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The Seed and the Earth · Page 88 · Passage A
Original English
one Common house, and there is no Familie so numerous, as that of the Grave. Doe but look on the Dally sports of Nature, her Clouds and mists, the Scæne, and Pageantrie of the Aire, Even these Momentary Things retreat to the Closet of the Earth. If the Sun makes her drie, shee can drink as fast, what gets up in Cloudes, comes down in Water, the Earth swallows up all, and like that Philosophicall Dragon eats her own Tayle. The wise Poets saw this, and in their mysticall language call'd the Earth Saturne, telling us withall, shee did feed on her own Children. Verily there is more Truth in their stately Verse, than in Aristotle's dull Prose, for hee was a blinde beast, and Malice made him so. But to proceed a little further with you, I wish you to concoct what you reade, to dwell a little upon Earth, not to fly up presently, and admire the Meteors of your own Braines. The Earth you know in the Winter time is a dull, dark, dead Thing. a contemptible frozen phlegmatick Lump. But towards the Spring, and Fomentations of the Sun, what rare Pearles are there in this Dung-hill? what glorious Colours, and tinctures doth she discover? a pure eternall green overspreads her, and this attended with innumerable other Beauties; Roses red and white, golden Lilies, Azure Violets, the Bleeding Hyacinths, with their severall
Modern English
one common house, and no family is so numerous as the grave's. Look at Nature's daily games: her clouds and mists, the scenes and pageantry of the air. Even these momentary things withdraw into earth's chamber. If the sun dries her, she can drink as quickly. What rises in clouds descends as water. Earth swallows everything and, like the philosophical dragon, eats her own tail. The wise poets saw this. In their mystical language they called earth Saturn, saying that she fed on her own children. Truly there is more truth in their stately verse than in Aristotle's dull prose: he was a blind beast, and malice made him so. But to go a little further, I would have you digest what you read, dwell a little on earth, and avoid flying up at once to admire the meteors of your own brain. In winter, as you know, earth is a dull, dark, dead thing: a contemptible frozen, phlegmatic lump. But as spring approaches and the sun warms her, what rare pearls appear in this dunghill! What glorious colours and tinctures she reveals! A pure, eternal green spreads over her, attended by countless other beauties: roses red and white, golden lilies, azure violets and the bleeding hyacinths, with their various
Socrates
Reading Magia Adamica · The Seed and the Earth · Page 88 · 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.
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 disclosed lacunaeGetty Research Institute: surviving 1650 comparison copy
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