JOHANNES BRACHELIUS, LICENTIATE OF LAWS,

To the Reader.

When God created the vast scrolls of the immense heaven,
And suspended the lands in the middle of the air,
And adorned the pole with stars and the atmosphere with rain-clouds:
He likewise created for Himself servants, divine
Bodies, to carry His commands through the light breezes,
And to spend their lives far from earthly cares.
From their number the most just Father thrust down one,
As he deserved, from heaven to the Stygian original: "Stygias" — referring to the River Styx in the underworld; here, a classical poetic name for Hell. waves.
There, bound with manacles and hard shackles,
He sits for the punishment of his crimes, and will sit eternally,
Paying for the sorrowful offenses of the sin he committed.
Yet meanwhile, if you happen to care to know
What frauds and what wicked arts he builds
Night and day for the wretched, and what nets he spreads,
Or what he is capable of:
Read this Work, the monuments of the learned WEYER;
From here you will take what you desire, from here you will teach yourself what you wish.
Moreover, [you will learn] what trust should be placed
In magical things, provided that cruel drugs original: "pharmaca" — often referring specifically to poisons or harmful potions. are absent;
Or by what art you will heal those oppressed by sorceries sorceries (ueneficijs): From the Latin "veneficium," which originally meant poisoning. Weyer argues throughout the book that many accused of magic are actually either mentally ill or victims of physical poisoning.,
And what sufficiently worthy punishment the judge
Hangs over the furious race of witches original: "Sagarum" — a term for "wise women" or "fortune tellers," often used pejoratively., he narrates in a marvelous order.
But why you, memorable WEYER, have undertaken
Such great labors, I cannot yet truly discern.
"Public benefits," you say, "moved me." But who
Cares for public things now, or commonly looks up
To noble hearts and pays deserved honors to their work?
You, however, will console your too-weary mind with this:
That your fame will never die in any age.