Poem, no date (1608), Benedictus Figulus to Johann Baptista von Seebach (BP280)
| Author: | Benedictus Figulus |
| Recipient: | Johann Baptista von Seebach |
| Type: | Dedication |
| Date: | no date [1608] |
| Place: | Hagenau |
| Pages: | 3 |
| Language: | Latin |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=813 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Thesaurinella Olympica aurea tripartita, ed. Benedictus Figulus, Frankfurt am Main: Wolfgang Richter für Nicolaus Stein 1608, p. 109—111 [BP280] |
| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Benedictus Figulus |
ELEGIA DEDICATORIA AD NOBILISS[imam] GRAVISS[imam] LITERATISSIMVM, ET SPAgyricae artis experimentissimum virum, Dominum Iohann[em] Baptistam à Seebach, &c. S[acrae] R[omanae] C[aesareae] M[aiestatis] D[ ] Rudolphi II. Imperatoris, &c. Dapiferum, &c. Dominum Fautorem, & Mecoenatem suum colendissimum.
Seehbachiae Stirpis Sidus ter Nobile, Iane
Baptista, ô Generis viua columna tui.
Accipe sincera munuscula mente profecta
Chemica, nunc offert quae Benedictus amans
Artis Secretae, Diuinae, Coelitus ortae,
Et Theophrasteae Cultor, in orbe, scholae,
Quae in te constantis nostri monimenta fauoris
Sint & contractae pignus amicitiae.
Hactenus Hesperiis sudastignauiter hortis
Impiger, extremo multa labore parans,
Plurima veracis documentaque saepius artis
Perspexti; Inuenta est crebra medela tibi.
Quisquis inexpertus Diuinam hanc proterit Artem
Spernit, contemnit, verè Anathema mihi. [p. 110]
Cedite fallaces, syrvpica tvrba, Magistri:
Nonne inter Medicos iam Theophrastus ouat
Solus Apollineos: Decus immortale manebit
Huius in orbe VIRI, fama, perennis Honos.
Omnia rumpantur licet inuida Corda, Magistri
Et Praeceptoris Enthea Scripta dabo.
Hunc omnes, omnes toto orbe sequantur oportet.
Buccina ἀληθείας nam Paracelsvs erat,
Quisquis contemnit Diuini scripta Magistri,
Ille ipsum spernit, qui regit astra, Deum,
Fautor Amice, modò breue post quid fiet, Elias
Quando Artista aderit, deinde Beatus Enoch,
De quibus Avreolvs noster praedixerat, illud
In scriptis repetit hinc & vbique suis.
Crede mihi praestò sunt, viuunt ambo: Malignus
Sentiet Orbis. Homo desere turpe nefas,
Et resipiscendo solum complectere Christvm,
Mendacis mundi putida scripta fuge, &c.
Dira flagella Devs demittet ab aethere summo,
Pestem, bella, famem, plura flagella necis.
Nam furor exrsit diuinis; Olympus & ipse
Praeparat incensus tela furore graui,
Peccatis variis immerso turpiter Orbi,
Pestiferae succo perlita tela luis.
O Patria infoelix! Quae te infoelicia fata
(Horresco referens) mille pericla manent.
Teutonia infoelix planè excaecata, Prophetas
Flaso quàm diu amas? hos neque nosse cupis?
Cum tamen expressis verbis descripserit ipse
Christvs, ab explicitis hosce cauere notis
Iusserit. O vecors immundi Insania Mundi!
Quae Christum lucem respuis atque fugis
Coelitus exortam: Deliramenta Sophorum
Ethnica sectando, certa venena tuae
Certò animae. Ah oculos nunc erige, respice Christum
Solum. Quae Mundi, gaudia vana fuge:
Sunt animae casses periturae: Desere Mundum
Sub stygias etenim praecipitaris aquas. [p. 111]
Post mille exhaustos casus, & mille labores,
Ætas quos nostra haec luxuriosa nimis
Sentiet; hinc tandem Saturnia Regna sequentur,
Constituet Regimen Christus in orbe Nouum.
Aurea succedet, lutulentaq́ue desinet Ætas,
Christi miraclis ingeniosa nouis.
