Dedication, 1602-06-24, Johann Friedrich Jungius to Michael Theurer
| Author: | [Johann Friedrich Jungius] |
| Recipient: | Michael Theurer |
| Type: | Dedication |
| Date: | 24 June 1602 |
| Place: | Straßburg |
| Pages: | 6 |
| Language: | Latin |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=2748 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Gerhard Dorn, Schlüssel der Chimistischen Philosophy, ed. Johann Friedrich Jungius, Straßburg: Lazarus Zetzner 1602, sig. )(2r–)(4v [BP.Dorn.1602-01]
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| CP: | Not in Kühlmann/Telle, Corpus Paracelsisticum |
| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Abstract: | Jungius discusses the state of philosophy in the present age, remarking on how those who devote themselves to true Philosophy and eternal Wisdom are disapproved of and considered as heretics. Despite societal pressures, he remains convinced that the pursuit of divine Wisdom should not be abandoned. He decries the greed and desire for material wealth that guide many in their pursuits, believing that the true gold lies in the philosophical study. Despite his initial focus on law, inspired by his parents, he found himself drawn to philosophy, viewing it as the root of all sciences and arts. Jungius shares that he translated works of philosophers from foreign languages into Germanic, including the Key of Dornaeus. Despite his initial hesitations, he agrees to submit his translated work for printing under the insistence of Lazarus Zetzner, a bookseller and senatorial order member, and hopes that people understand his role was as a translator rather than an author. (generated by Chat-GPT) |
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[sig. )(2r] Amplissimo prvdentissimoqve viro ac Domino Michaeli Tevrero, Reipvblicæ Argentoratensis Qvindecemviro Celeberrimo, Domino Ac Patrono Svo Svmma Observantia Colendo. S[alvtem] D[icit] I[oannes] F[ridericvs] I[vngivs].
Qvanquam hoc vlcerato depravatoque seculo eò deventum est, Amplissime Prudentissimeque Vir, vt omnes ij, qui veræ Philosophiæ Sapientiæque æternæ, operam navari velint non solum à Pseudosophis, mundanæque Sophiæ professoribus, cultoribusque reijciantur, improbantur, ac pro hæreticis, quasi philosophicæ facultatis, (vti rentur) habeantur atque proclamantur: sed etiam ad orcum vsque ab ijs, applausu hominum vulgarium, nescio quibus, falsis, imaginarijsque persuasis opinionibus, relegantur, adeo vt indagatores veritatis divinæque Sapientiæ studiosi, ob metu horum, hanc publicè docere profiterique, [sig. )(2v] cohibentur: Non obstante tamen hoc, Devs benignus, iuxta proventiam suam, tam in præterito, quam in præsenti, futuroque seculo, semper aliquos, licet paucos, (sed, Pauca Devs in Terris Optima gignit, iuxta Poetam) excitavit, adhuc excitat, excitabitque imposterum viros doctos atque synceros, studium hoc verum, summo conantu gaudioque amplectentes, vt scripta eorum divulgata, hoc apertissime testantur.
Quamvis autem mihi causa est Origo huius odij non lateat, vt pote, quæ[c1] proveniat, à depravato Pseudochimicorum, auri argentique sitibundorum, impostorumque conatu, Summum hoc bonum esse putantium. Nummorum bene plenam, semper habere crumenam: Quorum is finis scopusque est, vt congerant Aurum, atque ob id solis inhiant diesque noctesque divitijs, Hæc illorum maxima cura est, vt fiant præ alijs, auro gemmisque potentes: Hæc sunt quæ cupiunt eiusmodi homines, quæ omnes ferè requirunt: His qui affluit, esse beatum fœlicemque putat, crassi dementia vulgi. Sed nescit quanti lateant sub floribus hydri: Quodque rosas inter Spinæ nascantur acutæ. Auri etenim sibi decepti occæ- [sig. )(3r] datique vulgari, non solum se, substantiamque suam auream, vnà cùm tempore nobilissimo perdunt, verum alijs quoque se ipsos ludibrium exponunt, & lustè quidem, cum non rerum philosophorum aurum, sed rutilum terraque concretum quærunt, inde terra serpentes, humostrati terreique manentes, nihil divini sapiunt, speque sua frustrantur vana. Interim tamen studium hoc nobile atque sacrum, in quo verum & occultum philosophorum aurum spirituale latet, minimè contemnendum, sed summo studio, ardenti conatu, devotisque præcibus, amplectendum, apprehendendum est atque promovendum. Ad quod tamen adytus non patet alius quam per studium Philosophiæ veræ, quæ in conversione sui ipsius in prædictum aurum spirituale, consistit, vti in huius tractatus lib[ro] 2. videri licet.
