Introduction 

Be this in the name of the eternal Father and of his only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the splendor of that glorious paternity, for love of whom I cry out with jubilation of heart, speaking in verse of his most beloved servants and spouses:

Every single lover, who loves the Lord,
Comes to the dance, singing of love;
Comes singing and dancing, completely inflamed,
Only desiring Him who created her 

And she is separated from the dangerous earthly state, putting herself in the most noble cloister of holy religion, so that, there, purge of every spot of sin and putting on the adornment of holy and noble virtue, reshaping the beauty of the soul and reducing it to the primal state of innocence, she may enter with dignity, after this wandering, in the glorious nuptial bed of her most chaste and virginal spouse Christ Jesus, from whose hands she will receive the prize of that glory. He has prepared that for those, who, for the sake of his love, have abandoned the vain pleasures of this lascivious world, putting themselves under the command of reason and abandoning their own will, (and who) resort to the secure portal of holy religion, offering themselves in everything to the will of another, following the path of most holy obedience and abandoning their own will in all things.  

But, recognizing that this cannot be done without violence to oneself, I will write what comes below, after a little space, a few teachings for the comfort of those people, who have entered into this most noble battle with that obedience and are forcefully combated and molested by their own will and by their (vidiri) and (pariri), who grieve strongly, thinking by this to lose every merit of obedience. The which case is not true, because every virtue is made perfect by its contrary. And that this may be truly demonstrated for the profit of others, I will speak of that excellent and most elegant virtue of obedience, which with dignity is called royal and noble and imperial. Thus, whoever desires to pass blessedly and without danger through the way to the heavenly home, goes through the most noble, gentle and beloved spouse if she can find him. And He, like an Impenetrable shield, will give us full victory over our enemies, and will guide us to the healthful portal of eternal retribution, as Christ said: Whoever follows me does not walk in darkness, but will have light.