Dedication, 1607-09-25, Jacques Foillet to Frederick I, Duke of Württemberg
| Author: | Jacques Foillet |
| Recipient: | Friedrich I. Herzog von Württemberg |
| Type: | Dedication |
| Date: | 25 September 1607 |
| Place: | Montbéliard |
| Pages: | 6 |
| Language: | French |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=810 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Paracelsus, La grand chirurgie, Montbéliard: Jacques Foillet 1608, f. ***2r — ***4v [BP279] |
| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Jacques Foillet |
A Tres-Havt, Tres Pvissant, et Tres-Magnanime Prince Et seignevr, Friderich dvc de Vvirtemberg & Teck, Conte de Montbeliart, &c. Seigneur de Heydenhaim & Oberkirch, &c. Cheualiers des deux Ordres de France & d’Angleterre, &c. mon tres-redouté Prince & Seigneur.
Monseignevr Entre tous les dons & graces que l’homme a receu d’enhaut de son Createur, apres la cognoissance de son salut reuelé par les saincts escrits des Prophetes & Apostres de Christ, il n’y en a point de plus excellent que la santé. Ce que les Anciens, ayants fort bien recognu & remarqué ont esté occasionnez de s’escrier plusieurs fois, mesmes aux festins solemnels & assemblees publiques.
O Sanitas tu maximum hominibus bonum!
Et de faict si nous considerons de pres les grands biens & commoditez que la santé apporte à l’homme, nous serons contraints de dire & de confesser que ce n’est rien des richesses d’vn Crœsus au prix d’elle. Car qui seroit cestuy la lequel estant malade & destitué de sa santé ne la preferoit à toutes les richesses, à tous les plus grands thresors du monde? Presentez ie vous prie à vn homme affligé & tourmenté de quelque maladie, la santé d’vn costé & vn Cornu copiæ, c’est à dire vne abondance, vn grand amas de toute sorte de biens & de richesses de l’autre, & vous recognoistrez außi tost qu’il regardera la santé d’vn bon œuil pour la caresser, & la mignarder, & qu’il la souhaittera de tout son cœur, voire l’embrassera de toute sa force, en cas que le chois soit en son pouuoir. Et ce à la verité a bon droit: Car quel contentement peut auoir l’homme en ce monde, lequel a des biens & mo- [f. ***2v] yens, à foison, lequel est constitué en honneurs & dignitez, & a le don de cognoistre plusieurs secrets de nature, cependant la santé luy manque? de quoy luy sert tout cela? puis qu’il ne se peut seruir de ses moyens, puis que la ioye que les honneurs & dignitez nous apportent ordinairement luy est entierement retranchee, & qu’il est empesché de faire preuue du sçauoir qui est en luy? Tout comme la santé presente rend la personne propre & idoine à exercer la charge & vocation, à laquelle Dieu l’a appellee: de mesme icelle se reposant le moins du monde il nous faut necessairement reposer de toutes nos actions ordinaires, & demeurer comme inutiles tout le temps qu’elle s’absente de nous. La sante bien mesnagee faict acquerir & amasser aux hommes toutes sortes de commoditez qu’on pourroit souhaitter & desirer en ce monde pour en vser auec ioye & contentement: Elle est autant voire plus agreable & profitable au pauure qu’au riche. Là où au contraire la maladie aporte vn malheur auec soy, que souuent les commoditez seruent d’incommoditez, Et tel en peu de temps voit la fin de ce qu’il auoit amaßé à la longue auec grandißime peine, & à la sueur de la face, sans toutesfois pouuoir sauourer les doux fruicts qu’on en cueillit en temps de santé & de bonne disposition. Or tout comme l’homme par son infidelite, par son ambition & arrogance à faict perte d’vne chose inestimable, laquelle il ne peut recouurer par ses propres forces & vertus, asçauoir du salut eternel: Ainsi außi iceluy par son intemperance, par ses paßions desreglees & desmesurees s’est forclost & priué de ce tant excellent don de santé. Car des außi tost que l’yurongnerie & la gourmandise ont commencé d’auoir la vogue, que le monde s’est addonné à la luxure & aux sales concupiscences de la chair, & que la cholere & le couroux ont eu beaucoup de pouuoir sur nos Ames, sans les pouuoir refrener par la raison: incontinent l’ennemy domestique s’est fourré & logé dans nous lequel ayant attaqué toutes les parties de nostre corps tant interieurs qu’exterieures, tant les nobles & principales que les moindres & les plus abiectes, les a tellement assuietties soubs sa tyrannie & main cruelle qu’il n’y a espece de cruauté, dont il ne se serue contre nous, par [f. ***3r] vne infinité de maladies, & ce en tout temps, à touts moments & sans mot dire, selon le dire du Poete.[n1]
————— ————— Morbi noctesq́ue diesq́ue.
