Recte sapere, et intelligere doceto⁸ me, (ô rerum omnium⁹ Creator,) Nam

O Domine Jesu Christe (qui sapientia vera es, aeterni et, Omnipotentis

Fiat Jeovah Zebaoth: Fiat Adonay¹⁴, fiat Elohim¹⁵. O beata, et

Latine vel Anglice; (ast circa annum¹⁶ 1569 alio et peculiari,

Before my other extemporaneous prayers and more ardent ejaculations to God: This one was the most usual.

My Morning and Evening Oration: for Wisdom.

In the Name of God the Father, of God the Son, and of God the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Almighty, Everlasting, True and Living God stretch forth, now, to my help:

Glory to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit: As it was in the beginning, and is now, and will be always, even unto the Age of Ages: Amen.

Teach me to properly sense, and to rightly discern, (O Father of all things,) For I desire your Wisdom, because it is all that is: Give your word to my established practice,(O Father of all things,) and fix your wisdom in my heart.

O Lard¹⁸ Jesus Christ (who art the true wisdom, of your eternal, and Omnipotent Father) Most humbly I entreat your Divine Majesty, that you might think myself worthy, in respect of my general piety, to promptly send forth your Wise and tested Philosophical assistance, to that fulfillment of understanding and perfection, that will be of the greatest value towards the enlarging of my praising and glorification to you. And when no one is subject to Death, and at last there is Life in the Earth, to which office is it that I will have been fitted: In particular to whom, according to your eternal foresight, will your beneficent eminence have assigned me: Moreover, truly and most humbly it is my most burning and most steadfast quest to your Divine Majesty, that you would think worthy to send forth from heaven to me, your good Spiritual Ministers and Angels, Namely Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and even Uriel: and (in accordance with your Heavenly favor ) as often so ever as any other of your true and faithful Angels, who might completely and perfectly inform and furnish me, in the true and accurate, knowledge and understanding of your Secret Mysteries and Mighty Works (Concerning the properties of all of your Creatures and the best use of those natures) and of the unavoidable necessity for the Decree of our Deaths; to the praising, honoring, and glorification of your name; and to confirm to me, and of others (through me) of your many faithful encouragements: and to the disorder and ruin of your enemies. Amen.

Let the Will of Jehovah Zebaoth be done: Let the Will of Adonai be done, let the will of Elohim be done, O Blessed and Most Beneficent Almighty Trinity, yield to me (John Dee) this request, for such a method, whereby to most appease you. Amen.

       Since the year 1579. in general by this mode;

This month we have presented Dr. John Dee's introductory Latin prayer from Mysteriorum Liber Primus. It is notable that most medieval and Renaissance magical texts were prefaced with Christian supplications of this type, designed frequently to circumvent the enthusiasms of zealous inquisitors. Conjurers of every shade of gray veiled their evocative formulae under pages of righteous theological pretension. And more often than not it was the darkest demonologists who penned the purest prefatory prose.

It is quite possible, given the facts of John Dee's life amidst the contemporary religious and political institutions, that his motivation was in part to dissemble, with the introductory material here presented, the occult activities of his magical practice. It is also quite certain that these same phrases embody to a considerable extent Dee's sincere beliefs and intentions. Careful study of his introduction will reveal a great deal about the foundation and direction of the science of Enochian Magick.

In presenting this passage of Latin text, we have relied on Dee's own manuscript version (Sloane MSS. 3188), with aid of Ashmole's later transcript (Sloane MSS. 3677). Our translation of the text attempts to convey Dee's own sense and style, and it is our sincere desire to attract the attention of classical scholars more learned than ourselves for the correction of this version in future editions.

As always, a reproduction of the manuscripts and other materials used in the preparation of our text can be easily had from the CENTER FOR ENOCHIAN STUDIES for a supporting donation of $3.00 (please make checks payable to CASH, and request vol. I # 3).{Note to web edition: This offer is no longer in effect. Don't send money for this purpose. Included here for history only.}