Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Latin Page · Branch 91 of 204
Dialogue of Mercury, the Alchemist and Nature · Passage 8
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1607, Google scan PA14, PA15, PA16 · image locators
Latin
Post aliquot dies incidit in mentem Alchymistae quod in laboribus suis aliquid omiserit, iterum ad Mercurium recurrit et illum cum stercore porcino commiscere constituit. Sed Mercurius iratus quod illum sinistre coram Natura Matre accusaverat ad Alchymistam ait: Quid tu stulte ex me habere vis? Cur me accusasti? Alch.: Tune es ille quem ego desideravi videre? Merc.: Ego sum, sed nemo me caecus videre potest. Alch.: Ego non sum caecus. Merc.: Maxime caecus es, nam teipsum non vides, quomodo ergo me videre debes? Alch.: O iam superbus es, ego tecum modeste loquor et tu ita me contemnis: nescis fortasse quod ego apud multos Principes laboraverim et apud illos Philosophus fuerim. Merc.: Ad Principum aulas stulti concurrunt, illic enim honorantur et prae caeteris bene habent. Fuisti tu etiam apud aulas? Alch.: O tu es Diabolus et non bonus Mercurius, si tu ita vis loqui cum Philosophis: nam et prius ita me seduxisti. Merc.: Nostine tu Philosophos? Alch.: Ego ipse sum Philosophus. Merc.: Ecce nobis Philosophus, subridens dicit, et coepit cum illo ulterius loqui dicens: Mi Philosophe, dic ergo mihi quid quaeris et quid vis habere? Facere quid cupis? Alch.: Lapidem Philosophorum. Merc.: Ex qua igitur materia vis illum facere? Alch.: Ex Mercurio nostro. Merc.: O mi Philosophe, tunc ego discedam quia non sum vester.
English
A few days later the alchemist thought he had omitted something in his operations. He returned to Mercury and decided to mix him with pig dung. Mercury was angry that the alchemist had falsely accused him before Mother Nature.
Mercury: Fool, what do you want from me? Why did you accuse me?
Alchemist: Are you the one I have wanted to see?
Mercury: I am, but no blind man can see me.
Alchemist: I am not blind.
Mercury: You are completely blind. You cannot see yourself: how, then, should you see me?
Alchemist: Now you are proud! I speak to you politely, and you treat me with such contempt. Perhaps you do not know that I have worked for many princes and been their philosopher.
Mercury: Fools flock to princes’ courts. They are honoured there and fare better than everyone else. Have you been at court too?
Alchemist: You are the devil, not good Mercury, if that is how you want to speak to philosophers. You misled me like this before.
Mercury: Do you know any philosophers?
Alchemist: I am a philosopher myself.
Mercury, smiling: Behold our philosopher! Tell me, my philosopher, what are you seeking? What do you want to obtain? What do you wish to make?
Alchemist: The philosophers’ stone.
Mercury: From what matter do you wish to make it?
Alchemist: From our Mercury.
Mercury: My philosopher, in that case I shall leave, because I am not yours.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Dialogue of Mercury, the Alchemist and Nature · Dialogue of Mercury, the Alchemist and Nature · Passage 8
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.About This Reading Edition
The complete supplied Latin–English edition of the Twelve Treatises, Epilogue, Enigma, Parable, Dialogue of Mercury and Treatise of Sulphur, with original preliminaries, John French’s historical English address and its separately labelled modernisation, 101 annotations and the complete study apparatus.
Historical Text and Translation
The Twelve Treatises and their concluding texts follow the selected 1606 Herzog August Bibliothek witness. The Dialogue uses the 1607 Cologne printing; the author’s preface and Alsted epigram use Frankfurt 1611. Sulphur uses the 1616 Munich and Rome witnesses. John French’s 1650 address is separately identified as historical English reception.
About Diotimos Editions
This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.
Rights
The historical Latin texts and John French’s 1650 English address are in the public domain. The new translation, modernisation and editorial apparatus were prepared with AI assistance for Diotimos Editions in 2026 and are published with the site owner’s authorization.