Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Parallel Edition
Swipe or use the arrow keys.
Modern English Page · Branch 74 of 136
The Natural Fire · Modern English
Original English
In a word, they saw with their Eyes, that Nature was Male and Female; Ignis ruber super Dorsum Ignis Candidi, as the Cabalists expresse it: A certain Fire of a most deep red Colour, working on a most white, heavy, salacious Water, which Water also is Fire inwardly, but outwardly very cold. By this practice it was manifested unto them that God himself was Fire according to that of Eximidius in Turba: Omnium rerum Initium esse Naturam quandam, eamque perpetuam, infinitam, omnia foventem, Coquentemque . The Beginning of all things (sayth he) is a Certain Nature, and
Modern English
In a word, they saw with their own eyes that Nature was male and female: “red fire upon the back of white fire,” as the Kabbalists express it. A certain fire of the deepest red works upon an intensely white, heavy, sexually ardent water. This water, too, is inwardly fire, although outwardly very cold. This practice revealed to them that God himself was fire, according to Eximidius in the Turba: “The beginning of all things is a certain nature, perpetual and infinite, nurturing and cooking everything.” [Vaughan’s English:] the beginning of all things, he says, is a certain nature, and
Socrates
Reading Coelum Terrae · The Natural Fire · Page 116 · Passage B
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
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.
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.
- 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
- Complete original supplied fileDownload the supplied PDF edition
- Complete original supplied fileDownload the supplied EPUB edition
- Complete original supplied fileDownload the supplied Word edition
- Complete original supplied fileDownload the supplied Markdown edition