Musaeum Celeberrimum (Romani Collegii)

Chap. IV. ...Archduke of Austria, Leopold, all of which the magnificent nobles and patrons of the fine arts, but especially the Author of the Museum as a man well-deserving of Philosophy and Mathematics in our century, have sent.

Added also this year is the gift of the Most Excellent Hero, Montecuculi, Generalissimo of the Imperial army; namely, a Shield and Spear taken from the Turks, both inlaid with precious stones, and indeed with Gold and Silver, with which he wished the Kircherian Museum to be adorned, as a monument to the eternal victory obtained against them.

Kings. Kings: Philip IV of Spain; Louis XIV of France; Christina Alexandra; the King of Barantole; Navaztma-chel; the King of Nepal; the Kings of Tartary. The Most Excellent Prince Guldenleeuw, son of the King of Denmark and Viceroy of Norway; Margaret of Austria, sister of Charles V. Princes: Ferdinand de Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany; Augustus, Prince of Luneburg and Brunswick, a benefactor of the Kircherian Museum; Ferdinand Albert, son of Duke Augustus; the three Princes of Holstein-Culenbach; Frederick, Duke of Holstein; John Frederick, Count of Valenstein of the Holy Roman Empire, today Archbishop of Prague and Primate of Bohemia, Grand Master of the Order of the Cross-bearers throughout the kingdom of Bohemia, and once Chamberlain of Honor to Alexander VII, P.O.M. Pontifex Optimus Maximus, who, because of his exceptional talents of nature and grace, was most pleasing to Popes and Caesars, an exceptional benefactor of the Kircherian Museum and its studies; the two Princes of Durlach and Marquises of Baden; then the Rev. Father Christopher Clavius, the incomparable mathematician; Adam Schall, likewise an outstanding mathematician and propagator of the faith in the Kingdom of the Chinese, a Mandarin; Father Joseph Anchieta, a wonder-worker, introducer of the Society of JESUS into Brazil; Edmund, the famous preacher of the Gauls; Leonard Lessius, the distinguished Theologian.

CHAPTER V.

Ancient statues of idols and heroes, carved in bronze, marble, and stone.

Cap. V. A decorative initial letter I Animated stones, which for the most part our curious century has brought into the sunlight from the hidden recesses of the earth, or has recently unearthed from deep burials, are preserved in great numbers in the Kircherian Museum. Some are of metal, porphyry, Lydian stone, alabaster, marble, and other materials subject to the sculptor's art; and, so that all may not be mixed up confusedly, I will first recount the statues of the idols, then of illustrious persons, and finally the confused collection of antiquarian matters.

You will find here busts of the Savior Our Lord and the Blessed Virgin Mother, crafted from marble and alabaster. Three of which excel not only in sculpture, but also two, being hollow and convex and made of Oriental alabaster, which, when exposed to the light, are diaphanous transparent like crystal.

I proceed to the profane, and first, the most famous Idol of the Chinese, commonly called Confucius, occurs, worthy of consideration. This little god is the prince of the Chinese philosophers, and temples are built for him mostly by the literate, which the Bonzi Buddhist monks frequent very often at every full moon and new moon, venerating the idol with customary adorations, ceremonies, and incense. The deity is full of letters and marked with certain unknown characters up to the navel.

Idols.

See Oedipus Aegyptiacus. The second idol is that of the Japanese (Amida), to which deity they attribute so much worship that they think that even by invocation alone, and by repeating his name, they will be blessed, and that it suffices for salvation.

Amida of Japan.