Text.Breler.1611-01.!1v
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Source: Melchior Breler, Bubo Gallicus Franciscus Ravaillart, Athenis Noricorum ad matricem Noricam emissus, Altdorf: Conrad Agricola, 1611, sig. [unsigned]1v–[unsigned]2r [BP.Breler.1611-01]
Summary: Breler expresses his initial hesitation in publishing his work, acknowledging the common skepticism towards new writings in the philosophical genre unless endorsed by a reputable figure. He chooses Remus for his dedication, recognizing his exceptional wisdom, learning, and piety, and his unparalleled experience in philosophy. Breler reflects on the nature of deception and caution, invoking the tragic fate of Henry IV of France, who, despite his vigilance, could not escape assassination. This historical reference serves to illustrate the unpredictable nature of fate and the limits of human caution. Breler likens deceitful individuals to hyenas that mimic human voices to lure their victims, emphasizing the difficulty of distinguishing genuine friends from foes. He concludes by dedicating his prologue to Remus, hoping it will find favor among the noble and learned. Breler aspires that his work, particularly the tragic elements reminiscent of Henry IV's story, will resonate across different languages and nations, ultimately serving as a testament to his loyal service to his king. (generated by ChatGPT)
Text
[sig. [unsigned]1v] Vir nobilis ac vere magne.
Oraculi vox est, non Poëta: Addo, non Scenæ dictum, sed Delphicæ cortinæ responsum. Qui cavet ne decipiatur, vix cauet, cum etiam cavet, etiam cum cavisse ratus, sæpe is cautor captus est. Et comprobavit hoc immortale illud Gallici Regni Palladium Henricvs IV. qui etsi pridiè quàm parricidæ sui funestas manus cruentaret, in ipsa solenni inauguratione proruentem in se populi impetum ac globum (cui & nefarius ille immixtus erat sicarius) per satellitium submovisset, Gallicanum tamen illum Atrea neutiquam potuit evitare. Ita videlicet Pater ille patriæ ac Francici Regni mortale Numen, post tot repulsas sicas, magni Tragœdiarum scriptoris effatum istud confirmavit: Quem sæpe casus transit, aliquando invenit. Et qui omninò optumus ille Regum personatos istos Brutos et Caßios à probis dignoscere poterat? Qui quales esse consueverint Solinus olim nos docuit: Similes hyænæ, quæ stabula pastorum sequitur, & auditu assiduo addiscit vocamen, quod exprimere possit imitatione vocis hu- [sig. [unsigned]2r] manæ: vt in hominemastu accitum noctu sæviat. In quo ego proloquium meum abrumpo, ac Bubonem istum vt Henrici IV. tragicis Jambis (solius fati interventum excipio) ad DD[ivi] Petri & Pauli Festum hîc à me, auspiciis Humaniß[imi] viri M[agistri] Leonhardi Lemmermanni, in theatrum educendi prodromum Nobilitati tuæ inscribo. Erit fortaßis in eo quod delectet, erit quod proborum aures mulceat, ac male feriatorum radat & scalpat. Quod si etiam duodecim feralis huius Tragœdiæ choros totidem mihi linguæ & nationes recitabunt: Tum vero ego demum optimo me Regi oppidò egregiè militavisse gloriabor. Vale Vir omnium Nobiliß[ime] ac verè Magne.Modern English Raw Translation
Noble and truly great man,
The voice is that of an oracle, not a poet; I add, not a saying of the stage, but a response from the Delphic shrine. He who guards against being deceived scarcely guards at all, for even in his caution, and even when he thinks he has taken care, often the cautious one is caught. This was confirmed by the immortal Palladium of the French Kingdom, Henry IV, who, even the day before his assassination, managed to disperse through his guards a surge of people directed at him during his solemn inauguration (among whom the nefarious assassin was mixed), yet he could not avoid that Gallic Atreus. Thus, the father of his country and the mortal deity of the French Kingdom, after so many repelled dagger thrusts, confirmed the saying of a great tragedian writer: "Whom chance often passes by, it sometimes finds." And who could altogether distinguish those masked Bruti and Cassii from the honorable? Solinus once taught us what they are accustomed to be like: similar to a hyena, which follows the shepherds' pens and by constant listening learns to mimic a call that it can reproduce with a human-like voice, so as to savage a man lured out at night. Here I break off my prologue, and I inscribe this prelude to bringing out that owl, as in the tragic iambics of Henry IV (I exclude only the intervention of fate), to your Nobility on the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, here by me, under the auspices of the most humane man, Master Leonhard Lemmermann, to be presented in the theater. Perhaps there will be something in it that pleases, something that soothes the ears of the good and scrapes and scalds the ill-tempered. And if the twelve choruses of this mournful tragedy are recited to me by as many languages and nations, then indeed I will finally boast of having served my excellent King most excellently. Farewell, most noble and truly great man.