Etsi autem ego ab ineunte ætate à parentibus meis, nunc partim in Deo requiescentibus, (quibus bene sit in æternum) partim adhuc in vivis, ad studium Iurisprudentiæ, auri argentique secularis acquisitivum, summo studio monitisque paternis excitatus fuerim, eòque etiam, hinc inde in aliquot vniversalibus operam aliquantulum navaverim: tamen, nescio [sig. )(3v] quo fato, tractus, animus semper ad studium philosophicum, vt pote matrem omnium scientiarum & artium inclinabat, volensque nolensque eo trahebat, vt relicto illo amplo, rixarum atque contentionum pleno studio, huic nobilissimo me applicarem, Non (Devm testor qui cordium scrutator est) cupiditate auri argentique, sed occultæ veritatis indagandægratia, motus, huic me devovere proposui. Nam philosophia hæc verè Christiana Thesaurum magnum in se occultum, oculis carnalibus minimè perspicuum, continet. Proposito ergo hoc meo mactè insistens, philosophos veros & synceros, illorumque libros ad manus sumpsi, Cui Devs annuit, mihique ante annos aliquot, quendam Nobilem Virum, jacque in scientia expertissimum doctissimumque, ex singulari sua providentia promotorem atque instigatorem ad hoc calcar addentem, misit, ita vt huius instinctu, appetituqūe naturali adiutus, indies, magis magisque in ea erudiri cœperim, atque non solum philosophorum libros perlegere & intelligere, sed etiam de peregrinis idiomatibus, exercitij gratia, in vulgare nostrum Germanicum, quo termini horum mihi magis inno- [sig. )(4r] tescerent, comunioresque fierent transferre constitui, inter quos liber hic, Clavis Dornæi non minimum locum occupat. Hæc enim cum vera sit Clavis, ad veram & synceram philosophiam vnam monstrans, qua sine occulta reserari minimè queant, adeo mihi arrisit, vt ab eo desistere, ante complementum eius, non potui, non animo quidem eo, vt divulgare, aut prælo submittere conarer, sed saltem, vti prius dictum, in eo me exercerem, atque liberis meis post obitum, testimonium lucubrationis meæ relinquerem, Ne prorsus invtilis olim, vixisse hîc videar, pereamque in funere totus. Sed accidit forte fortuna, vt Ornatissimus, fide & dignitate clarissimus vir D[ominus] Lazarus Zeznerus Bibliopola ac Senatorij ordinis civitatis Argentinensis, amicus mihi fidelissimus, me conveniens, in Musæolo meo, opusculum hoc à me germanicè translatum, viderit, et, (cum pleraque huius farinæ scripta ipse de novo, prælo partim submisit, partim breve submissurus sit) tam obnixè oravit atque institit, vt ipsi ad imprimendum committere velim: Denegavi semel atque iterum, vt pote cui notum, cuiusmodi suspitionis argumentum, lividuli ac Invidiosi [sig. )(4v] homines, inde calumniandi arrepturi sint. Nolenti autem desistere cæptis, victus tandem assensi, atque vt prælo submitteretur concessi, spe illa fretus, Cum quisque viderit, me non authorem, sed translatorem saltem huius esse, neque divulgandi animo transtulisse, vitio mihi verti minimè debere. Cum autem vsu nunc maxime venit, vt quisque alicuius operis patronum atque fautorem quærere solet, Melior autem reperiri nequeat, eo, qui huius Scientiæ gnarus esset, Te amplissimum virum mihique familiarissimum, vt pote fautorem præcipuum huius scientiæ membrumque Magistratus mei, præcæteris, cui opusculum hoc exiguum, dedicarem, eligere volui. Accipias ergo illud vir Amplissime prudentissimeque eo animo, quo tibi à me donodetur, atque contra malignos & lividulos, humanæque sapientiæ putativæ, refertos homines, defendere atque tueri. Vale. Argentinæ ipso Festo Ioannis Baptistæ Anno recuperatæ salutis 1602.
T[uae] A[mplissimae?] addictißimus
I[oannes] F[ridericus] I[ungius] A[rgentoratensis].
Generated by ChatGPT-4 on 9 July 2023. Attention: This translation is a machine translation by artificial intelligence. The translation has not been checked and should not be cited without additional human verification.
