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Note on Spelling Throughout this book I have attempted to be consistent with proper names. I have usually chosen to use the most familiar form of authors’ names whether in the vernacular or Latin. Hence Ficino and Estienne rather than Ficinus and Stephanus, but Placotomus and Lessius rather than Brettschneider and Leys. In a few cases, I have chosen what appears to be American over British usage, as with Moffett rather than Mouffett or Muffet. I have also tried to translate all place names to accord with modern usage, as with Strasbourg rather than Strassburg or Argentina. Regarding quotes from primary texts, I have extended all abbreviations down to every last ampersand and tilde, changed all i/j and u/v permutations to current usage, but have otherwise left all spellings in the original , particularly in English where the flavor of the language seemed desirable . All translations from Latin, French, Italian, and Spanish, where unnoted, are my own; I strove for general sense rather than literal accuracy , and in most cases I have supplied the reader with the original in the notes. ix This page intentionally left blank ...

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