Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Parallel Edition
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Original English Page · Branch 52 of 318
To the Reader · Original
Original English
Lord of the first Matter, and from the first matter, and the Dispensation thereof, all the fortunes of man both good and bad doe proceed. According to the Rule, and Measure of this Substance all the world are rich or poore, and hee that knows it truly, and withall the true use thereof, he can make his fortunes constant, but hee that knowes it not, though his Estate be never so great, stands on a slipperie Foundation. Look about thee then, and consider how thou art compassed with infinite Treasures, and miracles, but thou art so blind, thou doest not see them: nay, thou art so mad, thou doest think there is no use to be made of them, for thou doest believe that Knowledge is a meere Peripateticall Chatt, and that the Fruits of it are not Works, but words. If this were true, I would never advise thee to spend one Minute of thy life upon Learning, I would first be one of those should ruine all Libraries and Vniversities in the world, which God forbid, any good
Modern English
lord of the first matter; and from first matter and its distribution proceed all human fortunes, good and bad. According to the rule and measure of this substance, all the world is rich or poor. Whoever truly knows it, together with its true use, can make his fortunes constant; but whoever does not know it stands on a slippery foundation, however great his estate. Look around you, then, and consider how you are surrounded by infinite treasures and miracles; yet you are so blind that you do not see them. Indeed, you are so mad that you think no use can be made of them: you believe knowledge to be mere Peripatetic chatter, and its fruits to be words rather than works. If this were true, I would never advise you to spend a single minute of your life on learning. I would be among the first to destroy every library and university in the world—which God forbid any good
Socrates
Reading Magia Adamica · To the Reader · Unnumbered Preliminary 25 · 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.
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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