The Chaldaick Oracles: title, introduction and Patricius’s Latin text

THE CHALDAICK ORACLES OF ZOROASTER And his Followers. WITH THE EXPOSITIONS OF PLETHO and PSELLUS.

LONDON, Printed for Thomas Dring, 1661.

THE CHALDAICK ORACLES OF ZOROASTER and his Followers.

THE most considerable remains of the Chaldaick Philosophy are those Oracles which goe under the name of Zoroaster; Some indeed condemn them as supposititious, forged by some Pseudo-Christian Greek; (perhaps the rather, because The followers of Prodicus the Heretick, boasted that they had the secret Books of Zoroaster.) But this seems lesse probable, in regard they lye dispersed amongst several Authors; nor are they to be neglected, in that they have been held in great veneration by the Platonick Philosophers. Which sufficiently also argues that they are none of the Writings charged by Porphyrius upon the Gnosticks, as forged by them under the name of Zoroaster, since those (as he acknowledgeth) were by the Platonick Philosophers, (of whom he instanceth Plotinus and Amelius) rejected and demonstrated to be spurious and suppositions.

Some argue that they are not Chaldaick, because many times accommodated to the Greek Style; But there are in them many so Harsh and Exotick Expressions, as discover them to be Originally forein; and where they agree in Terms with that which is proper to the Greek Philosophy, we may say of them as Iamblichus upon another Occasion, (on the Writings that go under the Name of Hermes Trismegistus) as they are published under the Name of Zoroaster, so also they contain the Doctrine of Zoroaster, though they frequently speak in the style of the Greeks; for they were Translated out of Chaldee into Greek by persons skilfull in the Greek Philosophy.

To perswade us that they are genuine, and not of Greekish Invention, Mirandula Professeth to Ficinus, that he had the Chaldee Original in his possession, I was (saith he) forcibly taken off from other things, and instigated to the Arabick and Chaldaick Learning by certain Books in both those Languages, which came to my Hands, not accidentally, but doubtlesse by the Disposall of God in favour of my Studies. Hear the inscriptions, and you will believe it. The Chaldaick Books, (if they are Books and not rather Treasures) are, The Oracles of Aben Esra, Zoroaster and Melchior, Magi: in which those things which are faulty and defective in the Greek, are Read perfect and entire. There is also, (adds he) an Exposition by the Chaldaean Wise-men upon these Oracles, short and knotty, but full of Mysteries; There is also a Book of the Doctrines of the Chaldaick Theology, and upon it a Divine and copious Discourse of the Persians, Graecians, and Chaldaeans; Thus Mirandula, after whose Death these Books were found by Ficinus, but so worn and illegible that nothing could be made out of them;

Further, To confirm that these Oracles were (as we said) Translated into Greek by persons skilfull in the Greek Philosophy, let us call to mind that Berosus introduced the Writings of the Chaldeans concerning Astronomy and Philosophy amongst the Graecians; and that Iulian the Son, a Chaldean Philosopher, Wrote Iheurgick Oracles in Verse, and other secrets of that Science: and probably, if these were no part of that Chaldaick Learning which Berosus first render'd in Greek, they yet might be some of the Thëurgick Oracles (for such the Title speaks them) of Iulian; for some of them are cited by Proclus as such. From the accompt which Mirandula gives of those in his possession, to which were added a Comment, and a Discourse of the Doctrines of the Chaldaick Theology, it might be conj[…]ctur'd, that what is deliver'd to us by Pletho and Psellus, who besides the Oracles, give us a comment on them, together with a Chaldaick summary, was extracted out of that Author which Mirandula describes to have been of the same Kind and Method, but much more Perfect and Copious.

