The Society for Ancient Languages
Week Three
| English Translation by Jennifer Fox |
GREGORII EPISCOPI TURONENSIS PRAEFATIO |
BISHOP GREGORY OF TOURS PREFACE |
| Decedente atque immo potius pereunte ab urbibus Gallicanis liberalium cultura litterarum, cum nonnullae res gererentur vel rectae vel inprobae, ac feretas gentium desaeviret, regum furor acueretur, eclesiae inpugnarentur ab hereticis, a catholicis tegerentur, ferveret Christi fides in plurimis, tepisceret in nonnullis, ipsae quoque eclesiae vel ditarentur a devotis vel nudarentur a perfides, nec repperire possit quisquam peritus dialectica in arte grammaticus, qui haec aut stilo prosaico aut metrico depingeret versu: ingemescebant saepius plerique, dicentes: "Vae diebus nostris, quia periit studium litterarum a nobis, nec reperitur rethor in populis, qui gesta praesentia promulgare possit in paginis." Ista etenim atque et his similia iugiter intuens dici pro commemoratione praeteritorum, ut notitiam adtingerint venientum, etsi incultu effatu, nequivi tamen obtegere vel certamena flagitiosorum vel vitam recte viventium; et praesertim his inlicitus stimulis, quod a nostris fari plerumque miratus sum, quia: "Philosophantem rethorem intellegunt pauci, loquentem rusticum multi." Libuit etiam animo, ut pro suppotatione annorum ab ipso mundi principio libri primi poniretur initium, cuius capitula deursum subieci. | The study of liberal arts is decaying, nay rather dying, from the Gallican cities, when acts are performed, some good some bad; such as the ferocity of people raging unchecked, or the madness of kings has been sharpened; when churches are attacked by the heretics, then protected by catholics; when the faith of Christ burns bright in many men, yet only grows lukewarm in some; when those same churches are enriched by the faithful then stripped by the dishonest; nor is any philologist able to be discovered, skilled in the logical art, who is able to represent these events either by means of a prosaic pen or metric verse. Many have groaned (about this) more often saying: "Woe to our days because the study of literature has perished in us, nor is there to be found an orator in the people, who is able to publish in pages the present affairs." And so I have considered these complaints, for I have written this work for the remembrance of those dead and gone, so that those yet to come may come into contact with that knowledge, even if by means of this uncivilized discourse. Yet I have been unable to ignore either the contests of the shameful or of those living life rightly; and I am especially encouraged by these incentives because I am surprised by our people to speak of many things, because "Few men understand a philosophic orator, but many understand the country speaker." It has pleased me that the beginning of the first book has been placed for the counting of years from the very beginning of the world, of which I have put under chapter headings. |
IN CHRISTI NOMEN INCIPIT HISTORIARUM LIBER PRIMUS |
IN THE NAME OF CHRIST HERE BEGINS BOOK I OF THE HISTORY |
| Scripturus bella regum cum gentibus adversis, martyrum cum paganis, eclesiarum cum hereticis, prius fidem meam proferre cupio, ut qui ligirit me non dubitet esse catholicum. Illud etiam placuit propter eos, qui adpropinquantem finem mundi disperant, ut, collectam per chronicas vel historias anteriorum annorum summam, explanitur aperte, quanti ab exordio mundi sint anni. Sed prius veniam legentibus praecor, si aut in litteris aut in sillabis grammaticam artem excessero, de qua adplene non sum inbutus; illud tantum studens, ut quod in eclesia credi praedicatur sine aliquo fuco aut cordis hesitatione reteneam, quia scio, peccatis obnoxium per credulitatem puram obtenire posse veniam apud Deum. | I shall write about the wars of kings against hostile tribes, wars of martyrs against the pagans, wars of the church against the heretics, but first I desire to express my faith, so that he who will read me may not doubt me to be catholic. It is important even on account of those, who have despaired the end of the world coming close, so that with all the facts having been gathered from previous chronicles and historians it might be explained openly how many years there are from the beginning of the world. But first, if I offend either in letters or in syllables the grammatical art, which I have not been fully instructed, I ask my reader's pardon. I am desiring one thing only, that what is preached in church as to be believed I will retain without any stain or without any hesitation of the heart, because I know that one subservient to sin is able to achieve forgiveness in the house of God through his pure faith. |