Sechs Bücher vom wahren Christenthum. Paradies-Gärtlein

-rist, Mr. Johann Schulz, my ever-highly honored uncle. The entire course of events, in German and Latin, follows in detail:

"In the year 1697, on the 24th of April, at five o'clock in the afternoon, an unexpected fire arose here in Schwerin due to a careless shot. In dry weather and with a steady wind, it consumed 22 residential houses in almost half a quarter-hour. As this misfortune also overtook me, and I was only busy saving my two infant children resting in the cradle, along with my small library, I fell short in the latter. I left behind more than five hundred books to the fire, many of which I had sought and acquired with effort in foreign lands during my eight years of travel. This does not count all my manuscripts, 186 maps, medals, mathematical instruments, and many other curiosa antiqua et moderna tum artis tum naturae etc. ancient and modern curiosities, both of art and of nature, etc. I had to retreat in my flaming dressing gown. The consternation arising from this misfortune, along with the burns received in my face and on my legs, kept me to my bed and home for several days. Thus, I had to have others completely extinguish the fire and search the fatal site. The place where my books had stood was kept until last. But when, on the 29th of April, it was noticed that the great amount of water applied had not yet extinguished everything, they began

to clear some things away until they reached the books. Then some were pulled out only half-burned, others still glowing and burning. Among all these, the book of the blessed Mr. Johann Arndt, de vero Christianismo On True Christianity, was found unharmed by the fire. It was immediately sent to me. The leather binding around it was only drawn together by the fire on both sides, but the book itself remained completely damp, permeated by smoke and steam. I looked at it with wonder. As not a single letter was destroyed in it, I removed the shrunken binding to have it rebound anew. Instead of my lost cimeliorum treasures, I wished to keep it as a monument and jewel for myself and mine. This book was printed in the Latin language at Frankfurt impensis Georgii Mülleriani at the expense of Georg Müller in 1658, in duodecimo a small book format. The new binding is in clean white parchment decorated with gold. On the front outer side, it has the Sphaeras Solis, Lunae et Terrae spheres of the Sun, Moon, and Earth indicated with their signs. Around the globe, words from Luke chapter 21 are written in a brownish color: Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words do not pass away. On the other outer side is a pyramid erected on seven hills in a waving and stormy sea, with the motto: Non Confundar I shall not be put to shame. For further information for everyone, I have placed the following inscription in the book and composed the mottos for the binding, written in the front: