[0. Proemium]
The Experiment of the precedent work, is the beginning of the following Orations, which Solomon calleth Artem Novam.
[Ista quæ operis præcedentis sunt experimentum. Hoc principium sequentium orationum est, quas orationes Salomon ARTEM NOVAM appellauit.]
These Orations may be said before all Arts generally, and before Notes specially; and they may be pronounced without any other Chapters, if thou wouldst
operate in any of the aforesaid Arts, saying these Orations in due time and order; thou maist have great efficacy in any Art. And in saying these Orations,
neither the time, day, nor Moon, are to be observed: but take heed, that on these dayes you abstain from all sin, as drunkenness, gluttony, especially
swearing, before you proceedeth thereunto, that your knowledge therein may be the more clear and perfect.
Wherefore Solomon saith, When I was to pronounce these Orations, I feared lest I should offend God; and I appointed unto myself a time wherein to begin
them; that living chastly, I might appear the more innocent.
These are the Proemiums of these Orations, that I might lay down in order everything whereof thou maist doubt, without any definition. And before thou begin
to try any of these subtle works, it is good to fast two or three dayes; that it may be Divinely revealed, whether thy desires be good or evil.
These are the precepts appointed before every operation; but if thou doubt of any beginning, either of the three first Chapters, or of the four subsequent
Arts, that thou maist have the effect of perfect knowledge; if thou consider and pronounce these Orations, as they are above described, although thou
overpass something ignorantly; thou maist be reconciled by the spiritual virtue of the subsequent Orations.
The Angel said of these Orations to Solomon: See the Holiness of these Orations; and if thou hast transgrest any therein presumtuously or ignorantly, say
reverently and wisely these Orations, of which the Angel saith: This is a great Sacrament of God, which the Lord sendeth to thee by my hand; at the
veneration of which Sacrament, when King Solomon offered with great patience before the Lord upon the Alter, he saw the book covered with fine linen, and
in this book were written 10 Orations, and upon every Oration the sign of a golden Seal: and he heard in his Spirit, These are they which the Lord hath
figured, and are far excluded from the hearts of the unfaithful.
Therefore Solomon trembled, lest he should offend the Lord, and kept them, saying it was wickedness to reveal them to unbelievers: but he that would learn
any greator spiritual thing in any Art or necessary Science, if he cannot have a higher work, he may say these Orations at what time soever he will; the
three first, for the three first liberal Arts; a several Oration for every several Art, or generally all of the three for the three Arts are to be said;
and in like manner the four subsequent Orations, for four other liberal Arts. And if thou wouldst have the whole body of Art, without any definition of
time, thou maist pronounce these Orations before the several Arts, and before the Orations and Notes of these Arts, as often as thou wilt, manifestly and
secretly; but beware that thou live chastly and soberly in the pronounciation thereof.
[Oration 1 of 10; Tribus Capitulis III:i]
This is the first Oration of the 10 [Ista oratio est prima de decem], which may be pronounced by its self, without any precedent work to acquire Memory, Eloquence and
understanding, and stableness of these three [quæ per se sine opere præcedenti possunt pronunciari ad memoriam, facunditatem, & intelligentiam & illarum trium
stabilitatem acquirendam], and singularly to be rehearsed before the first Figure of Theology [Et singulariter debet proferri ante primam figuram Theologiæ]:
Omnipotent, Incomprehensible, invisible and indissolvable Lord God;
I adore this day thy Holy Name;
I, an unworthy and miserable sinner, do lift up my Prayer, understanding and reason towards thy Holy and Heavenly Temple, declaring thee, O Lord God, to be my Creator
and Savior:
and I, a rational Creature do this day Invocate thy most glorious clemency, that thy Holy Spirit may vivify my infirmity:
And thou, Oh my God, who didst confer the Elements of letters, and efficacious Doctrine of thy Tongue to thy Servants Moses and Aaron,
confer the same grace of thy sweetness upon me, which thou hast investigated into thy Servants and Prophets: as thou hast given them learning in a moment, confer the
same learning upon me, and cleanse my Conscience from dead works; direct my Heart into the right way, and open the same to understand, and drop truth into my
understanding,
And thou, Oh Lord God, who didst condescend to create me in thy own image,
hear me in thy Justice, and teach me in thy truth, and fill up my Soul with thy knowledge according to thy great mercy,
that in the multitude of thy mercies, thou maist love me the more, and the greater in thy works,
and that I may delight in the administration of thy Commandments;
that I being helped and restored by the work of thy grace, and purified in Heart and Conscience to trust in thee,
I may feast in thy sight, and exalt thy Name, for it is good, before thy Saints:
Sanctifie me this day, that I may live in faith, perfect in hope, and constant in charity, and may learn and obtain the knowledge I desire;
and being illuminated, strengthened and exalted by the Science obtained, I may know thee, and love thee, and love the knowledge and wisdome of the Scriptures; and that I
may understand and firmly retain, that which thou hast permitted Man to know:
Oh Lord Jesus Christ, eternal only begotten Son of God, into whose hands the Father gave all thing before all Worlds,
give unto me this day, for thy Holy and glorious Name, the unspeakable nutriment of Soul and Body,
a fit, fluent, free and perfect Tongue; and that whatsoever I shall ask in thy mercy, will and truth, I may obtain;
and confirm all my Prayers and actions, according to thy good pleasure.
