Johann Rütiner, Diary, 1529–1539

Sources

Primary Sources

St. Gallen, Vadiana, Cod. 78 und 79

Older Editions

Schubert/Sudhoff 2, 1889, pp. 125, 131, 133

Modern Editions

Johannes Rütiner: Diarium 1529-1539, hrsg. von Ernst Gerhard Rüsch. St. Gallen 1996

Translations

CP 3, pp. 456-458

Text

Text according to Rüsch

I, n° 390; MS f. 84r-84v; ed. Rüsch I/1, 204-205

Theophrastus eciam tam auidus scientiae omnem Europam peragrauit 5 annis zeginer fuit quo eciam eorum scientias comprehenderet Palmam ei tribuit in secretis scientijs quia Mercurium sublimatum in igne numquam seipsum exuit ocreis et calcaribus ad 3 horas in lectum prostratus cubit subinde subinde scribit.
M Simon

I, n° 391; MS f. 84v; ed. Rüsch I/1, 205

Sebastiano Cuntz dixerat pulcherrimam se habere bibliothecam item Barthol Schowiger dixit Munichen eciam vnam habere sed Bartol ait meras esse nugas homo vanissimus est heluo non regis Franciae bona sibi sufficere Comprehendit eum quando Socerum curauit cyromanticis charcteribus inovanetem demonem subito omnia deleuit assidens omnia percontauit diu renuens tandem dixit ne celas quia omnia noui verissima esse narrans esse ante 5 annis in Athesi a quodam quocum familiaritatis multum habuit ei omnia narrasse cui reliquerat rithmos aliquot suae incantitationis tandem confessus est omnia
Barthol Schowinger

II, n° 45; MS f. 25v-26r; ed. Rüsch II/1, 66-67

Notes

n° 390

“zeginer”: almost certainly an early-modern spelling for Zigeuner (Romani). I’ve kept it literal and flagged the identification.

“Palmam… tribuit”: rendered as a passive (“is awarded the palm”) to avoid forcing a specific subject.

“Mercurium sublimatum in igne”: elliptical diary Latin; translated idiomatically as “he could sublimate mercury in the fire.”

“ocreis et calcaribus”: literally “greaves and spurs”; idiomatically “boots and spurs.”

“subinde subinde”: “again and again / repeatedly.”

Translation

English Translation (ChatGPT-5, date)

390. Theophrastus, likewise so hungry for knowledge, traveled all over Europe. For five years he was a ‘zeginer’ [likely Gypsy/Romani], so that he might also take up their knowledge. He is awarded the palm in the secret sciences, for he could sublimate mercury in the fire. He never took off his boots and spurs; for three hours he would lie stretched out in bed, and again and again he writes.

German Translation (ChatGPT-5, date)

390. Theophrastus, ebenfalls sehr wissbegierig, bereiste ganz Europa. Fünf Jahre lang war er ein ‚zeginer‘ [wohl Zigeuner/Rom], damit er auch deren Wissen erlerne. In den geheimen Wissenschaften wird ihm die Palme zuerkannt, denn er konnte Quecksilber im Feuer sublimieren. Seine Stiefel und Sporen legte er nie ab; drei Stunden lang lag er ausgestreckt im Bett, und immer wieder schrieb er.