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The Natural Fire · Modern English
Original English
dissolvo, & sublimo, absque Malleo, forcipe, vel lima, sine Carbonibus, vapore, Igne aut Mariae-Balneo, & Sophistarum Alembicis: Coelestem namque meum ignem habeo, qui Elementalem, prout Materia idoneam decentemque formam habere desyderat, excitat. That is: After Putrefaction succeeds Generation, and that because of the inward incombustible Sulphur, that heats, or thickens the Coldness, and Crudities of the Quicksilver which suffers so much thereby, that at last it is united to the Sulphur, and made one Body therewith. All this namely (Fire, Ayre, and Water) is contained in one Vessell; in their earthly Vessel that is in their grosse Body, or Composition I take them and then I leave them in one Alembic, where I concoct, dissolve, and sublime them without the help of Hammer, Tongs, or File; without Coales, Smoake, Fire, or Bath, or the Alembics of the Sophisters. For I have my heavenly fire, which excites, or stirs up the Elementall one, according as the matter desires a becomming, agreeable forme. Now Nature every where is one and the same, wherefore shee reades the same lesson to Madathan, who thinking in his Ignorance to make the stone without dissolution, receives from her this Check. An tu nunc Cochleas, vel Cancros cum Test is devorare niteris? An non priùs à vetussissimo Planetarum Coquo maturari,
Modern English
dissolve and sublime them, without hammer, tongs or file, without coals, vapour, fire or a bath of Mary, and without the sophists’ alembics. For I have my heavenly fire, which awakens the elemental fire as the matter desires to possess a suitable and fitting form.” [Vaughan’s accompanying English:] after putrefaction comes generation, through the inward incombustible sulphur which heats, or thickens, the coldness and crudities of quicksilver. It undergoes so much through this that it is at last united with the sulphur and made one body with it. All this—namely fire, air and water—is contained in one vessel. I take them in their earthly vessel, that is, their gross body or compound, and leave them in one alembic, where I digest, dissolve and sublime them without hammer, tongs or file; without coals, smoke, fire or bath; and without the sophists’ alembics. For I have my heavenly fire, which excites or stirs up the elemental one according as the matter desires a becoming, fitting form. Now Nature is everywhere one and the same; hence she teaches the same lesson to Madathan, who, ignorantly thinking he could make the stone without dissolution, receives this rebuke from her: “Are you now trying to devour snails or crabs with their shells? Must they not first be ripened
Socrates
Reading Magia Adamica · The Natural Fire · Page 122 · Passage A
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
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.
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