Incipit Prologus sequentis opusculi.
Greeting to Queen Margaret
Vincent addresses Queen Margaret with a reverent salutation and a prayer for her salvation and readiness to serve.
Most serene and most reverend lord, to your queen Margaret of the Franks, by the grace of God: Brother Vincent of the Order of Preachers, whoever you are, a reader in his monastery of the royal hill, wishes you perpetual salvation in the Lord and a readiness in all things to serve her.
The Queen's Request and the Power of Early Formation
Vincent recalls Margaret's request for a compact work drawn from Scripture for the salutary education of children, illustrating the lasting imprint of early instruction with the image of a new jar retaining fragrance.
Recently, if you recall, your Sublimity was pleased to ask my humble self that I might pluck fitting little flowers from the divine Scriptures, from which I would compose something compact for the salutary education of children — by which, namely, their tender infancy could be healthily imbued, and like a new vessel recently filled, their memory might forever retain the sweetest fragrance of wisdom. For what a new jar takes in, it savors long afterward.
From a Universal Work to a Particular Task
Vincent explains that he had already begun a universal mirror for princes and royal governance, from which he hastened to extract and complete the portion on the instruction of royal children.
So, out of love and honor for our most distinguished lord the king, I had already begun putting together a comprehensive work—drawing not only from the holy Scriptures but also from the teachings of Catholic authorities, and from philosophical and poetic sources as well—on the condition of the prince and the entire royal court and household, and also on the conduct of public affairs and the governance of the whole kingdom. In order to satisfy your request more quickly—a request that, by the authority of your command, carries the weight of an order with me—I hurried to compose that part of the larger work, skipping the rest of the sequence, which deals with the education of royal children, and I sent it to your dignity through Simon the clerk, that is, the tutor of Philip, your worthy son, who was himself very eager on this very matter, so that I might complete this little work more quickly.
Purpose and Use of the Little Work
The work is compiled from the sayings of saints and wise men so that teachers may use it to instruct young boys in letters and verses, and the boys themselves may later draw from it manifold instruction in learning and living well.
In which, namely— This little work has been carefully compiled from the various sayings of saints and wise men. Although the boys themselves, because of the new rudiments of childhood, are not yet ready to read and understand it, their teachers or masters will in the meantime be able, from its various chapters, as their judgment sees fit, to draw from it and give to the same boys material for letters and verses. The boys themselves also, when they have made some progress in learning through their own efforts, will then be able to receive manifold instruction in learning and in living well.
Plan of the Work
Vincent announces that the little work is divided into chapters arranged under headings.
Now this little work is divided into chapters arranged under headings:
Read the original Latin
Serenissime ac reuerentissime domine sue, francorum dei gracia regine Margarete, frater vincencius de ordine predicatorum, qualiscumque lector in monasterio suo de regali monte, perpetuam in domino salutem et paratam in omnibus ad eius obsequia voluntatem. Nuper si bene recolitis, vestra sublimitas meam parvitatem rogare dignata est, ut de scripturis diuinis flosculos conpetentes excerperem, ex quibus conpendiosum aliquid ad liberorum erudicionem salutarem conficerem, quo uidelicet eorum tenera infancia salubriter imbui posset et quasi vas nouum recenter infusum odorem sapientie suauissimum eorum memoria perpetuo retineret. Nam quod noua testa capit, inueterata sapit.
Cum igitur in illo articulo temporis ob amorem et honorem illustrissimi domini nostri regis opus quodam universale de statu principis ac tocius regalis curie siue familie, necnon et de rei publice amministracione ac tocius regni gubernacione non solum ex diuinis scripturis verum etiam ex doctorum catholicorum sentenciis, insuper etiam philosophicis et poeticis conficere iam cepissem, ut uestre petitioni, que apud nos merito precepti uigorem optinet, cicius satisfacerem, ordine pretermisso partem illam prefati operis, que ad puerorum regalium instruccionem pertinet, componere festinaui eamque dignacioni uestre per manum symonis clerici uidelicet eruditoris philippi bone indolis filii uestri, qui eciam in hoc ipso ualde sollicitus fuit apud me, ut opusculum istud explerem cicius, destinaui. in quo scil. opusculo diligenter ex sanctorum ac prudencium uirorum sententiis variis compilato licet idem pueri propter noua infancie rudimenta nondum apti sint ad legendum et intelligendum, interim tamen ipsorum tamen didascali siue magistri poterunt ex diuersis eius capitulis, prout eorum discrecioni visum fuerit, eisdem accipere et dare materiam litterarum ac versuum. Ipsi quoque pueri, cum aliquantulum in doctrina per semetipsos inde poterunt addiscendi ac bene vivendi multiplex accipere documentum. Est autem hoc opusculum per capitula subiecta distinctum:
De eruditione filiorum nobilium (On the Education of Noble Children) companion
Formation starts with the parents' own practice
Model a daily devotional habit your children can see — Chosen Portion makes it a free 10-minute routine.
Vincent taught that children are formed by the daily practices of their household; Chosen Portion gives parents the daily devotional practice that anchors that household rhythm.
- A short daily devotional you can read before the kids wake up
- Family-friendly portions from the same historic tradition Vincent drew on
- Build a visible 30-day habit your children can imitate