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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 HomerII.5 · The Anatomy and Regeneration of Chaotic Water

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Facing Pages · Branch 349 of 504

II.5 · The Anatomy and Regeneration of Chaotic Water

German & Latin

1723 pp 276–277

Denn das Universal-Wasser oder Regen und dessen volatilische Principia sind fast in Odore, Sapore & Colore gleich, und haben keine empfindliche specificirte Qualität oder Schärffe, wie die specificirten Regna animalia, vegetabilia & mineralia: Denn der Sp. Urinae, der Sp. vini und der Sp. salis haben eine empfindliche Schärffe, welches so es sich an sein Alcali mediante Acido coaguliret, so ist das Recolaceum leer, süß ohne Gestanck und Geruch, wie ein gemeines Brunnen-Wasser. Solches siehet man, daß es etwas Besonderes mit seiner Schärffe seyn müsse, als ein unschmackbares Wasser, solche Schärffe ist der Samen und Geist, welcher durch die Putrefaction eine saltzige coagulirende Natur angenommen. Wenn nun der Artist Acidum und Sp. vini auf den Kohlen und Saltz coaguliret hat und das Recolaceum abgezogen, so bedencke er nur, wie viel Recolaceum und wie viel Schärffe oder Samen er aus seinem distillirten Wein erhalten hat, so wird er befinden, daß das Recolaceum den Samen in Quantitate weit übertrifft. Denn er wäge zuvor den Sp. vini, den er rectificiret, daß er das Pulver anzündet, und so er ihn auf seine fixe Partes gegossen und das Recolaceum abgezogen hat, so wäge er denn das Recolaceum wieder, und sehe denn, wie viel Schärffe oder Samen in diesem Recolaceo gestecket hat.

1723 pp 276–277

The Golden Chain of Homer: II.5 · The Anatomy and Regeneration of Chaotic Water

1723 pp 276–277

Universal water or rain and its volatile principles are almost alike in smell, taste, and colour. They have no perceptibly specified quality or sharpness like the specified animal, vegetable, and mineral kingdoms. Spirit of urine, spirit of wine, and spirit of salt have perceptible sharpness. When that coagulates upon its alkali through acid, the recolaceous portion is empty, mild, free of stench and smell, like ordinary well water. This shows that sharpness must be something distinct from tasteless water: it is seed and spirit, which putrefaction has given a salty, coagulating nature. Once the practitioner has coagulated acid and spirit of wine upon charcoal and salt and drawn off recolaceous water, let him consider how much recolaceous matter and how much sharpness or seed he obtained from the distilled wine. He will find the recolaceous portion far exceeds seed in quantity. First weigh the wine spirit rectified to ignite powder; after pouring it onto its fixed portions and drawing off the recolaceous water, weigh that water again and see how much sharpness or seed it contained.

1723 pp 276–277

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.