230 THE JOURNAL OF BYELORUSSIAN STUDIES Francysk Skaryna, Pradmovy i paslasloui (Prefaces and Postscripts). Compiled by Ales Korsunau, edited by V. V. Barysienka. 'Navuka i technika', Minsk, 1969. 240 pages. An article by M. Praskovic and commentaries by A. Korsunau. Illustrations. Recent years have seen a revival of this holy man (St. Jerome - A. N.) interest among scholars ;in the life and I undertook this task and, with the work of the first Byelorussian printer help of God, translated among other Francis Skaryna (c. 1490-1551). This books this Book of Esther also, first interest is perforce limited in extent of all in honour of God one in Trinity, as Skaryna editions t-Oday are very and then for the instruction of my rare and in any case not readily native Ruthenian people in all good accessible. The Janka Kupala Institute things, for we are born into this of Literature in M,insk must, there­ world not only for our own gratifica­ fore, be warmly congratulated on the tion, but to serve God and the comm­ publication of the present book which on good' (p. 108). Similarly in the contains all the known original writ­ preface ito the Book of Psalms - the ings of Skaryna. Altogether there are first book printed by him - Skaryna 111 prefaces •and postscr1ipts to ,the elaborates on his motives in the various books of the Bibi'e published following terms: 'Seeing such a great by Skaryna both in Prague during usefulness (contained) in such a small the years 1517-19 and in Vilna ,in the book, I, Francis, son of Skaryna of year 1525. The postscripts are usually Polack, doctor of medicine, have short, sometimes little more than resolved ,to print the Book of Psalms colophons, but they are not devoid of wLth Ruthenian words but in the interest. Thus the postscript to the Slavonic tongue, first of all t-0 the Book of Numbers runs as follows: honour and praise of God and His 'The fourth book of Moses . was Immaculate Mother Miary and all printed with the help of God and His angels and saints of God, ,and second­ Immaculate Virgin Mother Mary and ly for the common good, especially all the sainted men and women, by for this reason, that God in his mercy the work and care of the man of let me be born into this world from learning and doctor of medicine among this people' (p. 11). A feeling Francis, son of Skaryna, from the of kinship with his fellow-country­ famous city of Polack, in the great men and a strong a,ttachment to his city of Prague, for the better instruc­ native land and people are clearly tion of the common people' (p. 92). In discernible in both passages. Skaryn_a a somewhat longer postscript to the justifies •these feelings ,jn the following Acts of the Apostles, published in passage in the preface to the Book of Vilna in 1525, it is stated that the Judith: 'Just as the beasts prowling book was 'translated and printed by in the wilderness have an innate the work ,and care of Doctor Francis knowledge of their lairs; the birds Skaryna of Polack in honour of God flying in the air know their nests; one in Trinity and His Immaculate fishes that swim in the sea and in the Mother Mary and all the saints, and rivers sense their whirlpools; bees for the better instruction of the and their like defend their hives - common people' (p. 152). These in the same way men have a great examples, which are typical, recall love for the place in which, by the Skaryna's evident pride in being a will of God, they were born and doctor of medicine - a distinction brought up' (p. 59). which he obtained at the university There are in all 49 prefaces. Some of Padua in 1512 - as well as in being of them are little more than an a native of ,the 'famous city of Polack'. exposition of the contents of a given He was at the same time a man of book of the Bible. Others, however, sincere piety and deep con~ern for the are more in the form of an essay, and good of h:is feHow-men, rthe 'common Skaryna uses them to expound his people'. These sentiments one finds own ideas on a variety of subjects. expressed in even stronger terms in For Skaryna the Holy Scripture is his prefaces, which are by far the the source of all truth and wisdom, most significant and interesting of his divine and human. Writing about the writings. He concludes the preface ,to Book of Psalms he expresses himself the Book of Esther with the following thus: 'There is justice, there is spirit­ passage: 'Following the example of ual and bodiJy purity. There is Downloaded from Brill.com09/29/2021 10:56:58AM via free