Dedication, 1608-07-16, Raphael Egli to Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau
| Author: | [Raphael Egli] |
| Recipient: | Augustus, Prince of Anhalt-Plötzkau |
| Type: | Dedication |
| Date: | 16 July 1608 |
| Pages: | 9 |
| Language: | Latin |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=5843 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Basilus Valentinus, De microcosmo, ed. Raphael Egli, Marburg: Wolfgang Ketzel 1609, sig. A2r-A6r [BP.BasVal.1609-01]
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| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Abstract: | Egli reflects on the culmination of many years of laborious study in this field. The medicine discussed claims to purify both the Microcosm (humanity) and the Macrocosm (the universe), linking them to the Moon and the Sun, symbolizing moisture and heat respectively. The text references the Basil Valentine and his work on the Animal Kingdom's Asa and Phalaia. The author has translated these works into Latin, emphasizing their importance in understanding the human condition and the natural world. Central to the discussion is the concept of the 'Animal Stone', derived from human mummy, believed to contain the essence of the Microcosm. This concept is metaphorically compared to a physician diagnosing from urine, suggesting that the Animal Stone provides a more comprehensive understanding of human nature. Egli also discusses the significance of gold among minerals and its relationship with wine, highlighting their mutual affinity and beneficial effects on humans. This leads to the concept of three 'stones' - representing the animal, mineral, and vegetable kingdoms - which are said to possess remarkable powers, including rejuvenation and healing. The text criticizes those who seek universal truths in the wrong places, like air or sea water, arguing instead for a focus on tangible, God-given substances. The author concludes by dedicating his work to the Prince, hoping for his patronage and protection, and expressing a desire for the growth and appreciation of these philosophical ideas under the Prince's guidance. The letter is dated just after the Prince's thirty-fourth birthday in the year 1608. (generated by Chat-GPT) |
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[sig. A2r] Illustriss[imo] Celsissimoq́ue Principi ac Domino, D[omi]n[o] Augusto Principi Anhaltino: Comiti Ascaniæ, Domino servestæ & Bernburgi &c. Ducatuum Lignicensis & Bregensis in Silesia Proprincipi &c. D[omi]n[o] Clementissimo.
Decurrit tandem, Divinâ Gratiâ, laboriosum ac perdifficile multorum annorum curriculum, Auguste Princeps verè augustè; Domino Gratiosissime; quo admirandæ illius post Helianam temporis circumactam periodum fataliter patefaciendæ Medicinæ Hermeticæ ac Paracelsicæ notitiam nec obscuram nec dubiam assequi posse videmur: quæ ab omni impuritate Microcosmum juxta ac Macrocosmum vendicat, inq́ue Lunæ Solisquè centrum transmittit, quorum hic [sig. A2v] Caloris innati pater & author, illa humoris Radicalis fons est & mater.
Hac de causa haud dubitavi Philosophiæ secretioris Principem, adeoq́ue Regem, Basilium Germanum, alteras ab ejusdem Imperatore & Monarcha illo Paracelso Helvetio jure-meritò obtinentem, præsertim quâ de Regni potissimum Animalis Asa & Phalaia agit (ex voce, ut videtur, Asphaleia fabricatis, quia eiusdem originis duæ cùm sint, securitatis humanæ sunt veluti obsides) nuper à me κάτα πόδας expressum & Latinitate simplicissima donatum Clementissimæ fidei Illustrissimæ Celsitudinis vestræ, tanquam harum artium ac partium altricis, unicè commendare.
Commendat tamen ipsemet magnus hic noster sese Basilius basilicè, dum in libro præparationum de spiritu vini agens: Tria sunt (inquit) quæ inter[c1] omnia Mundi creata, longe sunt nobilissima[c2], interque se mirifice etiam atque etiam amant. In Animantium genere est Homo ex cuius Mumia lapis Animalis paratur, in [sig. A3r] quo Microsmus continetur. Magnum hoc equidem magnum, quod more suo, hoc est Philosophicè, Mumiam humanam subjectum Lapidis Animalis facit, hoc est Microcosmi Balsamum, haud equidem, ut ita desipere existimandus sit, quasi ex cortice, & crusta verborum abditam intus medullam & nucleum Philosophicum mox deprehendi posse, aut cum vulgo Aleiptarum loqui voluisse Philosophum suspicari debeamus: sed quia his verbis tum sagaciores allicere tum hebetiores deterrere voluit, illos ut profundioris Mumiæ vim perscrutari studeren: hos ut quod scrutando assequi nunquam possent scrutari desinerent Majus vero est, quod in Lapide animali totum Microcosmum contineri verissimè asserit. Quemadmodum enim (ut exemplo rem declaremus aliquo ex urinæ inspectione Medicus de summo imo & m,edio ventre atq́ue inde de tota hominis complexione pronuntiat, quia, illic tum valetudinis tum invaletudinis[c3] certa quædam indicia apparant [sig. A3v] ex quorum cognitione in constitutionem Naturæ humanæ perducitur: ita summa, ima, atque media illa, quæ in urinâ non paparent, in Microcosmi Mummia sive Balsamo (quem limbum utriusque Mundi post Paracelsum vocamus) multò extant expressius atque solidius, quandoquidem reipsa uni illi insunt omnino omnia, quæ alibi sparsim habentur.
