Curiosities of the Royal Library at Dresden

Stephano Cotta arranged the edition of this book, and ascribed the same to Ambrosio Varisio Rosato, the Duke of Milan's personal physician. He praises him for his experience in the medical arts, by which he saved the life of the Duke, his master, and in astrology, where he uses the following words:

Who could have kept him safe and preserved him from the traps of enemies, except one who mastered astronomy and the science of future things? Your astrology is indeed one and whole: in which you reign alone; and may all astronomers, ancient physicians, Cassius, Carpitanus, Aruntius, Albutius, Rubrius, Antonius Musa, and that Crinas of Marseille, who by double art, as he was more cautious and more religious, became famous by giving food and observing hours according to the mathematical ephemeris, yield to you.

Although Ferrarius corrected the preceding edition, which he declared faulty and mutilated, in various places, collected the life of Ausonius, and added some epigrams from the Catalogus illustrium Urbium Catalogue of Illustrious Cities, which his teacher Georgius Merula found in the library of St. Eustorgius, there are still some gaps in this edition that were subsequently filled in with a pen. He also asks at the very end for forgiveness because of the printing errors that have crept in:

You have, Ambrosius, best of philosophers, the printed Ausonius, long awaited by many: if you find it corrupted, you shall blame both the carelessness of the printers and myself, vexed by the struggles of competitors and buried under huge cares, I who could neither sit with the printers nor supervise them; we have dedicated our letter to you unfeigned and unvarnished, not like certain "cat-chickens" A derogatory term for plagiarists who, in order to make others' writings their own, produced I know not what sweet croaking, which only the profane crowd of the unlearned admires and the mob of the ignorant kisses. Farewell and defend our work as you are accustomed.

See concerning this Ferrarius, as also concerning Cotta, Josephi Antonii Saxii Historiam Typographico-literariam Mediolan. ad annum 1490 Josephus Antonius Saxius' Typographical-Literary History of Milan to the year 1490. Because he did not transcribe the following epigram, which stands at the end of our Ausonius, we wish to share it:

Priest Laurentius Casatia Saluzolius of Vercelli on the praises of Julius Æmilius Ferrarius of Novara, to the reader.