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Anonymous (traditionally attributed to Anton Joseph Kirchweger)

The Golden Chain of Homer

A New Translation from the German Edition of 1723

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The Golden Chain of HomerI.22 · The Generation of Plants

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German & Latin Page · Branch 192 of 504

I.22 · The Generation of Plants

German & Latin

1723 pp 138–139

Die Ursache nun der schnellen Fruchtbarkeit ist oben gemeldet, nemlich daß die Gewächse den Salpeter sehr begierig und copiose zu sich ziehen und reissen, das Saltz aber können sie wegen seiner Fixität nicht so vielfältig zu sich nehmen. Dahero weil das Saltz die Oberhand hat samt der Erden über dem Salpeter, so macht es das Flüchtige oder Volatile aus dem Regen oder Thau durch seine Attraction zu einem Salpeter, solches ziehen die Gewächse zum Theil an sich, zum Theil aber figirt das Saltz solches durch die irdische Central- und Sonnen-Hitze zu Saltz und vermehret also dadurch seine magnetische Quantität und Qualität, also daß es in steter Augmentation und Diminution ist. Was das Vegetabile zu sich gerissen, das ersetzet es wieder von unten und oben. Damit aber nicht aller Salpeter zu Saltz werde, so schicket die Natur häuffig den volatilischen Thau und Regen herunter, zuförderst nach langen Sonnenschein, da das irdische Nitrum oder Sperma schon zu starck reverberiret wird, so kommt denn das Volatile copiosum, nemlich der Regen, aus welchem das Saltz sehr begierig das volatilische Nitrum an sich ziehet und zu figiren incliniret. Weil aber die Gewächse von der Sonnen sehr exsicciret sind; also sind sie auch begierig stets solches Nitrum an sich zu ziehen, und reissen also mit Gewalt dem Sal das Nitrum hinweg, dadurch das Saltz zum Theil vermehret, zum Theil aber dessen beraubet wird, und also gehet es ohne Unterlaß in einer ewigen, so zu sagen, Circulation her, bis der Schöpffer seine Ordnung ändert.

1723 pp 138–139

The Golden Chain of Homer: I.22 · The Generation of Plants

1723 pp 138–139

The reason for the rapid fertility has been stated above: plants draw and seize nitre very eagerly and abundantly, but because of salt’s fixity they cannot receive so much of it. Since salt, together with earth, has the upper hand over nitre, its attraction makes the volatile portion of rain or dew into nitre. Plants draw part of this to themselves; salt fixes another part into salt by the earth’s central and solar heat, thus increasing its magnetic quantity and quality. It therefore continually increases and diminishes. It replaces from below and above what the plant has seized. To prevent all nitre from becoming salt, nature sends down abundant volatile dew and rain, especially after prolonged sunshine, when the earthly nitre or seed is already being reverberated too strongly. Then the abundant volatile comes—that is, rain—from which salt very eagerly draws the volatile nitre and tends to fix it. But the plants have been greatly dried by the sun and are therefore also continually eager to draw that nitre to themselves. Thus they forcibly snatch nitre away from the salt. The salt is partly increased and partly deprived of it, and this proceeds without ceasing in an eternal circulation, so to speak, until the Creator changes his order.

1723 pp 138–139

About This Reading Edition

The two-book alchemical work of 1723 in German with a new English translation, 399 notes, eight historical diagrams, chapter outlines, keyword essays, a glossary, bibliography, subject index, and 400 discussion questions.

Discussion Questions

Historical Text and Translation

Anonymous, Aurea Catena Homeri. Frankfurt and Leipzig: Johann Georg Böhme, 1723. Traditionally attributed to Anton Joseph Kirchweger; the attribution remains uncertain. Historical diagrams from the Stiftung der Werke von C. G. Jung copy digitized by e-rara.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The supplied edition identifies the 1723 German source and historical diagrams as public-domain material. Its new English translation and editorial apparatus are published with the site owner’s authorization. The complete original files are retained unchanged.