access REVIEWS 231 knowledge of every truth. There is may live in peace among the evil wisdom and perfect intelligence. ones' (p. 95). He distinguishes between There is charity and love of others natural law 'written in ,the heart of without hypocrisy, and all other every man', and written (positive) law virtues flow thence as from a spring. which in its turn may be 'either given There is the great mystery concerning by God, as are the books of Moses God one in Trinilty, and concer,ning and the holy Gospel, or established the incarnation of Our Lord Jesus by men, as for example the rules of Christ, his passion and resurrection. the holy fathers, decreed by the There is the hope of the resurrection General Councils, and the laws of the from the dead and life eternal, fear land, which every people together of the last judgment and eternal fire. with their rulers have promulgated All these things you will find in this according to what s·eemed to them to little book, as if in a grea,t treasure­ be the best' (p. 95). Among the store' (p. 10). positive human laws Skaryna disting­ uishes common law, jus gentium, The human aspect of education is royal law (what today would be by no means forgotten, and Skaryna called constitutional law), knightly or proposes to use the Bible as a kind military law, the law of the cities, of textbook for the so-called seven maritime and mercantile laws. Liberated arts: 'If you require to know grammar . you will find ,it in Haviing thus displayed due respect the whole Bible and in the Book of for human knowledge, Skaryna does Psalms: read it. Again, if you wish to not fail to remark: 'Above all this we, understand logic - which teaches Christians knowing that all (human) how to distinguish truth from false­ learning is of passing value. desire hood by reasoning - read the book that which is eternal, the salvation of of the holy Job and the letters of our souls. Let us read constantly the Saint Paul. And if you resolve to Holy Gospel, and reading it, let us study rhetoric, which is the art of fine follow the example of Our Saviour speaking, read the Book of Solomon ... Jesus Christ, and thus with his help If you wish to learn music ... you will we shall enter into eternal life and find many poems and holy songs in the heavenly kingdom, prepared for the whole book. If it is your desire t~ chosen of God' (p. 63). to know arithmetic, which teaches Skaryna appears to be well how to count quickly and without acquainted with contemporary theolo­ errors, read the fourth Book of Moses. gical thought and may well be con­ If it is geometry that interests you ... sidered the first East Slav lay read the book of Joshua; if astronomy, theologian. As a biblical scholar he or stargazing - you will find at •the was not unaware of the difficulties beginning of this book an account of inherent in certain books of Holy the creation of the sun, moon and Scripture, as the foUowing passage stars . And those are the seven shows: 'It should be known that libera,ted arts' (p. 62). Incidentally among all the books of the Old Skaryna was the first writer to in­ Testament this Book of Genesis, as troduce •the concept of the seven well as the beginning and the end of Liberated arts not only among the the Book of the prophet Ezechiel and Byelorussians, but among the East the Song of Songs of ,the king Slavs in general. Solomon, are difficult to understand. In the preface to the First Book of That is why the Jews did not allow Kings there is a short ,account of the these books to be read to young men origin of the codes of law among under thirty, because of ,the great various nations, while the preface to mysteries contained in ·them, which Deuteronomy is nothing more nor less surpass human reason. For which one than a concise treatise on law, in of the philosophers could understand which subject Skaryna shows himself that the Lord God created with his to be surprisingly well versed. Thus word all things visible and invisible he writes about the reasons for the from nothing, collltrnry to the assertion existence of laws: 'Laws have been of.the greatest of philosophers, Aristotle, established for the sake of evil men, that nothing can be created from so that they, being afraid, may re­ nothing?' (p. 72). strain their wills and have no power The literary form and style of the to harm others, and that good men prefaces show that Skaryna was a Downloaded from Brill.com09/29/2021 10:56:58AM via free access 232 THE JOURNAL OF BYELORUSSIAN STUDIES talented writer.