To the most distinguished and wise man Michael Teurer, celebrated member of the Council of Fifteen of the Strasbourg Republic, his Lord and Patron with utmost respect. Greetings from Johannes Fridericus Jungius.
Although in this wounded and depraved age we have come to this point, Most Distinguished and Wise Man, that all those who wish to devote themselves to true Philosophy and eternal Wisdom, are not only rejected, disapproved of, and considered as heretics by pseudo-philosophers, professors and followers of worldly wisdom, as if they belonged to the philosophical faculty, and are proclaimed as such: but they are also relegated to oblivion by the applause of ordinary people, persuaded by I know not what false and imaginary opinions, to the point that seekers of truth and lovers of divine Wisdom, because of fear of these people, are prevented from publicly teaching and professing it. Despite all this, God in His kindness, according to His providence, both in the past and in the present and future age, has always aroused, though few, (but, God brings forth few but best things on Earth, according to the Poet) learned and sincere men, embracing this true study with utmost effort and joy, as their published works clearly testify.
Although the cause and origin of this hatred does not escape me, as it arises from the depraved efforts of pseudo-chemists, thirsting for gold and silver, and impostors, thinking that the greatest good is to have a purse always full of coins. Their end and aim is to gather gold, and for that reason they gape day and night for riches, their greatest care is to become more powerful than others, with gold and gems: These are the things such men desire, which almost everyone seeks: He who overflows with these is considered happy and fortunate, by the madness of the vulgar. But they don't realize what dangers lurk under the flowers: That among the roses sharp thorns grow. For the vulgar deceived and killed for gold, not only do they lose themselves, their golden substance, along with the noblest time, but they also expose themselves to ridicule for others, and rightly so, when they seek not the gold of philosophers, but shiny and earthly gold, hence they are earth-bound snakes, living on the ground, understanding nothing of the divine, and their vain hope disappoints them. Meanwhile, this noble and sacred study, in which the true and hidden gold of the philosophers, the spiritual one, lies, is by no means to be despised, but is to be embraced, seized and promoted with utmost study, fervent effort, and devout prayers. However, the way to this is open no other way than through the study of true Philosophy, which consists in the conversion of oneself into the aforementioned spiritual gold, as can be seen in book 2 of this treatise.
Although from my early age, I was encouraged by my parents, now partly resting in God (may they be well forever), and partly still alive, with great zeal and paternal advice, to study law, a pursuit of secular gold and silver, and even gave some effort here and there in a few universal subjects: yet, drawn by I know not what fate, my mind always inclined towards philosophical study, as it is the mother of all sciences and arts, and willed or not, it led me to abandon that vast study, full of quarrels and disputes, and apply myself to this noblest one. I affirm (God, who is the examiner of hearts, is my witness) not out of greed for gold and silver, but driven by the desire to investigate hidden truth, that I have devoted myself to it. For this truly Christian philosophy contains within itself a great treasure, barely perceptible to carnal eyes. Therefore, steadfastly insisting on my intent, I took to hand the works of true and sincere philosophers. To this God agreed, and several years ago sent me a certain noble man, extremely experienced and learned in science, as a promoter and instigator adding spurs to this pursuit, so that with his inspiration and my natural appetite, I began to be more and more educated in it, and not only to read and understand the books of philosophers, but also to translate them from foreign languages into our common Germanic language, for the sake of exercise and making these terms more familiar, among which this book, the Key of Dornaeus, occupies no small place.
Indeed, since this is the true Key, showing the single true and sincere philosophy, without which hidden things cannot at all be revealed, it pleased me so much that I could not stop before its completion, certainly not with the intention to publish or submit it to the press, but at least to practice it as previously said, and leave it as a testament of my work to my children after my death, lest I seem to have lived here entirely in vain and disappear completely at death. But it happened by chance that the most distinguished man, famous for his faith and dignity, Lazarus Zeznerus, bookseller and member of the senatorial order of the city of Argentinensis, my most faithful friend, met me in my study, saw this little work translated by me into German, and (since he has partly submitted several writings of this type to the press anew, and will soon submit some more) begged and insisted so strongly that I should commit it to him for printing: I refused once and again, as it was well known to me what suspicion and slander envious and jealous people would derive from it. However, not wanting to give up his undertaking, I finally agreed and granted it to be submitted to the press, relying on the hope that when everyone sees that I am not the author, but at least the translator of this work, and did not translate it with the intention of publishing it, it should not be blamed on me.
