Litell Lowis (E2) my sone, I have perceived wel by certeyne evidences thyn abilite to lerne sciences touchinge noumbres and proporciouns; and as wel considere I thy bisy preyere in special to lerne the Tretis of the Astrolabe. Than, for as mechel as a philosofre (E3) seith, "he wrappeth him in his frend, that condescendeth to the rightful preyers of his frend", ther-for have I geven thee a suffisaunt (E4) Astrolabe as for oure orizonte, compowned after the latitude of Oxenford; up-on which, by mediacion of this litel tretis, I purpose to teche thee a certein nombre of conclusions apertening to the same instrument. I seye a certein (E5) of conclusions, for three causes. The furste cause is this: truste wel that alle the conclusiouns that han ben founde, or elles possibly mighten be founde in so noble an instrument as an Astrolabe, ben un-knowe perfitly to any mortal man this regioun, as I suppose. A-nother cause is this; that sothly, in any tretis of the Astrolabe that I have seyn, there ben some conclusions that wole nat in alle thinges performen hir bihestes; and some of hem ben to harde to thy tendre age of ten yeer to conseyve. This tretis, divided in fyve partis, wole I shewe thee under ful lighte rewles and naked wordes in English; for Latin ne canstow yit but smal, my lyte sone. But natheles, suffyse (E6) to thee thise trewn conclusiouns in English, as wel as suffyseth to thise noble clerkes Grekes thise same conclusions in Greek, and to Arabiens in Arabi, and to Iewes in Ebrew, and to the Latin folk in Latin; whiche Latin folk han hem forst out of othre diverse languages, and writen in hir owne tonge, that is to sein, in Latin. And god wot, that in alle thise languages, and in many mo, han thise conclusiouns ben suffisantly lerned and taught, and yit by diverse rewles, right as diverse pathes leden diverse folk the righte way to Rome. Now wol I prey meekly every discret persone that redeth or hereth this litel tretis, to have my rewde endyting for excused, and my superfluite of wordes, for two causes. The firste cause is, for that curious endyting and hard sentence is ful hevy atones for swich a child to lerne. (E7)  And the seconde cause is this, that sothly me semeth betre to wryten un-to a child twyes a good sentence, than he for-gete in ones. And Lowis, yif so be that I shewe thee in my lighte English as trewe conclusiouns touching this matere, and naught only as trewe but as many and as subtil conclusiouns as ben shewed in Latin in any commune tretis of the Astrolabe, con me the more thank; and preye god save the king, that is lord of this langage, and alle that him feyth bereth and obeyeth, everech in his degree, the more and the lasse. But considere wel, that I ne usurpe nat to have founde this werk of my labour of olde Astologiens, and have hit translated in myn English only for thy doctrine; and with this swerd shal I sleen envye.

I. The firste partie of this tretis shal reherse the figures and the membres of thyn Astrolabe, bi-cause that thou shalt han the grettre knowing of thyn owne instrument.

II. The second partie shal teche thee werken the verrey practik of the forseide conclusiouns, as ferforth and as narweas may be shewed in so smal an instrument portatif aboute. For wel wot every astrologien that smalest fraccions ne wol nat ben shewed in so smal an instrument, as in subtil tables calculed for a cause.

III. The thridde partie shal contienen diverse tables of longitudes and latitudes of sterres fixe for the Astrolabie, and tables of declinaciouns of the sonne, and tables of longitudes of citeez and of townes; and as wel for the governance of a clokke
as for to finde the altitude meridian; and many another notable conclusioun, after the kalendres of the reverent clerkes, frere I. Somer and frere N. Lenne. (E8)

IV. The ferthe partie shal ben a theorik to declare the moevinge of the celestial bodies with the causes. The whiche ferthe partie in special shal shewen a table of the verray moeving of the mone from houre to houre, every day and in every signe, after thyn almenak; upon which table ther folwith a canon, suffisant to teche as wel the maner of the wyrking of that same comclusioun, as to knowe in oure orizonte with which degree of the zodiac that mone ariseth in any latitude; and the arising of any planete after his latitude fro the ecliptik lyne.

V. The fifte partie shal ben an introductorie after the statutz of oure doctours, in which thou maist lerne a gret part of the general rewles of theorik in astrologie. In which fifte partie shaltow finde tables of equacions of houses aftur the latitude of Oxenford; and tables of dignetes of planetes, and other noteful thinges, yif god wol vouche-safe and his modur the mayde, mo than I be-hete, &c.