Letter, no date, Joachim Morsius to the Rosicrucians (BP.Morsius.1619-13)
| Author: | Joachim Morsius |
| Recipient: | the Rosicrucians |
| Type: | Letter |
| Date: | no date |
| Place: | no place |
| Pages: | 3 |
| Language: | Latin |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=5590 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | [Joachim Morsius], Anastasii Philareti Cosmopolitae Epistola Sapientissimae FRC Remissa, ‘Philadelphia’ ca. 1619/20, sig. A2r–A3r [BP.Morsius.1619-13]
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| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Abstract: | The letter is a deeply introspective and respectful communication to a group of wise men, whose writings he has recently discovered and studied with great diligence. The author, feeling divinely inspired, expresses his profound admiration for their wisdom and seeks their guidance. He reveals his background as a young man of about twenty years from Holstein, lacking extensive education but possessing a strong desire for knowledge and virtue. The author describes his life philosophy, which includes a commitment to the public good, a disdain for material wealth, and a pursuit of inner truth and virtue. He has chosen Theosophy as his guiding principle and hopes to align his life with its teachings. Despite his modest background and fortunes, he aspires to a life of intellectual and spiritual fulfillment, transcending his circumstances. The author expresses a readiness to meet and learn from these wise men, showing a willingness to embrace whatever life brings, guided by principles rather than personal desires. He concludes by affirming his disdain for the scorn of the uneducated and his dedication to living a life of honor, hoping for a response and keeping the wise men in his prayers. (generated by Chat-GPT) |
| Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Joachim Morsius |
[sig. A2r] Annus jam est præterpropter, quod in summa mea calamitate, humana ope prorsus destitutus, divina virgula admonitus, vestra Viri Sapientissimi, pijßima scripta, de quibus antea ne per nebulam quidem unquam quicquam inaudieram, Optimo Genio admonitore, sedulò inquirere, nocturna diurnaq́ue manu diligenter uersare, meq́ue jis erigere iussus sum. Sentiens itaq́ue me ad eorum lectionem, uestriq́ue admirationem & cultum, non sine numine ac afflatu diuino inuitari, nihil prius, vel antiquius duxi, quam in eâ re, ad quam me affectus meus, non tantum impellebat, sed plane impetuosè abripiebat, animo meo dare ludum. Percurri ergo auidissimè uniuersa cuncta, quæ ad manus meas peruenire potuerunt, curâ accuratâ, nihilq́ue in ijs inueni, (quorum quidem sensum assequutus,) quod non desiderio meo satisfecereit. Vnicum hocce tantum restat, uti quo queam ab erroneis tenebriosis mei semitis abduci, [sig. A2v] inq́ue lucidissimam veritatis regiam uiam reduci, ne uestro plus millies à me longè exoptatißimo congreßu & colloquio dedignari me velitis. Si patriam quæritis? domo ac gente Holsatus sum, in potißimâ & famigeratißimâ ejus urbe natus. Si ætatem? Juuenis viginti aliquot annorum, doctrinâ fateor libens merito nullâ, minore forte indole præditus, sed qui tamen ut facile omnibus ingenij dotibus; jta nulli candora, Eruditionis & virtutis amore cedat. Honestis parentibus, à familia non jgnobili prognatus, bonis fortunæ (Dei mei clementißimi parentis ac fratris indultu) mediocribus ornatus, mente vero supra fortunam excelsiore. Naturæ cunctis benè, nulli malè, singulis decenter cupio, publicæ salutis quietisq́ue literariæ amantißimus, cujus unicumn studium placere bonis, displicere malis, semper sui simillimum esse. Theosophiam Sponsam mihi elegi, domum, si per fatæ concedetur, coniugem ducturus. Contingat, voueo, mihi ubiq́ue quod expedit, non quod volo. morosæ grauitatis contemptor, effrenem levitatem detestor, hilaremq́ue in pectore vigorem amplector. Syrtes ac saxa forensia, turbasq́ue Honorum fugio. Aurum, Gemmas & diuitias vulgi lutum [A3r] Splendens reputo, neminem se, cum orbis cuiq́ue sibi, extra se quærere debere existimans, Deum Venerando, Honestè viuendo, neminem lædendo, suum cuiq́ue tribuendo, se ipsum vincendo, nil admirando, nilq́ue uerendo, hostium inurias risu, commiseratione & contemptu puniendo, Legendo, scribendo, inuentutisq́ue ac meorum temporum, posteritatisq́ue bono inuigilando, uitam procudere constitui. Pransus, paratusq́ue sum, me quibuscunq́ue vobis visam interris, quovis tempore, cum uestro sacratio me introducere uobis libuerit, presentem memet sistere, obseruantiamq́ue singulis meam incoram declarare. Conuitia enim stolida, plebeculæ indoctæ quæ futilißimis contumelijs suis, caninâ inuidiâ alios à pabulo quo ipsi frui prohibentur, arcere nituntur, iampridem alto supercilio despicere didici. Bene ac feliciter valete virorum quotquot terra tulit præstantißimi, meq́ue responso quamprimum beate, uestisque in precibus commendatißimum habetote. Festinabam properè.
