We have given you a reasoned account in recording what happened to the Master on the death of Count Juan Fernández and in describing other matters which then ensued, relating each event from the very first steps he took up to the time when he was proclaimed king, as you have heard. Now, with the help of God and by adopting once again our established order of approach, we are minded to reveal all his noble achievements from the beginning of his reign until the very end of his blessed days. As it has been our practice to begin the narrative of each and every reign by imparting the noble qualities of the respective monarch, and as we did not wish to deviate from our earlier procedure, we would have liked to do the same in the case of this particular sovereign. However, we recalled the dictate of the philosopher Favorinus, which made us so fearful that we dared not do so. He declares that it is a more shameful deed to praise a person briefly and sparsely than it is to speak great ill of that person. That is because someone who utters modest praise about a man reveals that he indeed wishes to praise him but fails to find in him quite the worthy characteristics which would enable him to be given a lofty eulogy.

But someone who goes to great lengths to present a derogatory case against another person clearly shows to everybody that hatred and malice have driven him to do so. Accordingly, as we are unequal to the task of praising this powerful monarch at length, nor suited to give an account of his noble qualities, owing to the immense worth of his achievements, we would prefer not to discuss them, in recognition that it would be more appropriate for them to be set down by some great and eloquent scholar who could properly delineate the sequence of his meritorious deeds. Nevertheless, as we would thus be totally breaking with our established method, which would be reprehensible, it is with no little fear and haste that, despite the case that we have made, we shall briefly touch on a small number of praiseworthy achievements, just as has been our practice in the case of other kings.