The Sophic Hydrolith

Name: The Sophic Hydrolith
Author: Anonymous

Water Stone of the Wise

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Facing Pages · Branch 197 of 287

Philosophical Summary

Book Mode

German & Latin

1619 pp. 223–224 · scans ER227, ER228

Wiewol etliche wahre Philosophi recht gesagt haben / wenn man die Sonn vnd den Mond / durch den rechten Mercurium zusammen füge / daß sie als dann alle vnvolkommene Metall vollkommen machen: darinnen aber der meiste theil Leute jrret / die kein ander Ding haben auff Erden / es seyn vegetabilia, animalia oder mineralia, als diese drey / so in einem Ding beysammen seyn. Dann sie nehmen nicht in acht / daß die Philosophi nicht von gemeinem Gold / Silber vnnd Mercurio reden / welche gantz todt seyn / vnnd keine Substantz mehr annehmen: sondern bleiben also / vnnd kan keines dem andern helffen / daß es perficiret würde. Sie seyn fürwar die Frücht / die man vor der Zeit vom Baum genommen / vnnd deßwegen nit achtet. Dann es wirdt in jhnen nit gefunden / was man suchet. Sie haben nicht mehr / als was sie selbsten bedürffen: derhalben soll man die Frucht auff dem Baum suchen / so zu jhnen noch führet / welche Frucht von Tag zu Tage sich ergrössert vnd vermehret / so lang als der Baum darzu gibe. Vnd diß Werck ist eine Frewde zu sehen. Durch diß Mittel kan man den Baum ohne samlung der Früchte anfangen vmbzupflantzen / vnd in andere fruchtbare bessere Erden zu versetzen / welche vielleicht in einem Tag der Frucht mehr Nahrung geben mag / als sie sonsten in hundert Jahren von anderer Erden nicht empfangen hette.

The Sophic Hydrolith: Philosophical Summary

1619 pp. 223–224 · scans ER227, ER228

Some true philosophers have indeed rightly said that if the Sun and Moon are joined through the true Mercury, they then make all imperfect metals perfect. But most people err in this, having no other thing on earth—whether vegetable, animal or mineral—than these three, which are together in one thing. They fail to notice that the philosophers are not speaking of common gold, silver and Mercury, which are entirely dead and take in no further substance, but remain as they are. None of them can help another to become perfect. They truly are fruit taken from the tree before its time and therefore disregarded. What one seeks is not found within them. They have no more than they themselves require. One must therefore seek the fruit on the tree that still supplies it, fruit which grows larger and increases from day to day for as long as the tree supplies it. This work is a delight to behold. By this means one can begin to transplant the tree without gathering its fruit and set it in another, more fertile and better soil, which may give the fruit more nourishment in one day than it would otherwise have received from another soil in a hundred years.

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.