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Anonymous

The Sophic Hydrolith

Water Stone of the Wise

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The Sophic HydrolithThe Way of Truth

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English Page · Branch 226 of 287

The Way of Truth

German & Latin

1619 pp. 258–259 · scans ER262, ER263

Auch spürestu, wie sich viel vnverständige Leute in die Alchimey begeben, als Schuster, Peltzer, Schneider, auch verdorbene Panckerotische Kauffleute vnnd Brawer, die sich mit Vnverstand etzlich Jahr in der Sudlerey martern, vnnd zu verwandlung der Metallen nichts dienstlichs finden, so wollen sie als bald grosse Ertzte seyn, machen viel Plapperey mit ruhmrähtigen, hochtrabenden Worten, vnterstehen sich vieler grossen Dinge, auch grosse Kranckheiten zu Curiren, deren sie doch keinen Verstand haben, geben vnverständlich Quid pro quo, Venena pro medicamentis, dadurch sie manchen Menschen vnter die Erden bringen, welches sie doch alles für Gott zu verantworten haben, der sie auch, wofern sie nicht davon abstehen, schwerlich drumb heimsuchen wirdt. Aber von diesem genug, weil mich die Sache nicht groß angehet, dann die weltliche Oberkeit wird solchem vnmassigen hochtrabenden Gesellen wol zu steuren wissen. Ich aber schreibe dir solchs nur zur Warnung, daß du sehest, wie vngeschickt sie in der Medicina handeln, deren sie keinen Verstand haben, daß sie also auch thun bey der herrlichen Kunst Alchimia, vnterstehen sich der Kunst nachzutrachten, vnd verstehen doch nicht das geringste Tröpflein oder Pünctlein, was die Metallen seyn, oder wovon vnnd worauß sie seyn, wie sollen doch die armen vnverständigen Leut was guts (den Sachen nützlich) außrichten, das doch vnmüglich ist.

1619 pp. 258–259 · scans ER262, ER263

The Sophic Hydrolith: The Way of Truth

1619 pp. 258–259 · scans ER262, ER263

You also notice how many ignorant people take up alchemy: cobblers, furriers, tailors, ruined and bankrupt merchants, and brewers. After tormenting themselves ignorantly for several years with bungling operations and finding nothing useful for transmuting metals, they immediately want to be great physicians. With boastful, high-flown words they make a great babble, undertake many great things and presume to cure serious illnesses of which they have no understanding. In their ignorance they give one thing for another, poisons instead of medicines, and thereby put many people into the ground. They must answer for all this before God, who will punish them severely for it unless they desist. But enough of this, since the matter is of little concern to me: the secular authorities will know how to restrain such immoderate, high-flown fellows. I write this only as a warning, so that you may see how incompetently they practise medicine without understanding it. They do the same in the noble art of alchemy. They undertake to pursue the art yet do not understand the smallest drop or point of what metals are, or of what and from what they exist. How can these poor ignorant people accomplish anything good or useful to the matter? It is impossible.

1619 pp. 258–259 · scans ER262, ER263

About This Reading Edition

The anonymous Water Stone of the Wise of 1619, with German text, a new English translation, 240 annotations, three companion treatises from the original volume, two separately identified responses of 1661, and the complete supplied study apparatus.

Historical Text and Translation

Anonymous, Wasserstein der Weysen. Frankfurt: Lucas Jennis, 1619. The governing e-rara copy belongs to the Stiftung der Werke von C. G. Jung, Zürich (DOI 10.3931/e-rara-8968). The work is traditionally attributed to Johann Siebmacher; this remains an attribution, not a name printed in the anonymous witness. The separately sourced First and Second Responses use the 1661 Wolfenbüttel witness, qun-642-1s, pp. 200–206.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

Historical texts printed in 1619 and 1661 are in the public domain. The supplied 2026 German reading text, new English translation, introduction, notes and complete study apparatus are published with the site owner’s authorization. The original triangle is credited to the Stiftung der Werke von C. G. Jung, Zürich, and e-rara, Public Domain Mark.