Vegetius, On Military Matters, with Frontinus and Aelian on Military Tactics

Guido Brefleus of Paris to Louis de Bourbon, most deserving Bishop of Laon and Peer of France.

That vast virtue of yours and incomparable kindness, by which you indeed surpass and excel all the princes of your time, has brought it about, most worthy Bishop, that I, who am of humble station and possessed of almost no authority, did not hesitate to offer this modest gift to you. And so that I may summarize the whole matter for you in order as it stands, hear it in few words: When, in these past days, I had devoted study to the task more for the sake of practice than for show, so that a corrected version of Vegetius might be published through my efforts, at the very first I began to hesitate: whether I ought to dedicate to you, above all others, these labors which I had begun in correcting this work. But just as it seemed absurd and futile at first to offer these labors to so great a prince, so afterward your goodness and kindness truly advised me not to suspect or even think of such a thing as would divert my mind from this dedication. For since I had known beforehand that even your manners reflected your good fortune, and how you are at once gracious and kind to all, and to those who deal with you, very easy and accessible, I could not be led to believe otherwise than that you would receive these my vigils (such as they are) in the most humane and pleasant manner. But so that you may grasp by what right I, furthermore, lay claim to this book for you, another reason arises which I think should not be omitted: for to whom could I more aptly or fittingly dedicate this book, which teaches military affairs, than to you, born into that family in which so many distinguished leaders and commanders have flourished in a single succession? You have, therefore, most worthy Bishop, the most abundant reasons for this dedication, and by what right I seem to act when I do not hesitate to consecrate to your divinity and majesty the Vegetius recently corrected by me. And since we have from the oracle of the most eminent orator...