Dedication, no date (1570), Gerhard Dorn to Pierre de Grantrye (BP123)
| Author: | Gerhard Dorn |
| Recipient: | Pierre de Grantrye |
| Type: | Dedication |
| Date: | no date [1570] |
| Pages: | 12 |
| Language: | Latin |
| Quote as: | https://www.theatrum-paracelsicum.com/index.php?curid=1981 |
| Editor: | Edited by Julian Paulus |
| Source: | Paracelsus, Archidoxorum de secretis naturæ mysteriis libri decem, ed. Gerhard Dorn, Basel: Pietro Perna 1570, sig. †3r-†8v [BP123]
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| CP: | Not in Kühlmann/Telle, Corpus Paracelsisticum |
| Translation: | Raw translation see below |
| Abstract: | The author criticizes Christian doctors, philosophers, and professors of medicine who seek knowledge from pagan sources, arguing that they lack the knowledge of the truth that can only come from Christ. They contrast Paracelsus, a spagyricist, with his adversaries in the field of medicine, claiming that Paracelsus's principles are far superior. The author defends Paracelsus against his detractors, saying that his opponents' arguments are not able to shake his principles, and that truth will prevail through him. The author also seeks the patronage of a noble and distinguished lord to publish a Latin version of Paracelsus's books for the advancement of learning and benefit of those experienced in the German language. (generated by Chat-GPT) |
| Back to Paratexts Back to Texts by Gerhard Dorn |
[sig. †3r] Illvstri genere, doctrina, virtvteqve Domino Petro de Grantrye, Domino de Besne, Equiti Aurato, & Christianissimi Regis Francorum à consiliis, eiusdemq́ue apud Alpinos Rhetos Confœderatos, Oratori Salvs.
Haud satis admirari possum Generosißime, Amplißimeq́ue Domine, Christianos Doctores, Philosophiæ, medicinæq́ue professores omnes ferè, paucißimis tantum exceptis, in Gentilium tenebris ita prorsum inuolutos, vt non videant, ab eis lucem non eße petendam, qui luce carent omni. Quid enim illis innotescere veritatis potuit extra cognitionem eius qui veritas est? Si dicant, vt solent, aliud fore Theologiam, aliud Philosophiam, & Medicinam aliud. Hoc ipso [sig. †3v] mortuam fidem profitebuntur, cùm Philosophia medium teneat inter ipsam Theologiam ob diuinarum rerum cognitionem & inter medicinam ac reliquas artes, ob humanarum rerum noticiam, ad exequendam charitatem. Gentiles eo vsque peruenerunt, vt Philosophiam rectè definiuerint, verùm id velut vmbra quædam eis innotuit, quò factum, vt rerum diuinarum cognitionem ad idola flexerint, & opinionum suarum falsitates. Inde fecerunt ad aliam extremitatem, nempe medicinam & politicas artes transitum, per medium, hoc est Philosophiæ suæ studium, non ex vero, sed falso, vt antea diximus, fundamento, super quod opus nullum verum, id est ex charitate, sed vel ex commodo proprio, vel ambitione vanæ gloriolæ construere potuerunt opus. Quòd si Christi cognitionem habuissent, qui veritas est in omnibus, ab eo fecissent extremò transitum, per medium suum nempe studium, ad finem & scopum vtpo- [sig. †4r] te charitatem. Hoc Paracelsus considerans ex vera luce Christo, & non aliàs illuminatus, naturæ lucem indagare voluit, antiquorum tenebris omnino relictis, non vt magnas consequeretur opes, quas habere potuit, sed vt accumularet sibi thesaurum quem ærugo nec tinea rodere possunt, ac Mundo Medicinam laceram vero suo restitueret honori. Nec satis est aliquid affirmare, nisi probabilibus fundatisq́ue rationibus confirmetur. Quare Paracelsi nostri proceßum, spagiris, & eius aduersarijs, quod in me fuerit aperiam, vt facta principiorum eius, & fundamenti comparatione ad suorum aduersariorum principia, iudicetur à quouis, non partiali iudice tamen, vtra pars alteram sequi meritò, veritatiq́ue cedere debeat. Spagiricus eius hic fuit processus. Primò constituit primam creaturam nempe Mundum ipsum, & vltimam, scilicet