PREFACE

BY FRANCISCVS ASVLANVS

The smaller things are, the more worthy, greater, and more pleasing they are wont to be considered by everyone. Since we see this to be manifest in many things, we may see it even more clearly in this little book. For as it is very small, so, beloved Reader, it will bring you very much fruit and the greatest returns. This is that Porphyry who, although he far excelled all the most celebrated wise men of his own age, was soon snatched away by the more humane Muses a reference to his death or withdrawal from active public writing, and revealed countless passages of the divine poet Homer, known to very few indeed, and perhaps to no one, not less skillfully than eloquently. We therefore give to you this work, extracted from ancient copies and—as you see—purged by our skillful labor, and soon we shall give you Didymus and Aristarchus Ancient Homeric scholars, and as many others of this author’s best interpreters as we can pull from the deepest graves of books. Read this in the meantime: and if you wish, give us some thanks for the many labors we declare more arduous day by day. Be happy.

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