Dedication, 1573-08-19, Pietro Perna to Pierre de Grantrye
| Author: | Pietro Perna |
| Recipient: | Pierre de Grantrye |
| Type: | Dedication |
| Date: | 19 August 1573 |
| Place: | Basel |
| Pages: | 3 |
| Language: | Latin |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=2014 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Paracelsus, Chirurgia magna, t. 1, ed. Josquin Dalhem, [Basel: Pietro Perna] 1573, sig. )(2r–)(3r [BP146]
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| CP: | Not in Kühlmann/Telle, Corpus Paracelsisticum |
| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Pietro Perna |
[sig. )(2r] Illvstri ac generoso Domino Petro de Grantrye, Domino in Besne, Eqviti & Galliarum Regis Consiliario, eiusdemq́ue ad Alpinos Rhætos Legato, Petrvs Perna typographvs S[alvtem] P[lvrimam] D[icit].
Magnam Magni illius Theophrasti Chirurgiam, quam dudum nostris typis publicam facere (edito officinæ nostræ Indice) pollicitus sum, Generose Domine, sub amplissimo nomine tuo iam tandem in Latinum linguam conuersam exteris quoque hominibus legendam exhibeo, multiplicem quod spero & apud illos, & apud te gratiam initurus. Quia enim etiam illi, qui nouam hanc, vt ipsi appelant, medicinæ hæresin, vel authoritate sua, vel editis scriptis acerrimè impugnant, eam laudem Paracelso nostro non inuiti concedunt, & magna ipsum chirurgicarum rerum peritia cum summa coniunctam felicitate exceluisse, & in externorum remediorum accuratiore per chemiam præparatione docenda, atque in vsum reuocanda, non inutilem operam posuiße, factum est, vt ab exteris hominibus plerisque omnibus non solùm auidißimè huius operis editio expectaretur, verumetiam nonnulli quasi iure quodam eam à me exigerent, duobus maximè aduersum me argumentis vtentes. Primò quòd alijs forsan minus vtilibus eius authoris scriptis excudendis inuigilarem: dein quòd datam fidem tardius redimendo spes suas nimis diu morarer. Persuasum enim plerisque est, ad lites illas medicas disceptandas huius libri vsu eruditos non sine reipublicæ incommodo destitui. Sed facilè cum istis rursus gratiam inibo (licet tardius tandem tamen ipsorum votis satisfaciens) si dilationis causam audierint, atque moram hanc quantulamcunque puriore (quam hucusque in Paracelsicis nonnullis sciptis habere licuit) translatione compensari viderint. Quanta etenim religione omnia Interpres hic noster reddiderit, ij iudicabunt, qui versionem hanc non cum Dornianis modò, sed cum ipsius etiam Oporini quorundam Paracelsicorum scriptorum versionibus conferre voluerit. Quinetiam et eo nomine gratiorem fore hanc operam nostram bonis omnibus confido, quòd tua autoritate, quam omnes meritò maximi faciunt confirmatam in publicum emitto. Ex eo etenim tempore, quo tu Paracelsicæ Philosophiæ & Medicinæ non tuendæ modo, sed etiam omnibus modis cogniscendæ ac excolendæ partes tibi sumpsisti, omnes libenter fatentur non dubijs argumentis se colligere, frequentiores quàm vnquam habuerit cultores adeptam eße, scilicet nemo est, qui prudentißimi viri generis nobilitate, regia gratia, consiliarij & legati regij authoritate præstantis iudicium non admiretur, suspiciat & imitandum putet. Ego certè quasi fato quodam ad te pertinere hinc nascituram [sig. )(2v] gloriam (nascetur autem sine dubio maxima) auguror, namque & antea tuo nomini destinatum fuit opus hoc, & iam inter plurimos tu vnicus es putatus, qui aduersus Zoilorum aculeos autoritatis & virium satis habiturus sis. Liceat autem hîc, quia hoc ad te quidem maximè pertinet, aliorum tamen etiam cognoscere nonnihil interest, commemorare causas non præstiti dudum officij. Iam biennium plus minus est, quòd Gerhardus Spina, homo, nequid peius dicam, spinosus & lubricæ fidei operis conuersionem pactus, mox siue laboris magnitudine deterritus: siue alicunde pinguiorem mercedem sperans, astu se à contractu liberare