The preface is recounted by an anonymous narrator who claims that he came across a spectacular painting in a sacred grove while hunting on the Island of Lesbos. The narrator describes the painting as a beautiful depiction of a love affair, from the birth and abandonment of each lover as a baby, to their adoption by different shepherd families, followed by images of their youth and initial infatuation, as well as a myriad of dangerous trials and adventures. The narrator is so impressed by the painting that he searches for someone to explain its significance and then decides to write the story down. Therefore, the following four books that make up the novel are a written interpretation of the picture the narrator saw in the grove. The narrator dedicates his story to “Love, the Nymphs, and Pan” (3). The prologue concludes with the assertion that the tale has miraculous properties, including the ability to heal the sick, and the promise that no one can ever escape the power of true love.