To the Germans;  by the Same.

Wonder, land of Teutons, wonder at this Work;

of wondrous art this Book,

of mighty art this Work,

wherefrom I keep afar the crowd profane. 

Who go with noses not well cleaned,

whose brains not three times are and four times purged, I bid all such be off; depart, I bid them, straight. 

It shrinks from hand plebeian,

from touch of unwashed hands this Work most flat recoils. 

But scholars only will it have,

who can in eye-sight argue overcome, and Lynceus too. 

More subtle naught, naught more laborious shall Germany

for three hundred years behold, -- no falsehood this. 

Selenus, live to age Historian, and farewell.

By the same,

On the Elucidation of Trithemius’ Steganographia, Iambic Senarii.

Who think to find beneath each stone a scorpion hid,

are much deceived; most basely do they fall,

and stray the whole world round; it is not so. 

In the art of writing to one’s friends, an art deep hid,

and open not to every passing soul,

Trithemius, the artist, once instruction gave.

(Sometimes dishonest hands lay hold of letters, break the seal,

and show what’s held within, to themselves no good devising,

and good men disadvantaging.)

Hence among the men of common ways the empty word arose,

he taught the magic art, when nothing

from his teaching could be farther.

On no man should we wrong inflict. 

Now on the other hand, his art was wholly worthy of applause,

and always must we innocence defend.

This the sons of jurisconsults have upon their tongues.

This let Bodinus or Bovillus have.  Lo!  most vigorously defends
SELENUS Abbot TRITHEMIUS’ innocence.