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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 HydrolithPart Three

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English Page · Branch 82 of 287

Part Three

German & Latin

1619 pp. 58–59 · scans ER062, ER063

Derhalben diejenige, so diese Kunst anderer gestalt, als nur zur zeitlichen Ehr, Reichthumb vnd Wollust zu erlangen begehren, rechte Thoren zuhalten seind, als denen doch nimmermehr dieses, so sie mit grossem Kosten, Mühe vnd Arbeit so lang suchen, auch jr Hertz, Sinn vnd Gemüth damit quelen vnd betrüben, widerfahren mag. Darumb die Philosophi den zeitlichen Reichthumb, als Gut vnd Geldt (nicht daß es an jhm selbsten böß, dieweiln im ersten buch Moysis am 2. capit. vnnd anders wo mehr, für ein köstlich ding vnnd herrliche Gab Gottes gerühmet wirt) sondern vmb deß schändlichen Mißbrauchs halben so gar veracht vnd geringlich, auch verderblich gehalten haben, als welches nicht das Gute zu Gott, sondern ein solches Ding, das zu dem rechten vnd wahren Gut zukommen den Menschen grosse hindernus gebe, auch alles andere, so in dieser Welt sonst recht, in ein verkehrtes Wesen bringen thut, wie dann der weit berühmte Marcellus Palingenius Stellatus solches auch fein erkennt vnd in seinen nachfolgenden poematib. hertzlich angedeutet vnnd beschrieben, da er spricht:

1619 pp. 58–59 · scans ER062, ER063

The Sophic Hydrolith: Part Three

1619 pp. 58–59 · scans ER062, ER063

Those who desire this art in any other fashion, merely to obtain temporal honour, riches and pleasure, must therefore be considered true fools. What they have sought so long at great cost, toil and labour, tormenting and grieving their hearts, senses and minds, can never come to them. The philosophers therefore held temporal riches—possessions and money—in contempt, regarded them as insignificant and even destructive. This was not because wealth is evil in itself, for Genesis 2 and other places praise it as precious and a glorious gift of God, but because of its shameful misuse. It does not bring good towards God; rather, it greatly obstructs a person’s attainment of the true and proper good, and turns everything else that is otherwise right in this world into a perverted condition. The widely celebrated Marcellus Palingenius Stellatus recognised this well and expressed it earnestly in the following verses, saying:

1619 pp. 58–59 · scans ER062, ER063

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.