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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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Original English

they will view it, and studie it for some short Time, and when they can know no more, then they will play with it. It is well known, that if you hold a candle neer to a little Child, hee will (if you praevent him not) put his finger into the flame, for hee desires to know what it is, that shines so bright; but there is some thing more than all this, for even these Infants desire to improve their Knowledge. Thus when they look upon any thing, if the sight informes them not sufficiently, they will, if they can, get it into their hands, that they may feel it: but if the touch also doth not satisfie, they will put it into their Mouthes to taste it, as if they would examine Things by more senses than one. Now this Desire to know is born with them, and it is the Best, and most mysterious part of their Nature. It is to be observed, that when men come to their full Age, and are serious in their Disquisitions, they are ashamed to Erre,

Modern English

and they will inspect and study it for a little while; only when they can learn no more will they play with it. It is well known that if you hold a candle near a little child, unless you prevent it, the child will put a finger into the flame, wanting to know what shines so brightly. Yet there is more: even these infants want to improve their knowledge. When they look at something, if sight does not sufficiently inform them, they will take it into their hands, if they can, to feel it. If touch does not satisfy them either, they will put it in their mouths to taste it, as though they wanted to examine things through more than one sense. This desire to know is born with them; it is the best and most mysterious part of their nature. Notice that when people reach full age and inquire seriously, they are ashamed to make mistakes,

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.