The Secret of Secrets of Aristotle

it is found among very few Arabs. I have translated it with great labor and in clear language from the Arabic idiom into Latin, for your glory and honor, eliciting sometimes letter from letter, sometimes sense from sense, since the mode of speaking among the Arabs is different from that among the Latins. The most skilled prince of philosophers, Aristotle, composed this book at the request of King Alexander, his disciple. Alexander had asked of him that he should either come to him, or faithfully reveal to him the secrets of certain arts, namely: the motion, operation, and power of the stars in astronomia astronomy; the art of alchimia alchemy in nature; and the art of knowing natures and performing incantations in celumantia divination by the heavens and geomantia earth divination. Aristotle, however, could not go on account of his aging years and the heaviness of his body. And although he had proposed in every way to conceal the secrets of the aforementioned sciences, it was not, nor should it have been, permitted to go against the will and request of so great a lord.

¶ Approval of the work.

Wishing, therefore, to conceal the secrets of the arts in part, and in part to satisfy the emperor, he published this book, speaking in enigmas, examples, and figurative language. Externally, he teaches physica doctrina physical doctrine pertaining to the lord of lords, for the preservation of the health of the body and for acquiring the ineffable utility and knowledge of celestial things. Internally, however, he suggests to Alexander through enigma and secret the principal objective which he had most insistently requested of him. He divides the present codex into ten distinctions or books, each of which contains chapters and defined sections within itself. So that what is sought may be found more readily and quickly under certain titles, I, for the utility of readers, have collected and written the beginnings of the books and all the chapter titles at the beginning of this book.

¶ Destination of the book.

Therefore, most clement father, I dedicate this work of your prudence to you, which I have translated for your glory and honor, so that the memory of me might remain more firmly with you and the devotion of my mind toward your service might appear. I humbly and devoutly pray that if anything useful and acceptable is found in this work, it may be attributed to the gift of the One who granted me the grace to translate and to Aristotle the grace to compose. If, however, anything