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Egypt, Greece and the Transmission of the Art · Original
Original English
Serpent sine pedibus, and truly Moses calls it not Water, but Serpitura Aquae, The Creeping of Water, or a water that creepes. Lastly, the Knott on the Tayle, Tells you this matter is of a most strong Composition, and that the Elements are fast bound in it, all which the Philophers know to be true by Experience. As for the Assinitie of Inferiors with Superiors, and their private Active Love, which consists in certain Secret Mixtures of Heaven with the Matter, their Opinion stands thus. In the Vital fire of all Things here below. The Sun (say they) is King. In their Secret Water the Moon is Queen. In their pure Aire the five lesser Planets rule; and in their Central, Hypostaticall Earth, the fixed starrs. For these Inferiors according to their Doctrine, are Provinces, or Thrones of those Superiors, where they sit Regent, and Paramont. To speak plainly, Heaven it self was originally extracted from Inferiors, yet not so intirely, but some portion of the Heavenly Natures remained still below, and are the very same in Essence and Substance with the separated starrs and skies. Heaven here below differs not from that above but in her Captivitie, and that above differs not from this below but in her Libertie. The one is imprisoned in the Matter, the other is freed from the grossness and impurities of it, but they are both
Modern English
serpent “without feet.” Indeed, Moses calls it not water but [New translation of the Latin:] “water’s creeping”; [Vaughan’s English:] “the creeping of water, or a water that creeps.” Finally, the knot in its tail tells you that this matter has a very strong composition, with its elements firmly bound together. Philosophers know all these things through experience. Regarding the affinity between lower and higher things, and their hidden, active love, which consists in certain secret mixtures of heaven with matter, their opinion is this. The sun, they say, is king in the vital fire of everything below; the moon is queen in their secret water; the five lesser planets rule their pure air, and the fixed stars their central, substantial earth. According to their doctrine, these lower things are provinces or thrones where those higher things sit ruling and supreme. Plainly speaking, heaven itself was originally extracted from lower things, yet not so completely that no portion of the heavenly natures remained below. Those portions have the very same essence and substance as the separated stars and skies. Heaven here below differs from heaven above only in captivity; heaven above differs from this below only in freedom. One is imprisoned in matter; the other freed from matter’s grossness and impurities. But both possess
Socrates
Reading Magia Adamica · Egypt, Greece and the Transmission of the Art · Page 68 · Passage A
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
Thomas Vaughan’s complete 1650 Magia Adamica publication, with all historical preliminaries and the complete appended Coelum Terrae, original and modern English, fresh translations of Latin, Greek and Hebrew, full poems, eight historical marginal notes, the complete recovered printed corrections, 312 annotations and the complete supplied Diotimos study apparatus.
Historical Text and Translation
Thomas Vaughan (Eugenius Philalethes), Magia Adamica: or The Antiquitie of Magic, with Coelum Terrae. London: T. W. for H. Blunden, 1650. Governing transcription: EEBO-TCP A64768.0001.001. The Getty Research Institute copy supplies surviving first-edition page images; the 1656 issue supplies explicitly disclosed missing or defective material. The complete shared 1650 errata are recovered from the Bibliotheca Philosophica Hermetica copy of The Man-Mouse.
About Diotimos Editions
This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.
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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
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