TO THE READER.

Thirty years have now passed since I began to strive to serve studies with both my voice and my pen. I first began at this Academy in Leiden original: "Lugdunensi hâc Academia". This refers to Leiden University, where Vossius was writing and teaching. in the year 1599 and the following year. At that time, I publicly explained the advanced lectures original: "Acroamatica". These were Aristotle's more complex, oral lectures intended for his inner circle of students rather than the general public. of Aristotle. Privately, I interpreted his Rhetoric. Soon after, I was called by the most distinguished Senate of Dordrecht (whose love for literary matters has always been incredible) to serve as the head of their famous secondary school. To those things which I had observed in the art of oratory from Aristotle, I added many things from other rhetoricians, primarily the Greeks. I also added much from other literature. I concluded these in six small books. I published them in 1606 under the advice of those whose counsel I then followed. This was not done without some applause from the learned audience. Having been received with this unexpected favor, I sent them out again three years later, greatly expanded.

After this, other studies occupied me for a long time. This was especially true from the year 1615. In that year, I was called by the authority of the powerful Leaders of Holland and West Friesland to lead the Theological College. This college had been established twenty-three years earlier. I was the fourth person to hold this office since its founding. For a full four years, the nature of my duty allowed me no leisure for any studies other than sacred ones. Therefore, during that time, I wrote six books on the history of the controversies started by Pelagius and the Massilians original: "Pelagio, & Massiliensibus". Pelagius was a 5th-century theologian who emphasized human will over divine grace. The Massilians (from Marseille) were semi-Pelagians who held a middle ground in this theological debate.. I also composed many other things suitable for this office. I have published some of these. Others I still hold back because they are not yet finished.

Later, this burden (or honor) was passed to a successor. As public changes seemed to allow, I preferred to return to my earlier studies for a short time. First, I allowed the works I had written as a young man concerning the nature of Rhetoric and the ancient rhetoricians to see the light of day. I also published the Oratorical Partitions. Until then, these works had been in a struggle with moths and bookworms. I also provided a commentary on the art of history as a companion, or rather a follower, to these works.

But even then, I was not thinking about bringing the Oratorical Institutions back to the anvil for reshaping. This changed seven years ago when the most distinguished Curators of the University gave me the task of professing not only the sequence of all historical periods but also the study of eloquence. Naturally, whatever leisure remained from my public duties and private business I spent on ecclesiastical and external history. On that occasion, I composed several works. These included seven books on the Histories of Greek and Latin Historians, which have been published for a long time.

Meanwhile, it happened that the Illustrious States of Holland and West Friesland took up the care of reforming the schools. On that occasion, they also made a decree that the youth in all the cities of their jurisdiction should be taught from my Partitions. This resulted in me taking the Partitions into my hands again. Soon, I also undertook the labor of refining and enriching the Institutions...