This Title of Oracles was perhaps not given to them only Metaphorically to expresse the Divine Excellence of their Doctrine, but as conceived indeed to have been deliver'd by the Oracle it self; for Stephanus testifies that the Chaldaeans had an Oracle which they held in no lesse Veneration than the Greeks did theirs at Delphi: This Opinion may be confirmed by the high Testimonies which the Platonick Philosophers give of them, calling them the Assyrian Theology revealed by God, and the Theology deliver'd by God. And Proclus elsewhere having cited as from the Gods, one of these Oracles which speaks of the Ideas, (a Platonick Doctrine) adds, that hereby the Gods declared the subsistence of Ideas, and acquiesceth as satisfied in that the Gods themselves ratifie the contemplations of Plato.

Some of these Oracles which escaped the injuries of time, were first publish'd by Ludovicus Tileanus, anno 1563. at Paris; together with the commentaries of Gemistus Pletho, under the Title of the Magical Oracles of the Magi descended, from Zoroaster, the same were afterwards Translated and put forth by Iacobus Marthanus, and lastly together with the comment of Psellus also, by Iohannes Opsopaeus at Paris. 1607.

These by Franciscus Patricius were enlarged with a plentifull Addition out of Proclus, Hermias, Simplicius, Damascius, Synesius, Olympiodorus, Nicephorus, and Arnobius: encreasing them by his own accompt, to 324. and reducing them for the better perspicuity to certain general Heads, put them forth and Translated them into Latine anno 1593.

They were afterwards put forth in Latin by Ottho Heurnius, anno 1619. under the Title of The sincere Magical Oracles of Zoroaster King of Bactria, and Prince of the Magi; but Heurnius under the pretence of putting them into good Latin, (as he calls it) and polishing them with a rougher File, hath patch'd up and corrupted what Patricius deliver'd faithfully and sincerely, endeavouring to put these Fragments into a Continued Discourse, which in themselves are nothing Coherent but Dispersed amongst several Authors.

Patricius indeed hath taken much Learned pains in the Collection of them; but with lesse Regard to their Measures and Numbers, and (as from thence may be shown) sometimes of the Words themselves: nor is there any certain means to redresse this Omission, by comparing them with the Authors out of which he took them, since few of those are extant, neither doth he (as he professeth to have done) affix the Names of the Authors to the several Fragments, except to some few at the beginning; However, we shall give them here according to his Edition, that being the most perfect; together with such Additions as we meet withall else where, and some Conjectures to supply the Defect we mention'd.

And whereas many of these Oracles are so Broken and Obscure, that they may at first sight seem rather Ridiculous than Weighty, yet he who shall consider, that as many of them as are explain'd by Pletho, Psellus, and others, would without those Explications seem no lesse absurd than the rest, but being explain'd disclose the Learning of the Chaldaeans in a profound and extraordinary manner, will easily believe all the rest (even those which appear least intelligible) to be of the same kind, and consequently ought no more to have been omitted than any of the rest.

[non-Latin script].

The Greek text of the Oracles printed at this point was not transcribed by EEBO-TCP (non-Latin alphabet); Patricius’s Latin version and Stanley’s English translation follow.

FRANCISCI PATRICII ZOROASTRI ORACULA.

MONAS, DYAS, ET TRIAS.

UBI paterna monâs est.
Ampliata est Monâs, quae duo generat.
Duitas enim apud hunc sedet, & intellectualibus fulget sectionibus.
Et gubernare cuncta, & ordinare quodcumque non ordinatum.
Toto enim in mundo lucet Triâs, cujus monâs est princeps.
Principium omnis sectionis hic est ordo.
In tria namque Mens dixit Patris secari omnia,
Cujus voluntas annuit, & jam omnia secta fuere.
In tria namque dixit Mens patris aeterni,
Mente omnia gubernans.
Et apparuerunt in ipsâ Virtus & Sapientia,
Et multiscia Veritas.
Hinc fluit Triadis vultus ante essentiam,
Non primam, sed eam quae mensuratur.
Principiis tribus hisce capias servire cuncta.
* * * * *
Et fons fontium, & fontium cunctorum.
Matrix continens cuncta.
Indè affatim exilit generatio multivariae materiae.
Indè tractus praester exilis ignis flos,
Mundorum indens cavitatibus. Omnia namque indé.
Incipit deorsum tendere radios admirandos.

