PREFACES OF

JO. IAC. REISKE.

TO THE FIRST VOLUME.

Ed. L. ISince the matters about which it is right that the future reader of this book be admonished are so many in number and so ample to narrate that they cannot be comprehended in a single, and certainly moderate, dissertation, and furthermore other reasons forbid pouring forth all that is at hand at once: it seemed best to divide the labor, and in this place to discuss only the fate of this Constantinian work which is now appearing, as well as its subject matter, title, and author; and to reserve for the second volume, which will follow soon, the rest of the things about which a preface owes an explanation to the reader.

§. 1. Regarding the fate of this work. It is truly a marvel that a work as knowledgeable and useful as this could escape the notice of all the Greek and Latin writers who have flourished from its birth until now, especially during that keen investigation of documents pertaining to Byzantine history which burned throughout the previous century. The first, however, to bring this book to fame was Zacharias Conradus Uffenbachius Zacharias Conrad von Uffenbach, a renowned bibliophile, formerly a magistrate and councilor of the Republic of Frankfurt am Main, by publishing its notice, which will be repeated below from the sixth volume of the Bibliotheca Graeca by the celebrated Fabricius. From the possession of Uffenbach, it arrived in the library of the Most Ample Senate of our city, which, being furnished with the best books, is of great use to our learned men. It thus happened that the most ample Mascovius, its prefect, entrusted it to Io. Henr. Leichium, recently a professor of elegant letters at our Academy