Little Work on the Wonders of the New and Old City of Rome

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Cornelius Cymbalus sends many greetings to Francesco Albertini of Florence, Doctor of the Pontifical Court.

original: "Cornelius Cymbalus Francisco Albertino Florē. Pontificii Doctori. S.P.D." S.P.D. stands for "Salutem Plurimam Dicit," a standard Latin greeting formula.

The page is framed by a decorative woodcut border in an architectural style, featuring classical columns on the left and right sides and a base at the bottom.

You wonder why there are so many various opinions among authors who have written about the antiquity of the city. Among these are Giovanni Tortelli, Biondo Flavio, and Pomponio Leto, who, although they have written on this subject, disagree with one another—a fact that should not surprise us at all. For they wrote different things at different times, and nothing certain can be held after that destruction by Totila Totila was the King of the Ostrogoths who captured and sacked Rome in 546 AD, leading to significant destruction of its ancient structures., except for what is found either through epitaphs or through various inscriptions in marble. This discovery has happened in our own happy time, while Julius II, Supreme Pontiff, sits upon the throne of Peter. Wherefore you, among others who have written about antiquity, will be able to proceed more cheerfully and more gracefully, since you have added many things unknown to them, which are known to you and other friends; in these things, as I hope, the more learned will rejoice.

Therefore, go forth! Go forth (as I have many times entreated) so that this may be printed. To this printing, I also urge those other little works of yours, namely: on the Stations of the City The "Stations" refers to the "Station Churches" of Rome, a traditional pilgrimage circuit.; on confession; on the way of living rightly; and on the sacrament. Furthermore, because you have written so eruditely that you deserve to be compared to those four Doctors of the Church The four original Doctors of the Western Church: Saints Ambrose, Jerome, Augustine, and Gregory the Great., I urge you to publish your exposition on the Lord's Prayer and the Angelic Salutation The "Angelic Salutation" is the Ave Maria or "Hail Mary.". When you have done this first, I believe your scholarly labors will be pleasing to all. And so, my Francesco, I could not persuade you of anything else except what would be useful to both you and your friends. Farewell. At Rome, the 3rd of November.