o a
great multitude of God's servants; but they had very little knowledge of
the books, for they could not understand anything of them, because they
were not written in their own language. As if they had said, "Our
forefathers, who formerly held these places, loved wisdom, and through
it they obtained wealth and bequeathed it to us. In this we can still
see their tracks, but we cannot follow them, and therefore we have lost
both the wealth and the wisdom, because we would not incline our hearts
after their example."

When I remembered all this, I wondered extremely that the good and wise
men, who were formerly all over England, and had perfectly learnt all
the books, did not wish to translate them into their own language. But
again, I soon answered myself and said, "They did not think that men
would ever be so careless, and that learning would so decay; therefore
they abstained from translating, and they trusted that the wisdom in
this land might increase with our knowledge of languages."

Then I remember how the law was first known in Hebrew, and again, when
the Greeks had learnt it, they translated the whole of it into their own
language, and all other books besides. And again, the Romans, when they
had learnt it, they translated the whole of it through learned
interpreters into their own language. And also all other Christian
nations translated a part of them into their own language. Therefore it
seems better to me, if ye think so, for us also to translate some books
which are most needful for all men to know, into the language which we
can all understand, and for you to do as we very easily can if we have
tranquillity enough; that is, that all the youth now in England of free
men, who are rich enough to be able to devote themselves to it, be set
to learn as long as they are not fit for any other occupation, until
that they are well able to read English writing: and let those be
afterward taught more in the Latin language who are to continue learning
and be promoted to a higher rank. When I remember how the knowledge of
Latin had formerly decayed throughout England, and yet many could read
English writing, I began among other various and manifold troubles of
this kingdom, to translate into English the book which is called in
Latin 'Pastoralis,' and in English 'Shepherd's Book,' sometimes word by
word and sometimes according to the sense, as I had learnt it from
Plegmund, my archbishop, and Asser, my bishop, and Grim