The Egyptian Language Restored

Epistola I. First Epistle of the Author to the learned men of the Orient, the Arabs, and the Egyptians, in which the rationale of the established work is explained.

A small, decorative floral ornament is depicted.

Praise be to God, who is unified in His attributes, who has no partner in eternity, nor peer in divinity; no companion to assist Him, nor opponent to resist Him, nor hand to contend with Him. The Creator of creatures and all that is in the gifts; hidden in His essence, manifest in His works and signs. Among those gifts is the bestowing of the virtue of the intellect upon man, so that he may investigate it through research and tradition. Because of this, I, the humble Athanasius Kircher, when I recognized my commitment, resolved upon all the sciences with my effort and my care. I beheld what Divine Wisdom has made and realized the Divine Power through the wonders of creatures and the marvels of existents, the celestial signs and the terrestrial influences. I pondered the earth and its dimensions, the provinces, their boundaries and qualities, their regions, mountains, rivers, islands, great lakes, treasures, trees, cities, and ancient monuments and great buildings, and the past nations and temples. I also pondered the fire-houses likely temples or altars, the wonders of animals and plants, their nature, qualities, and powers. From there, I ascended to the high firmament and its sciences, and I investigated the paths of its planets and stars. And because the wise have written about this in different languages, I also struggled to acquire them, and I called upon the Giver, the Merciful, who grants sight to the blind and speech to the mute. I acquired, by my resolve and my diligence, twenty-four languages; among them, the ancient Coptic, the language of wisdom and the priesthood, manifest until now in the temples, pyramids, obelisks, and what resembles them. And because there are brilliant wonders and hidden secrets in it, I have chosen to open its locks in this book of mine, in Arabic, Coptic, and Latin, and I have arranged it with the easiest methods and graded it with the science of Coptic grammar, and I have derived it from the Divine books and upon their rules and principles, and it supports us and guides us.