BARTHOLOMEW

AMBROSINI

Greetings to the Benevolent Reader.

In these times, nothing seems more praiseworthy to all than to leave behind a perpetual monument of one’s name for posterity. For this reason, men greedy for honor and glory despise not only wealth and riches, but even their own lives. Nevertheless, when the matter is considered more accurately, those who strive for everything to give birth to an eternal name for themselves should be judged more worthy of blame when they are driven by ambition rather than virtue; for they look not to what is honorable and useful to posterity, but only to what will be glorious for themselves. Therefore, only those are said to achieve true immortality of name who, led by the love of virtue and the desire to be helpful, favor the utility of all people with their whole effort. Among these, the most learned Ulisse Aldrovandi 1522–1605, a celebrated Italian naturalist and the father of modern natural history must undoubtedly be counted. After publishing many volumes, he bequeathed a great many images carved on woodblocks to the Most Illustrious Senate of Bologna original: "Bononiæ". With magnificent honors, the Senate invited the most learned professors so that, once a man skilled in these matters was chosen, these same images might finally be brought to light, adorned with their histories. Therefore, in order to obey the command of the Most Illustrious Senate and to gratify you, I have added the histories to the printed figures of clawed animals, Serpents, and Monsters; and now I commit this examination of Metallic subjects referring to minerals and ores with their images to the living breeze. Thus, God willing, the long-desired botanical work, adorned with the images of herbs, may be brought into public view. Farewell, honest Reader, and freely correct the errors; for they did not arise from my mind, but from the ignorance and carelessness of the printers.