DiotimosReading Desk

Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition

Anonymous

Candida Phoenix Philosophica

The White Philosophical Phoenix

Explore the Lexicon
Candida Phoenix PhilosophicaPart II — Chapter 1: Nature

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

English Page · Branch 74 of 411

Part II — Chapter 1: Nature

Book Mode

German & Latin

57–58

Ja! wann man die Natur jederzeit mehrers erkennt hätte / so wären in Chymia & arte Hermeticâ gleichfalls nicht so viel hochschädliche Irrthumb / mit vergeblicher Auffwendung manchmahl vieler / vieler tausend Gülden begangen; wordurch diese Königliche Kunst von den meisten biß dahero für Betrügerey gehalten / auch derohalben offtmahls so hefftig gelästert worden. Und was soll ich viel sagen: Ich erschrecke gleichsam / wann ich bey etlichen Hermeticis Philosophis selbst / die definition der Natur lese; Ob sie schon im übrigen dieselbe so fern erkant / daß sie zu ihrem Zweck gelangt seynd / und das unschätzbare Magisterium glücklich verfertigt haben.

57–58

Candida Phoenix Philosophica: Part II — Chapter 1: Nature

57–58

Indeed, had nature always been better understood, so many grievous errors would not have been committed in chemistry and the Hermetic art, sometimes with the fruitless expenditure of many, many thousands of gulden. These errors have caused most people to regard this royal art as fraud and often to revile it bitterly. What more need I say? I am almost alarmed when I read the definition of nature offered even by certain Hermetic philosophers, although in other respects they have understood it sufficiently to attain their goal and successfully accomplish the priceless magistery.

57–58

About This Reading Edition

An anonymous Hermetic treatise of 1680, presented in its original German and Latin with a new English translation, 279 explanatory notes, the historical phoenix frontispiece, an introduction, reading guide, outline, glossary, bibliography, and original registers.

Historical Text and Translation

Anonymous, Candida Phoenix philosophica. Frankfurt am Main: Christian Hermsdorff, 1680. The chosen witness is the Wellcome Library copy digitized as b32993456; German and Latin, with French, Greek, and Hebrew passages retained.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The 1680 source is identified as public domain by the Wellcome/Internet Archive record. The supplied 2026 transcription, English translation, introduction, notes, reading guide, outline, glossary, bibliography, and editorial arrangement are published with the site owner’s authorization. The frontispiece is retained from the supplied edition and credited to its historical witness.