PATER ET MENS.

Seipsum rapuit pater, neque suae
Potentiae mentali claudens proprium ignem.
Non enim à paterno Principio imperfectum quid rotatur.
Cuncta namque perfecit pater,
Et menti tradidit secundae,
Quam primam vocat omne genus hominum.
Patrogenia lux: multum namque sola
E patris robore decerpens mentis florem.
Opera enim intelligens paterna mens è se genita,
Cunctis inseminavit vinculum igni gravis amoris;
Quo omnia maneant, tempus in interminatum amantia.
Neque omnibus quae patri mentaliter contexta monstret.
Ut in amore maneant mundi elementa manentia.
Habet ipsa intelligentia paternam mentem indere
Omnibus fontibus & principatibus.
Est enim finis paterni profundi, & fons mentalium.
Neque progressus est, sed man[…]it in paterno profundo,
Et in adyto, per deo-nutriens silentium.
Non enim in materiam, ignis trans primus
Suam potentiam claudit operibus, sed mente.
Symbola enim paterna mens seminavit per mundum.
Quae intelligibilia intelligit, & ineffabilia exornat.
Tota partitio, & impartibilis.
Mente quidem continet intelligibilia, sensum verò inducit mundis.

MENS, INTELLIGIBILIA, & Mentalia.

Et unius mentis intelligibilis.
Non enim sine intelligibili mens est: non seorsum existit.
Quaedam sanè sunt mentalia & intelligibilia, quaecunque dum intelligunt intelliguntur.
Cibus verò intelligenti est intelligibile.
Disce intelligibile, quandoquidem extra mentem existit.
Et Mentis, quae empyreum mundum ducit.
Mentis enim mens est quae mundi est artifex ignei.
Qui supermundanum paternum profundum estis intelligentes.
Intelligibilis omnis sectionis princeps est.
Est enim quoddam intelligibile, quod oportet te intelligere mentis flore.
Vel enim inclines, ut mentem, & illud intellexeris.
Ut aliquid intelligens, non illud intelliges.
Est enim roboris circumquaque lucidi potentia,
Mentalibus fulgens sectionibus. non sanè oportet
Vehementiâ intelligere intelligibile illud,
Sed mentis amplae amplâ flammâ
Omnia metiente, praeterquam intelligibile illud.
Opus ergò est hoc intelligere; nam si inclinaveris
Mentem tuam, etiam illud intelliges non parúm.
Sed purum converte oculum,
Ferentem tuae animae tendere vacuam mentem
In intelligibile; ut discas intelligibile,
Quandoquidem extra mentem existit.
Deum hunc intelligit omnis mens, non enim sine
Mente est intelligibili, & intelligibile non sine mente existit.
Ignis mentalis mentalibus praesteribus cuncta
Cedunt servientia, Patris persuasorio consilio.
Et intelligere, sempérque manere impigrâ vertigine.
Fonte & principii. vertere sempérque manere impigrâ vertigine.
Sed nomen venerandum insomni vertigini
Mundis indens, terribiles ob patris minas.
Sub duabus mentibus vitigenius fons continetur animarum.
Et facta, qui per se operans fabrefecit mundum.
Qui ex mente exiliit primus.
Indutus igne ignem, Vinculorum ut temperet
Fontanos crateras, sui ignis florem sustinens.
Mentalibus fulget sectionibus, amoréque implevit omnia.
Infigurata figurans.
Examinibus similes feruntur, perrumpentes
Per mundi corpora.
Quae mens dicit, intelligendo sanè dicit.
Potentia quidem cum illis, Mens vero ab illâ.

IYNGES, IDEAE, PRINCIPIA.

