Poems for the Consideration of Our Age

[My]thology of Christ original: "Mythologia Christiana"; a work by Johann Valentin Andreä published in 1619, from which you, my dear sirs, translated your apologies, does not, as you believe, have the most unmistakable resemblance to Zwinger’s Theater of Human Life original: "Theatro Humanae Vitae"; a massive encyclopedia of human conduct by Theodor Zwinger (1533–1588), but certainly does to Boccalini’s Reports from Parnassus original: "Ragguagli di Parnaso" *)—a resemblance so unmistakable that I have often, very often, wished for a purer model for Andreä. Compare the style of both writings and no doubt will remain for you. Thus, the very fact that that appendix to the Fama the Fama Fraternitatis, the first Rosicrucian manifesto is a translated piece from Boccalini could lead us to Andreä, even if no other reasons brought us to that conclusion; for the very passage from which the author of the new explanation [drew] his discovery,

*) The first part of the Reports original: "Ragguagli" was dedicated in 1612 to Cardinal Borghese, and the second part in 1613 to Cardinal Cajetano.