Oh Lord my God, the Father of Life,
open the Fountain of Sciences, which I desire;
open to me, Oh Lord, the Fountain which thou openest to Adam, and to thy Servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to understand, learn and judge;
receive Oh Lord my Prayers, through all thy Heavenly virtues, Amen.
[Oration 2 of 10; Eloquence III:i]
The next Oration is the second of ten, and giveth Eloquence, which ought to be said after the other; a little interval in between, and before the first
Figure of Theology.
[Ista oratio cum prima pronunciata dat facunditatem.
Et est secunda oratio de decem & cum præcedenti pronunciari debet facto aliquo modico interuallo, adhibet cum prima facundiam.
Ista enim oratio debet proferri ante secundam figuram Theologiæ.]
I Adore thee, thou King of Kings, and Lords,
eternal and unchangeable King:
Hearken this day to the cry and sighing of my Heart and Spirit,
that thou maist change my understanding, and give to me a heart of flesh, for my heart of stone,
that I may breathe before my Lord and Savior;
and wash Oh Lord with thy new Spirit the inward parts of my heart,
and wash away the evil of my flesh:
infuse into me a good understanding,
that I may become a new man;
reform me in thy love,
and let thy salvation give me increase of knowledge:
hear my Prayers, O Lord, wherewith I cry unto thee,
and open the Eyes of my flesh, and understanding,
to understand the wonderful things of thy Law;
that being vivified by thy Justification, I may prevail against the Devil, the adversary of the faithful;
hear me Oh Lord my God, and be merciful unto me, and shew me thy mercy; and reach to me the vessel of Salvation,
that I may drink and be satisfied of the Fountain of thy grace,
that I may obtain the knowledge and understanding;
and let the grace of thy Holy Spirit come, and rest upon me, Amen.
[Oration 3 of 10; Eloquence III:ii]
For Eloquence and stability of mind. [Ista oratio dat facundiam proferenti, & stabilitatem mentis.]
This is the third Oration of the ten, and is to be said before the first Figure of Astronomy. [Ista est tertia oration de decem, & cum aliis præcentibus debet
pronunciari ad confirmandam stabilitatem mentis. Ista oratio debet pronunciari ante primam figuram artis Astronomiæ.]
I confesse my self guilty this day before thee Oh God,
Father of Heaven and Earth, Maker of all things, visible and invisible, of all Creatures, Dispenser and giver of all grace and virtue; who hidest wisdome and knowledge
from the proud and wicked, and givest it to the faithful and humble;
illuminate my Heart, and establish my Conscience and understanding:
set the light of thy countenance upon me, that I may love thee, and be established in the knowledge of my understanding,
that I being cleansed from evil works, may attain to the knowledge of those Sciences, which thou hast reserved for believers.
Oh merciful and Omnipotent God, cleanse my Heart and reins,
strengthen my Soul and Senses with the grace of thy Holy Spirit,
and establish me with the fire of the same grace:
illuminate me; gird up my loyns, and give the staffe of thy Consolation into my right hand,
direct me in thy Doctrine;
root out of me all vices and sin,
and comfort me in the love of thy mercies:
Breathe into me, Oh Lord, the breath of Life, and increase my reason and understanding;
send thy Holy Spirit into me,
that I may be perfect in all knowledge:
behold Oh Lord, and consider the dolour of my mind, that my wil may be comforted in thee;
send into me from Heaven thy Holy Spirit, that I may understand those things I desire.
Give unto me invention, Oh Lord, thou Fountain of perfect reason and riches of knowledge,
that I may obtain wisdom by thy Divine assistance, Amen.
To Comfort the outward and inward Senses. [Oration 4/10]
Oh Holy God, mercyful and omnipotent Father, Giver of all things; strengthen me by thy power, and help me by thy presence, as thou wert mercyful
to Adam, and suddenly gavest him the knowledge of all Arts through thy great mercy; grant unto me power to obtain the same knowledge by the same mercy: be present
with me Oh Lord, and instruct me: Oh most merciful Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, breathe thy Holy Spirit into me, proceeding from thee and the Father; strengthen my
work this day, and teach me, that I may walk in thy knowledge, and glorify the abundance of thy grace: Let the flames of thy Holy Spirit rejoyce the City of my Heart,
by breathing into me thy Divine Scriptures; replenish my Heart with all Eloquence, and vivify me with thy Holy visitation; blot out of me the spots of all vices, I
beseech thee, Oh Lord God incomprehensible; let thy grace always be rest upon me, and be increased in me; heal my Soul by thy inestimable goodness, and comfort my
heart all my life, that what I hear I may understand, and what I understand I may keep, and retain in my Memory; give me a teachable Heart and Tongue; through thy
inexhaustible grace and goodness; and the grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Amen.