Sponte sua, sine voce uunt namque ab Ioue summo,
Ablata est illis quæcunq́ue potentia fandi.
Occasion pour laquelle depuis ce temps la les hommes ont esté contraints d’inuentier & experimenter quelques remedes pour suruenir à leurs infirmitez & maladies: Ce que a tellement reußi (& ce par la grace & bonté diuine) que peu à peu on a trouué des remedes propres & singuliers pour la guerison d’vn chacune maladie. Tesmoings en sont les escrits de tant de braues & excellents Medecins & Chirurgiens Grecs, Arabes, Latins, Allemands & François, &c. lesquels se sont estudiez de tout leur pouuoir de paruenir à la cognoissance des causes de toutes les maladies qui regnoyent de leurs temps, & de celles qui sont encores pour le iour d’huy au milieu de nous: & par consequent de recueillir & remarquer fort soigneusement tous les remedes qu’on eu experimenté de longue main estre propres & salutaires tant pour conseruer la santé presente, que pour la rendre & restituer aux pauures malades. Tesmoings en sont außi les attestations accordees à plusieurs doctes Medecins & Chirurgiens des cures admirables par eux faictes. Et sur tout vne infinité de malades, lesques par le moyen d’iceux remedes (la benediction de Dieu y entreuenant tout premierement) on voit recouurer iournellement leur bonne santé. De maniere & façon que la medecine (laquelle nous offre & presente ces remedes la) ayant esté recerchee, descrite & amplifiee auec autant de peine, labeur & diligence que la neceßité d’icelle le requiert, il me semble qu’elle soit paruenue au supreme periode de sa perfection. Or s’il est question d’auoir en honneur & en reuerence les escrits de ceux qui nous ont laißé tant d’excellens & de souuerains antidots, par le moyen desquels nour pouuons refrener la furie de c’est ennemy domestique, asçauoir la maladie, voire le donter & chasser loin de nous (comme à la verité nous le debuons faire de peur d’estre entachez de ce vice detestable d’ingratitude) Certes à bon droict debuons nous auoir les escrits [f. ***3v] de Theophraste Paracelse Medecin & grand distilateur de son temps, en singuliere recommandation, & recognoistre que nous & toute nostre posterité luy en sommes & serons infiniment obligez. Car par le moyen de ses distillations, quint’essences, esprits, elixirs, extraits &c. semblables nouuelles formes de remedes, il n’a pas seulement de beaucoup anobly la Medecine, luy attribuant plus d’energie, de force & vertu qu’elle ne sembloit auior au parauant: mais außi il est notoire & manifeste que la preparation de les remedes est fort plaisante & aggreable à toute sorte de malades. Et iaçoit que luy entant qu’homme aye failli en quelque part de ses escrits (humanum enim est errare) à raison de quoy plusieurs Medecins modernes loy font la guerre à toute reste, & pour quelques erreurs tolerables le mesprisent & reiettent entierement: si est ce qu’au dire des plus doctes & fameux Medecins, ses remedes estant bien & deuement preparez sont fort excellents pour la cure & guerison des maladies plus difficiles & inuerterees de quoy l’experience iournaliere faict preuue suffisante. Que si quelque ignorant veut entreprendre quelque chose en la preparation d’iceux outre ses forces & son pouuoir, comme n’aprochant aucunement du sens & de l’intention dudict Paracelse, ce n’est pas de merueille s’il y est trompé & s’il commet des fautes bien lourdes & irreparables, car selon le dire d’Herophile. Morborum remedia si ab indoctis Medicis vsurpentur sunt venena: si verò à doctis Deorum auxiliares manus vocantur. Or entre tous ses escrits la grande Chirurgie ainsi intitulee, est tant recerchee d’vn chacun & ce pour les souuerains & excellents remedes qui y sont descrits pour toute sorte de playes, blessures, tumeurs, vlceres, chancres, luxations, fractures & autres maladies exterieures, que la dizette des exemplaires, la poursuitte & solicitation des bons & fideles Chirurgiens, & la grande affection de seruir au public occasionnent les Imprimeurs de la remettre souuent soubs la presse, mesme en langue Françoise (en laquelle à esté translatee de l’Allemand) pour faire part aux Chirurgiens François des thresors tres riches & opulents y contenus, à raison de quoy, & à l’imitation de ceux la [f. ***4r] ie me suis mis apres vne nouuelle edition de ladicte Chirurgie en vne forme pluse commode & portatiue, suyuant en tout & par tout la seconde edition de M. Claude Dariot Medecin à Beaune, lequel l’a augmentee de certaines annotations en marge, & de deux petits traittez. Or comme icelle Chirurgie a esté dediee par cy deuant à des Princes & Princesses de France, il m’a semble que ce ne seroit mal à propos si entre tant de Puissants & Magnanimes Princes, dont l’Allemagne est auiourdhuy bien pourueüe, ie choisissoy V[otre] A[ltesse] pour servir à ladicte Chirurgie de protecteur & defense contre tous ceux qui la voudront menacer de leurs dents & morsures. Ces trois nations, l’Alemande, la Françoise & l’Angloise à raison de vostre nom engraué sur le frontispice de c’est ouurage la recercheront sur toutes autres, mesme la prefereront à toutes les premieres editions, car vostre nom à cause de vos vertus & actes heroiques celebrez & admirez par ces nations. La, leur est en si bonne & souefue odeur, que tout ce qui en est reuestu & parumé elles le tiennent pour fort cher & precieux. Dauantage V[otre] A[ltesse] a tousiours prins grand plaisir à ce qui concerne la Medecine & les parties d’icelle, selon qu’il est ayse de recueillir à ceux qui sçauent les grands fraix qu’elle employe annuellement apres ses beaux iardins tant à Stutgart qu’en ce lieu de Montbeliard, remplis de toute sorte d’arbres, d’herbes & simples fort excellents pour l’vsage de la Medecine, lasquels V[otre] A[ltesse] auec grand soing & diligence außi faict apporter d’Allemaigne, de France & d’Italie: Il est außi notoire que V[otre] A[ltesse] n’espargne aucuns fraix ni despens, pour augmenter & enrichir ce cabinet & droguier qu’ella a faict dresser audict Stutgart, lequel est composé des plus grandes raretés que la Terre & la Mer nous ont tenue vn long temps couuertes & cachees. Ioint que V[otre] A[ltesse] se reccree souuent à la contemplation, de plusieurs excellents remedes & à la preparation diceux faicte par des Medecins, Apoticaires & Chirurgiens autant renommez, que bien versez & experimentez en leur art, lesquel sont ordinairement aupres de V[otre] A[ltesse] en fin V[otre] A[ltesse] m’a tant bonore que dem’auuoir receu & accepté pour son Imprimeur ordinaire en sa ville de Montbeliard, auquel estat il luy a pleu me maintenir benigne- [f. ***4v] ment iusques à ores en quoy ie suis infiniment obligé à V[otre] A[ltesse] de laquelle ie desire despendre toute ma vie pour m’employer à son seruice de tout mon petit pouuoir. Toutes ces considerations auec plusieurs autres, Monseigneur, mont induit à addresser & dedier la presente Chirurgie de mon impreßion à V[otre] A[ltesse] esperant qu’elle ne la regardera pas seulement d’vn bon œil, comme chose à laquelle elle se plait & delecte: ains qu’elle recognoistra que de bon cœur, & en toute humilité ie la luy offre & presente, estant desourueu pour le present d’autre moyen pour luy demonstrer plus particulierement mon tres-humble & deoutieux seruice. Sur ce ie prieray le tout puissant qu’il vueille maintenir V[otre] A[ltesse] auec toute sa famille Illustre longement en paix, santé & prosperité, & la bien-heurer de toute sorte de ses graces & benedictions. De [c1] Montbeliard sur vos Hales ce 25. Septembre, 1607.
