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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition

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 350 of 504

II.5 · The Anatomy and Regeneration of Chaotic Water

German & Latin

1723 pp 277–278

Ob der Artist schon vermeynet, der Sp. vini sey nun von allem Phlegma entäussert, weil er das Pulver anzündet; hieraus aber wird er befinden, daß der Spiritus vini fast so schwer Phlegma hat, als er wiegt, und daß seine Schärffe gar eine kleine Quantität ist, die sich coaguliren und figiren läßt. Damit aber auch das Recolaceum mit einem Lob ausreiche, so sage ich, daß es trefflich purificirtes Humidum radicale ist, welches die Schwindsüchtigen zu ihrem Getranck brauchen solten, und jene, so die Darrsucht haben: Solches restauriret das verflogene Humidum, aber nur dieses Recolaceum, aus welchem der Sp. vini, so das Pulver anzündet, coagulirt und figiret ist worden. Denn dieses ist ein sehr reiner Mercurius vegetabilis hyleosus seu insipidus volatilis incoagulabilis etc. Hieraus hat nun der Leser die Probe, daß sich nur der Samen, der Geist, die Schärffe, oder das saltzhaffte spermatische Wesen und Substantz in allen Dingen coaguliren lasse und nicht das Recolaceum. Wenn nun ein Artist das Recolaceum von dem Samen scheidet, so ist die Coagulation in einem Augenblick vorhanden, welcher dann auf dem Fuß folget die Fixation.

1723 pp 277–278

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

1723 pp 277–278

The practitioner may think wine spirit is free of all phlegm because it ignites powder. Yet he will find it contains almost its own weight in phlegm, while its coagulable, fixable sharpness is a very small quantity. To send the recolaceous portion away with praise too, I say that it is excellently purified radical moisture, which consumptives and those with wasting disease should use as their drink. It restores moisture that has flown away—but only this recolaceous portion from which powder-igniting wine spirit has been coagulated and fixed. It is a very pure hylean vegetable mercury, or insipid, volatile, incoagulable mercury, and so forth. The reader now has the trial showing that only seed, spirit, sharpness, or the salty spermatic being and substance in all things can be coagulated, not the recolaceous portion. Separate the latter from seed and coagulation occurs in a moment, with fixation following close behind.

1723 pp 277–278

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.