On the verso of the title is the following letter, addressed by Tory to two of his old college friends, who were at this time personages of note: the first, Philibert Babou, was secretary and silversmith to the king; the second, Jean Lallemand, was Mayor of Bourges.
Geofroy Tory of Bourges to the most illustrious Philibert Babou and Jean Lallemand, the younger, citizens of Bourges, united in mutual friendship, greeting.[205]
I owe to you, most estimable of men, the fruit of whatever toil I may undertake—even purposely for your sakes—by night or day. Behold! Since you in no slight degree practise and admire the old school of morals, the school, that is, of respectability and true worth, I now, under the protection of your names, ever to be cherished by me, commit to print Probus Valerius, a most diligent collector and accurate interpreter of the old writings and abbreviations which appear, elegantly drawn, on the ancient coins, tombs, and tablets; glad am I to be of even such small service to my country, and hopeful that the slight revision to which I have subjected the work will prove to have been as happily, as it has been carefully, done. Permit, I beg, an author of exceeding merit to come first of all into your hands, which are most fitted for every excellence, and then to go forth brightly and cheerfully into the hands of all other students. Farewell.
Paris, at the College of Plessis, 10 May, 1510.
CIVIS.
And at the end of the book is this other letter, which gives us to know that the volume is a collection of fragments of ancient authors.
Geofroy Tory of Bourges to the Reader, greeting.[206]
When I began, I believe under favourable auspices, to print Valerius Probus, it occurred to me, not wishing a book of one or two codices to be unsuitable as a manual, to print, along with Probus, several articles well worth making the acquaintance of. I have added to Probus, Priscian's treatise 'De ponderibus et mensuris'; likewise Columella's 'Quemadmodum datæ formæ agrorum metiri debeant'; also Georgius Valla's 'Figuras quæ sub dimensionem cadant'; and, further, some dialogues, together with some enigmas, carefully collected, as occasion allowed, from various authors. The enigmas I have designedly left unexplained, so that, when you come to read them (as Gellius says in book xii, ch. 6), you may sharpen your wits by trying to puzzle them out.[207] Give your attention to them, I beg, good reader, so that I may not, as Plautus enigmatically observes in the 'Miles,' throw dust in your eyes. Farewell.
In addition to the pieces which Tory here mentions, there are many others in this volume of miscellanies.[208] It contains also several pieces of verse by Tory himself. Here is one which will give an idea of his literary tastes:—
Dialogue by Geofroy Tory, in which the City of Bourges is described in the rôle of a speaking character.[209]
Speakers: MONITOR and CITY.
MON. City, what is your name?
CITY. Bourges.
MON. Now, tell me, what mean those proud buildings that I see?
CITY. Temples, houses, towers, divine palaces you see.
MON. Ah! they overtop the heavens with their piles. What temple is that, I pray?
CITY. The Cathedral of St. Etienne, first of martyrs; it overtops even the lofty marbles of the goddess Trivia.
MON. What is that single house which stands distinguished for its red hearts? Was it built by the hand of Memnon?
CITY. This was built in an earlier time by the mortal Jacques Cœur [Heart],[210] a man of wealth; him envy took from us.
MON. Say! what tower is that that is seen standing higher than the lighthouse of Pharos? I am filled with wonder when I see it fully.
CITY. When the mighty Ambigatus ruled the Celtic peoples, in an earlier time, this great tower was built.
MON. Say, oh, say, that golden palace, is it the Capitol? Answer; why do you not speak, Bourges? You who just now talked with easy speech say nothing. Do you wish to become to me what Harpocrates was of yore?
CITY. No, but, see you, this palace is to be approved for its great art, because the world has not yet produced another like it.
MON. What is this earth that yawns with such an opening?
CITY. It is the place where a tower was to be erected for me.
MON. Have you not another as great as that?
CITY. I have. From two towers I get my name Bourges [Biturix].
MON. By what name is it called in this time of ours?
CITY. The people name and call it 'the fosse of sands.'
MON. What river, what river have you to mention?
CITY. The Auron.
MON. Is it the one Cæsar mentions in describing the Gallic Wars?
CITY. It is.
MON. Are there others?
CITY. There are two: they are the Voiselle and the Yèvre herself, swarming with numberless fishes.
MON. What privileges have you?
CITY. The all-valuable privilege have I, and the hall, that coin money.
MON. Is there nothing else?
CITY. Aquitaine calls me capital and receives her laws from me.
MON. What divinities are with you?
CITY. There are Juno, Jupiter, and Pan, Vesta, Diana, Ceres, Liber, and the Father himself.