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I

Considering that
spoken words are and remain
empty and
writings are lasting,
the deeds of the ancients
have been put into beautiful
and ornate volumes, with commentary, so
that acquired knowledge
and past things
might be remembered in perpuity,
so that noble hearts may delight in
reading and studying the deeds
of wise men of the past who practiced beneficial
virtues. And so it happens that some people are
led to spend time with books dealing with specific types of
knowledge, and others to spend time with books describing
feats of arms, love, or other topics.
And this present volume is called the Image of the World.
And it was translated from Latin into French at the command
and order of the noble Duke John of Berry
and Auvergne [in the] year 1245. It contains 55 chapters