¶ The preface or {pro}heme of Bartholome we Pycern of the hyghe mountayne / vnto Pope Iulyus the se∣conde / vpon the priuylege / called the gyfte or graunt of the emperoure Constantyne / whiche priuylege the sayd Bartholomewe affyrmeth with fast asseueraty∣on hymselfe to haue trāslated out of greke into laten.
WHan among other / dyuers and sondrie wor¦kes / whiche of late dayes I dyd rede most blessed father / in this your moost famous & goodly lybrary / there came vnto my hādes a certayne lytell Greke boke / whiche contayned the gyfte or graunt of Constantyne: I thought it mete & cōuenyent to translate it out of greke in to latyn / and also yt I ought to dedycate or entytle it to your most holy fatherhed / whiche are the deputie of Christ / and of Peter / and the successoure also of Syluester / for be¦cause there be many men whiche haue sayde and wyll abyde by it / that thys gyfte or graunte of Constan∣tyne is false / counterfeyted & fayned / amonge whom Laurēce Valla is one / a man surely well lerned / whi∣che presūtuousli hath taken in hāde to write a boke of the false & forged gyfte of Cōstantyne. But his opy∣nyons very well resysteth and gaynsayth the moste re¦uerende Cardynall of Alexandrie / excellently lerned and substācially sene in both lawes / & also very dily∣gently confuteth and dyssolueth the obiections made by the sayd Laurēce. Parauenture that great clerke Valla supposed that ye thyng whiche he him selfe had nat redde / coulde in no place haue ben founde among other men. And no meruayle therof / seīg that he was a man of so gret mordacite. and all gyuen to checkīg that he hath nat ben afrayde to checke and rebuke Ari¦stotle the chefe and pryncipall of all Philosophers / ye and also / so to fynde fautes with all ye authors of the laten tonge / that he hath forborne no man. But leste I be to tedyous: lette vs nowe lysten / and here what Constantyne hym selfe saythe