hominem, propter quem illa creata fuit à Deo, comparatione facta per diathe- [sig. †4v] sim, effectum atque dispositionem sibi mutuô correspondere. Quod quidem sibi persuadere noluit, sed experientia spagirica constare summo labore studuit. Ad Archæum naturæ se contulit, ex cuius dispositione didicit internum Adech, artificium in homine, per quem ad lucis naturæ Vulcanum relegatus, Iliastem suam in trinitate constitutam repperit, in qua rerum omnium Aniadum & efficaciam vidit, Arem earum & primam naturam, ac vltimam materiam Rebis, &c. Quo quidem perueniens, experientia duce, multa quæ natura diligentibus indagatoribus reseruare solet, inuenit, prout sunt flores Anthos, perlarum, Anthera Iacinthorum, & Cheyri potabilis auri: pariter illa Phœnix ignea quinta rerum eßentia. Tandem ad Sparam deueniens, vires mineralium ex Ilech prima rerum substantia, prima rerum entia repperit, & quatuor elementorum primam partem, ac alia præclara medica [sig. †5r] menta quæ his libris docet Archidoxorum, & alijs annexis, ex omnibus totius naturæ partibus elicere. Hæc sunt omnium obscurißima suæ Physices et Medicinæ principia: quæ licet amplè clareq́ue satis exposuerim, dilucidius tamen, & nullis spagirorum assumptis vocabulis repertere minimè grauabor, vt intelligant eius aduersarij, quàm præter æquitatem reluctetur veritati. Præceptoris nostri talis est ratio, vt in quibusuis rebus à natura productis, aut elementatis, iudicet aliud esse quærendum &[c1] cognoscendum à Philosopho, nec non medico præter elementa, quæ certò per se mortua nihil agere possunt in humana corpora. Notate igitur cœlum Mundi spiritum, et animam in se continere, & elementa quatuor Mundi corpus alterum existere patiens. Hac ratio ne diuiditur Mundus in duas partes vniuersaliores, nempe superiorem & inferiorem[c2], id est in cœlum & in elementa. Rursum in tres partes cælum partitum est, vi- [sig. †5v] delicet in substantiam ex nihilo creatam, in mundi spiritum & animam, quæ spiritus est vehiculum & corpus athereum. Ab istis duabus posterioribus mundi partibus videlicet anima spirituq́ue mundi, Spagirus medicinam suam depromit, eam potißimùm, quæ facit in renouationem & restaurationem, vitæq́ue productionem. Ars itaque spagirica docens ignis arte naturalia corpora, quæq́ue his dotata mundi viribus atque partibus eisdem, quodq́ue iuxta naturalem ordinem à Deo datum, & eas fore partes agentes, in quibus motus quærendus, non in elementaribus, quæ patientes existunt: ab his illas etiam separandi modum patefecit (quòd eis tanquam tetor carcere detineantur, impediantur, vel potius aggrauentur) quò liberius agere possent. Et hic est verus Mercurius & verum sulphur de quo Paracelsus loquitur. Restat adhuc sal, quod ex elementis inferioribus petendum, & quod ex istis mortuis trahatur, animam [sig. †6r] dum venit per ignis artem: quare balsamum corporis à Paracelso vocatur, quia de craßioris corporis mundi partib[us] tractum est alcali medicina corporea. Sed alia medicinæ spagiricæ pars Mercurium & Solem spagiricos habens, quòd ex animalibus & spiritualibus mundi partibus elementatorum extrahatur, est medicina Solis & humani Mercurij, hoc est calidi naturalis et humidi radicalis eius. Iam examinentur aduersariorum principia medicinæ, contraq́ue depingantur quoquo modo suis colorib[us] & inde iudicetur. Non dicimus istorum artem, iuxta sua principia de quibus tracta fuit operari non poße, verùm hoc assermus, eam Paracelsica longè quidem inferiorem, ob craßiora sua, rudioraq́ue principia. Cùm igitur hæ duæ medicinæ professiones tam diuersis constent principijs, quid est, quod vnius professor in alterius artem se velit ingerere? quin potius defendere sua conentur principia, qui meliorem eligisse [sig. †6v] Medicinæ partem se putant. Nam es suis principijs nedum artium, at cunctarum excellentia rerum est