Fac-simile of the Old English Black-Letter Translation of the above Latin Inscription from the Sherd of Amenartas found inscribed upon a parchment.

“Thys rellike ys a ryghte mistycall worke & a marvaylous y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} whyche myne aunceteres afore tyme dyd conveigh hider w{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL T~} y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL M~} ffrom Armoryke wh{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} ys to {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}eien Britaine y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} le{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}e & a certayne holye clerke {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}houlde allweyes beare my ffadir on honde y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL T~} he owghte uttirly ffor to ffru{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}he y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}ame affyrmynge y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL T~} yt was ffourmyd & confflatyd off {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}athanas hym {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}elffe by arte magike & dyvelly{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}he wherefore my ffadir dyd take y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}ame & to bra{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}t yt yn tweyne but I John de Vincey dyd {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}ave whool y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} tweye p{~COMBINING MACRON~}tes therof & topeecyd y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL M~} togydder agayne {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}oe as yee {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}e on y{s} daye mondaye next ffolowynge after y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} ffeeste of {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}eynte Marye y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} ble{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}{~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}ed vyrgyne yn y{~MODIFIER LETTER SMALL E~} yeere of {~LATIN SMALL LETTER LONG S~}alvacioun ffowertene hundreth & ffyve & ffowrti.”

Modernised Version of the above Black-Letter Translation.

“Thys rellike ys a ryghte mistycall worke and a marvaylous, ye whyche myne aunceteres aforetyme dyd conveigh hider with them from Armoryke which ys to seien Britaine ye Lesse and a certayne holye clerke should allweyes beare my fadir on honde that he owghte uttirly for to frusshe ye same, affyrmynge that yt was fourmed and conflatyed of Sathanas hym selfe by arte magike and dyvellysshe wherefore my fadir dyd take ye same and tobrast yt yn tweyne, but I, John de Vincey, dyd save whool ye tweye partes therof and topeecyd them togydder agayne soe as yee se, on this daye mondaye next followynge after ye feeste of Seynte Marye ye Blessed Vyrgyne yn ye yeere of Salvacioun fowertene hundreth and fyve and fowerti.”

The next and, save one, last entry was Elizabethan, and dated 1564.  “A most strange historie, and one that did cost my father his life; for in seekynge for the place upon the east coast of Africa, his pinnance was sunk by a Portuguese galleon off Lorenzo Marquez, and he himself perished.—­John Vincey.”

Then came the last entry, apparently, to judge by the style of writing, made by some representative of the family in the middle of the eighteenth century.  It was a misquotation of the well-known lines in Hamlet, and ran thus:  “There are more things in Heaven and earth than are dreamt of in your philosophy, Horatio."[*]