Therefore I was not afraid to burden my shoulders with the work, [because it would] benefit all who would desire it.
I left some of the stories in the format of the original author, my work was only to abridge his words.
This is just like the work of a carpenter, when he builds a house he worries and thinks about the foundation and structure of the house, and he leaves the decoration and beautification[of the house] to another person. This is what I did.
For the way of all historians is to search and investigate every incident and event, to collect everything in order and to organize [the events] according to his desire.