An ornate typographical headband features repeating floral and scrollwork motifs.

TO THE READER.

A small floral typographical ornament.

Fortune surely begrudged the Roman people a complete and absolute happiness. For although that state surpassed all nations, whether those that preceded or followed the Roman Empire, in the arts of war and the skill of administering the republic, it certainly lacked nothing for the accumulation of all virtues except the cultivation of learning and letters. The glory of these seemed to have been occupied for a long time by the most ingenious and wealthy Greece, both in writing and in speaking. But even though Rome approached Eloquence and Philosophy late, it nevertheless made such progress in both that Rome had many noble men in the final periods who were not only devoted to Philosophy, but already excellent and perfect in it. Indeed, Eloquence claimed so much for itself in that city in very few years that it either equaled the most eloquent Athens or stood at a very short interval from them. This would be easy or necessary to prove if the most brilliant monuments of those who were able to do the most by speaking were extant, namely, the Antonys, the Catos, the Crassus, the Caesars, the Brutus, and other nearly innumerable men; or if there were not one Cicero, whom we are able to either prefer to all, or at least compare and oppose to them.