manifesta. Paracelsus docet principia sua, per ignis artificium de quibusuis totius naturæ lucis inferioris elementatis extrahere, nec non ad oculum digitumq́ue demonstrare. Maximam igitur eius aduersarij præter omnem æquitatem illi faciunt iniuriam, eius Medicinæ doctrinam Vmbraticam appelantes: hoc ipso quibusuis vmbraticum suum ingenium patefacientes, qui de rebus minimè sibi cognitis, ex inuidia sola iudicium contra se potius, quám Paracelsum proferunt. Hoc vitium doctis plurimis ex serpentis astutia prima est inextirpatum hactenus, vt ingenij fœlicitatem alter inuideat alteri. Hinc dißensiones, imo hæreses ortum habent. Quisque doctior enim altero videri vel existimari, si non esse, vult, & ab alio nemo discere. Scimus profectò causam, cur à Theophrasto nullius addiscere cupiat medicus: [sig. †7r] faciliori namque labore, minoribusq́ue sumptibus medicinam suam factitant, et quisque sibi soli proximus. Nec à Propheta quopiam Mundus discere vellet, etsi missus à Deo foret, quod non lucrum ingens adferat. Malè plurimos habet, virum hunc apparatu nulo verborum, sed simplicißima veritatis profeßione, tantam humanæ sapientiæ molem, vel potius astutiæ serpentis medicinæ in ruinam agere. Sed non vident apertis oculis, Deum elegisse valde simplices homines & piscatores ad veritatis manifestationem, qua reprimeneretur Phariseorum Scribarumq́ue tam elata mundanaq́ue sapientia, quo melius coram Deo stultitia appareret. Non secus videmus, quod ad humanas artes, Philosophiam, Medicinam, & alias attinet, hoc loco fieri, vt simplicissimis ac firmißimis rationibus ex sacra luce diuinarum Scripturarum potißimè de promptis, & in ea fundatis (quas etiam vbi fuerit opus adducemus) humanas illas opi- [sig. †7v] niones ornatu maximo palliatas, elegantiaq́ue sermonum, at in arena fundatas corruere. Manifestum in Paracelso nostro cernitur exemplum, nempe contra fundatißimas eius rationes aduersariorum suorum adhuc neminem hactenus, vel tantillum adducere potuiße, quod eas labefactare queat. Quo percepto, nec tamen cedere cupientes, ad calumnias stylum suum conuertunt omnes, quotquot ei contradicunt. Nec tamen ita fabricatæ, quin maximam in Paracelsi laudem, quem vituperare conantur cedant: & intermin dum ipsi maledicere nituntur, Deo sic disponente, Balaam instar loquuntur, &c. Faciant quicquid in ipsis est, si Deus reformatorem istarum artium Paracelsum posuit, contrà non iuuabunt eos tota Græcorum loquacitas, Latinorum elegantia, nec Hebræorum pertinacia, quin veritas in Philosophia Medicinaq́ue locum per istum virum hebeat. Sed mißas ipsorum calumnias faciens, quôd contra veritatem nullæ ra- [sig. †8r] tiones hominum valeant, calamum ad tuam Illustrem prudentiam, Ornatißime virtutibus ac artibus omnibus, Generosissimeq́ue Domine mi, flectam: qui de naturæ secretioribus arcanis optimum facere iudicium potes, & sub tuo patrocinio, Theophrasti Paracelsi Philosophorum atque Medicorum facilè Principis, Archidoxorum librorum, item Physiocorum tincturæ, Præparationum, Vexationum, Cementorum, & Gradationum è Germanico sermone Latinam versionem typis commendare minimè differam: quòd sciam animi tui candorem nihil aspernari, quod veritatem & fidelitatem habet. Hosce meos igitur qualescunque non alia de causa per me susceptos labores, quàm in studiorum promotionem, & gratiam earum nationum quæ Germanicæ linguæ sunt expertes, æqui bonique consulens recipere tuendos velis.[c3] Non enim est intentio mea, nec fuit vnquam, vt ex his honorem aut laudem con- [sig. †8v] sequerer: at potius ne tanta lux, quæ per excellentißimum hunc Philosophum nostrum nobis ac toti mundo relicta fuit, sub ter modium absconderetur, efficerem, superq́ue montem vtut poßum collocarem: quò mundus videat, quantum artibus oriri Solem, & veritatis cognitioni per hunc Deus voluit. His paucis igitur, vt voles, vtere feliciter, & vale.
