Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 232 of 287
The Way of Truth
German & Latin
1619 pp. 266–267 · scans ER270, ER271Derwegen sag ich dir, lieber Freund vnnd Bruder, laß dich der alten Bücher, die so gar verderbt geschrieben, nicht jrren, sondern lerne schlecht die Metallische Natur erkennen gründlich, so wirstu der Alten Gespräch leichtlich verstehen, vnnd nicht mit andern Alchymisten hin vnnd her gaffen, die auß den Sprüchen der Alten verstehen, oder sich nur vberreden, daß man müsse eine substantiam nehmen, die putrificiren vnnd dissoluiren, biß die materia schwartz werde, darnach dieselbe so lang waschen, calciniren vnd arbeiten, biß die schwartze vergehe, vnnd anfange weiß zu werden, vnd dann das Fewer augiren, vnnd so lang calciniren oder arbeiten, biß die materia roth werde, welches alles falsch, vnd keine Philosophische, sondern eine rechte Sophistische Arbeit ist. Also werden nun alle der Alten Philosophen Sprüche in eine Sophistische Ordnung von den Vnverstendigen gedeuttet, welches die Alten zwar gar gerne gesehen, ja haben alle darumb also verdackt gesprochen, damit niemand recht köndte deutten oder verstehen, was sie gemeinet haben. Sie weisen wol allesampt auff die Metallen, vnnd gedencken offt vnnd viel deß Mercurii vnnd sulphur, aber doch alles zur verführung.
The Sophic Hydrolith: The Way of Truth
1619 pp. 266–267 · scans ER270, ER271I therefore tell you, dear friend and brother: do not let the ancient books, written in such a corrupt manner, confuse you. Simply learn to understand metallic Nature thoroughly, and you will readily understand the ancients’ discourse. You will not gape this way and that with other alchemists who understand the ancients’ sayings—or merely persuade themselves—to mean that one must take a substance, putrefy and dissolve it until the matter becomes black, then wash, calcine and work it until the blackness passes away and it begins to whiten, and then increase the fire and continue calcining or working until the matter becomes red. All this is false. It is no philosophical work, but thoroughly sophistical work. In this way the ignorant interpret all the ancient philosophers’ sayings as a sophistical order of operations. The ancients were quite pleased to see this; indeed, they all spoke so obscurely precisely so that no one could correctly interpret or understand their meaning. They all direct attention to metals and make frequent mention of mercury and sulphur, but all of it is intended to mislead.
Socrates
Reading The Sophic Hydrolith · The Way of Truth · The Way of Truth · Unit 31
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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