Origin of the work:
1667 Amsterdam
Editions:
The work remained in manuscript
1892 Prague, A. Patera, J. A. Komenského korespondence, pp284-28
1954 Komenský sultánovi, in: Nový Orient 9, l954, no. 2, pp20-21, Czech translation by V. T. Miškovská
Contents:
The foreword to a translation of the Bible being prepared in the Turkish language.
At the time of the peace negotiations between England and Holland at Breda, Comenius began to become concerned regarding the fulfilment by the pagan Turks of their role in the struggle against the Habsburgs and the Papacy, as assigned to them by revelations. This was to ease the unification of the Christian, Jewish and Islamic religions, as God had forecast through the medium of prophecy. For this purpose, the Turks should know the content of the Old and New Testaments, the translation of which in Turkish was entrusted to the Dutch Orientalist Lewin Warner. It was for this translation, which Lawrence de Geer wished to finance, that Comenius prepared a foreword intended for the Sultan himself. It was conceived in an amicable tone, so as not to offend Mohammedan sensibilities. In it was written that the translation of the Bible was sent to the rulers of the Turks, because thus it was foretold by prophecy, and that it is necessary before the beginning of the unification process for the Turks to know it.
Warner’s work on the translation of the Bible was not finished, for reasons that remain unknown, and thus Comenius’ introduction never reached the Sultan’s hands.
See also the entry on the De Turcica versione.
For further study, see also:
J. V. Novák & J. Hendrich, Jan Amos Komenský, jeho život a spisy. Prague 1932, pp632-633.
Jan Kumpera, Jan Amos Komenský, poutník na rozhraní věků. Prague & Ostrava 1992, pp206-207