PREFACE

...not only in Europe, but in other parts of the world, so much so that in Italy those who do not have a "Mattioli" in their home consider it a great disgrace to themselves. And yet, I do not doubt that the most filthy pages of these quibblers—since they breathe a pestilential air from every side and are stained with Stygian poison original: "Stygio tincta sint ueneno"; a reference to the River Styx in the underworld, implying the writings are deadly or hellish—will deservedly be handed over to be burned in a fire shortly. Indeed, even the fish-mongers, who wrap their herring and sausages, will by no means accept them once they have smelled their virulence. To our Commentaries, writings, endeavors, and studies (as it pleases God the Best and Greatest), Emperors, Kings, and many other Most Serene and Illustrious Princes and Heroes have brought a great deal of support and aid, and have helped our labors in every way. But these fabricated vanities, which rely on slanders, legalistic traps, insults, and even blasphemies, will have as their companions, followers, and promoters only loudmouths, quarrelsome critics, sophists, slanderers, sycophants, whisperers, scoundrels, the envious, detractors, imposters, the impudent, the reckless, braggarts, flatterers, and all others of this diabolical faction.

Furthermore, so great is our authority among learned and good men (let this also be said without arrogance), and so great is the abundance of friends we have throughout the entire Republic referring to the "Republic of Letters," the international community of scholars, that I must certainly hope these men, through their unjust and virulent writings, will acquire far more enemies for themselves than there are letters in their entire work. But envy and malice are so powerful that they drive men mad; a type of disease from which neither the power of Apollo—whose name a certain most impudent newcomer has claimed for himself—nor his son Aesculapius The god of medicine could free them. Yet among other things, this brings me the most comfort: that packs of rabid dogs (as the Italians say) are never nourished for long. For if by some stroke of luck they escape the hands of those who hunt them, they are extinguished the next day by their own madness.

Against Johann Jacob Wecker of Basel, the plagiarist.

Furthermore, the mention of these scoundrels at this time makes me dare—even if it seems outside the order of business—to call a certain Johann Jacob Wecker of Basel a thief. For he took our medicinal tables, worked out with no small amount of late nights and study (which he received under Mattioli's name from Balthasar Burger of Ljubljana in Bologna), and crammed them into a book of which he made himself the author, thus robbing me of my labors. Since this is the case, let all the best physicians know that the volume titled Medical Syntax is a continuation of Mattioli’s work up to the therapeutic original: "θεραπευτικὴν" (therapeutikēn); the branch of medicine concerned with the treatment of disease part, together with several tables on the method of purging, which that most impudent plagiarist moved into the therapeutic section. The rest, however, were taken partly from the books of Jacques Dubois original: "Iacobi Syluij"; a famous French anatomist and partly from the more recent writings of professors at the University of Padua, so that now that vain physician, who had adorned himself with peacock feathers, croaks like Aesop’s crow.

But I would not wish, dear reader, while you read this, that you accuse Mattioli of slander, since even brute animals protect their offspring with claws and teeth against attackers, and risk their lives for the love of their brood in any danger. I am not the author of these injuries, but the one repelling them. I use arms (as the laws say) not that can offend, but that can defend. It is a most just cause to vindicate the truth from injury, and equally just and lawful to guard and defend one's fame, reputation, and dignity. For even if these passions perhaps exert themselves more ardently, it is virtue that does it, not vice; it is a most honorable zeal to rail against another's crime and to refute slanders. Therefore, where we may seem to have drawn the pen against these idle Ethiopians a proverbial expression for a hopeless or wicked task more harshly than perhaps our age and usual moderation of mind might bear, I ask that readers ascribe it to the defense of our innocence. For it is manifest that those detractors I mentioned write against me for no other reason than pure envy. And where Envy and Hatred are in the counsel, judgment is blind. But I will let them go now, never to speak another word with them hereafter, lest in punishing them I waste time to the detriment of the Commonwealth. They will eventually "boil themselves in their own juice" (as the proverb among the Tuscans says of certain mushrooms).

But let our speech turn back to the honest and fair readers for whom we write. I would not want it to move anyone, best readers, nor should anyone wonder that we have not painted more than a thousand images of plants and animals in these commentaries, since the number of plants is almost infinite. This was done (if I must confess the truth) not because plants were still lacking, but because of the vast and immense expenses which I could no longer tolerate. Added to this was a great mass of business, which hindered our studies so much that almost no time was left for nightly research. Indeed, after I was summoned by Emperor Ferdinand to be the physician to his Most Serene son, Archduke Ferdinand of Austria, many matters emerged daily beyond expectation—as usually happens to almost all court physicians—and long journeys occasionally presented themselves, as well as wars, where physicians must follow their Princes. It has certainly happened that, because I had to carry out all these duties, being hindered by these affairs, I could not satisfy both you and myself in everything.

And yet, we seem to have done no small thing if, among so many courtly and military inconveniences and in such a mass of business, even as my age advances considerably, we now give you our Commentaries—not only (as we said) increased in more than a thousand places, but with three hundred and even more icons of plants and animals added which were not in the previous editions. We have nevertheless selected the better and more precious ones, imitating the best jewelers, who, leaving aside the cheaper gems of the common folk, select rubies, emeralds, sapphires, diamonds, and the most brilliant pearls for the adornment of the crowns and necklaces of Emperors and Kings. For we, too, intent on bringing forth the more precious plants, have sown as many plants as possible in this new garden of ours, brought with great expense and labor from distant regions, published by no one until now, and perhaps seen by very few.