Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Parallel Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 294 of 318
The Address to the Book · Page 140 · Passage A
Original English
There in some silken, soft Fold thou shalt lye Hid like their Love, or thy own Mysterie. Nor shouldst thou grieve thy Language is not fine, For it is not my Best, though it be Thine. I could have voyc'd thee forth in such a Dresse, The Spring had been a Slut to thy Expresse; Such as might file the rude, unpolish'd Age, And fix the Readers Soule to ev'ry Page: But I have us'd a course, and homely strain, Because it suits with Truth, which should be plain. Last, my dear Book, if any looke on Thee As on Three Suns, or some great Prodigie, And swear to a full point, I do deride All other Sects, to publish my own pride; Tell such they lie, and since they love not Thee, Bid them goe learn some High-shoe heresie. Nature is not so simple, but shee can Procure a solid Reverence from man; Nor is my Pen so lightly Plum'd that I Should serve Ambition with her Majestie. 'Tis Truth makes me come forth, & having writ This her short Scaene, I would not stifle it: For I have call'd it Childe, and I had rather See't torn by them, than strangl'd by the Father.
Modern English
There, in some soft, silken fold, you shall lie, Hidden like their love, or your own mystery. Do not grieve that your language is not fine: It is not my best, although it is yours. I could have voiced you in so fine a dress That spring would seem a slattern by your image; Such words could polish this rude, unpolished age, And fasten the reader’s soul to every page. But I have used a coarse and homely strain Because it suits with Truth, which should be plain. Lastly, dear book, if any look on you As on three suns or some great prodigy, And swear outright that I deride All other sects to publish my own pride, Tell them they lie; and since they do not love you, Bid them go learn some rustic heresy. Nature is not so simple: she can Command a solid reverence from humanity. Nor is my pen so lightly feathered that I Should serve ambition with her majesty. Truth makes me come forth; having written This short scene of hers, I would not stifle it. I have called it child, and would rather see It torn by them than strangled by its father.
Socrates
Reading Magia Adamica · The Address to the Book · Page 140 · 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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