De Incantationibus

...as if nourished by its own food, [the mind] is seen to become more vigorous and eager—this "food" is especially the KNOWLEDGE|In the original Latin, cognitio refers to the act of acquiring information or becoming acquainted with facts and UNDERSTANDING|The Latin intelligentia refers to the higher faculty of the mind that perceives the nature of things of hidden things. It greatly desires this and, so that it may be attained through the noble arts, the mind strives with every effort and labor of the soul throughout the whole of life.

For we recognize that we are perfected most of all by the SCIENCE|The Latin scientia here means systematic knowledge or a branch of learning rather than the modern experimental method of even a single thing, let alone of many. To excel in this has always been considered the best and most honorable pursuit in this world. Since the soul by its very nature shrinks from ignorance and error, it constantly busies itself investigating, knowing, and understanding, seeking after the truth—the legitimate GOAL|The Latin scopus refers to a target or an aim in one's studies of all studies. Thus it happens that, in the scrutiny of the truth, it never ex-

6F153 This alphanumeric code is likely a modern library shelfmark or inventory number added to the manuscript later.