To the Reader.

Wisdom 1.

Prov. 20. 3.

Prov. 17. 14.

Prov. 17. 19.

Prov. 25. 8.

Prov. 3. 30.

Prov. 20. 10.

are occult and manifest: for the artificer of all things, Wisdom, taught me," etc. By which it is declared clearly enough that Solomon himself, guided by Wisdom alone, possessed perfect knowledge in universal and truly formal Music, without whose assistance it is impossible to attain such knowledge in things so occult. But this spirit is accustomed to descend only into a pure heart, immune from contention, for we read that "Wisdom will not enter into a malevolent soul." Hence he prays, for Solomon held contention and quarreling in the greatest hatred above all vices, as he seems to assert in many places of his doctrine; indeed, in one he says, "It is glory for a man to rest from strife." In another: "He who is the head of contention loosens the waters." And elsewhere: "He who loves quarreling loves defects." And elsewhere: "Do not go out to litigate hastily." But perhaps someone will ask the reason why I now prepare to hasten into the public camp or arena of contention, when I find the Wise Man himself averse to this business? To which I answer that this has been conceded by the Wise Man himself in such a case, for elsewhere he falls into this opinion: "Do not contend with any man undeservedly, unless he has afflicted you with evil," etc. I would never have wanted to be involved in such a subject, had not the need to defend my good name and reputation (thanks be to God), immaculate to this very day, provoked me against my will. "By casting out the mocker," says the Wise Man, "contention will cease; with the cessation of litigation, ignominy will also cease." It will therefore be my task to erase with the blade of truth the stigmata of the calumniator, falsely impressed upon the minds of men, and to cast out the figment of the mocker like a malignant demon by arguments of piety, so that finally, with the envy of the cynical Momus A Greek god of mockery and blame detected, his prestigious skin stripped away, and the naked truth revealed and laid open to the world, the ignominy, falsely imposed upon me by that Monk who is least deserving of it, may be relegated into exile beyond the Hyperborean mountains from human imagination, so that by this reason, with the instruments of discord thoroughly vanquished, symphonic concord may freely exercise its force and virtue in the world.

Wisdom 7.

From these things, therefore, it is declared clearly enough that the sacred and simple laws of worldly harmony cannot descend into a breast contaminated by strife and envy, being as it is destitute of Wisdom. What, therefore, is to be expected or drawn from a vain breast regarding true and formal music, more than good wine from an empty cask? Or why should we seek the things of Wisdom (which is the sincere foundation of true harmony) with the ignorant and the blind in the husk, when its splendid tabernacle is to be found only in the kernel or the center of the thing? Whence it has been sought by many, but found by few, since all things are almost full of fools—that is, the greater part of men pursue and venerate the wisdom of this world with such devotion (which, as the Apostle witnesses in one place, is foolish, and in another is folly before God) that they neglect and ignore the true one, which is the virtue and splendor of the Omnipotent—that mystical one of the prophets and apostles—and they pursue its inquirers with mockery, reproach, and contempt.

Col. 1.

Of this flour of men seems to be Fr. Marin Mersenne, an egregious adversary not only to me but to truth itself, who, by deforming his harmony of the world with the stains of antipathy and discord, has so suffocated and obscured his crops (so to speak) and his good grain with tares and weeds that he cannot bring any utility to himself or even to the world. For what, I ask, of harmonic benefit is to be expected from him who does not cease to pursue his brothers with hatred and spite? Least of all considering that the unique foundation or cornerstone of the harmony of both worlds, namely our Lord Jesus Christ, has reconciled both those things which are in the heavens and those which are on the earth by the blood of his cross. But indeed Marin Mersenne (whatever he seems to preach about the harmony of the world) has not yet been appeased, and continues to accuse not a few of his brothers of atheism, blasphemy, heresy, magic, ignorance, and folly; he condemns them with rash judgment, and desires to castigate them with injurious words and insults that are not at all fitting or becoming to such a man. Yet he does not even think of the beam confirmed in his own eye. As for me, for a reason of no moment, he has cast the suspicion of atheism upon me; he says I am defiled by cacomagic evil or black magic in one place, in another he pretends I am an abettor of it; elsewhere he calls me a heretic, and sometimes a heretic-magician; and sometimes he seems to proclaim the foolishness and madness of Robert to the world in the manner of a boastful Thraso A stock character of a bragging soldier in Roman comedy, and indeed he pursues me with many other insults and hisses. Which, as it is contrary to the custom of one gifted with the Spirit of essential and true Wisdom, so it argues that such a disposition of this Marin is from the evil one, namely, derived from the worldly wisdom and the fountainhead of diabolical litigation, since the Apostle seems to agree with this opinion of ours by the thread of such discourse: "The wisdom," he says, "which contradicts the truth is not from above, descending from the Father of lights, but is earthly, animal, diabolical," etc. He seems to explain the reason for this in this series of words: "The wisdom," he says, "which is from above is first of all chaste, then peaceful, modest, persuasive, not judging without emulation," etc., by which you can discern more clearly than the midday light (O most ornate men) whether the spirit of this Monk is a participant of earthly Wisdom, or at least of that celestial and divine one; for it has not been and will never be my intention to speak reproaches against anyone, or to judge and condemn him (however guilty). But now, so that you may not be carried away by any admiration hereafter, when I descend into this cause of mine and also that of others, know that I have used the authority of the Holy Scriptures alone, and not that of others, whether Theosophists, Cabalists, or Philosophers, knowing that I have done this partly compelled by necessity, and partly by the admonition and instruction of the Holy Scriptures themselves. Compelled by necessity (I say), since I thought he would repudiate the authorities or testimonies alleged by me, as he esteems as nothing the doctrine of almost all those, both Christian and Gentile, who philosophize and theorize in the mystical and Cabalistic manner. Indeed, he is seen to act so subtly with me and others, whom he falsely affects with calumnies, that he even attempts to interdict the text of the sacrosanct page—offered to all (none excepted) of the whole world by divine mandate—not only to me, but also to others under the pretext of heresy. His words are these: