Introduction (see HE, pp 116-22)St Jerome arranged his psalter in this way, as he was instructed by an angel through the holy spirit. It is in an abridged form for this purpose, that those who are concerned for the world, those who are sick, those who go on long journeys or sail in danger of shipwreck, those who are about to wage war on their enemies or fight against the ill-will of devils, those who vow to recite the whole psalter each day and cannot, those who are weakened by fasting, those who keep holy days and cannot recite the full-length psalter then, and those who wish to save their souls according to God's mercy and have eternal life may recite this psalter diligently and they will possess the eternal kingdom.
Beatus vero Iheronimus in hoc modo\ disposuit psalterium sicut angelus\ domini docuit eum per spiritum sanctum, por\ro propter hoc abbreviatum est quod hii qui sollici\tudinem huius seculi habent vel homines qui\ in infirmitatibus iacent aut qui iter longin\quum agunt, seu qui naufragio navigant\ aut qui bellum commissuri sunt contra hostes\ seu qui militant contra invidiam diabolorum aut qui\ votum voverunt deo cantare cotidie integrum\ psalterium et non possunt, vel qui ieiunant et ie\iunio fortiter debilitantur. Et qui festa vel sol\empnia non custodiunt et minime possunt\ cantare magnum psalterium, et qui animam\ suam salvam volunt facere secundum misericordiam dei et\ vitam eternam volunt habere assidue cantent\ hoc psalterium et possidebunt regnum eter\num. Amen.\
A prayer follows.
Sequitur, Oracio.\
