Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Parallel Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 205 of 318
Nature in Motion · Page 90 · Passage B
Original English
This is true; As the Ayre, and all the Volatile Substances in it, are restlesse, even so it is with the first Matter. The eye of Man never saw her twice under one and the same shape but as Cloudes driven by the winde are forced to this, and that figure, but cannot possibly retain one constant forme, so is shee persecuted by the fire of Nature; for this fire, and this water are like two Lovers, they no sooner meet, but presently they play and toy, and this Game will not over till some new Babee is generated. I have oftentimes admired their subtil perpetual Motion, for at all Times, and in all places these two are busie, which occasioned that Notable sentence of Trismegistus, That Action was the Life of God. But most excellent, and Magisterial is that Oracle of Marcus Antoninus, who in his Discourse to himself, speaks indeed things worthy of himself, οὐδὲν οὕτως φιλεῖ ἡ τῶν ὅλων φύσις ὡς τὸ τὰ πάντα μεταβάλλειν, καὶ ποιεῖν νέα ὅμοια. The Nature (saith he) of the Universe delights not in any Thing so much, as to alter all Things, and
Modern English
This is true: as the air and all the volatile substances in it are restless, so too is first matter. No human eye ever saw her twice in precisely the same shape. Just as clouds driven by the wind are forced into this or that figure but cannot retain one constant form, so she is pursued by Nature's fire. This fire and this water are like two lovers: no sooner do they meet than they begin to play, and the game will not end until some new child is generated. I have often marvelled at their subtle, perpetual motion, for at all times and in all places these two are busy. This occasioned Trismegistus's notable saying that action was God's life. But most excellent and commanding is the utterance of Marcus Antoninus, who, in his discourse to himself, truly speaks things worthy of himself. [New translation of the Greek:] “The nature of the whole loves nothing so much as changing all things and making new things like them.” [Vaughan’s own English rendering:] “The nature of the universe delights in nothing so much as altering all things and
Socrates
Reading Magia Adamica · Nature in Motion · Page 90 · Passage B
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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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