Multae quidem hae scandunt lucidos mundos.
Insilientes, & in quibus summitates sunt tres.
Subjectum ipsis est principale pratum.
Principia; quae patris opera intelligentes intelligibilia
Sensibilibus operibus, & corporibus revelârunt.
Transvectrices stantes dicere patri & materiae.
Et manifesta imitamina latentium operantes.
Et latentia in manifestam Cosmopoeiam inscribentes.
Mens patris striduit, intelligens vigente consilio
Omniformes Ideas, Fonte verò ab uno evolantes
Exilierunt. A patre enim erat consilium & finis.
Per quae conjunguntur patri, per aliam atque aliam
Vitam, à compartitis canalibus.
Sed partitae sunt, men[…]ali igne dispositae,
In alias mentales: mundo namque rex multiformi
Proposuit mentalem typum incorruptibilem, non per mundum
Vestigium promovens formae per quae mundus apparuit.
Omnifariam ideis gratiosus, quarum unus fons.
Ex quo strident dispertitae aliae,
Immensae, perrumpentes mundi circa corpora:
Quae per sinus immensos, examinibus similes,
Feruntur conversae: circúmque alibi alia.
Conceptiones mentales fonte à paterno
Multum decerpentes ignis florem
Insomnis temporis. Vigor principigeniae ideae
Prima. è patris missa est; cujus per se florens fons,
Intellectae Iynges à patre intelligunt & ipsae;
Consiliis ineffabilibus moventur ut intelligant,

HECATE, SYNOCHES, ET Teletarchae.

Ex ipso enim omnes exiliunt
Amilictíque fulmines, & presterocapaces sinus
Omnilucidae vigoris patrogenii Hecates.
Et Hypezocus ignis flos, & fortis
Spiritus polorum, igneos trans.
Custodire presteribus suis summitates dedit.
Immiscens vigoris proprium robur in Synochis.
Quo mundus habeat mentales sustentatores inflexiles,
Quia operatrix, quia largitrix est ignis vitiferi.
Quia & vitigenium implet Hecates sinum.
Et influit Synochis vigorem, vitidonum ignis
Magni potentis.
Sed & custodes operum sunt patris.
Assimilat enim se ipsum; ille urgens
Typum induere idolorum.
Teletarchae comprehensi sunt cum Synochis.
His verò ignis mentalis mentalibus presteribus
Omnia parent servientia.
Sed & quaecumque materialibus serviunt Synochis.
Induti armorum vigorem luminis resonantis.
Vigore Triglicho, mentem animámque armantem.
Pervarium Synthema jacere ratiocinio.
Neque super incedere empyreis sparsim canalibus,
Sed collectim.
Hi verò individua, & sensibilia efficiunt,
Et corporiformia, & destinata in materiam.

ANIMA, NATURA.

Quoniam anima ignis potentiâ patris existens lucidus,
Immortalísque manet, & vitae domina est:
Et tenet mundi multas plenitudines sinuum.
Mentis enim imitamen est, partum verò habet quid corporis.
Mistis verò canalibus, ignis incorruptibilis opera efficiens.
Post verò paternas conceptiones anima, ego, habito;
Calida, animans omnia. reposuit enim
Mentem sanè in animâ, animam verò in corpore inerti.
Nostri imposuit pater hominúmque Deûmque.
Affatim animans lucem, ignem, aethera, mundos.
Coexistunt namque naturalia opera mentali splendori
Patris. Anima enim est quae ornavit magnum
Coelum, & quae ornat simul cum patre.
Cornua & ipsius firmata sunt sursum.
Humeros verò circa Deae natura immensa attollitur.
Imperat rursus natura infatigabilis mundísque operibúsque;
Coelum ut currat sursum aeternum trahens;
Et celer sol circa centrum, ut assuetus veniat.
Non naturae inspicias fatale nomen ejus.

MUNDUS.

