The Origin of Medicine

...to be carried away and worshipped; recognizing this as a form of servitude, I voluntarily turned away from it, as one who pursued plain simplicity.

Descending, I was ascending toward essential and hidden properties, and it seemed that the understanding of certain Latin books was lacking for my assistance; to this end, I frequently read through the New Testament original: "Testamentum Novum" in both the Latin and German languages simultaneously. By this means, within a few days, I might not only understand the Latin style, but also discover in the aforementioned Testament the perfect, long-desired, simple, and eternal truth, and the Unique life—that One (namely, GOD) original: "Unum (scil. DEUS)" who demands only Unity and is opposed to all Duality or Plurality. Likewise, whatever God created, He created everything in that One and through that One; otherwise, He would not have maintained order.

And so that I might better recognize and enjoy this lovable, free, and unique One in all things, I applied myself to quiet study; outwardly I dressed in simple clothing, while inwardly drawing my spirit closer and practicing healing. I did many things known only to God. Thus, for the sake of preserving health and increasing strength, I lived soberly for many years; I abstained from meat as well as fish, wine, and beer, to such an extent that I incurred the contempt and disgust of my relatives, who reproached me (with good zeal, I suppose), saying: "What unusual thing is he attempting now? He makes himself unfit for every status and function, whether Church-related or secular. He will finally be driven to madness when he finds nothing new for his delight, or he will devote himself to magic arts, or plot a new heresy original: "hærefin"." It is the same with him as with the other children of the Sages—they persist in their stubbornness.

Others added: "His parent is to blame, for indeed he raised all his children wrongly; from their youth he applied them to Pyrotechnia literally "fire-art," a term used at the time to describe chemistry and alchemy. Now having become moody, he has lost his chance for happiness; when the Infanta of Spain, Isabella Clara Eugenia The sovereign of the Spanish Netherlands from 1598–1633, would have received him and intended him for noble service under her nephew, the Prince-Cardinal Infante Ferdinand of Austria, a military leader and governor, he resisted. It would have been better if he had died in place of his brothers, from whom some good might have been expected; this one is of no use. If he craves studies, let him submit himself to the Doctors, as is the custom for others; or he should be forced to take a wife, who might shake these strange ideas out of him."

In response, others replied that it was too late, saying mockingly: "He plays the philosopher; he is too stubborn; he is seen nowhere except with all sorts of foreigners and eccentric people original: "personis heteroclitis" of every profession and business. He will yet run into misfortune; for he cannot pretend, he spares no one—neither the great nor the small—when he discovers injustice. Now we are cast down from all hope; he must be reduced to the point of bankruptcy original: "ad incitas". For his entire inheritance, both what he possessed and what was yet to come, has passed to his sister; and moreover, he departed joyfully on a journey from here, saying that never..."