FABROT'S PREFACE
A always to be feared by its enemies, because, as it were, a God from the machine B of external force stood against what is right and pious on their behalf, and because those who were preparing for an inglorious surrender saw them freed from siege: but immediately, the Gauls, greedy for battle by nature, attacked the neighboring cities more boldly; upon their capture, Italy panicked no less than the victorious people of the nations did in times past, having often trembled at the relentless approach of the Gauls. In Spain, the war was fought with uncertain outcome: but the name of a most valiant leader has long been fatal to the Spanish soldier in victory. Germany, vexed by a long-lasting war, shaken by the pillaging of fields and the destruction of cities, does not deny that it has long since begun to be ruled by one who treats the wretched as he pleases. The eloquent men of these times will pursue these matters more broadly. I have touched upon them only with a more relaxed style, both because it would be a long task to pursue them and because I feared that weariness might arise from the sheer number of them. Let foreigners, therefore, affect heaven by their ambition (although heaven is not sought by plunder, but by the religion and piety which make the most Christian kings shine among the stars), and let them invade foreign kingdoms with greedy spirit: as long as Gaul remains the most powerful part of the earth (which the eternal power of the fates, or rather God, the arbiter and dispenser of the fates, has exempted from laws of perishing other than those which have been imposed upon the orb of the earth), their undertakings will never meet with success according to their wishes. C But while our most serene prince, the hope of the entire human race, is growing, while the power of his mind is increasing, to you, most Eminent Cardinal, the sum of affairs has been entrusted, whose fidelity has been proven in the most difficult circumstances, and whose devotion toward the prince surpasses all examples. No one in the future will be so secure in his power with you as moderator of affairs that he would dare to provoke or offend the Gauls, who are born almost among swords and arms, and whom he will know to be invincible by any weapons. No one shall harass the allies or federates of Gaul; no one shall harm friends, who owe this to Gaul, that they—who were stripped of their fortunes and were wandering about as if naked, to the highest injury and the indignation of all good men—have been most fully restored: so great is both the veneration of your sacred name and the ever-invincible happiness of the Gallic empire. But whither am I, powerless in speech, being driven? For I do not think it matters much whether one harms the reputation of someone, or praises him beneath his dignity. I cannot, however, pass over that which is most worthy of everyone's commendation without the crime of ingratitude: namely, that you have established a library consisting of many thousands of books, which you wish to be open to all the learned. In it, whatever Gaul, most fertile in the fine arts, or whatever Italy or Germany has produced that is learned, can be found with ease. I pass over those famous marbles, statues of princes and men who shone in literature, which, when you look upon them and read the monuments of their genius, you would think are not mute D marbles, but animated, and that their bodies have not perished, but contend for eternity with the fruit of their spirits. By this distinguished act, you have indeed made all men of letters beholden to you, and you are no less in the mouths of men than you are for your other virtues of a keen mind; from which all good men understand that you are as much superior to other mortals as your fortune is more lofty and excellent. Live, therefore, most Eminent Cardinal, for the happiness of Gaul, which, with you safe, will reach its summit and will last for days! Live, rector and propagator of the Gallic state, to whose vigilance it is owed that the Gauls may expect peace on the fairest conditions, or that others might fear a war of mutual destruction? Live long, happy protection and salvation of Gaul!
To your Eminence, Most devoted, CAROLUS ANNIBAL FABROTUS.
TO THE READER
We gave hope that the writers of Byzantine history would be published with the edition of Joannes Cantacuzenus. Behold, we keep our promise, relying upon more fortunate auspices, namely by the order of the most illustrious Chancellor of France, Petrus Seguierius, who ensured that this excellent work might be edited under his care. But what has been added to this edition of Cedrenus, reader, you must be advised. There were many and huge gaps in the previous edition which deformed Cedrenus. Other smaller ones occupied many pages. All of these we have supplemented from other writers who had written by hand, and we have corrected many things from Joannes Scylitzes Curopalates, who had transcribed Cedrenus word for word, from which it is surprising with what confidence of his age the Curopalates claimed another's work for himself. Therefore, if anyone desires the Curopalates, let him know that he is the essence of Cedrenus: for the Curopalates consists of the exact same words. Who, however, was not useless to us in every respect, but by supplementing, as I said, and by correcting, was of much profit to Cedrenus. But since the Curopalates takes over where Cedrenus ends, almost the entire Cedrenus having been copied out, I therefore thought it would not be unwelcome if he were published with Cedrenus. Joannes Baptista Gabius, his interpreter, had strayed from the author's meaning in many places. As far as possible, this has been provided for by editing his version. We have sometimes corrected Xylander's version as well; yet we have not removed the old one from its place, but have relegated our own to the margin of the book. Furthermore, the translator candidly confesses that he stumbles in certain places. We, without any harassment, have proposed our own opinion, and have added certain notes to support it.
