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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Parallel Edition

Thomas Vaughan

Magia Adamica

The Antiquity of Magic · With the Complete Coelum Terrae

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Magia AdamicaThe Natural Fire · Modern English

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The Natural Fire · Modern English

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Original English

Subject they found the Natures of all particulars, and this is signified to us by that Maxim: Qui Proteum non novit, adeat Pana. This Pan is their Chaos, or Mercurie, which expounds Proteus. namely the Particular Creatures, commonly call'd Individualls, For Pan transformes himself into a Proteus, that is, into all varieties of Species, into Animals, Vegetables, and Minerals; for out of the Universall Nature, or first matter, all these are made, and Pan hath their Proprieties in himself. Hence it is that Mercurie is call'd the Interpreter, or Expositor of Inferiors and Superiors, under which Notion the Ancient Orpheus invokes him.

Κλῦθί μου Ἑρμεία, Διὸς ἄγγελε, Μαιάδος υἱέ, Ἑρμηνεῦ πάντων.

Hear me ô Mercurie, thou messenger of Jove, and son of Maia, the Expositor of all Things.

Modern English

subject they found the natures of all particular things, as the maxim tells us: “Whoever does not know Proteus should approach Pan.” This Pan is their chaos or Mercury, which explains Proteus: the particular creatures commonly called individuals. For Pan transforms himself into Proteus—that is, into every variety of species, into animals, plants and minerals. All these are made from universal Nature or the first matter, and Pan possesses their properties within himself. Hence Mercury is called the interpreter or expositor of things below and things above. In this capacity the ancient Orpheus invokes him:

“Hear me, Hermes, messenger of Zeus, son of Maia, interpreter of all.”

[Vaughan’s English:] “Hear me, Mercury, messenger of Jove and son of Maia, expositor of all things.”

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.