de V[otre] A[ltesse] Le tres-humble, tres deuotieux & tres obeissant subiect, seruiteur.
Iacqves Foillet.
English Raw Translation
Generated by ChatGPT on 26 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.
MONSEIGNEUR, among all the gifts and graces that man has received from above from his Creator, after the knowledge of his salvation revealed by the holy writings of the Prophets and Apostles of Christ, there is none more excellent than health. The Ancients, having recognized and noted this very well, were often moved to exclaim, especially at solemn feasts and public assemblies.
Oh health, you are the greatest good for human beings!
And in fact, if we closely consider the great benefits and conveniences that health brings to man, we will be forced to say and confess that it is nothing compared to the riches of a Croesus. For who would be the one who, being sick and deprived of his health, would not prefer it to all the riches, to all the greatest treasures in the world? Please present to a man afflicted and tormented by some disease, health on one side and a Horn of Plenty, that is to say, an abundance, a great heap of all kinds of goods and riches on the other, and you will recognize immediately that he will look at health with a good eye to caress and pamper it, and that he will wish for it with all his heart, even embracing it with all his strength, if the choice is in his power. And this is truly right: for what contentment can a man have in this world, who has goods and means in abundance, who is appointed to honors and dignities, and has the gift of knowing many secrets of nature, yet lacks health? What good is all that to him, since he cannot use his means, since the joy that honors and dignities usually bring us is entirely taken away from him, and he is prevented from demonstrating the knowledge that is in him? Just as present health makes a person suitable and fit to exercise the charge and vocation to which God has called him, likewise, when it is absent from us, we must necessarily rest from all our ordinary actions and remain useless. Well-managed health allows men to acquire and accumulate all kinds of conveniences that could be wished for and desired in this world to use them with joy and contentment: It is as much, even more, agreeable and profitable to the poor as to the rich. And in fact, if we consider closely the great benefits and conveniences that health brings to man, we will be forced to say and confess that it is nothing compared to the wealth of a Croesus. For who would be the one who, being sick and deprived of his health, would not prefer it to all the riches, to all the greatest treasures of the world? Please present to a man afflicted and tormented by some illness, health on one side and a Horn of Plenty, that is to say, an abundance, a great accumulation of all kinds of goods and riches on the other, and you will immediately recognize that he will look at health with a good eye to caress and pet it, and he will wish it with all his heart, even embracing it with all his strength, if the choice is in his power. And this is truly right: For what satisfaction can a man have in this world who has plenty of goods and means, who is established in honors and dignities, and has the gift of knowing many secrets of nature, but lacks health? Of what use is all that to him? Since he cannot use his means, since the joy that honors and dignities usually bring us is entirely taken away from him, and he is prevented from demonstrating the knowledge that is in him? Just as present health makes a person fit and suitable for the charge and vocation to which God has called him, so resting even a little bit from it, we must necessarily rest from all our ordinary actions and remain useless all the time it is absent from us. Well-managed health makes men acquire and accumulate all kinds of conveniences that one could wish for and desire in this world in order to use them with joy and contentment: It is as pleasant and profitable for the poor as for the rich.
