The Secret of Secrets and Other Philosophical Treatises

...because of his many walls and beautiful gifts. Among these gifts was sent a most beautiful girl who, from her infancy, had been imbued and nourished with the venom of serpents. And unless I had shrewdly looked into her nature original: "vira" – likely a scribal variant for "vires" (powers) or "viram" (character)—because she boldly, horribly, incessantly, and shamelessly fixed her gaze upon the faces of men—I would not have perceived that she killed men by her sight alone. You later proved this by experiment. And unless I had shown this to you with absolute certainty, your death would have followed in that very moment.
Alexander, preserve your most noble, superior, and angelic soul, which is commended to you not to be enslaved, but to be glorified; let it not be of the condition of the impure.

Concerning the message of the wise. Concerning the hour in astronomy.

20.

O most clement king, if it be possible, do not rise, nor sit, nor eat, nor drink, and do nothing at all without the counsel of a man skilled in the art of astronomy arte astrov: astronomy/astrology were considered a single science of the stars' influence. Know therefore for certain that the glorious God makes nothing living or idle in nature, but all things are made for a perceptible cause and by the highest reason. And through this path and inquiry, our most skilled teacher Plato knew the whole nature of complex things, which are composed of contrary qualities and heats in their generation, by comparing them to the things produced.

and through this way original: "hvc" – continuation from the previous page's catchword he instilled the science concerning the products and formed things of the world. Do not give faith to the words of the foolish who say the science of the planets is so difficult that no one can attain it. These people do not know what they say; for to a powerful intellect nothing is difficult, and all things are knowable in the way of reason. There are also others no less foolish who say that God has foreseen and preordained all things from eternity; whence they say it does not profit one to foreknow future things, since they say these things must necessarily happen. "What use, therefore," they ask, "is the science of the stars?" These people similarly err badly. For I say that although certain future things are indeed destined to happen, yet if they are foreknown, they are better endured, and through providence providencia: the act of looking ahead and preparing they are turned aside and thus in a certain way avoided. For by the very fact that future events are known before they happen, they are received with foresight and without trouble or great injury. For example: When a winter is expected to be very cold original: "minus" – likely a scribal error for "nimis" (excessively), men prepare warm lodgings, provide clothing, and acquire coals and wood; they fortify themselves with other necessities. Because of this, when winter comes, they are not harmed by the cold. They also do this in the summer heat; for through cool cellars original: "cetaria" – likely referring to storage rooms or vessels for cooling and various methods, they escape the fervors of summer. Similarly, one can clearly prepare for years of famine and need through the conservation of grain...