Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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English Page · Branch 125 of 204
Sulphur · Fire · Passage 1
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 21–22
Latin
DE ELEMENTO IGNIS.
DE ELEMENTO IGNIS.
Ignis est elementum purissimum et omnium dignissimum plenum adhaerentis unctuosae corrosivitatis, penetrantis, digerentis, corrodentis maximi adhaerentis, extra visibile, intus vero invisibile, fixissimum, est calidum et siccum, et temperatur terra. Eius omnium purissima substantia et essentia, cum Throno Divinae Maiestatis, in creatione primum elevata est, quando aquae caelorum firmatae sunt, ut in Elemento aquae diximus; ex minus purissima eius substantia Angeli creati sunt; ex minus puriori cum purissimo aere mixta, luminaria et stellae creatae sunt; minus purum adhuc in Sphaeram ad concludendum et sublevandum caelos erectum est; impura vero et unctuosa in centrum terrae, ad continuandum motus operationem a summo Creatore sapientissimo relicta et inclusa est, quam nos gehennam vocamus. Omnes hi ignes divisi quidem sunt, sed habent ad invicem sympathiam naturalem.
English
On the Element of Fire
On the Element of Fire
Fire is the purest and worthiest of all elements, full of adhering, unctuous corrosiveness: penetrating, digesting, corroding and strongly adhering. Outwardly visible, inwardly invisible, it is most fixed. It is hot and dry, tempered by earth. Its purest substance and essence was raised first at creation, together with the throne of divine majesty, when the waters of the heavens were made firm, as I said under water. Angels were created from its less pure substance. From the still less pure, mixed with the purest air, the lights and stars were created. A less pure portion again was raised into a sphere to enclose and uphold the heavens. Its impure, unctuous part was left and enclosed at earth's centre by the supremely wise Creator to continue the operation of motion. We call this part gehenna. All these fires are indeed divided, yet have a natural sympathy with one another.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Sulphur · Fire · Sulphur · Fire · Passage 1
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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.