Some of my friends have often asked me why I do not sign this little
work with my own name; until now I have refused, out of fear of
sullying a pious history with the name of hateful person. However,
thinking that the story, splendid in itself, might become even more
splendid if attached to the name of a famous man, I have finally
decided to attach it to you. Thus I have placed a most pleasing lamp
in front of the work of an obscure author. For, since your ancient
lineage is accompanied by a knowledge of literature, as well an
unusual serenity and moral probity, one may justly believe that God
in his foresight wanted the dignity of the bishop's office to honor
the gift of such reverence. By embracing your name, the little work
that follows may flourish: crude in itself, it may be made agreeable
by the love of the one to whom it is written, and made stronger by
the authority of the office by which you stand above others.
Certainly there were bishops, and others, who have heard something
about this book and about some of my other writings; leaving them
aside, my greatest wish was to reach you. In reading this you should
consider that, if I occasionally have deviated from common
grammatical practice, I have done it to correct the vices, the style
that slithers along the ground, of the earlier history. I see
villages, cities, towns, fervently studying grammar, for which reason
I tried, to the best of my abilities, not to deviate from the ancient
historians. Finally, consider that while taking care of my household
duties, listening to the many cases brought to my attention, I burned
with the desire to write, and, even more, to pass the story along;
and while I was compelled outwardly to listen to various problems,
presented with biting urgency, inwardly I was steadily compelled to
persist in what I had begun. No one should be surprised that I make
use of a style very much different from that of the Commentaries on
Genesis or the other little treatises; for it is proper and
permissible to ornament history with the crafted elegance of words;
however, the mysteries of sacred eloquence should be treated not with
poetic loquacity, but with ecclesiastical plainess. Therefore I ask
you to accept this graciously, and to keep it as a perpetual monument
to your name.