Factor qui per se operans fabrefacit mundum.
Etenim quaedam ignis moles erat altera: haec omnia
Per se efficiens, ut corpus mundanum....
Mundus ut manifestus, & non videatur membraneus.
Totum mundum ex igne, & aquâ, & terrâ,
Et omni-alente aëre.
Ineffabilia, & fabilia synthemata mundi.
Aliam per aliam vitam, à partitis canalibus.
Desuper permeantis in oppositum
Per centrum terrae. & quintum medium, alium
Igneum, ubi descendit usque ad materiales canales.
Vi[…]ifer ignis.
Centro incitans Seipsum lumine resonante.
Fontanum alium. qui Empyreum mundum ducit.
Centrum à quo omnes usquequo fortè aequales fuerint.
Symbola enim paterna mens seminavit per mundum.
Medium inter patres singulae centrum fertur.
Mentis enim imitamen est; quod verò partum est habet quid corporis.

COELUM.

Septem enim in moles formavit Pater firmamenta mundorum:
Coelum rotundâ figurâ circumcludens.
Fixítque multum coetum astrorum inerrantium,
Animaliúmque errantium constituit septenarium.
Terram in medio posuit, aquámque in terrae sinibus,
Aërémque supra haec.
Fixítque multum coetum astrorum inerrantium,
Tensione, non laboriosâ malâ.
Sed fixione errorem non habente in motu.
Fixítque multum coetum astrorum inerrantium.
Ignem ad ignem cogens.
Fixione errorem non habente in motu.
Sex eos constituit, septimum Solis,
In medium jaciens ignem.
Inordinationem eorum bene-ordinatis suspendens zonis.
Parturit enim Dea Solémque magnum, & splendidam Lunam.
Aether, Sol, spiritus Lunae, aëris ductores,
Solariúmque circulorum, & lunarium est repituum,
Sinuúmque aëreorum.
Aetheris cantus, Solísque, & Lunae canalium, & aëris.
Et latus aër, lunarísque cursus, & polus Solis.
Colligit ipsum, accipiens aetheris harmoniam,
Solísque, Lunaeque, & quaecumque aëre continentur.
Ignis ignis derivatio, & ignis penu.
Crines enim in acutum nato lumini conspiciuntur,
Ubi Saturnus.
Sol assessor intuens polum purum.
Aetheriúsque cursus, & Lunae ingens impetus,
Aëriíque fluxus.
Solémque magnum, & splendidam Lunam.

TEMPUS.

Deum mundanum, aeternum, infinitum.
Juvenem, & senem...
Et fontanum aliud, quod empyreum mundum ducit.

ANIMA, CORPUS, HOMO.

