Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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The Way of Truth
German & Latin
1619 pp. 261–262 · scans ER265, ER266Aber dennoch nit also, lieber Bruder, daß du solt verstehẽ oder in dem Argwohn bleiben, gleich wie dich die falschen Bösewichter haben gelehret, daß ☿ vnd sulphur die erste materia der Metallen seyn solte, denn man in den Adern der Erden, da die Metalle wachsen, weder ☿ noch sulphur findet, welchs sie schlecht zu einer Verführung erdichtet haben, vnd das wahre Elementische Fewer, genannt sulphur, vnnd den liquorem Mercurium. Ebenermassen haben sie das Elementische Fewer genannt vnser Solem, vnnd den liquorem vnser Lunam, damit sie die Leute verleitet haben. Auch haben sie es genennet Spiritum vnd Animam. Dem Elementischen Fewr haben sie den Namen geben Animæ, vnd den Elementischen liquorem Spiritum, darumb, daß die Elementischen Dinge vnsichtig seyn. In gleicher weise seynd also Seel vnnd Geist, denn die Seel ist ein vnsichtig Fewr, vnd der Geist ist eine vnsichtige Feuchtigkeit. Also haben sie dann das eusserliche wesentliche Fewer vnd Wasser genannt corpora, dieweil sie sichtiglich vnd greifflich seyn, darauff die Laboranten die Metallische corpora verstehen, vnnd einem dieselbe auffzulösen, welches doch falsch ist. Denn darumb haben sie es genannt corpora, daß diß augenscheinliche Wasser vnd Fewer fühlich vnd greifflich seyn, vnd das Elementische Wasser vnd Fewer geistlich vnnd vnsichtig. Darumb laß dich von den spitzsindigen Alten nicht verleiten noch verführen, denn sie seyn subtiel, so du dich dafür nicht hütest, führen sie dich in die Stricke, weisen dich auff die Metallischen corpora, vnd meinen allein die Metallische essentiam.
The Sophic Hydrolith: The Way of Truth
1619 pp. 261–262 · scans ER265, ER266But do not understand this, dear brother, or remain under the suspicion, as the false villains taught you, that mercury and sulphur are the first matter of metals. Neither mercury nor sulphur is found in the veins of the earth where metals grow. They simply invented this to mislead people, calling true elemental fire sulphur and the liquor mercury. In the same way they called elemental fire our Sun and the liquor our Moon, misleading people thereby. They also called them spirit and soul. They gave elemental fire the name soul, and elemental liquor the name spirit, because elemental things are invisible. Soul and spirit are likewise invisible: the soul is an invisible fire, and the spirit an invisible moisture. They called outward, substantial fire and water bodies because they are visible and tangible. Workers understand this to mean metallic bodies, and suppose they are to dissolve them, which is false. They called these things bodies because visible water and fire are perceptible and tangible, whereas elemental water and fire are spiritual and invisible. Do not let the subtle ancients mislead or deceive you. They are ingenious, and unless you guard against them they lead you into snares, directing you to metallic bodies while meaning metallic essence alone.
Socrates
Reading The Sophic Hydrolith · The Way of Truth · The Way of Truth · Unit 28
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.
- Governing historical witnesse-rara: 1619 witness
- Separately identified later response sourceHerzog August Bibliothek: 1661 responses
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