But since it is now most common to seek a patron and supporter for any work, and a better one could not be found than someone knowledgeable in this science, I wanted to choose you, most distinguished man and very familiar to me, as a foremost supporter of this science and a member of my magistracy, over others, to dedicate this little work to you. Therefore, receive it, most distinguished and wise man, with the spirit in which it is given to you by me, and defend and protect it against malignant and envious people, and those filled with presumed human wisdom. Farewell. In Argentoratensis, on the very Feast of John the Baptist, in the year of regained salvation 1602.
Most dedicated to your greatness,
Johannes Fridericus Jungius of Strasbourg.
Improved, more readable translation
Generated by ChatGPT-4 on 9 July 2023. Attention: This translation is a machine translation by artificial intelligence. The translation has not been checked and should not be cited without additional human verification.
To the esteemed and sagacious Michael Teurer, a renowned member of the Strasbourg Republic's Council of Fifteen, Johannes Fridericus Jungius extends his deepest respects and salutations.
In this turbulent and tainted age, there exists an unfortunate reality, wherein those who aspire to dedicate themselves to true Philosophy and eternal Wisdom are met with scorn and rejection. These individuals are branded as heretics by the so-called philosophers, academicians, and advocates of worldly wisdom. They face public disregard, spurred by misguided and unfounded opinions, consequently preventing the seekers of truth and advocates of divine Wisdom from publicly sharing and professing their knowledge. Despite these obstacles, Divine Providence, in its infinite kindness, has consistently inspired a few, albeit select, learned and sincere men throughout the ages. These few dedicated their lives to this noble study with unbounded enthusiasm and joy, as evident in their published works.
I understand that the source of this aversion arises from the perverse endeavors of false chemists and impostors who covet gold and silver. They perceive the greatest good to be an eternally replenished purse, dreaming of amassing wealth day and night. Their primary pursuit is to surpass others in wealth, considering themselves fortunate if they possess copious gold and gems. However, they remain oblivious to the perils concealed beneath the allure of these treasures. Their relentless pursuit for material gold instead of the philosopher's spiritual gold exposes them to mockery and leads to the squandering of their precious time, substance, and ultimately themselves. Yet, this noble and sacred study, harboring the spiritual gold of the philosophers, should not be disdained but instead revered and pursued with diligent study, unwavering effort, and devout prayers.
Since my youth, my parents, some now resting in God's embrace (may they be at peace eternally) and some still among the living, encouraged me with the utmost enthusiasm and paternal guidance to study law as a means to amass worldly gold and silver. Despite their encouragement, an inexplicable destiny steered my mind toward philosophical studies, regarded as the mother of all sciences and arts. This pull was so strong that I left my vast law studies, filled with quarrels and disputes, to apply myself to this noble pursuit. I can honestly affirm (as God, the examiner of hearts, is my witness) that my motivation was not avarice for gold or silver but a profound desire to unravel hidden truths.
With this truly Christian philosophy, there lies a great treasure scarcely perceptible to mortal eyes. In adhering to my purpose, I embraced the teachings of genuine and sincere philosophers. A few years ago, God guided me towards a noble, knowledgeable man, a veteran in science, who further inspired me in this pursuit. His guidance, combined with my natural curiosity, enriched my understanding of these teachings. This led me to translate works from various languages into our vernacular German, not only to deepen my grasp of philosophical concepts but also to make these principles more accessible. One such work is the Key of Dornaeus, which holds a significant place amongst these translations.
The Key of Dornaeus, revealing the one true and sincere philosophy, enchanted me so much that I could not desist until its completion. My aim was not to publish or submit it for printing but rather to deepen my understanding and leave this work as a testament to my children. It would serve as a testament of my intellectual endeavors, ensuring my life was not in vain, and my legacy would not perish with my death. However, by chance, Lazarus Zeznerus, a distinguished man known for his faith and dignity, a bookseller and a senator of Argentoratensis and a dear friend, came across my German translation of this work. He insisted, despite my initial refusal, to print this work, assuring me that as a translator, not an author, the work should not be held against me.
In the prevailing tradition of seeking patronage for scholarly works, I could find no one more fitting than you, Michael Teurer. Your familiarity with the science, along with your esteemed position in the magistracy, makes you an ideal recipient of this work. I humbly request you to receive this small treatise in the spirit it is offered and stand as its defender against critics, cynics, and those brimming with ostensible human wisdom. I bid you farewell from Argentoratensis, on the solemn Feast of John the Baptist, in the year of regained salvation 1602.
Forever dedicated to your excellence,
Johannes Fridericus Jungius of Strasbourg.