XYLANDER’S PREFACE
A Finally, we have added a Glossary, by which the mixed-barbarian terms that Cedrenus uses are explained, and ecclesiastical, palatine, and military dignities are set forth. In compiling this, I have not made use of the work of Meursius, whom most others who live by plagiarism are wont to copy, but rather I have cited either authors not yet edited or other entirely different authors as evidence. There are added also the various, most learned annotations of the Reverend Father Jacobus Goar on Cedrenus, which will bring no small light to Cedrenus. Finally, we have removed numerous errors of the texts, so that the edition might emerge, by our work, both more augmented and more corrected. Enjoy, therefore, Cedrenus, who, I might almost say, you know was previously sold for his weight in gold. Cedrenus will be followed by Theophanes, sought after by the vows of many, whom we shall bring to light from the library of the Most Christian King, together with the hitherto unpublished ecclesiastical history of Anastasius the Librarian, which came to us through the benefit of the Most Eminent Cardinal Francesco Barberini. Others unearthed from various libraries will also follow, the importance of which to the literary commonwealth for them not to be lost is understood only by those who handle or foster letters. Farewell.
WILLIAM XYLANDER OF AUGUSTA: PREFACE TO THE ANNALS OF GEORGIUS CEDRENUS
To the magnificent and generous lords, D. Marcus and D. Johannes Fugger, sons of Antonius, brothers german, lords of Kirchberg and Weissenhorn, etc., most welcome students of the best letters.
Georgius Cedrenus’s Annals, which, by your auspices and at your expense, most ample men, are brought forth into public today in the Latin tongue—not without great labors of mine—I long and deeply pondered, according to custom, on what subject I might most particularly discourse before you. For if the benefits of history were to be explained, so that this book might emerge more commendable and pleasing, I knew long ago that this theme had been treated so copiously and ornately by men of the highest standing that I could not, without the crime of arrogance, attempt either to amplify or even to insist upon these things. Or, if my speech were to be occupied in proclaiming your praises—to the illustrating and augmenting of which this version and edition of Cedrenus ought indeed to lead—what ornament could my childishness confer upon them? Or who, as the manners of men are now, would not rather judge that I was attempting to curry favor by fawning, than to render a true sign of gratitude by demonstrating and commending rare examples of virtues? Therefore, I prudently and knowingly omitted both of these, especially since I recalled that I had already said something regarding the former elsewhere. But also, it seemed untimely and insolent to bring into the midst something alien to your persons or my present undertaking, such as many and varied points that came to mind; for I did not feel that he who painted a dolphin in the woods or a boar in the waves ought to be praised. Therefore, for the present, I thought it sufficient to say little regarding this historical work itself and the labor that I have expended for you and the commonwealth in its preparation; and so, by warning the reader of certain things—not unusefully, as I believe—I complete the duty of dedication.
Now first, who Cedrenus might have been, I have been able to discover by no certain indication, since he has committed nothing to memory regarding himself—at least in this work—nor is he praised or named by other writers, so far as I know. Yet my mind inclines to suspect that he was a priest or even a monk; although it seems he would not have hidden this. My conjectures are given cause by both the kind of speech he used and the disputes he held regarding religion and ceremonies. Regarding these, I do not hinder anyone from judging according to his own capacity and sense: what I judge, I believe is well enough known to good men; nor is there any reason why I should change my opinion for any sufficient cause. When he lived is no more certain than in what condition he lived; except that it is probable he wrote his Annals when Isaac Comnenus held the reins of power (who began his reign in nearly the same year as Henry IV, which was the 1059th year from the birth of Christ): for they end at that point. The copyist who wrote your manuscript made mention of Isaac Angelus several times in the margin. This Isaac was a contemporary of the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, and he received the Constantinopolitan kingdom around the year 1183, so that this codex seems to have been more recent than its author by nearly a hundred years. The copyist did not hide the fact that he several times perceived a defect of some pages in the exemplar that he transcribed. But whether all the other things were composed by the author in the way they have reached us through the work of this scribe, it may be doubted not without reason: for I have found or suspected not only that some things are faulty, but that even more are mutilated, as I have occasionally shown in the annotations. Furthermore, I would easily believe that readers versed in good writers and endowed with some judgment, more than the common sort,