The Dream of Poliphilus

...deserves that one be grateful to him, especially since he extracted it from an Italian language mixed with Greek and Latin, so confusedly put together that the Italians themselves, unless they are more than moderately learned, cannot make sense of it; and furthermore, he has done so much that from a prolixity more than Asiatic In classical rhetoric, "Asiatic" refers to a style that is excessively ornate, wordy, and florid, as opposed to the more restrained "Attic" style., he has reduced it to a French brevity, which will satisfy many people. But if there are some who are annoyed that I have not entirely restored it according to the Italian: so that they do not blame me, I wish to beg them to understand how I was induced to set my hand to this work.

Immediately after I published original: "mis en lumiere," literally "brought to light." my Arcadia by Sannazaro Jacopo Sannazaro (1458–1530) was an Italian poet; Jean Martin published his French translation of Sannazaro's pastoral masterpiece in 1544., a friend of mine who had the copy of this book brought it to me to share it; and after much discussion, he begged me that for love of him I would be willing to take the charge of revising it. This I granted him, as to one for whom I would wish to do much greater things; and indeed, finding myself at the time with a little leisure, I began in his presence to change not only some spellings original: "ortógraphes" that are no longer in use for us, but furthermore to transpose some words that still retained the Italian phrasing original: "fraze", so corrupted that truly I am amazed at how this gentleman had been able to manage it so well. Certainly, this made me so scrupulous original: "religieux," here meaning conscientious or devoted to the previous translator's work. toward him that I never wished to amplify or diminish anything in the sentences original: "clauſes" he had fashioned, except occasionally to change their order to make them easier to read. This, my Lords, is how we proceeded with the translation original: "interpretatiõ" and printing of this book, which you will receive, if it pleases you, with as much good affection as that with which it is presented to you.