Illustri Magnificentiæ tuæ Deditißimus
Gerardus Dorn
Apparatus
Corrections
English Raw Translation
Generated by ChatGPT on 20 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 Lord Peter de Grantrye, Lord of Besne, Knight of the Golden Spur, and Ambassador of the Most Christian King of France to the Confederates of the Rhetian Alps, greetings.
I cannot help but be amazed, most noble and distinguished sir, at how most Christian doctors, philosophers, and professors of medicine, with few exceptions, are so completely enveloped in the darkness of the pagans that they do not see that they should not seek light from those who lack all light. For what knowledge of the truth could they have acquired outside of the knowledge of He who is the Truth? If they say, as they often do, that theology is one thing, philosophy another, and medicine yet another, they will profess a dead faith, since philosophy holds a middle ground between theology, because of its knowledge of divine things, and medicine and other arts, because of its knowledge of human things, in order to carry out charity. The pagans have gone so far as to define philosophy correctly, but this knowledge has only been a kind of shadow to them, so much so that they turned their knowledge of divine things to idols and the falsehoods of their own opinions. From there they made a transition to another extreme, namely medicine and politics, through the medium of their own philosophy, not on a true foundation, but a false one, as we have said before, on which they could build no true work, that is, out of charity, but only out of their own convenience or vain ambition. But if they had knowledge of Christ, who is the Truth in all things, they would have made a transition through their own study, as a medium, to the end and goal of charity. Paracelsus, considering this from the true light of Christ and not otherwise enlightened, wanted to investigate the light of nature, leaving the darkness of the ancients completely behind, not to acquire great wealth, which he could have had, but to accumulate a treasure that neither rust nor moth could consume, and to restore medicine to its true honor. But it is not enough to assert something without confirming it with probable and well-founded reasons. Therefore, I will explain to the best of my ability the process of our Paracelsus, the spagyrics, and their adversaries, so that, by comparing his principles and foundations to those of his adversaries, anyone can judge, though not a partial judge, whether one side should rightly follow the other and yield to the truth. This was his spagyric process. First, he established the first creature, namely the world itself, and the ultimate one, namely man, for whom it was created by God, comparing their effect and disposition to each other through diathesis. He did not want to convince himself of this, but he studied with great effort to establish it through spagyric experimentation. He turned to the archæum of nature, from whose disposition he learned about the internal Adech in man, through whom, relegated to the light of nature's Vulcan, he found his own Iliast, consisting of a trinity, in which he saw the essence and efficacy of all things, their Ares and primary nature, and the ultimate matter of Rebis, etc. By following this path, led by experimentation, he discovered many things that nature usually reserves for diligent explorers, such as the flowers Anthos, the pearls Anthera Iacinthorum, and the potable gold of Cheyri, as well as the fiery Phoenix, the fifth essence of all things. Finally, when he arrived in Spara, he discovered the power of minerals in Ilech, the first substance and entity of all things, and the first part of the four elements, as well as other excellent medical remedies that he teaches in his books on the Archidoxes and other related works, by extracting them from all parts of nature. These are the most obscure principles of his physics and medicine, which, although I have explained them sufficiently clearly, I will not hesitate to explain even more clearly, without using the terms of the spagyrics, so that his adversaries may understand how far they resist the truth beyond fairness. Our teacher has such a method that in all things produced or composed by nature, he judges that something else must be sought and understood by the philosopher and the physician, besides the elements, which can do nothing certain by themselves in the human body. Therefore, note that the sky contains the spirit of the world and its soul, and that the four elements make up another patient body of the world. This method does not divide the world into two more universal parts, namely the upper and lower, that is, the sky and the elements. Again, the sky is divided into three parts, namely the substance created out of nothing, the spirit and soul of the world, which is the vehicle and ethereal body. From these two latter parts of the world, namely the soul and spirit of the world, the spagyrist extracts his medicine, especially that which brings about renewal, restoration, and the production of life. Thus, the spagyric art teaches how to use fire to treat natural substances, endowed with the powers and parts of the world, and given by God according to the natural order, which are the active parts, not the passive elements. It also reveals a way to separate