De iustitia
Printing History, Manuscripts. First printed in 1618 in a collection of Paracelsian, Pseudo-Paracelsian and Weigelian texts called Philosophia Mystica. Three manuscripts. – Karl Widemann was in the possession of several copies as shown by his Verzeichnisse. One of these was written by himself (i, 19).
Editions. Edited by Goldammer in Paracelsus, Sämtliche Werke, ii/2: 151–163.
Relationship between different versions. No information about different versions.
Structure, genre/form, perspective, style. Written in the third person, directly addressing the reader as “du”.
Relationship to other texts. Refers to De imaginibus idolatriae (“als jhr de imaginibus Idolatriae hören werdet”), an authentic treatise of Paracelsus (ed. by Goldammer in 1986 in Paracelsus, Sämtliche Werke, ii/3: 275–286). – De iustitia is the first text of a four-part section in the Leiden manuscript comprising “Librj. 1 De Iustitia. 2 De Penetentiæ [sic]. 3 De Imaginibus Idolatrie. 4 De Sursum corda.” (f. 424r).
Authenticity, authorship. Not mentioned in any of the early lists of Paracelsian writings, although the address to the reader by the otherwise unknown Valentius de Retiis (written before 1562) mentions that Paracelsus “wrote splendid works on philosophy, medicine and mathematics, as well as on the State and justice” (atque de Republica & Iustitia). Considered to be “probably” authentic by Goldammer. Cited in 1569/70 by Lambert Wacker in his preface to the Pseudo-Paracelsian Kurze Auslegung der zehn Gebote Gottes (§ 1.18), although his quotation (in Latin) is not found in any of the known manuscripts of De iustitia. In fact, the quotation is not from De iustitia but from Adam Schröter’s Latin translation of the Archidoxa (Cracow, 1569) where the source is given as “Liber Monarchiae”.
Time of writing. Probably written ca. 1525 (if authentic) or in the 1560s (if spurious).
Manuscripts:
- Leiden, Universiteitsbibliotheek: Voss. Chym. F.24, f. 425r–430r
- Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek: Cod. Guelf. 50 Aug. 4°, f. 33r–46v
- Beromünster, Haus zum Dolder: B.MPa.31, f. 23r–30r
First printed:
- 1618 (in: Philosophia Mystica, Darinn begriffen Eilff vnterschidene Theologico-Philosophische/ doch teutsche Tractätlein/ zum theil auß Theophrasti Paracelsi, zum theil auch M. Valentini Weigelii (Newstadt [Frankfurt a.M.]: Lucas Jennis, 1618), 13–21; VD17 3:604297L; Sudhoff, Bibliographia Paracelsica, 513–516 n° 306)
