A large woodcut historiated initial 'P' begins the text. Inside the letter, a figure sits at a desk in a room with a window looking out onto a landscape.

THE PRINTER

to the benevolent Reader, Greetings.

I promised, most kind reader, in the commentaries of D. Benedictus Aretius on Matthew, which I recently edited, that I would also bring to light his remaining commentaries. I have gladly undertaken this task, lest I seem to you to have snatched away the hope I had created regarding them. Therefore, we bring to you these commentaries on Mark, which follows Matthew in order, edited for your use with as much diligence as I could provide. Although at first glance they may not seem to be of such great importance, as they are written in a concise manner: yet if you pay attention to the mind of the author, you will judge them to be far more useful than they might appear. For the author does not dwell on those things that have been treated more extensively in the other Evangelists, but rather directs the reader to the place where he himself has pursued these same matters with a longer discourse. Meanwhile, according to his custom, he surveys the series of the entire Gospel history with such a neat method that he brings great light to the whole treatment: nor does he fail to observe the individual περιάστασεις circumstances of every saying or deed, from which he extracts very many διδάγματα teachings, to such an extent that he seems to have omitted nothing worthy of note. But you, benevolent reader, will observe this better from the reading of the author himself than can be reported by me. Therefore, enjoy these, and favor our labors until we have brought our undertaking to its conclusion. Farewell. Lausanne.