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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 AdamicaTo the Reader · Original

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Original English Page · Branch 62 of 318

To the Reader · Original

Original English

the Chops, whiles another held the Presse for him like Porphyries Bason to Aristotles Well. There is somthing in him prodigious: his Excrements run the wrong way, for his mouth stooles, and hee is so farr from man, that hee is the Aggravation to a Beast. These are his parts, and for his person, I turn him over to the Dog-whippers, that hee may be well lash'd, a posteriori, and bear the Errata of his front imprinted in his Rere. I cannot yet find a fitter punishment: For since his Head could learn nothing but Nonsense, by sequel of parts, his Tayle should be taught some sense.

Modern English

the jaws, while someone else held the press for him like Porphyry’s basin beneath Aristotle’s well. There is something monstrous in him: his excrements run the wrong way, for his mouth defecates. He is so far from being human that he is worse even than a beast. Such are his accomplishments; as for his person, I hand him over to the dog-whippers to be thoroughly lashed from behind, and to bear the corrections of his front imprinted on his rear. I cannot yet find a more fitting punishment. Since his head could learn nothing but nonsense, it follows, part answering to part, that his tail should be taught some sense.

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.