The three translations of Gilles de Rome's de regimine principium discussed in this article represent three different approaches to this text. In the version of Henri de Gauchi (1282) the text is freely translated, idiomatically and paraphrastically. Guillaume's version (1330) is faithful to the Latin original, reaching a considerable degree of idiomatic authenticity. The anonymous third version (1444) represents the word-for-word translation which may be difficult to understand without prior knowledge of Latin. In light of the written tradition of these texts, Henri de Gauchi takes first place as French medieval translator of de regimine principium.