Decorative horizontal woodcut headpiece featuring the Imperial double-headed eagle in a central shield, flanked by ornate foliate scrollwork and architectural motifs.

FERDINAND III,

SO GREAT is the force and power of wisdom, that the wise man A reference to King Solomon in the Book of Wisdom. has judged it not only to be preferred to scepters and Kingdoms, but has also considered all riches as nothing in comparison to it. And rightly so: for nothing can be more effective for correctly governing the actions of the human race, or more strong for sustaining the weight of the World—which presses upon the shoulders of Kings—with a certain imperturbable constancy of mind, or finally more powerful for preserving the political body of the World in peace and union. For a multitude of Wise men is the health of the world, and a wise King is the stabilization of his people. This is the norm and the rule ruleoriginal: amussis; literally a mason’s leveling tool, used here to mean a standard of perfect precision. of all Justice; under its guidance even the greatest empires reach the desired harbor of blessedness and happiness. Just as We, therefore, upon whom the supreme care of the Imperial office has been imposed by God's ordinance, have deemed this virtue to be embraced above others worthy of the Empire and always sought with every zeal; so too have we decided it should be promoted in others.

When, therefore, We have encouraged our sincerely beloved Father Athanasius Kircher, a Priest of the Society of Jesus and a subject of Our Empire, for many years now, both to the study of natural things and Mathematics—which are certain very fertile nurseries original: seminaria; literally "seed-beds" or nurseries where plants are grown from seed. of the said wisdom—and especially to unearthing and explaining that more hidden doctrine of hieroglyphic literature, which they call the Wisdom of the Egyptians; and he indeed, according to the talent for interpretation and capacity of mind given to him by Divine Goodness, has long since published those specimens (as We have heard from men distinguished in judgment and knowledge of affairs) which have proved him to be by no means insufficient for worthily completing the task imposed upon him; and thus he may rightly be seen as the first to have opened the gate to the hitherto inaccessible inner sanctums inner sanctumsoriginal: adyta; the most sacred, private parts of a temple that were forbidden to the uninitiated. of primeval Wisdom; and [he seeks] that praise in the present Work (which he calls the Egyptian Oedipus In Greek mythology, Oedipus solved the riddle of the Sphinx; Kircher uses this title to suggest he has solved the "riddle" of Egyptian hieroglyphs.), a Work composed through the labors of many years, and also, as We understand, eagerly desired The text ends mid-sentence here: "deside-"