Preface by Mart. Luth.
(1) The famous Roman Varro says that the best way to teach is to give examples to the word. Otherwise, when speech is heard without examples, however just and good it may be, it does not move the heart so much, is not so clear, and is not so firmly retained. For what philosophers, wise men, and the whole of reason can teach or conceive that is useful for honest living, history gives.
with examples and stories, and likewise puts it before the eyes, as if one were there, and saw it happen, everything that the words before by the teaching have carried into the ears. There one finds both, how those have done, left, lived, so piously and wisely, and how it went for them, or how they are rewarded; also again, how those have lived, so wickedly and incomprehensibly, and how they are paid for it.
And if you think about it thoroughly, almost all rights, arts, good advice, warnings, threats, frights, comforts, strengths, lessons, precautions, etc. can be found in the histories and stories.
*Galeatius Capella was from Milan, and there secretary, also envoy to Emperor Carl V. He wrote: De bello Mediolanensi, seu rebus in Italia gestis pro restitutione Francisci Sfortiae Mediol. ducis. This 'writing translated D. Wenceslaus Link into German, and Luther provided it with a preface. It was published under the title: "Historia Galeatij Capelle, wie der Hertzog zu Meiland, Franciscus, wider eingesetzt ist, vom 21. jar bis jnn das 30. Berdeudschet durch D. Wencelaum Linken. With a preface by D. Mart. Luth, Wittemberg 1538." 28 quarto sheets. At the end: "Gedruckt zu Wittemberg durch Hans Lufft. M.D.XXXVIII." In the collections, the preface is found: in the Wittenberg (1559), vol. XII, p. 365 d; in the Jena (1568), vol. VI, p. 531; in the Altenburg, vol. VI, p. 1251; in the Leipzig, vol. XII, appendix, p. 125; and in the Erlangen, vol. 63, p. 353.
The histories, therefore, are nothing other than an indication, memory, and characteristic of divine works and judgments, as to how he sustains, governs, hinders, promotes, punishes, and honors the world, especially mankind, according to whether each deserves evil or good. And even though there are many who do not recognize or respect God, they still have to take offense at the examples and histories, and fear that they too will not be like him and him who are presented by the histories, by which they are moved harder than if they are badly restrained with mere words of law or doctrine, and are resisted; As we read not only in the holy Scriptures, but also in the pagan books, how they introduce and hold forth the ancestors' examples, words and works, where they want to raise something among the people, or when they intend to teach, admonish, warn, deter.
Therefore the historians are the most useful people and best teachers, so that they can never be honored, praised or thanked enough, and if this should be a work of the great lords, as emperors, kings etc., who diligently wrote the histories of their time and preserved them in the librae, and who did not incur any expense in keeping and educating such people, who were capable of doing so; as can be seen, especially in the books of Judges, Kings, and Chronicles, that such masters were established and kept among the Jewish people; also among the kings of Persia, who had such librae in Medes, as can be seen from the books of Ezra and Nehemiah. In addition today the princes and rulers must have their cancelei, in which they set aside and settle their own, both new and old things; how much more one should take a history of all, or at least of the most daring 1) things, over the whole time of their regiment and leave it to the descendants.
4 And what more do we Germans have to complain about than that we do not have the history and examples of our ancestors a thousand years ago, and that we know almost nothing about where we came from?
1) because of - important.
We do not need what we need from the histories of other nations, who perhaps need to remember us out of necessity rather than in their honor. For since God's work proceeds without interruption, as Christ says John 5:17: "My Father works until then, and so do I," it cannot be lacking that something noteworthy must have happened at all times that should be remembered; and even if it could not all be read, that the most important pieces would be kept in the shortest possible time; as some have meant, who have made songs about Dietrich of Bern and other giants, and have thereby presented many great things briefly and badly.
5 But it takes an excellent man, who has a lion's heart, to write the truth fearlessly. For more than a few write in such a way that they gladly keep silent about the vices or accidents of their time, for the sake of their masters or friends, or interpret them in the best way; in turn, they exaggerate minor or trivial virtue; in turn, they embellish or embellish the histories out of the favor of their homeland and the disfavor of foreigners, according to which they love or hate someone. In this way, the histories become suspect beyond measure, and God's work is shamefully obscured; just as the Greeks are blamed, just as the Pope's hypocrites have done in the past and still do, and in the end, people do not know what to believe. Thus the noble, beautiful, highest use of histories is corrupted, and vain washers are made of them; which makes that such high work of writing histories is free to every one; who then writes and is silent, praises and scolds what he thinks good.
Therefore, this office should be used by high people, or by well-appointed people. For since the Histories describe nothing but God's work, that is, grace and wrath, which must be believed as if they were written in the Bible, they should truly be written with the utmost diligence, fidelity and truth. But this will not happen now, I think, unless the order that existed among the Jews is restored. However, we must be content with our histories as they are, and at times think and judge for ourselves whether the writer was acting out of favor or disfavor.
We have to suffer in the same way that the carters in such a loose regiment counterfeit the wine overland with water that one cannot get the pure grown drink 1) and let us be content that we get the most or something of it.
7 But this historicus, Galeatius Capella, nevertheless looks at me as if he wanted a
1) Thus the Jenaer and Walch; in the other editions: Trunk.
The book of the Lord's history, which was written by a true historian, does not explain things in long and vain words, but briefly and thoroughly, and is nevertheless a thing to be read and kept, as in it one can see God's work, how strangely he governs the children of men, and how wicked the devil is and his members; so that we may learn to fear God and seek his counsel and help, both in great and small matters. To Him be praise and thanksgiving forever and ever, through our Lord Jesus Christ, amen.