[Oration 5 of 10; Memory III:i]
This following is for the Memory.
O Holy Father, merciful Son, and Holy Ghost, inestimable King;
I adore, invocate, and beseech thy Holy Name that of thy overflowing goodness, thou wilt forget all my sins:
be mercyful to me a sinner, presuming to go about this office of knowledge, and occult learning;
and grant, Oh Lord, it may be efficatious in me;
open Oh Lord, my ears, that I may hear;
and take away the scales from my Eyes, that I may see;
strengthen my hands, that I may work;
open my face, that I may understand thy will;
to the glory of thy Name, which is blessed forever, Amen.
This following strengtheneth the interior and exterior Senses. [Oration 6/10]
Lift up the senses of my Heart and Soul unto thee, Oh Lord my God, and elevate my heart this day unto thee; that my words and works may please
thee in the sight of all people; let thy mercy and omnipotency shine in my bowels: let my understanding be enlarged, and let thy Holy Eloquence be sweet in my mouth,
that what I read or hear I may understand and repeat: as Adam understood, and as Abraham kept, so let me keep understanding; and as Jacob was founded and rooted in
thy wisdom, so let me be: let the foundation of thy mercy be confirmed in me, that I may delight in the works of thy hands, and persevere in Justice, and peace of
Soul and Body; the grace of thy Holy Spirit working in me, that I may rejoyce in the overthrow of all my adversaryes, Amen.
[Oration 7 of 10; Tribus Capitulis III:ii]
This following giveth Eloquence, Memory and Stability. [Ista oration cum præcedentibus dat memoriam, facundiam & stabilitatem.]
Disposer of all Kingdomes, and of all visible and invisible gifts: Oh God, the Ordainer and Ruler of all wills, by the Counsel of thy Holy Spirit
dispose and vivify the weakness of my understanding,
that I may burn in the accesse of thy Holy will to good: [& ardeam in accessu voluntatis sanctæ tuæ ad bonum]
do good to me in thy good pleasure, not looking upon my sins;
grant me my desire, though unworthy;
confirm my Memory and reason to know, understand, and retain,
and give good effect to my sense through thy grace,
and justify me with the justification of thy Holy Spirit, that what spots soever of sin are contracted in my flesh, thy Divine power may blot out;
thou who hast been pleased in the beginning, to create the Heaven and the Earth,
of thy mercy restore the same, who art pleased to restore lost man to thy most Holy Kingdome;
Oh Lord of wisdome,
restore Eloquence into all my senses, that I, though an unworthy sinner, may be confirmed in thy knowledge, and in all thy works,
by the grace of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who livest and reignest three in one, Amen.
[Oration 8 of 10]
An Oration to recover lost wisdome. [Oratio hæc ad recuperationem amissi ingenij {ingenii?} debet pronunciari.]
Oh God of the living, Lord of all Creatures visible and invisible, Administrator and Dispenser of all things,
enlighten my Heart this day by the grace of thy Holy Spirit,
strengthen my inward man, and pour into me the dew of thy grace, whereby thou instructest the Angels;
inform me with the plenty of thy knowledge, [informa me largitate tuæ scientiæ] wherewith from the beginning thou hast taught thy faithful;
let thy grace work in me, and the flouds of thy grace and Spirit, cleanse and correct the filth of my Conscience.
Thou who comest from Heaven upon the Waters of thy Majesty, confirm this wonderful Sacrament in me.
[Oration 9 of 10]
To obtain the grace of the Holy Spirit. [Ad recuperationem gratia Spiritus sancti.]
Oh Lord my God, Father of all things, who revealest thy celestial and terrestrial secrets to thy Servants,
I humbly beseech and implore thy Majesty, as thou art the King and Prince of all knowledge, hear my Prayers;
and direct my works,
and let my actions prevail in Heavenly virtues, by thy Holy Spirit:
I cry unto thee, Oh God, hear my Clamor;
I sigh to thee, hear the sighings of my Heart, and always preserve my Spirit, Soul and Body, under the Safeguard of thy Holy Spirit;
Oh God thou Holy Spirit, perpetual and Heavenly charity, whereof the Heaven and Earth is full,
breathe upon my operation; and what I require to thy honor and praise, grant unto me;
let thy Holy Spirit come upon me, rule and reign in me, Amen.
[Oration 10 of 10]
To recover intellectual wisdome. [Oration ad recuperationem ingenij & intellectus.]
Oh Lord, I thy Servant confesse myself unto thee,
before the Majesty of thy glory, in whose Spirit is all Magnificence and Sanctimony:
I beseech thee according to thy unspeakable Name,
extend thy merciful Ears and Eyes to the office of my operation;
and opening thy hand, I may be filled with the grace I desire, and satiated with charity and goodness;
whereby thou hast founded Heaven and Earth, who livest, &c.
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