Preface, no date (1574), Michael Toxites to the Reader (BP158)
| Author: | Michael Toxites |
| Recipient: | Reader |
| Type: | Preface |
| Date: | no date [1574] |
| Pages: | 5 |
| Language: | German |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=2115 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Paracelsus, Archidoxa [...] Zehen Bücher, ed. Michael Toxites, Straßburg: Christian Müller 1574, sig. B1v-B3v [BP158]
|
| CP: | Not in Kühlmann/Telle, Corpus Paracelsisticum |
| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Abstract: | Four years ago, the author published Theophrastus' Archidoxa not for money or profit, but to share knowledge. Due to various reasons, errors were made in the text. The author has now corrected those errors and added new annotations. These books are important for medical practitioners, as they contain information for treating diseases among the rich and poor. The author has also included Thesaurum Thesaurorum Theophrasti, which is an interpretation of Tinctura Physicorum. The author had the De Mineralibus treatise copied from Theophrastus' manuscript in the year 70 and published it with other books. However, others reprinted these books for profit. The author warns that they have the right to take action against those who profit from their work. In the first edition, the book De Renouatione was placed as the ninth and De Separatione Elementorum as the second. After finding a connection between the books in Arcanis, the author rearranged the order. (generated by Chat-GPT) |
| Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Michael Toxites |
[sig. B1v] An den Gůtwilligen Leser.
Als ich vor vier jaren/ nit vmb gelt/ oder gewins willen/ den ich wol het mögen haben/ Sunder dir zů gůtem/ die Archidoxa Theophrasti inn truck hab außgehn lassen/ Jst dazůmal nit wol müglich gewesen/ das nit Errata auch wider meinen willen/ auß vilen vrsachen/ vnnötig hie zůerzelen eingerissen weren. Dieweil ich aber dir beger zů dienen/ lieber Leser/ vnd in zweyen messen alle Exemplar/ so ich hab lassen trucken/ distrahiert seind worden/ So hab ich meinem verheissen nach/ gemelte Archidoxa mit bestem fleiß/ vnd vermögen/ doch nit auß andern getruckten Exemplaren/ wie du erfaren wirst/ so du meines mit den andern wirst conferiern/ wz falsch gewesen/ corrigirt/ was außgelassen worden/ ergentzet/ vnnd mit newen Annotationibus hin vnd wider erklert/ [sig. B2r] zum theil auß aigner erfarung/ zum theil wie ichs von gůten Leuten/ mit denen ich dauon tractiert/ verstanden hab/ villeicht werden sie etlichen gefallen/ So sie dann etlichen mißfallen/ bith ich alle liebhaber Theophrasti/ sie wöllen meinen willen für gůt haben/ Jch beger niemands zůbereden/ mir zů glauben/ wie ichs verstehe/ also gib ichs/ ein anderer thů auch wz er vermag/ hat/ vnd will. Es seind dise bücher wol werdt/ das sich alle medici darinn mit höchstem fleiß vben/ Dann in disen ist alles/ was dem medico in allen kranckheiten/ bey armen vnd Reichen zu gebrauchen/ Vnd sol keiner verzagen/ der Geist des Herrn/ der vns in alle weißheit füret/ lebt nocht[e1]. Was mir vor andere im Büchlin/ de occulta Philosophia, on mein wissen außgethon/ hab ich jetz wider darzů gesetzt.
Nach der Tinctura Physicorum, hab ich Tesaurum Tesaurorum Theophrasti/ so noch nie getruckt worden/ hinzů gesetzt/ Darumb/ daß diß büchlin vast ein [sig. B2v] außlegung tincturæ Physicorum/ vnnd eines arguments ist. Dieweil ich aber dise Archidoxa/ wie andere Tractatus mehr/ mit Röm[isch] Kay[serlicher] M[ajestä]t &c. freyhait hab lassen trucken/ so weren andere/ die wol gewußt/ das ich im werck bin/ mit jhren Exemplarn wol still gestanden/ vnd nit vmb gewins willen herfür brochen/ hette ich vnd andere gůte leut mühe/ arbeit/ vnd kosten/ der nit gering gewesen/ nit angewendt/ die Archidoxa/ sampt andern schrifften Theophrasti/ weren noch nit an tag kommen/ oder aber jämerlich zerstrewet worden/ da sie ein böser bůb zů Regenspurg in einem trog verschlossen/ vnd mit der Oberkeit Jnsigel verwaret/ in vertrawen zůbehalten/ genomen/ das sigel herab gethan/ den trog auffgebrochen/ die bücher herauß gestolen/ vnd hin vnd wider in wissen vnd willen des ehrlichen mans/ so jms vertrawet/ verkaufft hat.
