View source for Letter, 1622-12-18, Jacob Alstein to Moritz Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel, KassUB 2chem19.3 15

{{LetterInfobox |Author=Jacob Alstein |Recipient=Moritz Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel |Date=1622 December 18 |Place=Oldenburg |Pages=3 |Language=Latin |Editor=Julian Paulus |Source=Kassel, UB, 2° Ms. chem. 19[1, f. 15—16 |ID=KassUB_2chem19.3_15 |Names=Otto von Powisch; Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg; Johannes von Zelting; Christian Hildebrandt |Places=Holstein; Lübeck; Prag; Oberösterreich; Hamburg |Authorities=}} [[category:Jacob Alstein]] [[category:Moritz Landgraf von Hessen-Kassel]] [[category:Otto von Powisch]] [[category:Christian I, Prince of Anhalt-Bernburg]] [[category:Johannes von Zelting]] [[category:Christian Hildebrandt]] [[category:Oldenburg]] [[category:Holstein]] [[category:Lübeck]] [[category:Prag]] [[category:Oberösterreich]] [[category:Hamburg]]


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[f. 15r] ὑγι αίνεν
Illustrissime et potentissime princeps, domine clementissime, postquam ex Hassia discessi incidi in pessima tempora: in maxima infortunia: nam quam primum Pragam devenio ingruit tumultus iste bellicus, tunc abeo in Silesiam, altero anno revertor quidem, sed cum viderim tumultus istos non sedari, verum magis magisque discedo secundo et abeo Lubecam, ubi incido in vehementissimum morbum, qui cum diu fui conflictatus usque condatu.

Deinde petijt a me quidam nobilis Holsatus (Otto Powisch ) ut se invise..., quod etiam ficj, sed postquam per tres septimanas ... ipsum haeseram incido in febrim forsan ex esu anguillam, tuat motiar abitum et rogo ut me dimitteret ipsi statim mihi curat adornarj equum et ita abeo eques ad 4... milliaria, tunc dico famulo non possum prae languere amplius equitare necesse ut tu conscendat, equum videbo nunc possim paullulum pedes ire, quaero igitur lapidem et descendo vnico tamen pede in tripode remanenti, tunc nescio ... pallium remanet in globulo ephippij ego attrahendo motiar pallium liberare sed propter ponderos talem tam cito cum non potuerim, insequitur me famulus motitantibus manibus: equus ex hac re pertenefactus incipit currere per lampos et [f. 15v] raptat me ad aliquot jugera agni, imo recalcitrando me ad mortem quasi percutit, ita ut pro mortuo me levarunt, nihilominus tamen per gratiam Jehovae post mensem convaluj. Tandem venit Lubecam illustrissimus Christianus Anhaltinus qui retulit Pragam esse captam, ita grassans miles in isto insultu omnia mea diripuit bona omnia mea manuscrbta, omnia clenodia et imagines principum, quas ibi reliqueram, imo in Austria superiorj perdidi 6 lotones mea medicinae apud Johannem de Zelting, ita ut jam nihil habeam praeter meam scientiam.
Nunc vero illustrissime principes, largitus est mihi Deus secretum aliquod egregium <..> ex <mercur>io cinabrij, cuius v[estra] c[elsitudo] maximam habet quantitatem, ex solo, solo isto <mercur>io, jste <mercur>ius mortificatur per se sine omnj additione, viuificatur etiam per se sine omnj additione (imo multiplicatur cum suo proprio <mercur>io), postea stat saltem in digestione usque ad albedinem; tunc pono lunam sub tegula (vnter die muffel) et purgo cum saturno, usque dat florem (den blick gibt), hoc facto et signo isto apparente, tunc proijcio aliquot grana de mea medicina <quint>a <luna>, tunc luna fit frangibilis ut instar vitri possit cautum{?}, cuius vna pars tingit sexaginta mille partes <mercur>ij currentis in <lun>am finam: alteram partem medicinae relinquo tam diu in digestione usque [f. 16r] ad rubedinem et pono aurum sub tegula et procedo sicut de luna est dictum: istius med. pars vna tingit tot partes in solem ut 5a. Brevitas temporis non patitur ulterius scribere et explicare.
Si nunc v[estra] c[elsitudo] placeret mihi pro huc secreto honorarium aliquod reddere, et illud ipsum in sui ipsius et meam gratiam elaborare et sumtus refundere, tunc poterit v[estra] c[elsitudo] facere ut sciam, litteras autem mittere Hamburgum ad Christianum Hildebrandt, prope templum D. Johanis habitantem. Haec volui ut v[estra] c[elsitudo] cui inservire cujrio sciret. 

Valeat ἐπιμηριδὸν et felix novi anni auspicium comprecor Oldenburgj 18 decembr[is] a[nn]o [1]622. Perendie{?} abeo Hamburgum.

V[estrae] c[elsitudinis] obs[ervantissimus]

Jacob Alstein, Comes palatinus


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Greetings, most illustrious and powerful prince, most merciful lord. After I left Hesse, I fell into the worst of times, into great misfortune. As soon as I arrived in Prague, the war turmoil broke out, and I left for Silesia. I did return the following year, but seeing that the turmoil did not settle down but rather intensified, I left again and went to Lübeck, where I suffered from a severe illness for a long time.

Then a certain nobleman from Holstein (Otto Powisch) asked me to visit him... which I did, but after three weeks... I fell ill, perhaps from eating eel. I asked him to let me leave immediately and he arranged for my horse to be prepared. So I rode for four miles, but then I told my servant that I couldn't ride any longer due to my illness, and asked him to mount the horse instead. I would try to walk a bit. I searched for a stone and descended with one foot on the remaining tripod. Then, I don't know... the cloak remained caught in the saddlebow, and as I tried to free it from the weight, my servant followed me with flailing arms. The horse, perturbed by this, began to run wildly, dragging me for some acres, and kicking me as if to death, until they thought me dead and lifted me up. Nevertheless, by the grace of Jehovah, I recovered after a month. Eventually, the illustrious Christian Anhaltinus came to Lubec and reported that Prague had been captured. In this raid, soldiers pillaged all my belongings, manuscripts, jewelry, and images of princes that I had left there. Moreover, I lost six lots of my medicine in Upper Austria with Johann de Zelting, so now I have nothing except my knowledge. Now, illustrious princes, God has bestowed upon me some extraordinary secret from cinnabar mercury, of which your highness has a great quantity. From this mercury alone, mercury itself can be mortified and even vivified without any addition (indeed, it multiplies with its own mercury). Then it must be digested until it becomes white. I place it under a tile with the moon and purify it with Saturn until it gives off its essence. Then I add some grains of my medicine (quinta luna) and the moon becomes brittle like glass, and one part of this medicine can dye sixty thousand parts of running mercury into a fine moon. The other part of the medicine is left in digestion until it becomes red, and then I place it under a tile with gold, and proceed as with the moon. One part of this medicine can dye so many parts of the sun that the fifth degree is reached. Time does not allow me to write and explain more. If your highness would please to pay me an honorarium for this secret and to reimburse my expenses, your highness may send a letter to Christian Hildebrandt, who lives near St. John's Church in Hamburg. I wanted your highness to know this, in case you would like to use my services.

May the upcoming year's beginning be prosperous and happy. I bid farewell from Oldenburg on December 18, 1622. Tomorrow, I leave for Hamburg. 

Your highness's most obedient servant, 

Jacob Alstein, Palatine Count.