cœpit, namque nescio quibus argumentis librum sic suspectum nostratibus medicis reddidit, vt paucis post diebus ab ipso transferri, & à me excudi prohiberent consores. Itaque præter spem à cœpto tum opere desistere coactus omnino intermißurus fueram, ni& bibliopolarum indesinentibus flagitationibus, & doctorum quorundam literis, quibus vt editionem maturarem hortabantur, fatigatus, denùò animum induxissem consilium ineundi de excudendo libro & data fide liberanda, ea tamen moderatione, ne cuiusquam authoritati quidquam decederet. Mouebant me præter cætera quoque Celsitudinis tuæ literæ, quibus admonebas & petebas, de Dornio deesse vellem. Falsò enim T[uam] C[elsitudinem] persuaserat, me negotium trahere. Harum ego literarum quoties recordabar (recordabar autem sæpißime) quomodo illam de me conceptam opinionem amoliri poßem, cogitabam. Itaque nullum non mouere lapidem cœpi, quò quàm purißimam libri huius conuersionem nanciscerer: quod dum molior commodum narratur mihi integrum opus Latinum à Iosquino Dalhemio medico doctißimo asseruari, ab ipso in priuatorum hominum quorundam gratiam conuersum, quo cognito, nil prius habui, quàm vt inspiciendi operis copia mihi fieret, quam vix summis precibus consecutus, talem cernebam esse, vt iam Dornianam versionem non diserarem amplius, neque me pœniteret illam omisiße. Itaque hominem hortari ac rogare cœpi, vt quem in paucorum gratiam laborem suscepißet, typis à me multiplicatum pluribus vtilem fieri pateretur, sed tantum abfuit, vt persuaderem, vt etiam ille affirmare non dubitaret alio fine à se translationem factam non eße, quàm vt Gallos duos iuuenes Paracelsicæ medicinæ studio insanientes, genuinis Paracelsicis deliramentis (vt ipse loquebatur) propositis ad dogmaticam medicinam reuocaret: quo responso ipse quidem videbatur sibi significaße mihi, frustra me publicationem expectare. Verùm ego contrà eodem argumento vsus (ad hominis ingenium me accomodans) ostendi, vel ob id potißimum scriptum hoc suum publicandum esse, quòd sectæ vanitate proposita, dum plures cautiores redderet, quàm optimè de pluribus mereri posset. Ad hæc præstare aiebam, extare conuersionem, quæ (qualis sua eßet) vbi id res pateretur, notioribus & magis medicis appellationibus nonnulla exprimeret, quàm si forsan ex ipsius sectæ cultorib[us] laborem hunc suscipiens aliquis, omnia ipsorum modo appellans, plus tenebrarum quàm lucis scripto adferret. His ergo argumentis tandem, & vix tandem commotus, pollicitus est, vbi omnia reuidißet, ad me mittere, vt quod mihi videretur facerem. Itaque non ita multo pòst cum exemplari suo literas misit, quarum verba hæc ferè e- [sig. )(3r] rant. Chirurgiam[c1] Latinam hîc mitto, quam olim in duorum iuuenum gratiam conuerti, non quòd eam aliquando edendam cogitarem, sed vt ipsos nimium Paracelsisantes à proposito reuocarem: quam si excudere voles (quamuis mallem ἀνέκδοτον) caue sub meo nomine publices, sed anonymos prodeat: nolo enim deliramenta ista me approbare quisquam vt existimet. Cætera quod attinet, scire te volo, me paraphrasticè plerisque in locis sententias authoris reddidisse, loca inuenias, in quibus non quid dixerit, sed quid dixiße oportuerit, vel certè dicere voluiße visus est, expreßi (quid isthæc verba sibi velint, indicabunt vtriusque linguæ periti. Adhæc manuscripto exemplari, quod meo iudicio autographum non mentiebatur, adiutus, multa secus quàm vulgata editio habeat, transtuli. Denique si quando in carpendis ac ridendis aliorum erroribus prolixior videbatur (quod in proœmijs & epilogis illi solenne est) inutilia resecui. Hæc[c2] in suis literis ille. At dicat nunc quispiam, Quorsum hæc, an non malum nomen ista libro conciliabunt? minimè vero. Nam etsi is fuit interpretis animus, qualem ipsius literæ, & quæ antea diximus, ostendunt: tamen quantò præstet, talem nos habere versionem, quàm Dornianam, eruditi facilè iudicabunt. Discernet quoque C[elsitudo] T[ua] quantum præstent Erua Lupinis, quæ cùm tantopere huius operis legendi copiam sibi fieri concipiuit, vt tædium atque impuritatem Dorniani[c3] styli non dubitauerit deuorare, modò rem ipsam conseque ac intelligere posset, quàm hilari fronte hanc puriorem susceptura sit, iam mihi videre videor. Itaque tuam Celsit[udinem] etiam atque etiam oro, vt vnà cum libro & me humilem suæ Cel[situdinis] seruulum in suam clientelam denuò suscipere velit. Et si quid à me peccatum hucusque est (quamuis illius culpæ, cuius me reum facere ille voluit, liber sim) benignè condonet, & denique Iosquino nostro, cuius nomen vel inuito ipso operi præfixi, si forsan iniquius illud feret, me reconciliare, omni officiorum genere in illum collato, conetur. Vale Illustris & Generose Domine. Basileæ XIIII. Cal[endis] Sept[embris] anno 1573.
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English Raw Translation
Generated by ChatGPT on 26 March 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.
To the illustrious and noble Lord Peter de Grantrye, Lord in Besne, Knight and Counselor of the King of France, and his envoy to the Rhaetian Alps, Peter Perna, printer, sends his most sincere greetings.
Noble Sir, I now present to foreign readers the great surgery of the famous Theophrastus Paracelsus, which I promised to publish in our printing office's catalogue. I hope that this work will receive praise both from them and from you. Even those who vehemently oppose this new medical heresy, as they call it, either through their authority or through their writings, cannot help but acknowledge the great skill that Paracelsus possessed in surgical matters and the excellence of his meticulous preparation and use of external remedies through chemistry. I have therefore put in useful work by translating this book into Latin for the benefit of foreign readers, who eagerly await its publication. Some have even demanded it of me, using two main arguments against me. Firstly, that I may have neglected to print other works by this author, which may have been less useful. Secondly, that I may have delayed in redeeming their hopes, and thereby have caused harm to the republic by depriving it of experts in medical disputes. However, I will gladly win back their favor (though it may be late in coming) by explaining the reasons for the delay and by compensating for it with a translation that is more accurate than some of the other Paracelsian writings. The quality of this translation can be judged by those who compare it not only with the versions of Dorn and some other Paracelsian writings, but also with the versions of Oporinus himself. Therefore, I hope that this work will be even more valuable to all, as I present it with your authority, which is highly respected by everyone. Since the time when you took up the study of Paracelsian philosophy and medicine, not only for the sake of defending it, but also for the sake of comprehending and refining it in every possible way, all have happily admitted that the number of its followers has increased beyond any doubt. Indeed, no one who admires, respects, and imitates the judgment of a wise and noble man, who holds a position of authority as a royal counselor and envoy, would doubt the value of this work. I certainly foresee a great glory arising from this work that will belong to you almost as if by fate (and undoubtedly it will be great), for this work was destined to be associated with your name from the beginning, and now you are considered by many to be the only one who will be sufficiently equipped to withstand the sharp criticisms of the Zoiluses of authority and strength. However, since this matter concerns you most directly, it is important for others to also know the reasons why I failed to fulfill my duty long ago.
