Letter

...labors, to the mountains, valleys, forests, hills, meadows, seas, lakes, rivers, marshes, and springs of various provinces and regions; even to the gardens of the most famous cities, to the mounds of rubble and the collapsed ruins of great buildings, to caves, and the long passages into the earth in the subterranean mines of various metals, and to their furnaces, where cadmia original: "cadmia." A term used for zinc ores or the deposits found in the flues of smelting furnaces., pompholyx original: "pompholyx." A white zinc oxide produced in smelting, often called "white nothing" or "philosopher's wool.", spodium original: "spodium." A heavier metallic ash or residue used in ancient medicine., flowers of copper, litharge original: "argenti spuma." Literally "froth of silver," a lead oxide produced during the refining of silver., and many other metallic medicines are made. I shall also remain silent on how long I have toiled, and how diligent I have been in procuring for myself numerous foreign plants brought from Asia, Greece, Syria, Egypt, Arabia, and Numidia. This is something that those who look carefully into this volume of ours on Dioscorides will easily be able to understand. Certainly, neither labors nor dangers would have deterred me from great and long journeys—following the example of Galen, I would have crossed the sea and traveled through Cyprus, Crete, Lemnos, Syria, Egypt, and other regions so that I might have obtained many excellent simples individual medicinal ingredients, usually plants, used on their own rather than in a compound. which are missing today, to be brought back for the knowledge and use of mortals—had not domestic business, the duty of caring for the sick, and the sufficiently weak constitution of my body stood in the way of my mind's inclination; these things would not have permitted me to endure the discomforts of the sea and long pilgrimage for very long.

Therefore, if in completing this volume I was not permitted to do what I wished, I have at least attempted to provide what I could with all my zeal and industry. For I was always so desirous of finishing this work that from the very beginning I resolved to bestow this benefit upon the whole Commonwealth and upon future posterity, rather than thinking of how I might avoid succumbing to such great expenses.

And indeed I would have succumbed, had not the will of God Almighty aided me by providing gold more abundantly through the late Emperor Ferdinand, of happy memory, and Your Imperial Majesty, as well as your Excellencies. (O most unconquerable Emperor, and most Serene and Illustrious Princes!)

The generosity of the Princes of Germany toward Mattioli.

Indeed, Emperor Ferdinand himself assisted these efforts of mine with no small amount of gold and silver. Following his example, Your Imperial Majesty, and the most Serene Princes Ferdinand and Charles, Archdukes of Austria, also liberally contributed their own considerable resources, so much so that the whole Commonwealth can credit this benefit to them rather than to me.

To these was added the not insignificant generosity of certain Princes of Germany, who contributed their help to bring this volume to completion. For among the most Illustrious Electors of the Holy Roman Empire, the first I must mention who brought most ample assistance is the most Illustrious Prince Augustus, Duke of Saxony, who sent to me a special courier of his Court, provided with much money. I can never sufficiently praise his liberality and munificence toward me. Following him later, the most Illustrious Frederick, Count Palatine of the Rhine, and the most Illustrious Joachim, Margrave of Brandenburg, also contributed their help. This was also done among the other Princes of Germany by the most Illustrious and Reverend Cardinal and Prince of Trent, Cristoforo Madruzzo, and the most Illustrious and Reverend Johann Jakob, Archbishop and Prince of Salzburg; furthermore, the most Illustrious Albert, Duke of Bavaria, William, Duke of Cleves, and Johann Albrecht, Duke of Mecklenburg and Prince of the Vandals; and also the most Magnificent Republic of Nuremberg. I believe the generosity of all these men ought to be celebrated and made known, not only by me, but by everyone.

Mattioli’s Patrons.

I rejoice greatly that I have had as patrons Emperors, Kings, Electors of the Holy Roman Empire, Archdukes, Cardinals, Bishops, Dukes, and Princes, because this adds far more splendor to our efforts than the other things of which we have spoken.

The counsel and generosity of Johann Naeve.

But what should I now say of the most distinguished man Johann Naeve, Physician to the illustrious Elector Duke of Saxony? With what praises shall I extol him? With innumerable ones, if only I were able, because he not only urged his Prince to send such copious assistance to me, but also because from his own money (such was his great generosity toward me and his devotion to those studious of herbal matters)