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// Praefatione ad Liber Primus 
// Story: Non nobis Domine 
// by Dsarker 
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My excellent Doctor Amicitia,

As you yourself know, I have taken the occasion of the two hundredth anniversary of the Templars appearing in Equestria to write, according to the knowledge and sources we have available, a full and orderly account of their appearance; I address this book both to you and to all ponies who seek learning.

This may raise questions among other ponies, who would scorn the importance of learning our own story in preference for playing at philosophy, or who would suggest that any further study is unimportant. To these ponies I can only say one thing: to be ignorant of one's history is to be ignorant of one's very self. If you seek to know of great and lofty affairs, then one must start by laying firm foundations. Nopony can understand how previous ponies thought without knowing what caused them to think that way.

In fitting with my belief that one learns history the best when it is weaved it within a narrative, I have constructed a story of the Templar appearance in Equestria. This story is not, let us be truthful, a stolid academic text, trying to cover every event that happened within the time frame. To take but a single example, I have not recorded the trade dispute with the buffalo tribes, as it did not prove pertinent to our topic (those more interested in this segment of history in a general sense I would advise to seek the writings of my learned colleague the teacher of friendship). Rather, it is a narrative dealing with most of the events that affected their reception into Equestria.

As to the question of the accuracy of this text, with almost no exception it is truthful and verified by the participants. I sought even the Templars' own writings for their own side of the story. This text is no respecter of persons. Your own testimony implicates even you, my dear teacher. However, at every juncture, I have sought the permission of those affected to use their words in this text, and you have given your own permission to circulate this text.

With this in mind, I would like to close this introduction the Templars' books. 'I call heaven and earth to witness this day, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Choose therefore life, that both thou and thy seed may live.' Choose life, therefore, by knowing your history and the history of your people, that both you and your children may live.