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Anonymous

The Sophic Hydrolith

Water Stone of the Wise

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The Sophic HydrolithPart Two

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English Page · Branch 54 of 287

Part Two

German & Latin

1619 pp. 37–38 · scans ER041, ER042

Nota. Die Philosophi haben viel von dem vaporischen Fewer geschrieben / welches sie ignem Sapientiæ genennt / darneben vermeldt es sey kein materialisch oder Elementarisch / sondern ein Essentialisch oder vbernatürlich Fewer / welches auch wohl ein Göttliches Fewer genennet wirdt / das ist aqua Mercurii, welches mit dem gemeinen Fewer durch hülff vnd Kunst angereitzet wirdt / jhne es anfangs stätiglichen miteinand’ digeriren vnd kochen: vnd gib fleissig achtung daß beyleib sich nichts darvon sublimire, oder wie die Philosophi paraboliren / das Weib den Mann nie vberherrsche / oder der Mann dem Weib zu gewaltig werde / etc. welches dann seinen proceß ferner nach einander ohne einige weitere darzu gehörige arbeit (ausgenommẽ die wartung des Fewers) von jme selbsten allein verrichten thut: als erstlich wie es das jrrdische zugeführte Corpus solis durchaus soluiert / zermalmet / zerstöret / vnnd erfaulet / auch aller seiner habenden kräfften beraubet / alda es dann anfenglich eine dunckele / hernach gar eine schwartze farb veruhrsachet / welches die Philosophi caput corui, oder jhr Raben haupt genannt / vnd gemeiniglich in40.tagen geschehen thut / also das letztlich in solchen seine anima auch außgezogen vnd jhm benommen / vnd in die höhe geführet / auch gantz vnd gar gescheiden wirdt: davon es eine zeitlang ohne alle krafft gantz erstorben am boden deß Glases wie ein Aschen liegen bleibe.

1619 pp. 37–38 · scans ER041, ER042

The Sophic Hydrolith: Part Two

1619 pp. 37–38 · scans ER041, ER042

Note. The philosophers have written much about the vaporous fire, which they called the fire of wisdom. They also stated that it was not a material or elemental fire, but an essential or supernatural fire, which is also called a divine fire. This is mercurial water, stirred into action with the help of art by common fire. At the beginning, let the two digest and cook steadily together, and take diligent care that nothing whatever sublimes away from it. Or, as the philosophers put it in parables, the woman must never rule over the man, nor must the man become too violent towards the woman. The work then performs its process successively by itself, without any further labour beyond tending the fire. First it thoroughly dissolves, crushes, destroys and putrefies the earthly body of the sun that has been added, depriving it of all its powers. At first this produces a dark colour and afterwards an entirely black one, which the philosophers called caput corvi, or their raven’s head. This generally happens in forty days. In the end its soul is also drawn out, taken from it and carried upward, being wholly separated, so that for a time it lies at the bottom of the glass like ash, completely dead and devoid of all power.

1619 pp. 37–38 · scans ER041, ER042

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.