 This introduction, written by Coignard's daughters, dedicates her work to two “devout” and “venerable” ladies that their mother greatly admired.These two women are generally assumed to be Marguerite de Valois and Clémence Isaure, two renowned devotional poets in their own right, who greatly influenced Coignard's faith and literary career.The preface also asks that the readers ignore the “fairly remarkable errors in this book that you will be likely to criticize and condemn,” instead encouraging them to recognize its “honest and virtuous” author, indicating that the Mansencals were invested in protecting their mother's legacy.