It has been about two years, more or less, since Gerhardus Spina, a man who, to say the least, was thorny and untrustworthy, made an agreement to convert this work. He soon either became discouraged by the enormity of the task or began to hope for a better reward elsewhere, and thus began to use cunning to free himself from the contract. He somehow convinced the local medical community that the book was so suspect that they prevented it from being transferred and printed by me just a few days later. So, I was forced to abandon the work altogether, beyond all hope of completing it, unless I was incessantly urged by booksellers and some doctors' letters that encouraged me to speed up the publication. Finally, I was exhausted and decided to embark on the task of printing the book and redeeming my promise, but in such a way that nothing would undermine anyone's authority.
Among other things, I was also moved by Your Highness's letters, in which you reminded and urged me to obtain a copy of Dorn's work. For you had falsely convinced yourself that I was neglecting this task. Whenever I recalled these letters (which was often), I wondered how I could dispel this opinion of me. Therefore, I started to leave no stone unturned to obtain the purest possible translation of this book. While I was pursuing this, I heard that an entire Latin work by the most learned physician, Josquinus Dalhemius, was being preserved, which he had converted to please some private individuals. After I learned of this, I begged for the opportunity to see the work and finally obtained it with great difficulty. I found it to be so good that I no longer disdained Dorn's version or regretted having neglected it. So, I began to urge and plead with the man who had undertaken the labor for the benefit of a few to allow it to be multiplied by my printing press for the benefit of many. However, I was not able to convince him, and he even hesitated to affirm that he had made the translation for any other purpose than to turn two young Frenchmen who were obsessed with Paracelsian medicine and its genuine delusions (as he put it) back to orthodox medicine. With this response, he seemed to indicate to me that I was waiting for publication in vain. However, using the same argument and accommodating myself to the man's character, I argued that this work should be published, precisely because by exposing the vanity of the sect, it would be able to benefit many more people than the followers of the sect. Furthermore, I said that a translation that expressed some of the author's concepts using more familiar medical terms would be preferable to a translation that relied solely on the sect's terminology. Finally, after much persuasion, he reluctantly promised to send me the translation for my review, and to allow me to do as I pleased with it.
Therefore, not long after, he sent me his copy with a letter in which he wrote the following: "I am sending you the Latin translation of the Surgery, which I converted some time ago in order to win the favor of two young men. I did not intend to publish it, but rather to redirect those who were overly devoted to Paracelsus from their misguided pursuits. If you want to print it (although I would prefer it to remain unpublished), do not publish it under my name, but anonymously. I do not want anyone to think that I approve of those delusions. As for the rest, I want you to know that in many places I paraphrased the author's ideas rather than translating them word for word. You will find places where I expressed not what he said, but what he should have said or what I thought he meant. Those who are knowledgeable in both languages will be able to understand the meaning of these words. Also, with the help of a manuscript copy that, in my opinion, was authentic, I made many corrections to the published version. Finally, I cut out any useless passages that seemed excessively critical or mocking of other people's errors (as is common in the prefaces and epilogues)."
These were the contents of his letter. But someone might ask, "What is the point of all this? Won't these things give the book a bad reputation?" Not at all. Although the translator had this intention, as his letter and our previous remarks indicate, educated people will easily judge how much better it is to have this version rather than the Dornian one. Your Excellency will also realize how much better this version is than the Eras of Lupines, which, although it eagerly sought to obtain a copy of this work to read, even if it had to tolerate the tedium and impurity of the Dornian style, would now, I think, receive this purer version with joy. So I beg your Highness once again to accept me, your humble servant, and this book into your service. And if I have committed any offense up to now (although I am free of the guilt of which he wanted to accuse me), may your Highness kindly forgive me, and finally try to reconcile me with our Iosquin, whose name I added to the book even though he himself did not want it, by showing him every kind of kindness. Farewell, illustrious and noble lord. Basel, August 19, 1573.
