Text.Penot.1595-01.!2v
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Source: Egidius de Vadis, Dialogus inter naturam et filium philosophiae, ed. Bernard Gilles Penot, Frankfurt am Main: Johannes Saur for Johann Rex, 1595, sig. †2v [BP.Penot.1595-01]
Summary: This epigram by Paulus Melissus praises Penot's relentless pursuit of knowledge in the realms of nature and metallurgy. It admires Penot's eagerness to explore the earth's concealed treasures and his magnanimous spirit in sharing these discoveries widely, thus enriching the contemporary world with his contributions. The poem underscores the nobility of disseminating knowledge selflessly, fostering a culture of learning and generosity. (generated by ChatGPT)
Text
Pergin Porte senex rimarier abdita rerum,
Quæque suo ingremio continet uber humus?
Viva metallorum te virtus attrahit ad se,
Ceu magnes ferrum vi penetrante rapit.
Tu contra allectas rudioris corda juventæ,
Naturæque aperis dia reperta catæ.
O te munificum, qui non abscondere tantas
In scrobis occulto divitias & opes,
Verum publicitus gestis emittere in auras,
Et ditare tuis sæcula nostra bonis!
Pectoris ingenui est, quod scis callesq́ue peritus,
Sponte sine invidiâ notificare aliis.
Modern English Raw Translation
Do you continue, old man of the gate, to search out the hidden aspects of things, and what the fertile earth contains in its bosom? Does the living power of metals draw you to itself, just as a magnet seizes iron with its penetrating force? You, on the other hand, attract the hearts of the more uncultured youth and reveal the divine discoveries of nature's chain. Oh, how generous you are, not to hide such great riches and wealth in hidden pits, but to openly release them into the air, and to enrich our era with your goods! It is characteristic of a noble heart, skilled in what you know and understand, to willingly share with others without envy.
Heidelberg, in the year 1595.