TO THE READER

Summary

Nothing of this human life is so profitable to the living as the remembrance and memory of the good and evil that has gone by, in order to preserve ourselves from evil, by guiding our life, so as not to fall into those evils, according as the good men acted; and within the soul a very pure love and lively remembrance of those things which the High God was pleased to suffer for the salvation of the world; with perfect faith, which, if we act righteously, will give us eternal glory: and to those of us who are wanting in this remembrance, damnation without end.

For that which may piously be believed is, that those will obtain merit before God who write good things. I do not speak with respect to sacred writings which are for the purpose of our salvation; I only speak of the good and virtuous deeds of those who have preceded us, from the memory and remembrance of which, according as each one has an inclination thereto, the fruits of satisfaction may be gathered. Some persons have so much enjoyed these, that they have esteemed it great wealth to possess a large library, only for the pleasure which they derived from reading and knowing things that have passed by. I, the least worthy of all who have handed down the deeds of others, with my weak and rude understanding, direct my efforts to write and relate the affairs of India; as it appears to me that in some other time they will seem well to whoever hears them.