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The Seed and the Earth · Original
Original English
common extracted Salts, for shee is none of them, nor any kind of Salt whatsoever that man can make. Shee is a sperme that Nature her self drawes out of the Elements, without the help of Art: man may find it, where Nature leaves it, it is not of his office to make the sperme, nor to extract it, it is already made, and wants nothing but a Matrix, and heat convenient for Generation. Now should you consider with your selves where Nature leaves the seed, and yet many are so dull, they know not how to work, when they are told what they must doe. Wee see in Animal Generations, the sperme parts not from both the Parents, for it remaines with the Female, where it is perfected. In the great world though all the Elements contribute to the Composure of the sperme, yet the sperme parts not from all the Elements, but remaines with the Earth, or with the Water, though more immediatly with the one, than with the other. Let not your Thoughts feed now on the Phlegmatic, indigested Vomits of Aristotle, look on the green youthfull, and flowrie Bosome of the Earth; Consider what a vast Universall Receptacle this Element is. The Starrs and Planets over-look her, and though they may not descend hither themselves, they shed down their golden Locks, like so many Bracelets, and Tokens of their Love. The Sun is
Modern English
common extracted salts. She is none of these, nor any kind of salt that man can make. She is a seed Nature herself draws from the elements without the help of art. Man may find it where Nature leaves it; making or extracting the seed is not his office. It is already made, lacking only a womb and heat suitable for generation. You should now consider where Nature leaves this seed. Yet many are so dull that, even when told what they must do, they do not know how to work. In animal generation we see that the seed does not depart from both parents: it remains with the female, where it is perfected. In the great world, although all the elements contribute to the composition of the seed, it does not depart from them all. It remains with earth or water, though more immediately with one than the other. Do not feed your thoughts now on Aristotle's phlegmatic, undigested vomit. Look at the earth's green, youthful, flowering bosom. Consider what a vast universal receptacle this element is. The stars and planets look down upon her. Though they cannot descend here themselves, they shed their golden locks upon her like so many bracelets and tokens of love. The sun is
Socrates
Reading Coelum Terrae · The Seed and the Earth · Page 86 · Passage A
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
Thomas Vaughan’s complete Coelum Terrae discourse from the 1650 Magia Adamica, with original and modern English, fresh translations of foreign quotations, the complete Hyanthe and closing poems, eight historical marginal notes, the work-specific printed corrections, 91 annotations and the complete supplied Diotimos study apparatus.
Historical Text and Translation
Thomas Vaughan (Eugenius Philalethes), Coelum Terrae, included in Magia Adamica. London: T. W. for H. Blunden, 1650, pp. 78–140 and the work-specific unnumbered errata. Governing textual basis: EEBO-TCP A64768, Wing V151, ESTC R203905, British Library Thomason witness 174:E1299[1]. First-edition image comparison: Getty Research Institute copy 372004, Internet Archive magiaadamicaoran00vaug. The Getty copy lacks the opening page 78 and final errata; these are taken from the TCP/BL witness.
About Diotimos Editions
This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.
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The historical text is public domain; the EEBO-TCP Phase I transcription is released under CC0. The supplied 2026 reading, translations and Diotimos editorial material are published with the site owner’s authorization.
- Governing historical text and transcriptionEEBO-TCP: governing 1650 textual witness
- First-edition image witness with stated lacunaeGetty Research Institute: surviving 1650 comparison copy
- Later comparison; not the governing editionWellcome Collection: later 1888 comparison
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