To Gerold Meier, a Very Good Young Man, Huldrichus Zuinglius Wisheth Grace and Peace from God and Our Lord Jesus Christ

When of late as you did return from the baths, every man received you with glad heart (my most dear young friend Gerolde) and divers willed to honor you with gifts. I thought I should be utterly void of all civility if I should not present you with some manner of gift, specially seeing this custom to use to honor those that bathe themselves is commonly used amongst friends, amongst whom, for two causes I account you. The one is, because you do fortunately employ your diligence to learning, and the other, because you are in wages under the standard of my friend Glareane. And when I sought long with myself what thing might be most acceptable unto you, at length, I found that it must be either holy or learned, or both, that should serve unto your pleasure. For like as of nature you appear to be born unto godliness and virtue, so even now of your own accord you do show forth the fruits of urbanity and elegance, the which truly are somewhat ripe before time, and therefore are they the more pleasant. Wherefore albeit that searching over with diligence all my learned stuff, when by no way I could perform the thing, it remained that I should buy your favor with certain Godly things, appertaining as well to the health of the body as of the soul, and conducing unto virtue. Where therefore in times past, I had, upon counsel taken with myself, begun to make a book how the ingenious youth ought to be instructed, and divers disturbing lets had delayed my purpose (as the case and state is of things present nowadays) yet as I thought of the forenamed gift, laying watch carefully to choose a thing convenient, the memory of my old taken counsel came into my mind. And albeit that I see the most part of men to be careful how they may dedicate their labor being finished unto some worthy patron, to me it fortuned contrary, for he is present and ready unto whom the thing ought to be dedicated. But I lack leisure and those 9 years until the which time this work ought to be suppressed. Wherefore betwixt these two incommodities, that utterly some thing must be sent unto you, and that my business doth not permit the same to be done worthily, I have found how presently it may be satisfied unto us both. I myself have stolen so much time, that without great advisement I have gathered together a few precepts. And truly, generally they ought to be few, but well bestowed, lest too much copy should make loathsomeness. For so almost it comes to pass, that things that are with a sparing hand drawn forth are taken in with the more greedy stomach. The which things you shall not esteem after the place from whence they have their first original, but according unto the meaning and intent of him from whence they proceed. For Godly things, we may without dissimulation promise, if in ourselves we are not void of grace. But to promise learned things, it is a shame, although you yourself be never so well learned. The first precepts contain in them, how the tender and young mind of an ingenious stripling is to be adorned, in those things that appertain unto God. The second, how in those things that appertain unto himself. The third, how in those things that appertain unto other. And here, it is not our purpose to begin from the swaddling bands, nor yet from the first rudiments, but from that age the which begins to have the use of discretion and wit, and begins to swim (as the proverb says) without a bark, in the which age even now you yourself are. These (as I trust) you will read diligently, and will transform yourself into them, that unto other also, you may exhibit a lively example and token of the same. The which Christ the mighty Lord grant unto you. So be it. At Strasbourg the Calends of August 1532.