them from these, which are held captive in them like a prison, obstructed, or rather burdened, so that they can act more freely. And this is the true Mercury and true sulfur that Paracelsus speaks of. There is still salt to be obtained from the lower elements, which is extracted from these dead things when the soul comes through the art of fire. This is why it is called the balm of the body by Paracelsus, because it is derived from the coarser parts of the body of the world. But another part of spagyric medicine has spagyric Mercury and the Sun, which are extracted from the animal and spiritual parts of the elements, and it is the medicine of the Sun and human Mercury, that is, the natural warmth and radical humidity of the body. Now let the principles of the adversaries of medicine be examined and painted in their own colors, and let judgment be made from this. We do not say that their art cannot work according to their principles, which have been discussed, but we assert that it is far inferior to the Paracelsian art because of its coarser and more rudimentary principles. Therefore, since these two medical professions are based on such different principles, what reason is there for one professor to want to interfere in the other's art? They should rather try to defend their own principles, which they consider to have chosen the better part of medicine. For the excellence of all things, not only of the arts, is evident from their principles. Paracelsus teaches that his principles, through the artifice of fire, can extract any of the lower elements of the whole of nature, and he can demonstrate this with his own eyes and fingers. Therefore, his adversaries do him a great injustice by calling his medical doctrine "shadowy," exposing their own shadowy ingenuity, as they judge against him out of envy for things they know very little about. This vice, originating from the cunning of the serpent, has not yet been eradicated among many learned people, who would rather envy than learn from one another. Hence, dissensions and even heresies arise, for each scholar wants to be seen and regarded as more learned than the other, even if they do not really believe it and no one wants to learn from others.
We know the reason why a physician would not want to learn from Theophrastus: because it is easier and less costly to make their medicine with less effort and everyone is closest to themselves. Likewise, the world would not want to learn from a prophet, even if he were sent by God, as it would not bring great profit. Many people, therefore, have a negative view of this man, who with no verbal adornment but with the simplest profession of truth, destroys so much of human wisdom or rather the cunning of serpent medicine. However, they do not see with open eyes that God chose very simple people, even fishermen, to reveal the truth, so that the proud wisdom of the Pharisees and Scribes might be restrained, and stupidity would appear more pleasing to God.
Similarly, in the field of human arts, such as philosophy, medicine, and others, we see that the same thing is happening: the most elegant and highly ornamented human opinions, especially those founded on clear and firm arguments from the sacred light of divine Scriptures, are falling in the arena. It is clear in our Paracelsus that, despite his opponents' most well-founded arguments, they have not been able to bring even the slightest evidence that could shake his principles. Thus, realizing this, and yet unwilling to concede, all those who contradict him turn their pens to calumny. However, even these fabrications cannot diminish Paracelsus's great reputation, and while they continue to speak ill of him, God, by His own disposition, makes them speak like Balaam. Let them do whatever they want to do; if God has appointed Paracelsus as the reformer of these arts, the loquacity of the Greeks, the elegance of the Latins, and the pertinacity of the Hebrews will not help them, for the truth will have its place in philosophy and medicine through this man.
But in countering their calumnies, that no human reasoning can stand against the truth, I turn my pen to your illustrious wisdom, most adorned with virtues and all arts, most noble and generous Lord, who can make the best judgment on the secrets of nature. Under your patronage, I will not delay to publish in print a Latin version of Theophrastus Paracelsus's books, the prince of philosophers and physicians, the Archidoxes, as well as the tinctures, preparations, vexations, cements, and gradations of physio-cosmic medicine, translated from the German language, since I know that your candor will not reject what has truth and fidelity. Therefore, I ask that you kindly receive and protect my humble labors, undertaken not for any other reason but for the advancement of learning and for the benefit of those nations experienced in the German language. It is not my intention, nor has it ever been, to gain honor or praise from them, but rather to prevent such great light that was left to us and the whole world by our excellent philosopher from being hidden under a bushel and to place it on a mountaintop so that the world may see how much the arts rise from the sun and how much God willed the knowledge of truth through him. Therefore, use these few words as you please, and farewell.
Your devoted servant,
Gerardus Dorn
