Text.Penot.1594-01.A7v/Translation
Bernard G. Penot's Preface from Port Sainte-Marie in Aquitaine, discussing the dignity and excellence of our philosophy.
If one were to consider, dear reader, the origin of Medicine, it should not be traced back merely to Machaon, Podalirius, Hippocrates, or even Galen. We must look even further back: its origins are to be sought before the times of Chiron, indeed even before Apollo himself. Therefore, let us refer primarily to those who lived the longest lifetimes, such as Adam, Enoch, and others. All of these individuals had a perfect understanding of Medicine, having been instructed by God himself. This knowledge began to diminish as sins increased and was eventually obscured by the darkness we see today. Indeed, our first parent, by naming all things as commanded and inspired by God, demonstrated profound knowledge of everything. From this deep and not just superficial knowledge of things, Medicine was derived. We, however, trace the beginning of true Medicine from our ancestors back to the creator of all things. Scripture teaches that the Most High created Medicine from the earth and gave humans knowledge so that His wonders could be honored. Medicine is indeed a significant part of God's miracles and marvels, which the human intellect could not have recognized on its own without God Himself revealing His wonders and marvels. Indeed, it is impossible to have a complete and consistent practice of Medicine without knowledge of God, without piety, without divine illumination.
Therefore, the majesty and breadth of Medicine are great because it proceeds directly from God alone. Oh, how I wish, says the philosopher Macer, that moderns would understand this! Then, surely, we wouldn't have so many doctors who are full of greed, pride, envy, lacking in love for their neighbor, without worship and love of God; nor would they possess the piety to be taught by divine means: wholly worldly, indulgent, pompous, verbose, boastful: detractors and frivolous. Every other art is certainly learned from its teachers. Yet, Medicine and Theology are given by divine means. For it belongs to the one who created Medicine to also give and bless it. Therefore, no one can truly be a doctor unless they love God and have charity towards their neighbor. But it must be acknowledged that our gross ignorance scarcely knows any of the wonders that God has enclosed in His creations. No substance is so vile, so foul, so poisonous that it cannot become a powerful Medicine through the separation of elements or, to put it in one word, our spagyric art, by a simple technique. It is certainly a grave lie that is commonly said, that gout, paralysis, dropsy, quartan fever, and similar diseases are incurable. How can these diseases be incurable? Is it because God, having sent diseases upon the human race for sin, did not know how to create their remedies? Or could He not, or did He not want to? No one would say He did not know or could not. Few would say from God that He did not want to. For how could He, having wanted to provide a remedy for eternal death, be thought not to have wanted to create a remedy for temporal infirmity? He chose to inflict all kinds of diseases upon humanity as a punishment for temporal death: But He wanted, because He could, to create remedies for all out of His mercy and goodness.
He undoubtedly created medicines that remove gout, paralysis, dropsy, quartan fever, and other diseases that the common body of doctors deems incurable. The fact that doctors are unaware of these medicines is primarily due to their impiety and disbelief: indeed, they care little for God, even less for their neighbor, and most of all for money; followed by their utter negligence in searching for God's wonders and the secrets of nature. How will they search for His wonders, whom they do not believe exists, or do not know or care about? Having a glib tongue is enough for them for the title and for show. They would hurt their delicate hands with coals if they were to investigate the secrets of nature: it is enough for them to spend their age and all their time in quibbles and arguments. Oh, blind mortals! Do you not know that we should seek the truth of the cause more than the ornament of speech? It is most true that nothing is so different from the purpose of a Philosopher as that which smacks of luxury or vanity in any way: for this reason, Philosophy presents itself naked, visible from all sides, eager to come under scrutiny and judgment. It exposes itself. Cicero does not demand eloquence in a philosopher; much less does Celsus in a doctor; but that he satisfies with things and doctrine. It is our duty rather to compose the mind than the speech: to ensure that reason does not err, rather than the speech.