Uester æternum
Omni officio ac fide
Anastasius Philaretus
Qui candorem in terrâ quæsiui, non repperi, inuenturus eum in cœlo, vestrisq́ue Cœlo cognatus mentibus.
English Raw Translation
Generated by ChatGPT-4 on 29 December 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.
For about a year now, in the midst of my great calamity, utterly abandoned by human help and admonished by a divine rod, I have been instructed by the Wisest of Men, your most pious writings, of which I had never even heard a whisper before, to diligently seek them out, with the help of an Excellent Genius as my guide. I have been turning them over day and night with diligent hand, and have been ordered to uplift myself with them. Therefore, feeling myself invited to their reading, and to the admiration and worship of you, not without some divine inspiration and breath, I considered nothing more important than to indulge my mind in that matter to which my affection not only impelled me, but indeed swept me away impetuously.
Thus, I eagerly perused everything that came into my hands with great care, and found nothing in them (whose meaning I could grasp) that did not satisfy my desire. The only thing that remains is for me to be led away from the erroneous and dark paths of my own ways, and to be brought back into the most luminous royal road of truth, so that you would not disdain me from your much-desired meeting and conversation, which I have longed for a thousand times over.
If you ask of my homeland, I am from Holstein, born in its most prominent and famous city. If you ask of my age, I am a young man of some twenty years, admittedly with no great learning, perhaps of lesser talent, but still one who yields to no one in eagerness for knowledge, and in the love of learning and virtue. Born of respectable parents from a not ignoble family, adorned with moderate fortunes (by the grace of my most merciful God, parent, and brother), but with a mind that soars above my fortune.
I wish well to all of nature, harm to none, and to behave decently towards everyone. I am most devoted to the public good and the peace of the literary world, whose sole study is to please the good and displease the bad, always to be true to oneself. I have chosen Theosophy as my bride, and if fate allows, I will take her as my wife. I vow to accept what is expedient everywhere, not what I want. I scorn morose gravity, detest unrestrained frivolity, and embrace cheerful vigor in my heart. I avoid the shoals and rocks of the forum, and the tumults of honors. I consider gold, gems, and the riches of the common mud as mere glitter, believing that no one should seek outside themselves what each can find within, honoring God, living honorably, harming no one, giving each their due, conquering oneself, admiring nothing, and fearing nothing, punishing the injuries of enemies with laughter, compassion, and contempt, reading, writing, and vigilantly working for the good of the youth, my own times, and posterity. I am ready and prepared to present myself to you at any time, whenever you wish to introduce me, to declare my respect in person.
For I have long learned to look down with high disdain on the foolish insults of the uneducated rabble, who with their most trivial slanders, and with canine envy, try to keep others from the food from which they themselves are barred. Farewell, most excellent of men whom the earth has borne, and consider me blessed with a response as soon as possible, and keep me most recommended in your prayers. I was in a hurry.
Yours forever,
With all duty and faith,
Anastasius Philaretus
Who sought sincerity on earth and did not find it, but will find it in heaven, and in your minds akin to heaven.
