TO THE DISCERNING

Readers.

Decorative woodcut initial 'P' containing an illustration of a rural landscape with several buildings, trees, and a figure walking on a path in the foreground.

IT WILL PERHAPS SEEM a new thing, and altogether out of place, to see the Dialogue on the universality of love by Leone Ebreo Leone Ebreo, also known as Judah Leon Abravanel (c. 1460–1535), was a Jewish physician, poet, and philosopher whose work on Neoplatonic love was immensely influential in the Renaissance.—a man who, as gathered from his writings, possessed the greatest genius, was most learned, and highly practiced in Philosophy—published on its own, and without the usual company of the other Dialogues. Peradventure, we shall not receive the praise that our good intentions deserve and the grace of wise Readers, but rather their blame and displeasure, as if we had spoiled and maimed such a beautiful body by severing from it the most beautiful and best member it contained. This thing could undoubtedly be attributed to us as a failing if, by removing this part, the rest of the work remained lacking and imperfect; or if this Dialogue, separated from the others, lost that brilliance which the entire work together receives from the profoundest wisdom of the Author, who introduced Wisdom itself to speak there under the name of Sophia original: "Sophia" (from the Greek word for wisdom).. But since neither do those other parts (with this one removed) lose their accustomed beauty, nor does this one, separated from them, appear any less learned or pleasing, it did not seem inappropriate to us—since it treats the universality of Love—to publish it again alone, emended and most diligently corrected for the common benefit of everyone. We were led to this especially by the reasons written below. First, because we were earnestly requested to do so by virtuous and rare persons, whom for many respects we neither can nor wish to fail. Secondly, so that—since this dialogue is capable on its own of leading the human intellect to that happiness The author uses the term "felicità" (felicity/happiness) in the sense of intellectual or spiritual fulfillment. which is possible to achieve on earth—it might be impressed upon virtuous minds with more ease than it would in the company of the others, leaving them full of its health-giving fruits. Lastly, being taught by that common love which the work itself teaches us, we wished that—since it costs much less on its own than the entire work—a greater number of spirits who love the good sciences might be able to participate in it. Receive it then...