Most fruitful [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martyr Vermil Florentine, professor of divinity,…Most fruitfull [and] learned co[m]mentaries of Doctor Peter Martir Vermil Florentine, professor of deuinitie,…

He addeth afterward, The nature of things desireth the order of times, it requireth also the description of countries, because in weighty matters and worthy of memory, first counsels are looked for, then the acts, & afterward the ends. And as touching counsels is signified what the author alloweth. And in things done is declared not only what is done or spoken, but also how &c. By these things we may gather what is the nature of yearly chronicles, and also what of an history: and me thinketh that these our narrations are rather to be counted histories than yearly chronicles, for because not only things done are set forth,¹ but also the causes, counsels and manners are declared. Also orations, admonitions, and reprovings, are sometimes added not without some ornaments: All which things pertain rather to an history than to bare yearly chronicles. But now that we have heard Cicero his opinion, let us also hear what Aulus Gellius writeth in the .5. chap. of his 5. book, which writeth this: Some do think that an history differeth from a chronicle in this, that when both of them are a declaration of things done, yet an history is properly of those things at the doings whereof he that wrote them hath been present. &c. He followed not this distinction, & not without cause, which nevertheless Seruius Grammaticus embraced, & Isidorus in his first book of Etymologies followed him, which is marvel because he is not only against Cicero, which saith that an history is a gathering together of things done yearly, but also against Vergil whose verse in the first of the Eneydos is. And now have we leisure to hear the yearly chronicles of our labours. Where he declareth, that yearly Chronicles pertain ⟨image 10⟩also unto things at the doings whereof we our selves were present. But now again to Gellius. He showeth that there were other which thought histories to be either an exposition, or else a demonstration of things done. But yearly chronicles were, when things done in many years were compiled together, observing the order of every year. &c. According to which sentence, this our book cannot be called a yearly chronicle, for that in the narrations thereof, it oftentimes noteth not the years wherein things were done.

He addeth afterward, The nature of things desireth the order of tymes, it requyreth also the description of countreyes, bicause in weighty matters and worthy of memory, first counsels are loked for, then the acts, & afterward the endes. And as touching counsels is signified what the author alloweth. And in things done is declared not only what is done or spokē, but also how &c. By these things we may gather what is the nature of yerely chronicles, and also what of an history: and me thinketh that these our narrations are rather to be counted histories thā yerely chronicles, for bicause not only things done are set forth,