Most Serene, Most Mighty, and Most Unconquerable Emperor, King, and Lord,

Most Gracious Lord,

It is sufficiently known from history Leupold is referring to the period often called the "Dark Ages" by Enlightenment-era thinkers, contrasting it with the perceived light of the Reformation and the scientific progress of his own time. in what darkness and ignorance our beloved Germany sat for several hundred years, having had no knowledge of either God or His Word, nor of the good arts original: "Künsten." In the 18th century, this referred not just to fine arts, but to the "mechanical arts"—technical skills, engineering, and craftsmanship. and sciences original: "Wissenschafften." This term encompassed all branches of systematic knowledge and scholarship..