Therefore, if there is any piety in you, do not do injustice to God and nature. Learn that the constitution of all things, as well as the seeds of diseases and health, are in salt, sulfur, and mercury. And because our intention is primarily to discuss salt (to which, however, we have added some other things pleasing and useful to the reader), we will for now omit a detailed discussion of the other two principles. But what should I first marvel at in this subject? Shall I not be amazed considering the omnipotence of God? That He is so great, so wonderful, so powerful in His creations: Or indeed that such profound secrets and mysteries can hide in nature? That salt can be made from any vegetable, animal, and mineral substance: We see that God has willed in nature to hide the precious under the worthless, so it would not be taken by the unworthy. It is known that there is one most general category of created things, from which all other genera, species, and individuals are born and are propagated daily until the end of the world. This is the primitive nature created by God: This is that Phoenix so hidden by Poets, which is born, produced, and propagated by fire: It cannot perish by any artifice: Whether existing in water, air, earth, or fire, it is preserved forever and preserves. Indeed, it contains within it the mystery of the whole of nature and the medicine of human life, for the longest lifespan. The power of all salts in medicine is indeed great: We have said that the virtue of things exists in the regenerated body, in which is the property of the thing. Hence, according to Alphidius, salt is nothing but fire, nor fire sulfur, nor sulfur but our quicksilver, reduced to a precious, incorruptible celestial substance which we call our stone. Furthermore, salt is the origin of minerals as well as of plants and animals: Because everything dissolves into it. In salt are three symbolizing substances. The first substance is the body itself, fixed and fusible like metal. What comes from it is sal ammoniac, which sublimates and does not burn, hence it corresponds to Mercury; rock salt to sulfur. Again, one marvels at the inertia of mankind, which, neglecting these wonderful secrets of nature, fluctuates uncertainly on the surface of things. Indeed, sin has made wisdom far from us, notably pride, luxury, idleness. And indeed, we experience that it is easier to write a prescription and send the sick to an unskilled cook than to enter the inner sanctum of nature with coals and ashes, dirty, and to bring forth with great sweat what you yourself may show to the sick: it is difficult for those who are delicate to investigate the specific form of any body, and to separate the pure from the impure: Medicine consists not in the body but in the specific form, in which alone there is power. The body, however, is dead and unfit for action. But since form is power, it operates, vivifies the body, resurrects it, and makes it spiritual. Which thereafter penetrates all things, to which no further corruption can occur. Finally, we present this spiritual and virtuous body, exalted by various reiterations, to the sick. Who now is of such dull wit that does not comprehend by reason, how effective such medicines are? How safe and swift in action? Since it penetrates everything as if in the blink of an eye, consumes the superfluous, renews what is lost, heals what is diseased, and admits no further corruption. No refined metal, whether quenched in liquids, will achieve this. Less so crushed pearls or coral, which our natural heat cannot dissolve at all. But more on this in my Apologetic booklet. Therefore, if anyone wishes to follow this Medicine, let him not shun labor but avarice. Here you have the old saying, "Galen brings wealth": But indeed, I announce poverty to you from Paracelsus, these fleeting riches must be despised, thrown away, by anyone who wishes to pursue the great and incorruptible treasure of nature: And these riches will follow him, willing or not. O Laureated masters, withdraw your foot from errors, and cease to oppress truth with lies: Read the writings of Paracelsus, taught by God, with keen judgment: Return to the right path, embrace discipline, lest perhaps the creator of things, for contempt of his great wonders, becomes angry and you perish from the just path. These words from me are not spoken out of malice towards anyone: I wish that both parties, who today pursue different things in Medicine, might amicably share their opinions: to set nature itself and experience as judge: and to acquiesce to its judgment. "Test everything; hold onto what is good," says Paul. For this reason, O Laureated masters, you too, seekers of sacred philosophy, love the secret mysteries of nature, and learn to inquire: so that through you also, the immense God, for His ineffable mercy and goodness, may be honored and glorified in His wonders, in nature.
The entire aim of this medicine is ultimately directed towards God and our neighbor: the neighbor indeed that he may be aided in charity; God, however, that He may be exalted and preached in His wisdom and power. For what greater benefits towards mankind can there be after eternal salvation from God? Absolutely none. But, alas, very few are those who care for these things. For our present iron age has declined from that golden era, and so declined that true arts and most beautiful sciences have degenerated into chimeras and wild monsters: Having lost the kernel, we now quarrel over the husk. Once, sublime intellects and the generous minds of royalty were occupied with the most studious investigation of the most excellent things of secret philosophy and natural mysteries, with which they were a protection to their entire people in times of war and peace. Inversely, our era cultivates the dead shadows of things, useless fantasies, and worldly delights, by which that higher philosophy of the ancients is completely obliterated. The ancients sought after those nobler arts with the greatest desire and love, and for their sake, they exposed themselves to many dangers and perils to make themselves and their country more famous. However, in our time, not only among kings and princes but also among subjects and private individuals, among the learned and the unlearned, not only does negligence and contempt for this art abound, but also hatred and anger against such a splendid light prevails: resulting in those who with a higher mind attempt to bring back to light the spagyric arts of the ancients being left obscure and ignoble, and experiencing the enmity of all, since they do not have patrons and Maecenases who delight in the same study. Hence, great talents (of which our age produces many) are suppressed, so that they are not allowed to reach their intended goal, while, abandoned by patrons, they are forced to devote themselves to lesser matters and miserably serve the foolish and the stupid: those who even renounce money, honors, and worldly delights in order to be able to restore lost arts: more about this can be found in Palingenius.
But I would not want you, kind reader, to be deterred by these difficulties and disadvantages. The path to the knowledge of truth is hard and rough: And just as the most excellent works of nature are either lifted high above us or deeply hidden below us: so, to investigate the secrets of those very works of nature, the heavens themselves must almost be scaled, and the foundations of the earth somewhat moved: and those things that fall under our touch must be variously turned over and handled so that their own hidden virtue may be extracted. Therefore, the gods have decreed that virtue should be acquired with sweat. But these difficulties and inconveniences are followed by great pleasure and also utility. For what is more delightful than to know and almost see with our eyes and handle with our hand those things which sin has placed far from our sense and cognition? to descend deeply into nature itself? to dissect the parts of the universe into the smallest particles? To have the very principles of nature in one's hand? What is more useful, both publicly and privately, than to assist our mortality as much as it is allowed? To ward off and repel diseases and other bodily inconveniences? And to restore a sick and fallen neighbor? All these things are provided by that part of philosophy and medicine which they call spagyric. Of which here I offer you (kind reader) some treatises: intending to give you more to read someday if those who hold the keys of sciences in captivity, not entering themselves and hindering as much as they can those who wish to enter, will timely set aside their unjust hatred of truth. Farewell, candid reader, with whom alone we speak. Let the sons of slander enjoy their own evil by the just judgment of God, to their own destruction.
