Theatrum Chemicum Britannicum

...them through a translation, no matter how imperfect. Consider what Michael Maier, Hermannus, Combachius, Faber, and many others have achieved; the first of these came from Germany to live in England specifically so he could understand our English language well enough to translate Thomas Norton’s Ordinal into Latin verse. He did this with great judgment and learning; yet (to our shame) he was treated far too poorly original: "too too course" for such a deserving scholar.

How great a disgrace it is for us to refuse to read such famous authors in our native language, while foreigners find it necessary to read them in ours just to understand them in their own—believing the importance of the subject is worth far more than the effort they spend.

If we consider this honestly original: "ingeniously", we will see it is more reasonable to look back on, rather than neglect, the works of learning produced in our own country. Through this investigation, we will find that no nation has written more or better works, although at present—due to both our own laziness original: "supinenesse" and the decrees of fate—few of their works can be found. John Leland John Leland (1503–1552) was an English antiquary who traveled throughout England recording its history and libraries just before the monasteries were dissolved. went to great lengths, even as our English learning was breathing its last, to preserve its final (though weak and nearly exhausted) breath. From his work, John Bale and John Pitts (who is actually just a plagiarist of Bale) have left us a catalog of this nation’s writers, and that is nearly all we have. Yet future generations original: "posterity" are deeply indebted to them even for this. What punishment then did the destructive malice of those who robbed us of their complete works deserve?

A wise author, speaking of the dissolution of our monasteries, says this: "Many manuscripts, guilty of no other superstition than having red letters Red ink was commonly used for headings and instructions (rubrics) in religious texts; reformers often viewed these as "popish" and destroyed them. on their front pages, were condemned to the fire; thus, a vital key to antiquity was lost, to the great harm of future generations." Indeed, such was learning's misfortune during that great destruction of English libraries that whenever a red letter or a mathematical diagram appeared, it was enough to label the book as either "popish" or "diabolical."

Our English nation has always been blessed with learning and learned men, and I hope it will not be unpleasant if I illustrate this.

First, there were the Druids (the famous and mysterious Druids ) who were priests, diviners, and wise men. They took their origin and name from Druys Sarronyus, the fourth king of the Celts (styled the Teacher of Wise Men and Augurs original: "Sapientum & Augurum Doctor" ), who died in the Year of the World 2069. original: "Anno Mundi. 2069." This refers to a dating system that counts years starting from the biblical creation of the world.