Validè verò pergens Valentinus noster: Inter Mineralia (inquit) Aurum est nobilissimum. Rectè. Nam & Paracelsus eadem de causâ Regale & Metallorum illustrissimum vocat Aurum, sive de illo minerali in vulgus noto, sive de alio quodam minerali, quod illi æquipollet, aliunde parato accipias. Fixitas enim eius (addit Valentinus) omnino ipsius Nobilitatis prosapiam arguit. In Vegetabilibus autem esse lapidem vegetalem ostendimus. Iam verò præ omnibus creatorum generibus nostris oculis subjectorum. Homo auri vinique amore præcipue tenetur: vicissim ab Auro & vino etiam redamatur homo. Nobilissimum enim [sig. A4r] quod aurum habet sui, libens communicat[c4] vino, unde potus fit arte, hominibus vini & robur vitæ producens ad multos annos. Neque secius aurum & homo amantur à vino. Nam & cum tinctura Solis vinum amice conspirat, omnemque Melancholiam & mœrorem omnem fugat, recreans & exhilarans cor hominis. Qui igitur tres hos lapides (inquit) habuerit, is vere gloriari poterit, se lapides οὖ ἀπαντος sive universalis nactum esse: qua de re quidem multa & dicuntur, & scribuntur, sed vix uni, uni inquam ex centenis oculorum millibus adhuc patuit. Lapides enim hi (inquit) innovant homines juxta ac juventa: metalla leporosa persanant. Arbores in frugiferas omnes herbasque cre centes palingenesia sui foecundant: ita ut humana mens eadem satis capessere, atque pro dignitate imbibere nequeat.
Et hæ quidem hactenus de triplici Mineralium, Animalium, Vegetabilium regno regaliter omnino Basilius: Ubi tam evitentibus notis subjectum Spiritus Hermetici, sive balsamum Microcosmo ob oculos posuit, uti necessariò me stupor stupefaciat [sig. A4v] incredibilis Physicorum, quibus id in tam clara luce manet inobservatum stupendum in modum. Nec verò est, quod quisquam sibi hoc loci universale quoddam extra Triplicitatis huius definitum tergeminum ambitum ambiens fingat: uti faciunt cui ex ambiente nosaere, ex aqua Cœlesti, ex Rore Majali, ex Maris muríve salsugine, hoc ipsum solicitè captant: licet Aquam esse perpessam lubens dederim, quæ in omnibus mundi partibus passim fit obviam. Longius enim ista, quàm deceat, arcessuntur, & necessariò prius Naturam Mineralem, Animalem, Vegetabilem, induant oportet, quam de eorum definitione univoa esse possint. Quomodo igitur triplex trium Lapidum illud genus inde constitui poterit? Proxima igitur sunt sumenda & quæ à Deo formata jam præsto sunt & definitioni cuiusq́ue generis per se insunt, & præ pedibus cernuntur ac manu tanguntur: nisi cum insano pseudochymicorum choragio insanire libet, aut Metaphy- [sig. A5r] sicum aliquod vel Logicum ens supponere: quod quid aliud est quàm cum Ixione nubes amplecti ad producendum centauros: adeo longè hi abscedunt, qui universale universalissimum nescio qui vel ex ipsis radiis solaribus venantur. Satis enim verò satis est, quod huic Ixionico universali adversatur triplicitas Regni Mineralis, Vegetabilis, Animalis, quæ est materia secunda, non prima, teste experientia rerum videlicet compositarum, non simplicium. Sed hæc hactenus. Nam cum duplici hoc aureolo Libro de Microcosmo, deque Magno Mundi mysterio & Medicina hominis, totius Hermeticæ disciplinæ fundamenta explicentur, imo totum illud abditissimum Naturæ Arcanum summum, cætera omnia multis post se parasangis relinquens, plusquam apertè ab oculos ponatur, satis est digitum ad fontes intendisse. Celsitudini verò vestræ Illustrissimæ, quantillum hîc mei laboris est atq́ue operæ, quam humilimè do, nec sine caussa dico. Cùm enim omnis [sig. A5v] ea Virtutis Herodicæ juxta ac Nobilitatis antiquissimæ Principatum augumentissimum omni omnium disciplinarum luce condecoraverit, non potuit a me certius præsidium interiori huic philosophiæ quæri, nec debuit, quàm hinc quiverit ac debuerit. Accedit hûc sincerior Religionis cultus, quo vel uno sanctissimo firmissimoquè asylo nixi ambo hi fœtus gemelli, ex tenebris Monasticis in lucem producti, gratiosæ ejus tutelæ patrocinium clementissimum supplices ambiunt, indicium bonæ frugis de se luculentius edituri, ubi jussi fuerint. Patiatur igitur eos Augusto Augusti Nominis sui præsidio Illustrissima Celsitudo vestra tutos adolescere, eorundemquè pro innatâ Clementiâ suâ & in Musas sacras sacra faventia curam suscipere ne gravetur, donec se gratos aliquando præstare vicissim poterunt. Atq́ue his illi una mecum illustrissimæ Cels[itudinis] V[estrae] à Deo Ter Opt[imo] Max[imo] omnia felicissimam, faustissima, fortuna- [sig. A6r] tissimaquè comprecantur. Perscriptum Anno incarnati verbi sexcentesimo octavo supra millesimum, postridie Idus Quintileis: qui dies Celsitudinis vestræ Illustrissimæ Natali quarto & tricesimo veluti Phosphoro, triumphat.
Illustriss[imae] Celsi[tudinis] V[estr]ae obsequentiss[imus] D[octor] Angelus Medicus Eg. IC. T.
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Generated by ChatGPT-4 on 12 January 2024. 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 Illustrious and High Prince and Lord, Lord Augustus, Prince of Anhalt, Count of Ascania, Lord of Zerbst and Bernburg, etc., Proprince of the Duchies of Lignitz and Brieg in Silesia, etc., My Most Clement Lord,
Finally, by Divine Grace, the laborious and very difficult course of many years has passed, August Prince, truly august; Most Gracious Lord; during which we seem to be able to attain a clear and undoubted knowledge of that admirable Hermetic and Paracelsian Medicine, which was destined to be revealed after the period of time following Helian. This medicine claims both the Microcosm and the Macrocosm from all impurity and transmits it into the center of the Moon and the Sun, where the latter is the father and author of innate heat, and the former is the source and mother of radical moisture.
For this reason, I did not hesitate to commend to the Most Clement faith of Your Most Illustrious Highness, as the sole nourisher of these arts and sciences, the German Basil, the Prince and thus King of secret philosophy, rightfully holding this position after the Emperor and Monarch Paracelsus of Switzerland, especially in his work on the Animal Kingdom's Asa and Phalaia (seemingly constructed from the word Asphaleia, because they are of the same origin and are like hostages of human security), which I recently expressed κάτα πόδας and endowed with the simplest Latin, from my own hand.
However, our great Basil himself commendably presents himself, while discussing the spirit of wine in the book of preparations: “There are three things (he says) which among all created things of the World, are by far the noblest, and they also marvelously and repeatedly love each other. In the genus of Animals, there is Man, from whose Mummy the Animal Stone is prepared, in which the Microcosm is contained.” This indeed is great, which in his own way, that is, philosophically, makes human Mummy the subject of the Animal Stone, that is, the Balsam of the Microcosm, not at all, as one might think foolishly, as if from the bark and crust of words the hidden inner marrow and philosophical nucleus can be immediately discerned, or that we should suspect the Philosopher wanted to speak with the common crowd of ointment-makers: but because with these words he wanted to attract the more sagacious and deter the duller, the former to strive to scrutinize the deeper power of the Mummy, the latter to cease scrutinizing what they could never achieve by scrutiny. But it is greater that he asserts very truly that the whole Microcosm is contained in the Animal Stone. Just as (to clarify the matter with an example) a Physician pronounces from the inspection of urine about the upper, lower, and middle abdomen and hence about the entire human complexion, because there certain definite signs of health and illness appear, from the knowledge of which one is led to the constitution of human Nature: so those highest, lowest, and middle things, which do not appear in urine, are much more expressly and solidly present in the Mummy or Balsam of the Microcosm (which we call the limbus of both Worlds after Paracelsus), since in reality all things that are scattered elsewhere are entirely contained in that one.
But our Valentinus powerfully proceeds: “Among Minerals (he says) Gold is the noblest.” Rightly. For Paracelsus also calls Gold royal and the most illustrious of Metals, whether you take it as the mineral commonly known, or as another mineral equivalent to it, prepared from elsewhere. “For its fixity (adds Valentinus) altogether argues the lineage of its Nobility. In Vegetables, however, we have shown that there is a vegetable stone. Now, above all genera of created things subject to our eyes, Man is particularly held by the love of gold and wine: in turn, Man is also loved by Gold and Wine. For the noblest part of gold willingly communicates with wine, whence a drink is made by art, producing the strength and life of wine for many years. Likewise, gold and man are loved by wine. For wine also amicably conspires with the tincture of the Sun, and drives away all Melancholy and all sadness, refreshing and exhilarating the heart of man. Therefore, whoever has these three stones (he says) can truly boast that he has obtained the stones οὖ ἀπαντος or universal: about which, indeed, much is said and written, but it has scarcely been revealed to one, one I say, out of hundreds of thousands of eyes. For these stones (he says) renew men just as youth does: they heal spotted metals. Trees and all fruit-bearing herbs and growing plants they fertilize with their own palingenesia: so that the human mind can hardly grasp them adequately, nor imbibe them according to their worth.”
And these are indeed the words of Basil so far about the triple kingdom of Minerals, Animals, Vegetables, regally altogether: Where he so avoids known signs while presenting the subject of the Hermetic Spirit, or balsam of the Microcosm, before our eyes, that I am necessarily stupefied by the incredible stupor of Physicists, for whom this remains unobserved in such clear light, wondrously. Nor indeed is it, that anyone should imagine some universal thing outside the defined triple ambit of this Triplicity: as do those who from ambient air, from Celestial water, from May Dew, from the brine of the Sea or salt, eagerly seek this very thing: although I willingly concede that Water is universal, which is encountered everywhere in all parts of the world. For these things are fetched farther than is fitting, and necessarily must first assume the Nature of Mineral, Animal, Vegetable, before they can be of their univocal definition. How then can that triple genus of the three Stones be constituted from them? Therefore, things that are near at hand must be taken, which are already formed by God and are inherent in the definition of each genus, and are seen before our feet and touched by hand: unless one wishes to be insane with the insane chorus of pseudochemists, or to suppose some Metaphysical or Logical being: which what else is it than embracing clouds with Ixion to produce centaurs: so far do those depart, who hunt for some most universal universal from the very rays of the sun. For it is indeed enough, that this Ixionic universal is opposed by the triplicity of the Mineral, Vegetable, Animal Kingdoms, which is the second matter, not the first, as experience of composite things, not simple, testifies. But let this be enough for now. For with this double golden Book about the Microcosm, and about the Great Mystery of the World and the Medicine of Man, the foundations of the entire Hermetic discipline are explained, indeed the whole of that most hidden Arcanum of Nature is laid out more than openly before our eyes, leaving all other things many parasangs behind, it is enough to have pointed to the sources. But to Your Most Illustrious Highness, as much as is here of my labor and work, I humbly give, and not without cause I say. For since all that Virtue of Herod, as well as the most ancient Nobility, has adorned the Principality with the light of all disciplines, no more certain protection for this inner philosophy could be sought by me, nor should it have been, than from here it could and should have been. Added to this is the more sincere worship of Religion, by which both these twin offspring, brought forth from monastic darkness into light, seek the most gracious patronage of his gracious protection, about to produce a more lucid sign of good fruit, when they have been ordered. Therefore, let them grow up safely under the protection of the August Name of Your Most Illustrious Highness, and let him not be burdened to take care of them for his innate Clemency and his sacred favor towards the sacred Muses, until they can in turn prove themselves grateful. And with these, they together with me pray to God, the Best and Greatest, for all the happiest, most auspicious, and most fortunate things for Your Most Illustrious Highness. Written in the year of the incarnate Word, six hundred and eight above a thousand, the day after the Ides of July: which day triumphs as the Morning Star on the thirty-fourth birthday of Your Most Illustrious Highness.
Your Most Illustrious Highness's most obedient Doctor Angelus Medicus Eg. IC. T.
