Viii PREFACE. 



mundi edamus : sed potius benigne faveat, ut apocalyp- 

 sim, ac veram visionem vestigiorum et sigillorum 

 Creatoris supercreaturas, scribamus. &quot; Itaque tu, 

 Pater, qui lucem visibilem primitias creaturas de- 

 disti, et lucem intellectualem ad fastigium operum 

 tuorum in faciem hominis inspirasti ; opus hoc, 

 quod a tua bonitate profectum, tuam gloriam re- 

 petit, tuere et rege. Tu, postquam conversus es 

 ad spectandum opera, quae fecerunt manus tuas, 

 vidisti quod omnia essent bona valde ; et requievisti. 

 At homo, conversus ad opera, quas fecerunt manus 

 suae, vidit quod omnia essent vanitas et vexatio spiri- 

 tus ; nee ullo modo requievit. Quare si in operibus 

 tuis sudabimus, facies nos visionis tuae et sabbati tui 

 participes. Supplices petimus, ut hsec mens nobis 

 constet : utque novis eleemosynis per manus nostras 

 etaliorum,quibuseandemmentem largieris, familiam 

 humanam dotatam velis. (t) 



(f) May thou, therefore, O Father, who gavest the light of 

 vision as the first fruits of the creation, and hast inspired the 

 countenance of man with the light of the understanding as the 

 completion of thy works, guard and direct this work, which 

 proceeding from thy bounty, seeks in return thy glory. When 

 thou turnedst to look upon the works of thy hands, Sou sawest 

 that all were very good and didst rest. But man, when he turned 

 towards the works of his hands, saw that they were all vanity 

 and vexation of spirit and had no rest. Wherefore if we labour 

 in thy works thou wilt make us partakers of that which thou be- 

 holdest and of thy sabbath. We humbly pray that our present 

 disposition may continue firm, and that thou mayest be willing 

 to endow thy family of njankind, with new gifts through our 

 hands, and the hands of those to whom thou wilt accord the 

 same disposition. 



