Announcement of the Candidates

A large ornamental woodcut initial 'N' is decorated with floral patterns and scrollwork motifs, marking the start of a new formal section of the text.

Now for that which is my second task original Greek: δεύτερον (deuteron), and for whose sake I have chiefly ascended this Chair, I shall complete it in three words—as the saying goes—which are sufficient for a good cause. Once this is finished, it will also be the end of this ceremony. You, Listeners, be present in spirit just as you are in body; maintain that eagerness, that attention, and that silence for me and for the HONOR OF THE CANDIDATES, who now rise, so that with these favorable winds, my duty and this act may be brought safely into port.

From the most eloquent speech of the venerable Dean of the Philosophical College, a man of the greatest learning—which I will recount briefly original Greek: συντόμως (syntomos)—you have understood, Listeners, that these present candidates standing before you were born of honorable parents and a lawful marriage. From their early youth, they have devoted their time not to laziness or sloth, but to the cultivation of their minds. Following the custom of the ancients, they have consecrated not the gray hairs of age, but the first down of youth to the President of studies, APOLLO The Greek and Roman god of music, poetry, and knowledge, often used as a patron of universities.. They have diligently cultivated piety, always behaved with good character, and closely adhered to Virtue. They have tirelessly devoted their efforts to the study of languages, arts, and philosophy; they are not without heart, without brain, or without tongue A 17th-century metaphorical way of saying they possess wisdom, intellect, and eloquence.. Relying therefore on this course of life, on this good conscience, on this learning, and on these virtues, they have recently, according to the statutes of the Philosophical Faculty, sought the highest Laurel of the arts and Philosophy The "Laurea" or laurel wreath was the traditional symbol of completing a degree., and have been admitted to the trial and examination. In these, they have given outstanding proof of their character, their modesty, their learning, and their virtue. By the leaders of the College, they have been judged worthy in good conscience of the highest honor of Philosophy, which they call the MASTERSHIP Magisterium: The degree of Master of Arts, the highest level of study in the philosophical faculty at the time, and to attain and obtain this, they have now first been "enlightened" according to the ancient custom. You have also heard with your own ears, most excellent Listeners, that the same Lord Dean, in his own name and that of the Philosophical College, has requested with the greatest earnestness that—just as this Philosophical Assembly was called for this purpose, and I was especially invited to this Chair—I should, by that authority which I now exercise in the name of a sub-delegate, put that decree of the Philosophical College into
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