Commentaries on the Six Books of Dioscorides on Medical Matter

...some small profit, so that I would rather even be voluntarily very grateful to them if they never greeted our shop. But to others, whom a distinguished generosity of spirit and excellent virtues render more adorned than the rest, all our labor and industry are dedicated; nor is there anything so great that I would not do both willingly and zealously for their sake. Yet I would by no means say these things as if I seemed to wish to prefer sordid profit to the common utility of men—a thing which is as far from me as anything can possibly be. But so that you may understand, studious Reader, that there is no success so modest that it can escape the stings of malice; though I would not wish the hinge and force of my entire defense to turn on this alone, since there are far other and indeed most just causes that induced me to publish these commentaries again. For who is there who does not know that if I had deferred this edition to another time, it would altogether have happened that many students of this art would (on my account) suffer a loss in their studies, especially since for a year now no copies have remained in Venice? At which time, studious men flocked to me in crowds from everywhere, demanding these same Commentaries from me with almost daily reproaches. This is most well-ascertained by many others, and indeed is more than sufficiently known to me myself, who was so harassed by them at every single moment that I was almost deafened by their complaints. Therefore, I considered that I would be doing something worthwhile if I printed these commentaries again; otherwise, I saw that I would have to bear a double charge at the same time. For I would have alienated the minds of many scholars from me for this reason, and I would have had no regard for those who have either not seen or not read Mattioli’s commentaries. One of these would have greatly hindered my private interests; the other could even have seemed inhumane—namely, that those who least of all deserved it should be deprived any longer of the fruit of this reading.

Wherefore I think there will now be no one among the studious who will find fault with me because I have undertaken to print these commentaries again, thus enlarged and enriched by the addition of very many images of plants and animals that were lacking in other editions. For since the knowledge of this art lies open far and wide and is enclosed by no barriers, I do not see why it should not be permitted to one who has written or labored over something in this kind of subject to add, change, or introduce something daily, by his own right as it were—in short, to make his writings better; which it is manifest that the author himself has done in these commentaries. Indeed, I would dare to affirm this plainly: that it would one day be most troublesome to all scholars when they see him, hindered by other studies, at some point desert this station which he began to defend long ago, and meditate no further in this genre to contribute to these commentaries, since it is likely that he still possesses many excellent things that pertain to this most outstanding knowledge of simples, in which (as I hear spread about everywhere by all learned men) he claims for himself no lowly place among others. It is well enough established that many men of the sharpest judgment have changed most things from his commentaries and inserted them into their own writings; some have even stitched together certain centos, as it were, from his labors—so that from this alone one may conjecture with what erudition and learning that man is endowed.

For these reasons, therefore, I have taken this book into my hands once more, and I have decided that it should be printed, enlarged (as I said before) by so many images of simples and animals, and much more enriched than before. We have added, besides, a table comprising the power and nature of all simples applied to all diseases of the body, from which it can scarcely be said how much utility and fruit the studious will perceive. Shall anyone, then, rebuke me for so often undertaking this province of printing this noble work? But if it should be my lot to obtain just judges, and those who are moved by reason rather than by spite and hatred, I do not doubt but that they will pass judgment in my favor by every vote.

Furthermore, since in previous years I had promised that I would publish Mattioli’s Apology against Amatus Lusitanus, together with the Censures of his narrations, lest anyone should perhaps find my good faith wanting in this matter, it seemed fit to annex it to these commentaries. Although, in truth, the author was always of the mind that the booklet should not be circulated, because he thought it was not greatly glorious (as he himself says) to defeat that man who has already offered himself everywhere as a laughingstock to all—to use his own words—and has made his impudence manifest to everyone; nevertheless, lest anyone should bring me to court as a defendant for broken faith, I did everything to make the author yield to my prayers. And I had already begun to fall away from all hope entirely, had not men of the sharpest judgment demanded this of Mattioli with almost daily reproach. They said it was of great importance that those writings be published; for it would result in all posterity clearly understanding not only how he is free of all fault in that for which he is falsely accused, but also that they might have the arrogance and envy of the Lusitanian (as they themselves added) clearly seen and explored, by whose example others, being warned, might hereafter abstain from this province and not rave so contumeliously against honorable and learned men. To this is added that no small benefit and fruit will come from this to all scholars on account of the various and manifold learning contained in these writings. Why say more? Mattioli agreed, and allowed the Apology together with the Censures to be published. I leaped up, by Hercules, for exceeding joy, that I had finally obtained through the effort of others what I had always so greatly desired. But it is a wonder how difficult the author showed himself to be in this matter. It remains, studious reader, that I exhort you to this most noble knowledge of simples; for I do not doubt that you will daily perceive more abundant and pleasant fruits from it. Farewell, and enjoy our labor.