It Is
Not, However, By Bearing A Cap, By Placing A Cushion, By Shielding
Off The Rain, Or By Wiping The Dust, Even If There Should Be None,
In The Midst Of A Herd Of Flatterers, That I Attempt To Conciliate
Your Favour, But By My Writings.
To you, therefore, rare, noble,
and illustrious man, on whom nature and art have showered down
whatever becomes your
Supereminent situation, I dedicate my works;
but if I fail in this mode of conciliating your favour, and if your
prayers and avocations should not allow you sufficient time to read
them, I shall consider the honour of letters as vanished, and in
hope of its revival I shall inscribe my writings to posterity.
SECOND PREFACE - TO THE SAME PRELATE
Since those things, which are known to have been done through a
laudable devotion, are not unworthily extolled with due praises; and
since the mind, when relaxed, loses its energy, and the torpor of
sloth enervates the understanding, as iron acquires rust for want of
use, and stagnant waters become foul; lest my pen should be injured
by the rust of idleness, I have thought good to commit to writing
the devout visitation which Baldwin, archbishop of Canterbury, made
throughout Wales; and to hand down, as it were in a mirror, through
you, O illustrious Stephen, to posterity, the difficult places
through which we passed, the names of springs and torrents, the
witty sayings, the toils and incidents of the journey, the memorable
events of ancient and modern times, and the natural history and
description of the country; lest my study should perish through
idleness, or the praise of these things be lost by silence.
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