At the top of the page is an ornate rectangular woodcut headpiece featuring symmetrical floral and foliate scrolls, acanthus leaves, and a central decorative mask. A large historiated initial "P" begins the first paragraph of the main text, depicting a figure in a garden or landscape within the letter's counter.

ANALYTICAL DECLARATION,

Painters who are quite clever in their skill are accustomed to cast the worst and most unpleasant color outside the margins of their art, so that they might render the work itself more pleasing and delightful to the eyes and minds of those looking upon it. Nevertheless, the intuition of a wise man is not so veiled by their craftiness or deceptive shadows that he is unable to judge most correctly concerning colors, and to distinguish the whiteness of the swan from the blackness of the crow even through the very veil of darkness.

However, this subtlety of painters has always been absent in me because of the simplicity of my mind, or (to speak more accurately) the thinness of my talent; I have not sought to cover my errors (which I confess are perhaps not small) with a hard and bold forehead through the faulty obscurity of other colors. Nor have I, puffed up by vain glory or self-love philautia; a Greek term for excessive self-love, sought to extol my deeds or writings by some comparative degree to the detriment of another’s praise or the depression of an honest reputation. Truly learned men will undoubtedly perceive the discrepancy of each "color," and truly wise men will weigh the cause of each in the scales of justice; they will not consider it fair or honest for anyone to be a judge in his own cause, or to celebrate the proclamations of his own works through injuries to others and to trumpet them abroad with an unjust mouth.

Whatever I have done or exposed to the world in a public manner, I have woven it simply and with a heart full of sincerity, so that it might please learned people and reach a happy conclusion (as I hope). I did not do it to affect anyone with bad or reckless speech or calumnies, either secretly or openly, nor to speak a sharp reproach against anyone. Indeed, I have never desired to act in the manner of a Cynic The Cynic philosophers were known for their biting criticism and "barking" at social norms, to erode anyone’s reputation with the tooth or rust of envy, or to build an illustrious—or rather, a vain—glory for myself through another's disgrace, or to accumulate ill-gotten praise. It is for this reason, therefore, that I have proposed to reply here in a few words, with all bitterness set aside, to the comparison made by Johannes Kepler between my World Harmony original: "Harmoniam mundanam" published not long ago, and his own recently brought to light. My goal is to more clearly turn back upon him certain matters subtly—and yet with a somewhat serene forehead—objected to in Johannes Kepler's Appendix, using direct means and in successive order.

JOHANNES KEPLER,

TEXT I.

And here I would end the summary of the appendix promised in the introduction to Book V, were I not invited by the similarity of the subject matter to satisfy those who have urged me not to omit mention in my work on Harmony of Dr. Robert Fludd Robertus de Fluctibus, Physician of Oxford, who a year ago published a book on the Microcosm and Macrocosm referring to Fludd's Utriusque Cosmi ... Historia filled with harmonic contemplations; but rather, that I should show the reader in a few words in what matters he and I agree, and in which, conversely, we disagree.