Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 203 of 287
The Way of Truth
German & Latin
1619 pp. 231–232 · scans ER235, ER236Nachdem nun, Lieber Freund vnd Bruder, viel Verführungen biß anhero dem Einfeltigen, in der herrlichen Kunst Chimia sein vorgestellt durch viel falsche Alchimistische Scribenten, welcher schreiben doch nichts anders ist, dann eitel betrug vnnd Lügen, obs wol dem Einfeltigen bedüncket etwas herrlichs zu sein, vnnd also den Lügen grossen glauben zustellen, auch mit der arbeit fortfahren, aber sich dadurch in grosse mühe vnd Arbeit bringen, dann was auß vnverstand angefangen, kan zu keinem löblichen ende gebracht werden. Derwegen sihestu den meisten hauffen, so sich jetziger zeit in die herrliche Kunst Alchimia begeben, lauffen vnd jagen alß bald nach den falschen Alchimistischen Processen, vnd meinen, sie haben allda die rechte ware Kunst gefunden, die doch ohne Parabeln inn keinen Büchern beschrieben wirdt, sondern ein hauffen falscher ℞ find man gnugsam, so falsche Buben ertichtet, die selbst von der Warheit nichts gewust, derhalben sie auch nichts warhafftiges schreiben können, haben also beyde Leser vnd Schreiber gleich viel verstanden, was in die Natur gehöret, dann so die Schreiber die Natur gewust, hetten sie solche vngereimpte ordnungen vnd ℞ zu schreiben nicht vnterwunden, Ja auch dieselben mit jrer falschen Sublimation, Calcination, Distillation, Solution vnd Coagulation, die erdichtet Putrefaction vnd Coniunction: wie man das täglich bey den Vngeschickten sihet, daß sie all jhr Gut mit der falschen Sudlerey verschwenden, welches nur alles geschichet durch die falsche Bücher, die da lehren von falschen Regimenten, welche der Natur gar nicht gleichförmig sein.
The Sophic Hydrolith: The Way of Truth
1619 pp. 231–232 · scans ER235, ER236Dear friend and brother, until now many false alchemical writers have led the simple astray in the noble art of chymistry. Their writings contain nothing but deceit and lies, although the simple suppose them to contain something excellent, put great faith in the lies and continue with the work. In this way, however, they involve themselves in great trouble and labour, for what is begun without understanding cannot be brought to a commendable end. You therefore see that most people who now take up the noble art of alchemy immediately run in pursuit of false alchemical processes. They imagine that they have found the true and proper art there, although it is never described in books without parables. Instead, there is an ample supply of false recipes invented by scoundrels who themselves knew nothing of the truth and therefore could write nothing true. Reader and writer have thus understood equally little of what belongs to Nature. If the writers had known Nature, they would not have ventured to write such absurd directions and recipes, with their false sublimation, calcination, distillation, solution and coagulation, their invented putrefaction and conjunction. We see every day how the unskilled squander all their possessions on this false bungling. All of this happens through false books which teach false regimens wholly inconsistent with Nature.
Socrates
Reading The Sophic Hydrolith · The Way of Truth · The Way of Truth · Unit 2
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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