Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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English Page · Branch 179 of 204
Sulphur · Conclusion · Passage 3
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 82; printed p. 83
Latin
Sed hoc erroneum est, nam et Morienes Philosophice ista intelligere voluit. Virtus enim mineralis in suo regno locata est, sicut et animalis in suo regno, ut in libello 12 Tractatuum ista regna distinximus et in tria regna divisimus, quia quodlibet horum absque ingressu extraneo in semetipso stat et multiplicatur. Verum quidem est in regno animali esse et Mercurium sicut materiam, et sulphur sicut virtutem; sed animalem non mineralem. Vis sulphuris animalis si non fuisset in homine, non congelaret sanguinem Mercurius in carnem et ossa: sic etiam si non esset vis sulphuris vegetabilis in regno vegetabili, non congelaret aquam, seu Mercurium vegetabilem in herbas et arbores. Sic quoque in regno minerali intelligendum est. Non differunt quidem hi tres Mercurii in virtute, nec illa tria sulphura, quia quodlibet sulphur habet vim naturalem Mercurium suum coagulare; et quilibet Mercurius habet vim a proprio sulphure coagulare; sed non ab extraneo.
English
But this is mistaken. Morienus intended his words to be understood philosophically. Mineral power is situated in its own kingdom, as animal power is in its own, as I distinguished these kingdoms in the little book of Twelve Treatises and divided them into three. Each stands and multiplies within itself without anything foreign entering. It is indeed true that mercury exists in the animal kingdom as matter, and sulphur as power, but animal, not mineral. Without the power of animal sulphur in the human being, mercury would not congeal blood into flesh and bones. Likewise, without the power of vegetable sulphur in the vegetable kingdom, water or vegetable mercury would not be congealed into plants and trees. The mineral kingdom should be understood similarly. These three mercuries do not differ in power, nor do the three sulphurs. Each sulphur has the natural power to coagulate its own mercury, and each mercury has the power to be coagulated by its own sulphur, but not by a foreign one.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Sulphur · Conclusion · Sulphur · Conclusion · Passage 3
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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.
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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.