge of wordes , and misord●ynge of sentences , wolde haue mased his mynde in redynge , that had ben very 〈◊〉 learned : and what can be a greatter 〈◊〉 ●he vnto a noble auctour ? And 〈◊〉 p●●ise worthily vnto you the great 〈◊〉 of this auctour , I knowe my ●●●●ght moche vnable ; ye shall your ●●●we ●●eine , whan ye shall se hym 〈◊〉 as I can ) sette forth in his owne ●●ppe and lykenes . And this the mene 〈◊〉 I maye be bolde to saye , that if we 〈◊〉 ●e●er haue sene his counnynge 〈…〉 the whiche euen at the full do 〈…〉 ●●at a clerke he was , the wor●● 〈◊〉 ●●oste famous and excellente 〈…〉 ●●●er , that he wrote in the 〈…〉 m●●te speciall warke , that is 〈…〉 and Creseyde , do suffi●●● 〈◊〉 the same , where he sayth :

〈◊〉 G●wer , this boke I directe 〈…〉 the philosophical Strode : 〈…〉 ●●●te , ther nede is , to correcte 〈◊〉 your be●ignites and zeles good .

〈◊〉 ●he whiche noble warke , and many 〈…〉 the sayde Chausers , that neuer 〈◊〉 ●●fore imprinted , & those that very ●●we m●n knewe , and fewer hadde them , ●●●●we of late put forthe to gether in a 〈◊〉 ●●●ume . By the whiche wordes of 〈◊〉 , we may also vnderstonde , that 〈◊〉 Gower were bothe of one selfe 〈◊〉 ●●th excellently lerned , both great frendes to gether , and bothe a lyke ende●oured them selfe and imployed theyr tyme ●o wel and so vertuously , that they dyd not onely passe forth their lyfes here ●yght honourably ; but also for their so doynge , so longe ( of lykelyhode ) as letters shal endure & continue , this noble royalme shall be the better , ouer and besyde theyr honest fame and renowme . And thus whan they hadde gone theyr iourney ; the one of them , that is to saye , Iohn Gower prepared for his bones a restynge place in the monastery of saynt Marye Oueres , where somwhat after the olde fasshion he lyeth ryght sumptuously buryed with a garlande on his heed , in token that he in his lyfe dayes flourysshed fresshely in literature and science . And the same moniment , in remembraunce of hym erected , is on the Northe syde of the fore sayde churche , in the chapell of saynte Iohn , where he hath of his owne foundation a masse dayly songe . And more ouer he hath an obyte yerely done for hym within the same churche / on fryday after the feaste of the blessed pope saynte Gregory .

Besyde on the wall where as be lyeth there be peynted thre virgins with crownes on theyr beedes / one of the whiche is wrytten Charitie / and she holdethe this diuise in her honde .

¶ The seconde is wrytten Mercye , whiche holdeth in her hande this diuise : O bone Iesu fait ta mercy Al alme , dont le corps gist icy .

¶ The thyrde of them is wrytten Pite , whiche holdeth in her hand this diuise folowynge .

¶ And there by hongeth a table , wherin appereth that who so euer praith for the soule of Iohn Gower , he shall so oft as he so dothe , haue a thousande and fyue handred dayes of pardon .