A rectangular decorative headpiece featuring intricate, interlacing knotwork patterns in green ink.

ORATION ON THE DIGNITY OF MAN

A large, ornate decorative initial 'P' at the beginning of the first paragraph, surrounded by leafy, vine-like scrollwork in green ink.

I have read, venerable fathers, in the writings of the Arabs, that when Abdala the Saracen Abdala the Saracen: Likely referring to a historical or literary figure of Arabic origin used by Pico to show the universality of wisdom outside the Christian world. was asked what seemed to him the most wonderful thing in the world, he replied: there is nothing more remarkable than man. The words of Mercury correspond to this thought: “O Asclepius, a great miracle is man!” original: “Magnum, o Asclepi, miraculum est homo.” This quote comes from the Asclepius, a Greek text attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, whom Pico calls Mercury. When I meditated on the significance of these sayings, I was not satisfied by the numerous arguments put forward by many in favor of the superiority of human nature: that man is the mediator between all creatures, close to the higher beings and lord over the lower ones; the interpreter of nature by virtue of the sharpness of his mind, the clarity of his thinking, and the inquisitiveness of his intellect; the interval between unchanging eternity and flowing time; the bond of the world, as the Persians say; and Hymenaeus Hymenaeus: In Greek mythology, the god of marriage; here used metaphorically to describe man as the "wedding" or union between the physical and spiritual worlds., standing a little lower than the angels, according to the testimony of David David: Referring to the author of the Psalms; specifically Psalm 8:5, which discusses man’s place in creation..

All this is significant, but it is not the main point that deserves the greatest admiration. For why should we not admire the angels and the beautiful heavenly choirs to a greater degree? In the end, I felt I understood why man is the happiest of all living beings and worthy of universal admiration, and what lot was prepared for him among all other destinies—a fate to be envied not only by animals, but even by the stars and the souls of the beyond. Incredible and wonderful! And how could it be otherwise? For it is precisely for this reason that man is rightly called and considered a great miracle, a living being truly worthy of admiration. But whatever the case may be, listen, fathers, and grant me your kind indulgence for this speech.

Already the Supreme Father, God the Creator, had fashioned this worldly home—which we see as the most august temple of the divinity—according to the laws of His wisdom. He adorned the supracelestial sphere with intelligence; He animated the heavenly bodies with eternal souls. The filthy, impure parts of the lower world He filled with a diverse multitude of creatures...