THE ASCLEPIUS

OF MERCURY

TRISMEGISTUS,

With the Commentary of

FRIAR HANNIBAL ROSSELI OF CALABRIA,

ON THE IMMORTALITY OF THE SOUL.

THE TEXT OF MERCURY.

The First Commentary.

A decorative woodcut initial 'Q' features a central human figure—likely a saint or divine figure—surrounded by scrolling floral and architectural motifs within a square frame.

Mercury's intention.

ALTHOUGH CONCERNING MANY AND VARIOUS things worthy of being known—concerning God, the inhabitants of heaven, the destruction of Egypt, and the end of the world—the most wise Mercury The author uses the name Mercury as the Latin equivalent of the Greek Hermes Trismegistus. has spoken in this book like a prophet; nevertheless, he has most wisely disputed especially concerning the nature of man and the immortality of the human soul. He did this by employing a dialogue with his student Asclepius, who began the conversation in this way: "That Sun," says Asclepius, "is God to me." The meaning is: I worship and cultivate that visible sun as God. To which Mercury responds: "God has led you to us, O Asclepius, so that you might take part in the divine discourse." Text. The meaning is: You have come to our conversation not by your own plan, but by divine counsel, so that you might take part in a discourse deservedly preferred above all others. And he said to him that such a discourse, by merit of all things previously done by us or inspired in us by divine gift, should seem to be "more divine in its religious piety." If you, understanding it, should see this, you will be most full of all good things in your whole mind.

He began to speak magnificently, and he made Asclepius teachable, attentive, and well-disposed. What kind of discourse do you think you are about to hear, O Asclepius? Clearly that one which, if you perceive it with the mind and see through it with the eyes of the heart, you will soon be changed into another man, most full of all the good things that are drawn from the mind. Text: "But since there are many good things, and not just one—for one is recognized as being consistent with the other—all things belong to the One, or the One is all things." The meaning is: I said you would be most full of all good things. What then? Are there many good things, and not just one? Clearly, they are both many and one: many through participation, but one through essence original: "per participationem... per essentiam." This is a technical distinction in medieval philosophy: a candle has light by "participation" in the flame, but the flame is light by "essence." Rosseli is applying this Christian Scholastic logic to the Hermetic text.. "God saw everything that he had made, and they were very good" original: "Vidit Deus cuncta quæ fecit, & erant valde bona"; a quote from the Book of Genesis 1:31.; yet there is one good God, in whom all things belong to the One, and the One is all things. Text: "For the one is so connected to the other that the one cannot be separated from both." The meaning is: Those many good things are connected by a certain order, so that they cannot be separated—