Where, on the contrary, illness brings misfortune with it, and often conveniences serve as inconveniences. And such a person sees the end of what he had amassed over a long period of time with the greatest difficulty and toil, without being able to taste the sweet fruits that were harvested in times of health and good disposition. Now just as man, by his infidelity, by his ambition and arrogance, has lost an inestimable thing, which he cannot recover by his own strength and virtues, namely eternal salvation: so he, by his intemperance, by his unregulated and immoderate passions, has closed and deprived himself of this so excellent gift of health. For as soon as drunkenness and gluttony began to prevail, as the world gave itself up to luxury and the filthy concupiscences of the flesh, and as anger and wrath gained much power over our souls, without being able to restrain them by reason: immediately the domestic enemy got in and lodged within us, and having attacked all parts of our body, both internal and external, both noble and principal and the smallest and most abject, he has so subjected them under his tyranny and cruel hand that there is no kind of cruelty that he does not use against us, through an infinity of illnesses, and this at all times, at all moments and without saying a word, according to the saying of the poet.
Diseases and nights and days
speak of their own accord without a voice, for from high Jupiter
has been taken away from them all power of speaking.
For this reason, since then, men have been forced to invent and experiment with remedies to overcome their illnesses and diseases. This has succeeded so well (by the grace and divine goodness) that gradually unique and proper remedies have been found for the cure of every disease. Evidence of this can be found in the writings of so many excellent and brave Greek, Arab, Latin, German, and French physicians and surgeons, etc., who have endeavored with all their power to attain knowledge of the causes of all the diseases that prevailed in their time, and of those that are still among us today; and therefore to gather and carefully note down all the remedies that have been long experimented to be suitable and salutary, both to preserve present health and to restore it to the poor sick. Evidence of this is also provided by the attestations granted to several learned physicians and surgeons of the admirable cures performed by them. And above all, an infinite number of sick people, who through these remedies (with the blessing of God intervening first and foremost) are seen to recover their good health daily. In such a way that medicine (which offers and presents us with these remedies) having been researched, described and amplified with as much pain, labor and diligence as its necessity requires, it seems to me that it has reached the supreme period of its perfection. Now, if it is a matter of honoring and revering the writings of those who have left us so many excellent and sovereign antidotes, by means of which we can restrain the fury of this domestic enemy, namely, illness, even doubt and drive it away from us (as we truly ought to do, lest we be tainted with this detestable vice of ingratitude), certainly we should have the writings of Theophrastus Paracelsus, physician and great distiller of his time, in singular recommendation, and acknowledge that we and all our posterity are infinitely indebted to him. For by means of his distillations, quintessences, spirits, elixirs, extracts, etc., similar new forms of remedies, he has not only greatly ennobled medicine, attributing more energy, strength, and virtue to it than it seemed to have before, but it is also known and manifest that the preparation of these remedies is very pleasant and agreeable to all kinds of patients. And although he, being a man, has failed in some parts of his writings (for it is human to err), for which reason many modern physicians wage war on him and despise and reject him entirely for some tolerable errors, it is true that, according to the most learned and famous physicians, his remedies, when well and properly prepared, are very excellent for the cure and healing of the most difficult and incurable diseases, of which daily experience provides sufficient proof. In the manner that medicine (which offers and presents us with these remedies) having been researched, described, and amplified with as much effort, toil, and diligence as its necessity requires, it seems to me that it has reached the supreme period of its perfection. Now, if it is a matter of honoring and reverencing the writings of those who have left us so many excellent and sovereign antidotes, through which we can restrain the fury of this domestic enemy, namely disease, even to fear and drive it away from us (as we truly ought to do for fear of being tainted with the detestable vice of ingratitude), certainly we ought to have the writings of Theophrastus Paracelsus, physician and great distiller of his time, in singular recommendation, and recognize that we and all our posterity are infinitely obliged to him. For through his distillations, quintessences, spirits, elixirs, extracts, etc. similar new forms of remedies, he has not only greatly ennobled medicine, attributing more energy, strength, and virtue to it than it seemed to have before, but it is also known and evident that the preparation of these remedies is very pleasant and agreeable to all kinds of patients. And even though he, as a human being, has failed in some part of his writings (for to err is human), for which many modern physicians wage war against him altogether, and because of some tolerable errors, despise and reject him entirely, it is known among the most learned and famous physicians that his remedies, when well and properly prepared, are very excellent for the cure and healing of the most difficult and inveterate diseases, of which daily experience provides sufficient proof.
