TO THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS AND MOST EXCELLENT

Lord, the Lord Don Alfonso d'Este, Prince

OF FERRARA.

A large decorative drop cap 'L' containing a detailed landscape of a city or fortress with walls, towers, and tiled roofs, enclosed in a square border with architectural and floral motifs.

The great utility, Most Illustrious and Magnanimous Lord, that I have seen drawn from the writings of the ancients and modern writers, has made me, from the beginning of my youth, greatly desire that sufficiency which is required by anyone who wishes to write well. It seems to me that there is nothing more fitting for a man, nor anything that makes him more like God, than being able to aid others. And to achieve this, I have labored for a long time. But on the other hand, considering the difficulty of such an important task and the qualities required by one who wishes to exercise it with the praise and satisfaction of men, and measuring my own intellect and my small strengths against this, I have always felt a fear within me that has not let me bring this desire of mine to fruition until now. Yet, in the end, because one who fears high endeavors too much is as much to be blamed as one who fears them not at all—the former showing a base spirit and the latter rashness—I have decided to cast aside my excessive fear and give way, in part, to the desire that has lived in me for so long. To do this, I have been persuaded by the knowledge that he who does not begin never goes forward, nor does he do anything that is good. Reasoning with myself, therefore, concerning what subject I should exercise myself upon, the beautiful and most useful subject of modern fortifications presented itself to me. Just as its novelty—there having been no one until this time who has written about it—frightened me from the enterprise, so, by having used much investigation and study upon it, as one who has always taken a special delight in it, and also by the advice of many of my friends, I felt my courage and daring increase. Therefore, having completely decided to write about this matter, as much as was possible for my intellect, I began some books on the way of fortifying with walls; from which, having already...