Oportet te festinare ad lucem & patris lumina,
Unde missa est tibi anima, multam induta mentem.
Hae pater mente concepit, mortalísque ei est animatus.
Symbola enim paterna mens seminavit in animis.
Amore profundo replens animam.
Reposuit enim mentem in anima, in corpore verò
Vos reposuit pater hominúmque deûmque.
Incorporea quidem sunt divina omnia.
Corpora verò in ipsis vestrî causâ sunt alligata
Non potentes continere incorporeos corpora,
Ob corpoream, in quam concentrati estis, naturam.
Inque deo jacent faces trahentes validas.
A patre descendentes, à quibus anima descendentibus
Empyreos carpit fructus, animam-alentem florem.
Ideóque mente concipientes opera patris
Parcae fatalis alam fugiunt inverecundam.
Et si hanc animam videris redeuntem,
At aliam immittit pater, ut in numero sit.
Certè valde illae sunt beatissimae supra omnes
Animas, ad terram à coelo profusae.
Illaeque divites, & ineffabilia stamina habentes.
Quaecunque à lucente, ô rex, à te, vel ipso
Jove sunt progenitae. Miti validâ à necessitate
Ducatur animae profunditas immortalis, oculósque affatim
Omnes sursum extende.
Nec deorsum pronus sis in nigricantem mundum.
Cui profunditas semper infida substrata est, & Ades
Circumqua q; caligans, squalidus, idolis gaudens, amens,
Praecipitosus, tortuosus, caecum profundum semper involvens,
Semper desponsus obscuram faciem, inertem, spiritu-carentem.
Et osor luminis mundus, & tortuosi fluxus
A quibus vulgus attrahitur.
Quaere paradisum.
Quaere tu animae canalem, unde, aut quo ordine
Corpori inservieris, in ordinem, à quo effluxisti
Rursus restituas, sacro sermoni operam uniens.
Neque deorsum sis pronus, praecipitium in terrâ subest,
Septemvios trahens per gradus: quo sub
Horribile necessitatis Thronus est.
Nè tu augeas fatum.
Anima hominū Deum coget quodammodo in seipsam:
Nihil mortale habens, tota à Deo est ebria facta:
Harmoniam resonat namque, sub quâ est corpus mortale.
Extendens igneam mentem ad opus pietatis,
Et fluxile corpus servabis.
Est & idolo portio in loco circumlucente.
Undique infictâ animâ ignis habenas tende.
Igne calens cogitatio primissimum habet ordinem.
Igni nam q; mortalis propinquans à Deo lumen habebit.
Immoranti enim mortali praestò Dii aderunt.
Poenae hominum sunt angores.
Et malae materiae germina utilia sunt, & bona.
Spes nutriat te ignea Angelicâ in regione.
Sed non recipit illius velle Paterna mens,
Donec non exeat ex oblivione, & verbum loquatur
Memoriam indens Paterni Synthematis puri.
His quidem discibile lucis dedit notitiam suscipere.
Hos verò & somnolentos sui fructum dedit roboris.
Nè spiritum macules, neque profundum fac superficiem.
Neque materiae quisquilias praecipitio relinquas.
Nè educas, nè exiens habeat quidpiam.
Vi corpus relinquentium animae sunt purissimae.
Animae expulsores, respiratores & faciles solutu sunt.
Sinistris in lumbis Hecates virtutis est fons,
Intùs tota manens, virgineum non abjiciens.
O audacissimae naturae, homo, artificium!
Neque ingentes mensuras terrae in tuam mentem pone,
Non enim veritatis planta est in terrâ.
Neque in mensuris mensuras Solis regulas congregans,
Aeterno consilio fertur, non gratiâ tui.
Lunarem quidem cursum, & astreum progress[…]m
Lunae strepitum dimitte. semper currit operâ necessitatis
Astreus progressus, tui gratiâ non est partus.
Aethereus avium pes latus nunquam verus est.
Non sacrificia visceráque cupio: haec sunt omnia ludi,
Mercatoriae deceptionis firmamenta; fuge tu haec
Si vis pietatis sacrum paradisum aperire.
Ubi virtus, sapientiáque, & bona lex congregantur.
Tuum enim vas bestiae terrae habitabunt.
Ipsas autem terra sepeliit ad filios usque.

DAEMONES, SACRIFICIA.

Natura suadet esse daemonas puros.
Et mala materiae germina, utilia, & bona.
Sed haec in abditis septis mentis evolvo.
Ignis simulacrum saltatim in aëre in tumorem extendens,
Vel etiam ignem infiguratum, unde vocem currentem,
Vel lumen abundans radians, streperum, convolutum:
Sed & equum videre, luce magìs fulgurantem,
Vel etiam puerum suis humeris inequitantem equo,
Ignitum, vel auro distinctum, vel spoliatum,
Vel etiam sagittantem, & stantem super humeris.
Multoties si dixeris mihi, cernes omnia leonem,
Neque enim coelestis curvitas tunc apparet moles.
Astra non lucent, Lunae lux opertum est,
Terra non stat, cernuntur verò cuncta fulminibus.
Neque naturae voces per se visile simulacrum,
Non enim oportet illos te spectare antequam corpus sacris purgetur.
Quando animas mulcentes semper à sacris abducunt.
Ergo ex sinibus terrae exiliunt terrestres canes,
Nunquam verum corpus mortali homini monstrantes.
Operare circa Hecaticum turbinem.
Nomina barbara nunquam mutaveris,
Sunt enim nomina apud singulos à Deo data
Potentiam in sacris ineffabilem habentia.
Quando videris formâ sine sacrum ignem,
Collucentem saltatim totius per profundum mundi,
Audi ignis vocem.