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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition

Anonymous

The Sophic Hydrolith

Water Stone of the Wise

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The Sophic HydrolithOpening Explanation

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English Page · Branch 16 of 287

Opening Explanation

Book Mode

German & Latin

1619 pp. 5–6 · scans ER009, ER010

Damit aber solche gleich wol nach jrem abgang / nicht gar wider verloschen vnnd vergessen / sondern auff die nachkommen ferners geerbt vnd erhalten würde / haben sie dieselbige jhren Büchern einverleibt / vnd jhren getrewen schülern viel herrliche instructiones vnd lehren von solchen schrifften mitgetheilet / vnd hinderlassen / aber diß alles mit so verblümbten worten vermäntelt vnd verborgen / dz noch wenig heutiges tages deren gefunden werden / die einen satten vnd richtigen grund darauß schöpffen können / welches aber ohne sonderbares bedencken von jnen nit geschehe / damit die jenige / so diese weißheit hetten / Gott (in dessen Handt alles stehet) desto ehr darum preisten / vnd wann jnen solches geoffenbaret / jhme die Ehr allein dafür gaben / vnd dancken sollen / zu deme auch / dz nit die edlen Perlen dardurch vor die Säw geschüttet vnnd geworffen würden. Dann wann solches d’ gottlosen Welt eröffnet / sie wegen jres geitzes anders nichts / dann diß einige allein begehrn / vnd letztlich allen fleiß vnd arbeit fallen lassen / dardurch dann ein zerrüttetes vnd wüstes wesen folgen würde.

1619 pp. 5–6 · scans ER009, ER010

The Sophic Hydrolith: Opening Explanation

1619 pp. 5–6 · scans ER009, ER010

Yet so that the art would not wholly die out and be forgotten after their departure, but would be handed down and preserved for posterity, they incorporated it into their books and communicated and bequeathed many excellent instructions and teachings from these writings to their faithful pupils. They nevertheless veiled and concealed all this in such figurative language that even today few people can draw a sound and certain foundation from it. They did this with deliberate purpose: those who possessed this wisdom were to praise God, in whose hand everything rests, all the more for it; when it was revealed to them, they were to give him alone the honour and thanks. It also prevented these noble pearls from being poured out and cast before swine. For if the secret were disclosed to the godless world, people in their greed would desire this one thing alone and ultimately abandon all diligence and work. Disorder and desolation would follow.

1619 pp. 5–6 · scans ER009, ER010

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.