The Secret of Secrets and Other Philosophical Treatises

and through the foresight of worldly things, a healthy person endures burdens more lightly and with less trouble. Therefore, it will contribute much to the virtue of caution original: "virtuti precavere", because things are better ordered. And because men who foreknow things to come can implore the high Ordainer original: "destinatorem excelsum" – referring to God as the one who destines or fixes the course of events with prayers alone, so that He, through His power, might turn aside future evils from them; and He will ordain otherwise. For He did not predestine things in such a way that He gave up any of His own power. Men can clearly entreat the divine power with orations, prayers, devotions, fasts, vigils, alms, and many other good deeds, imploring mercy for their sins and repenting of their guilt. And then it is likely that Almighty God will turn away from them that which they tremble at and fear. Therefore, let us return to the speech we began. It should be known that astronomy is divided into three parts: namely, the arrangement of the heavens and the spheres; the disposition of the planets; and the division of the signs and their conjunctions and their motions. And this part of astrology is called science sciencia: here meaning theoretical knowledge or a systematic body of facts. The second part concerns the quality and the manner of knowing the motion of the firmament and all the signs over existing things before they happen beneath the firmament of the moon. The third part is called astrology or the science of judgments sciencia iudicior': judicial astrology, the practice of making specific predictions or "judgments" about earthly events based on the stars. And the more noble part of astrology is the science of three things: namely, the spheres, the planets, and the signs. Know therefore that the planets are twenty-nine in number While only seven planets were known in antiquity, "twenty-nine" likely refers to a specific system of lunar mansions or astrological subdivisions used by the author, and which

are handed down to you in full in a certain part of this book. But now, first, I wish to hand down to you a medicinal dietary and certain secrets which are sufficient for you in the preservation of health and the salvation of souls; and this is more precious than all medicine and is very necessary for you for the rule of this world.

On the preservation of health and in how many ways it is preserved.

22. It should be known, therefore, that there is no way to know another thing or to inquire into a cause except through prudence original: "p'encia," likely "prudencia", and there is no power original: "p'etencia," likely "potentia" except through health. And there is no health except through the equality of the humors humo': the four bodily fluids (blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile) believed to control health and temperament or complexions complexionū: the specific balance of qualities—hot, cold, moist, dry—in an individual. And there is no balancing of the complexions except through the tempering of the humors. And glorious God ordained a way and a remedy for the tempering and preservation of health and for acquiring many other things. And He revealed these to the holy philosophers, His servants, and the just apostles, and certain others whom He pre-elected and enlightened with the Holy Spirit of divine wisdom, and He endowed them with the gift of wisdom and science. From these, the following philosophers had the beginning and origin of philosophy, namely the Latin fathers and the Greeks. From these, they discovered and wrote the art and the principles and secrets of the sciences, because in their writings nothing foolish or reprobate is found, but they are desired by the wise. Whatever books they [wrote]...