Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Latin Page · Branch 145 of 204
Sulphur · The Three Principles · Passage 6
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 42–44
Latin
Scias praeterea quod ignis et aqua sunt in omni re, sed neque ignis neque aqua faciunt aliquid, quoniam illa inter se tantum certant et pugnant de velocitate, et de virtute, et hoc non per se, sed per excitationem caloris extrinseci qui motu caelestium virtutum in centro terrae accenditur, sine quo ista duo nihil facerent unquam, starent uterque illorum quodlibet in suo termino et pondere. Sed natura postquam coniunxit ista duo in proportione, tunc calore extrinseco excitat illa, et sic incipiunt inter se pugnare, et quodlibet illorum vocat suum simile in adiutorium, sicque ascendunt et crescunt, quousque terra cum illis amplius ascendere non potest; interim illa duo in eiusmodi retentione terrae subtiliantur: nam in illo subiecto terrae ignis et aqua ascendunt incessabiliter, et per poros reservatos quos aer praeparat agunt, et ex illa eorum subtiliatione flores et fructus sequuntur, in quibus amici fiunt, ut in arboribus videre est; quo enim melius subtiliantur et purificantur ascendendo, eo praestantiores producunt fructus, praesertim si aequaliter virtutibus coniunctis finiunt.
English
Know further that fire and water are in every thing, yet neither fire nor water accomplishes anything by itself. They merely contend with one another in speed and power, and even this not of themselves but through the stimulus of external heat, kindled at earth's centre by the motion of heavenly powers. Without this, those two would never do anything; each would remain within its own boundary and weight. But once nature has joined them in proportion, she stirs them through external heat. They begin to fight with one another, and each calls its like to its aid. Thus they rise and grow until earth can ascend no farther with them.
Meanwhile these two are subtilised as earth holds them. In that earthly subject fire and water rise ceaselessly and act through the passages kept open and prepared by air. Flowers and fruits follow from their subtilisation; in these they become friends, as can be seen in trees. The better they are subtilised and purified in ascending, the more excellent the fruits they produce, especially if they finish with their powers equally joined.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Sulphur · The Three Principles · Sulphur · The Three Principles · Passage 6
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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.