GIROLAMO original: "Hieronymi"

Cardano, Physician of Milan original: "Cardani Medici Mediolanensis"

ON SUBTLETY original: "De Subtilitate"

In twenty-one books Latin: "Libri xxi." Cardano organized this massive encyclopedia of natural wonders into 21 distinct sections or "books." Dedicated to the most illustrious Prince Ferrante Gonzaga, Governor of the province of Milan.

Stamp: SACRED CONGREGATION FOR THE INDEX OF BOOKS original: "SACR. CONG. PRO-IND. LIBR." This stamp indicates the book was reviewed by the Catholic Church's office responsible for the Index of Prohibited Books.

JOHANNES PETREIUS TO THE READER,

In this book, honest Reader, you have more than fifteen hundred causes, powers, and properties of various things—not common, but difficult, hidden, and very beautiful—observed by the author through experiment in various places. These are not only delightful for the sake of knowledge, but also far more useful for various uses, both private and public, than the writings of many others produced until now. If those other works are of Philosophy, the reader will hardly disagree with me that they are of less importance when comparing them to these; as can be clearly seen for each item in the attached index.

Printed at Nuremberg by Johannes Petreius, now first published.

With Imperial and Royal Privilege for six years. A "privilege" was an early form of copyright granted by a sovereign, protecting the printer from unauthorized reprints for a set period.

On Subtlety

GIROLAMO original: "Hieronymi"

Cardano, Physician of Milan original: "Cardani Medici Mediolanensis"

ON SUBTLETY original: "De Subtilitate"

In twenty-one books Latin: "Libri xxi." Cardano organized this massive encyclopedia of natural wonders into 21 distinct sections or "books." Dedicated to the most illustrious Prince Ferrante Gonzaga, Governor of the province of Milan.

The Year 1550.