AUTHOR’S PREFACE

—certain original: "versos" (likely "veros"); the author is continuing his description of the "latter" (the Authors) mentioned on the previous page specific internal and principal characteristics, and sometimes a summary of the doctrine, and of the principles and method, or the manifold diversity of paths which various people use in different ways. These we have condensed into a few categories—and not very many at that—while indicating for each one the Authors, both from the more recent (and these indeed especially) as well as from the ancient ones.

I have not included all of them, certainly, nor even as many as could have been; rather, I have selected from the most distinguished authors a no less distinguished portion—those who are most sufficient to serve as examples and means for our purpose scopum; the target or end goal of a study. Occasionally, these have been decorated here and there with certain historical details, which serve as ornaments no less useful than they are pleasant.

The main goal original: "Scopus", however, is this: since among the many readers eager for good and divine things, the constitution of the mind is not the same everywhere, nor is there the same kind of inclination, nor is the taste of the soul the same or even similar; therefore, each person may be able to see here—as if in a condensed and SELECTED LIBRARY Bibliotheca Selecta; a curated collection of essential texts—which—