THE EDITOR’S PREFACE.

...and after the frequently rehashed opinions of learned men and a mature examination, I selected separately those which appeared most probable, supported not by mere conjectures but resting upon a solid foundation sought from the testimonies of the ancients. Hence, I could not be so bound by a futile devotion to the words of others that I did not occasionally depart from them and note what was erroneously written. Let those be content with that Cato The editor refers here to a "Cato," a symbol for a harsh, humorless, or overly rigid critic, suggesting that some scholars are too traditional to enjoy the "pleasant freedom" of intellectual exploration., whose palate is without taste, and who for that reason wickedly suppress the pleasant freedom of studies. Meanwhile, I did not break out into such impudence as to snatch a bit of glory from the infamous detriment of others, or to sell this book to you by a deceitful concealment of what was read here differently than it ought to have been explained, and thus fraudulently impose upon you.

But looking upon the learning of the author and others with veneration, and not departing from it rashly, I added sparingly from my own, lest I "bring owls to Athens" term: "owls to Athens" (original: noctuas Athenas) | An ancient Greek proverb for performing a redundant or useless action, similar to the English phrase "carrying coals to Newcastle." Athens was already full of owls (the symbol of Athena)., as they say. Therefore, I especially took care not to violate the bounds of modesty, since the truth of the matter itself ought to recommend itself to fair judges. If I seem to have observed this duty of moderation as is fitting, without the loss of truer learning, it will be all the more pleasing to me, because this kind of examination created a sharper annoyance for me, as it restricts one’s style within the certain barriers of other people's thoughts.

I will say nothing of the errors of the printers term: "typothetarum vitia" | Literally "the faults of the typesetters." In early modern printing, editors frequently complained about the mistakes introduced by the workers who physically set the lead type., and also the indices term: "indices" | The alphabetical back-of-the-book guides which Jark has reorganized and expanded based on his new annotations. restored to their proper order and expanded from the notes. With this work finished, if I understand that this labor has not displeased you, I will have reason to congratulate this writer, and I will silently applaud that I have now attained a sufficiently great reward for my effort.

Farewell.