Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha by Ven. Aśvaghoṣa

Buddha-carita, or Life of Buddha - 203
7. ‘Who has lost his interest in any pleasure or pain of a visible
nature, or in the future, and who follows this middle Path for the
good of the world, –
8. ‘Let him, the Tathāgata, the teacher of the world, proclaim the
good Law, beginning that manifestation of the good Law which
consists of the (four) noble truths,
9. ‘And let the Buddha proclaim the Path with its eight divisions. I too
who am now the perfectly wise, and the Tathāgata in the world,
10. ‘Will proclaim the noble Law, beginning with those sublime truths
and the eightfold Path which is the means to attain perfect
knowledge.
11. ‘Instructing all the world I will show to it Nirvāṇa; those four
noble truths must be heard first and comprehended by the soul.
12. ‘That must be understood and thoroughly realised by the true
students of wisdom, which has been known here by me, through the
favour of all the Buddhas.
13. ‘Having known the noble eightfold Path, and embraced it as
realised with joy, – thus I declare to you the first means for the
attainment of liberation.
14. ‘Having thus commenced the noble truths, I will describe the true
self-control; this noble truth is the best of all holy laws.