Text.Grataroli.1553-01.A2r/Translation

To the most serene and excellent Prince Edward, the sixth of his name, King of England and Ireland, defender of the Christian faith, Guglielmo Grataroli, a physician from Bergamo, prays for everlasting happiness from the Lord God.

Desiring in some honorable way, especially in a scholarly manner, to become known to Your Majesty's splendor, and having found nothing else worthy of such a King until now, I have labored to complete two small books, which I had previously developed for the public good, sparing no effort. I have chosen to honor them with the most celebrated and auspicious name of Your Majesty. However, before I brought them to light, I largely followed the advice of Plato in his laws, which warns against allowing anyone to introduce a new song to the people without it first being approved by the wiser members of the state. Since many things escape our notice and understanding, and, according to the popular saying, "more eyes see more than one," it is wise for those who present their studies and inventions to the learned for review and examination before publishing. One of the books is about recovering, increasing, and preserving memory; the other is on Physiognomy. Moreover, as it is characteristic of a wise person to explain the reason and cause of their work, I will briefly state what primarily motivated me to undertake these topics. In such an abundance of books and learners, I thought, with God's guidance, that I would be doing scholars a service by succinctly providing instructions and the most select remedies on memory (although there are many good works on this subject), which could fill many pages with just praise. Who does not know that Memory is the common treasury of all our senses? Everything we see with our eyes, hear with our ears, or conceive in our minds for use and contemplation is stored in it. Seneca, in the preface to his book of declamations, said, "Memory is the most delicate and fragile part of the soul, the first to be impaired by old age," etc. Regarding Physiognomy, I do not wish to say much: if we admit (as we should) that the wisest God created diversity in bodies and humans for a reason, we must acknowledge that this faculty of judgment, when well exercised, is very useful and good. Since God alone can see into the heart without any aid, humans can only know the inner workings through the face and external appearances. What prudent prince would welcome a servant into his household without first carefully examining his face for signs of his mind, his eyes as windows to his soul, and his overall body posture and appearance to determine whether he will be useful and beneficial? It is recorded that Pythagoras initially used to practice physiognomy on young men before admitting them to his school, examining their nature from the arrangement of their face, expression, and overall body to see if they were suited for philosophy, as success is unlikely against a resistant nature. Although sometimes, contrary to the common belief and opinion of philosophers, great virtues emerge from a deformed body, this should be considered to the extent that the soul, aided by divine inspiration and philosophical support, sheds all external and virtue-opposing affections and dedicates itself to honorable pursuits, as is known from the example of Socrates, among others. Those who dismiss the art of Physiognomy as vain with blind judgment are to be criticized, for it has been validated through extensive observations, practical experiences, and various outcomes from ancient times to our own, teaching us to investigate nature based on specific and peculiar indicators of the human body. Although people do not reveal their emotions in the same way, no one can so carefully hide their inclinations that they cannot be discovered over time, whether they rise to fortune or fall into poverty: for what happens by chance, whether it appears virtuous or viceful, does not establish order; rather, it is where the mind remains fixed that should be observed, and from there actions should be named. I do not promise to bring new arts or sciences here, but rather to clarify and make accessible a part of what has been discovered by the most illustrious men, and to strive to enhance it. Nor should it be expected in these works that I will frequently cite various authors, as many compilers of books tend to do to the point of nausea: I require no authority other than what experience itself will provide. As for the style, I have used (as the subject matter demands) not the most Latinized words and obscure terms, but clarity as much as possible, that is, with commonly used words, preserving their meaning. Now, truly, Christian King, I could not offer a more shining symbol of my respect for Your Majesty: nor will I, as is customary, touch upon any part of your praises, because I am not suited for such a task, nor have there been or will there be a lack of pious and learned men to undertake it: Although, as you have already begun to be an example of good princes, you do not need human praises, being sufficiently commended by the eternal word of God. Happy are the lands that have such a prince, and far happier is England, when you reach the age at which you alone will manage the reins of the kingdom: then, indeed, the two things most necessary in any human society, justice and sincere religion, will be increasingly proclaimed. May Christ, the best and greatest God, keep Your Majesty safe and flourishing with His gifts for as long as possible. Basel, the first of January, 1553.