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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Parallel Edition

Thomas Vaughan (Eugenius Philalethes)

Coelum Terrae

The Magician’s Heavenly Chaos · The Complete 1650 Text

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Coelum TerraeGeneration and Restoration · Original

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Original English Page · Branch 68 of 136

Generation and Restoration · Original

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Original English

But I have done I will now speak something of Generation, and the wayes of it, that the Process of the Philosophers upon this Matter, may be the better understood. You must know that Nature hath two Extremes, and between them a Middle Substance, which elsewhere wee have call'd the Middle Nature. Example enough wee have in the Creation. The first Extreme was that Cloud or Darkness whereof we have spoken formerly; some call it the Remote Matter, and the Invisible Chaos, but very improperly, for it was not invisible. This is the Jewish Ensoph outwardly, and it is the same with that Orphic Night;

Ὦ Νὺξ μέλαινα χρυσέων ἄστρων τροφέ.

O Night! thou black nurse of the golden stars.

Modern English

But I have finished with that. I shall now say something about generation and its ways, so that the philosophers’ process upon this matter may be better understood. You must know that Nature has two extremes and, between them, a middle substance, which elsewhere we have called the middle nature. Creation gives us sufficient example. The first extreme was that cloud or darkness of which we spoke earlier. Some call it the remote matter and the invisible chaos, very improperly, for it was not invisible. This is the outward aspect of the Jewish Ensoph, and it is the same as that Orphic Night:

“O black Night, nurse of golden stars.”

[Vaughan’s English:] “O Night, you black nurse of the golden stars.”

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.

Rights

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.