So hab ich de Mineralibus den andern Tractat/ auß Theophrasti hand- [sig. B3r] schrifft Anno 70. erst abschreiben/ vnnd mit andern Büchern mehr/ in der Fasten meß lassen außgehn/[e2] welche mir vff den herbst hernach ohn Datum/ damit mans nit solte mercken/ nachtruckt worden seind.[e3] Auff diß mal will ich jhnen durch die finger sehen/ wann man aber deren nit verschonen wirt/ denen ich zůtrucken gib/ so sollen hiemit alle Trucker wissen/ das ich gegen jhnen fürnemen will/ darzů ich fůg vnd recht hab/ vnd sie hiemit freundlich gewarnet haben/ damit sie sich vor schaden wissen zůhüten. Aber es ist kein schand mehr/ dem anderen schaden zůzufügen/ wann es nur gewin tregt.
Souil aber die Ordnung diser Bücher belangt/ hab ich in der ersten edition das bůch de Renouatione das neündt/ vnd de separatione Elementorum das ander sein lassen. Dieweil ich aber im fünfften bůch von Arcanis finde/ wie die selbigen macht haben vns zů Renouirn/ vnd zů Restauriern/ vnd dann vom Ar- [sig. B3v] cano hominis redt/ als wir im ander Bůch diser Archidoxorum setzen/ vnd bald darnach sagt/ wie wir vom Eyß vogel anzeigt haben/ dessen er im Bůch de renouatione gedenckt/ So hab ich nach dem ersten bůch de mysterijs microcosmi/ das bůch de Renouatione für das ander gesetzt/ darauff dann die andern in rechter ordnung volgen/ Doch laß ich einem jeden sein iuditium/ Dann von der Ordnung wil ich mit niemandt zancken. Gott geb das wirs ein mal recht mögen in das werck richten.
English Raw Translation
Generated by ChatGPT-4 on 22 April 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 Well-Intentioned Reader,
Four years ago, not for money or profit, which I could have had, but to do you good, I released Theophrastus' Archidoxa in print. At that time, it was almost impossible not to have errors, against my will, due to various reasons, which were unnecessarily introduced here. However, since I desire to serve you, dear reader, and all the copies that I have printed have been distributed in two fairs, I have, as promised, diligently and to the best of my ability corrected the aforementioned Archidoxa, not from other printed copies, as you will find out when you compare mine with others, what was wrong, corrected, what was omitted, supplemented, and explained here and there with new annotations, partly from my own experience, partly as I understood it from good people with whom I discussed it. Perhaps they will please some; if they displease others, I ask all lovers of Theophrastus to accept my intentions as good. I do not want to persuade anyone to believe me as I understand it, so I give it; another person should also do what they can, have, and want. These books are well worth it for all physicians to practice with utmost diligence, for in them is everything a physician needs for treating all diseases, among the poor and the rich. And no one should despair, for the Spirit of the Lord, who leads us into all wisdom, still lives. What was previously done to me in the booklet, De Occulta Philosophia, without my knowledge, I have now added back.
After the Tinctura Physicorum, I have added Theophrastus' Tesaurum Tesaurorum, which has never been printed before, because this book is primarily an explanation of the Tinctura Physicorum and an argument. However, since I have printed these Archidoxa and other treatises with the freedom of the Roman Imperial Majesty, etc., others who knew well that I was working on it would have remained silent with their copies and not rushed forward for profit. Had I and other good people not expended effort, labor, and not inconsiderable costs, the Archidoxa, along with other writings of Theophrastus, would not have come to light, or would have been miserably scattered. A wicked rogue in Regensburg locked them in a trough, sealed them with the seal of the authorities to keep them in trust, took down the seal, broke open the trough, stole the books, and sold them here and there, knowing and willing the honest man who trusted him.
So I had the other treatise, De Mineralibus, copied from Theophrastus' manuscript in the year 70, and published it along with other books at the Lenten fair, which were later reprinted without a date in the fall, so that no one would notice. This time I will turn a blind eye to them, but if I do not spare those to whom I give permission to print, all printers should know that I intend to take action against them, which I have the right and authority to do, and I hereby kindly warn them to protect themselves from harm. However, it is no longer shameful to harm others as long as it brings profit.
As for the order of these books, in the first edition, I had the book De Renouatione as the ninth and De Separatione Elementorum as the second. However, since I find in the fifth book of Arcanis that they have the power to renew and restore us, and then speak of the Arcano hominis, as we place in the second book of these Archidoxa, and soon after say how we have shown from the Ice Bird, which he mentions in the book De Renouatione, I have placed the book De Renouatione after the first book De Mysteriis Microcosmi as the second, followed by the others in the proper order. Yet I leave the judgment to everyone, for I do not wish to quarrel with anyone about the order. May God grant that we may once properly direct it to work.
