Pretiosa margarita novella de thesauro, ac pretiosissimo philosophorum lapide : artis huius divinae typus, et methodus: collectanea ex Arnaldo, Rhaymundo, Rhasi, Alberto, et Michaele Scoto

these men place the high-sounding title of the greatest princes on the frontispiece of their volume, hoping to obtain at least this from them, that they may not, if ill-disposed, condemn, despise, spit upon, or finally disdain them before reading. To me, they seem not so much to be offering a gift as to be craftily and warmly bartering for some great exchange with those same people, especially since it does not escape them that those to whom they have dedicated their books will never see or read them. Therefore, this widespread custom has never been able to persuade me, for any reason, to dedicate myself to princes or Popes.

Lacinius. I believe that without such protection, you will hardly be able to avoid the insolence of the envious, the blasphemies of the greedy, the mockery of the superficial, the calumnies of merchants, and finally the evil-speaking of all those who are so wise in their own eyes that they twist their noses and mouths at everything they have not approved. And thus, fearing the stings of all the malevolent, you will hide forever in Cimmerian shadows a classical reference to a land of perpetual darkness.

Bonus. I pray you, do not worry about this. Dogs bark according to their nature and custom, and they will stop barking when they stop living. What, I ask, could their barking harm anyone? Has it not always been common for wicked men to bark at good men, either out of envy or because of their difference? And yet, he is always considered good whom the perverse have most vehemently disapproved. I, for one, would rather be criticized by the wicked in words than in reality. Therefore, we should not worry about what little men say, but what good men say, and not even what men say, but what truth itself speaks.

Lacinius. If I dedicate you to some great prince, perhaps they will cease their railing and barking.

Bonus. You labor in vain if you believe you can amend these wretched, talkative people through any authority. If they do not spare God with their poisonous mouths, how will they spare us? I pray you, do not...