But if any ignorant person wants to undertake something in their preparation beyond their strength and power, as not approaching in any way the sense and intention of the said Paracelsus, it is no wonder if they are deceived and commit very heavy and irreparable mistakes, for according to the saying of Herophilus, if remedies for diseases are used by unlearned physicians, they are poisons; but if they are called upon by learned men, they are helpers of the gods. Now, among all his writings, the great surgery thus titled, is so sought after by everyone, and this for the sovereign and excellent remedies that are described for all kinds of wounds, injuries, tumors, ulcers, sores, dislocations, fractures, and other external diseases, that the scarcity of copies, the pursuit and solicitation of good and faithful surgeons, and the great desire to serve the public cause the printers to often put it under the press, even in the French language (in which it has been translated from German), to share with French surgeons the very rich and opulent treasures contained therein. Therefore, and following in the footsteps of those, I have undertaken a new edition of the said surgery in a more convenient and portable form, following in all respects the second edition of Mr. Claude Dariot, physician in Beaune, who has augmented it with certain annotations in the margin and two small treatises. Now, as this surgery has been dedicated before to princes and princesses of France, it seemed to me not inappropriate if among so many powerful and magnanimous princes, with whom Germany is well provided today, I chose Your Highness to serve as the protector and defender of the said surgery against all those who would threaten it with their teeth and bites.
These three nations, the German, the French, and the English, because of your name engraved on the frontispiece of this work, will seek it out above all others, even preferring it to all first editions, because your name, due to your virtues and heroic acts celebrated and admired by these nations, is in such good and gentle odor that all that is received and perfumed by them is considered very dear and precious. Furthermore, Your Highness has always taken great pleasure in matters concerning medicine and its parts, as can be easily gathered from those who know the great expenses she annually employs after her beautiful gardens both in Stuttgart and in this place of Montbeliard, filled with all kinds of trees, herbs, and simple remedies, which Your Highness has brought with great care and diligence from Germany, France, and Italy. It is also known that Your Highness spares no expense or effort to increase and enrich this cabinet and drugstore that she had set up in Stuttgart, which is composed of the greatest rarities that the Earth and the Sea have kept covered and hidden from us for a long time. In addition, Your Highness often takes pleasure in contemplating several excellent remedies and their preparation made by physicians, apothecaries, and surgeons as renowned as they are experienced in their art, who are usually near Your Highness. In short, Your Highness has honored me so much as to receive and accept me as her regular printer in her city of Montbeliard, in which position she has been pleased to keep me kindly until now, for which I am infinitely obliged to Your Highness, from whom I desire to depend all my life in order to employ myself in her service to the best of my ability. All these considerations, along with several others, Your Highness, have led me to address and dedicate the present Surgery of my impression to Your Highness, hoping that she will not only regard it with a good eye, as something that pleases and delights her, but that she will also recognize that I offer and present it to her with a good heart and in all humility, being at present without other means to demonstrate to her more particularly my very humble and devout service. On this, I will pray the Almighty to maintain Your Highness and all her illustrious family in peace, health, and prosperity for a long time, and to bless her with all kinds of graces and blessings. From Montbeliard, on your Hales, this 25th of September, 1607.
Your Highness's most humble, most devout, and most obedient subject, servant.
Jacques Foillet.