Dulcia quàm nostram pertentant gaudia mentem,
Quando aderit nobis conspiciendus Enoch,
Ac indiuiduus Comes eius, Magnvs Elias,
Docturi gentes, quae sit ad astra, via.
Verùm extra metam ferè nostra Camoena vagata est,
Talia nec dices hoc referenda loco
Optime Seebachi, nostram tu fronte serena
Musam acceptabas, atque fauore tuo
Avgvstæ memet complectebaris amicè,
Insinuans animo Chemica plura meo.
Perge fauere meis conatibus, Inclute Fautor,
Officiis studium promoueasq́ue meum.
Immemorem facti me nulla redarguet hora,
Quamuis pauperies me premat vsque grauis.
Sim tuus ex animo: Penitis nam tute medullis
Totus inherescis, Magne Patrone, meis, &c.
T[uae] Nobilißimae Excellentiae Studiosißimus,
Benedictus Figulus, Vtenhouius, Francus, Poëta, Th[eologus] Th[eosophus] Ph[ilosophus] M[edicus] Eremita, &c.
English Raw Translation
Generated by ChatGPT on 23 February 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.
O John Baptist, thrice-noble star of the Seehbachian lineage,
living pillar of your race, receive these sincere offerings of
Chemistry, which Benedict, a lover of the secret and divine
art born from heaven and cultivated by Theophrastus, now offers
to you as a token of constant favor and contracted friendship.
Diligently sweating in the gardens of the West,
preparing with great effort many true teachings of the art,
you have often discovered frequent remedies. Whoever,
inexperienced in this divine art, rejects or despises it,
is truly anathema to me. Deceitful crowd of Syrupists and
Masters, yield! For now Theophrastus alone among physicians
enjoys Apollo's favor. The immortal glory and honor
of this man will remain in the world. Though jealous hearts may
burst, I will give enthusiastic writings of both the Master
and the Teacher. All, all must follow this man throughout the
whole world, for he was the trumpet of truth, as Paracelsus
was. Whoever rejects the divine writings of the Master despises
God himself, who rules the stars. My friend and supporter,
soon Elijah will come, and then the blessed Enoch,
of whom our Aureolus had foretold; he repeats this in his writings
here and everywhere. Believe me, both of them are present and
living. The wicked world will feel dire punishments from
the highest ether - pestilence, war, famine, and many other scourges.
For divine fury has arisen, and even Olympus itself
prepares weapons with heavy rage. The world, immersed in various sins,
is poisoned by the weapons of deadly pestilence. Unhappy country!
Horrible fates (which I shudder to mention) await you.
Unhappy Germany, why have you loved false prophets for so long?
Don't you want to know them? Even though Christ himself has described
them with express words and commanded us to beware of them.
Oh, insane madness of the impure world, which spurns and flees
the light of Christ that has risen from heaven, following
the delirium of the sophists and your certain poison.
Ah, lift up your eyes now, look at Christ alone. Flee
the empty joys of the world, for the souls are perishable vessels.
Abandon the world, for you will fall into the Stygian waters.
After a thousand fallen fortunes and a thousand labors,
our luxurious age will finally follow the reign of Saturn,
and Christ will establish a new rule in the world. The golden
age will succeed, and the muddy era will end, replaced by the
ingenious marvels of Christ. How sweet the joys that will penetrate
our minds when Enoch, visible to us, and his inseparable companion
the great Elijah, come to teach the nations the way to the stars.
But beyond the goal, our Camoena has wandered too much,
and such things need not be repeated in this place. O excellent Seehbach,
with your serene countenance, you accepted my muse, and with your favor
you embraced me as a friend of Augustus, suggesting more about chemistry
to my mind. Continue to favor my efforts, illustrious supporter,
and promote my zeal with your services. No hour will find me forgetful
of what you have done, even though poverty presses me down heavily.
Be mine from the depths of your heart, for you are entirely embedded
in my own, great patron, and so on.
To your most noble excellence, most diligent,
Benedictus Figulus, from Uttenhove, France, a poet, theologian, theosophist, philosopher, physician, hermit, etc.
