""The fragments of the Massoretic text of the Bible, that are gnomic in character, though some of them have been incidentally noted by the commentators, have never been collected. The attempt is here made, therefore, to gather as many as could be recognized and accounted gnomic. When the mass is collected and examined, it serves, it is believed, to make a new historical background for the larger canonical and post-canonical books of the gnomic series."" --from the Introduction