Dedication

...I should come before so distinguished a Prince, and yet no subject occurred to me of a nobler or more useful nature for the human race than this very discussion, for the reason that it embraces all things at once and clarifies them with solid proof term: demonstratione. In a Renaissance context, this refers to logical or mathematical proof that moves from known causes to effects.. For I was afraid that if these matters were handled without proof—as happened in my books On the Variety of Things original: "de Rerum uarietate". One of Cardano's most famous encyclopedic works, published in 1557, covering natural history and the occult.—even though the facts were true, faith in this book might be withdrawn if one or two experiments among so many failed to succeed, just as happened to Pliny.

But the authority of antiquity and the history of his own time protect Pliny Pliny the Elder, author of the monumental "Natural History" in the 1st century AD. Cardano notes that while Pliny often recorded inaccuracies, his status as a classical author keeps him respected.; now that his credibility is established and his style of speaking is so well-suited to the material he treats, he is defended even though he more often lies. If the reputation for truth should fail us, however, what else is there with which I might defend this book? Yet it is not possible to firmly hold a reputation for truth—even if you have been confirmed by experiment—without a knowledge of the causes.

When I realized how great the difficulty was in this matter, I carefully balanced the obscurity found in the demonstration of causes with the simplicity and ease of my language. I did this so that I would not cause boredom for my readers, nor seem to have wished to write only for myself.