GOD PROTECTS YOUR SOUL - Amor Vincit Omnia

Baltasar Gracian appeared "toward the end of the 16th century". Calatayud is considered his birthplace, but, Belmonte, a village nearby is the official birthplace. Gracian became a member of the Society of Jesus at the age of 18 and from that time on, he became known as a university man. He taught humanities, scripture, theology and philosophy. Seven volumes of his books were salvaged, edited and published by his Don Vincencio Juan de Lastanosa. Their titles are EL HEROE (The Man of Distinction), EL POLITICO DON FERNANDO EL CATOLICO (The Politic Fernando), AGUDEZA Y ARTE DE INGENIO (Wit and Way), EL DISCRETO (The Man of Discernment) and a three volume work, EL CRITICON (The Monitor).

This translation from the original spanish into english was done by Martin Fischer.
And as Martin Fischer states in his book:

"This translation is a straightforward attempt in English the thoughts of the ORACULO. I have made every effort to hold to the word, to that style of Gracian´s which made famous a whole epoch of Spanish literature, and to the spirit of the thinker, thus attemting the impossible of the French wit who believes that translations are, like women, if true, rarely beautiful, and if beautiful, rarely true.

The apostrophes of Gracian are clipped, almost stenographic. They will not as such make appeal to a swift reading public. But even by the slower-minded, the volume though small, cannot be read through at a sitting. And his words are barbed - at once to goad or to punish."