estes et qui tendent alinformacion de bonne meur ay Je mis vn petit
liuret de latin en francois le quel mest venuz a la main nouuellement/
ou quel plussieurs auctoritez et dis de docteurs & de philosophes & de
poetes & des anciens sages/ sont Racontez & sont appliquiez a la
moralite des nobles hommes et des gens de peuple selon le gieu des
eschez le quel liure Tres puissant et tres redoubte seigneur jay fait ou
nom & soubz vmbre de vous pour laquelle chose treschr seign'r Je vous
suppli & requier de bonne voulente de cuer que il vo daigne plaire a
receuvoir ce liure en gre aussi bien que de vn greign'r maistre de moy/
car la tres bonne voulente que Jay de mielx faire se je pouoie me doit
estre reputee pour le fait/ Et po'r plus clerement proceder en ceste
ouure/ Jay ordene que les chappitres du liure soient escrips & mis au
commencement afin de veoir plus plainement la matiere de quoy le dit
liure pole."[14]

It will be seen that this is the foundation of Caxton's dedication of
the Chess-book to the Earl of Warwick. The "Golden Legend," printed by
Caxton in 1484, was in effect a translation from "La Legende Doree,"
made before the year 1380 by Jehan de Vignay, who in his prologue
mentions that he had previously translated into French "Le miroir des
hystoires du monde," at the request of "Ma dame Jehanne de Borgoigne,
royne de France."[15] This preface Caxton, as usual, adopted with some
changes of name and other alterations, amongst which is a reference to
"the book of the chesse" as one of his works. The "Legenda Aurea" of
Jacobus de Voragine is, of course, the original source of De Vignay's
"Legende Doree," and Caxton's "Golden Legend."

Ferron and de Vignay were avowedly translators. Their original was
Jacques de Cessoles. The name of this author has been tortured into so
many fantastic forms that one may almost despair of recovering the
original. Caesolis, Cassalis, Castulis, Casulis, Cesolis, Cessole,
Cessulis, Cesulis, Cezoli, de Cezolis, de Cossoles, de Courcelles,
Sesselis, Tessalis, Tessellis, de Thessolus, de Thessolonia, and de
Thessolonica are different manners of spelling his surname, and the two
last are certainly masterpieces of transformation. Prosper Marchand has
amused himself by collecting some vain speculations of previous writers
as to the age, country, and personality of Jacques de Cessoles. Some
counted him a Lombard, some an Italian, whilst others again boldly
asserted that he was a Greek!

He