Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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English Page · Branch 155 of 204
On Sulphur · Passage 1
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 57–58; 57 printed 47
Latin
DE SULPHURE.
DE SULPHURE.
Inter tria Principia Sulphur merito Philosophi primo loco posuerunt, sicut dignissimum Principium, in cuius praeparatione tota scientia latet. Triplex enim sulphur est, et inter alia eligendum: Sulphur tingens, seu colorans: Sulphur congelans Mercurium: Tertium est essentiale maturans. De quo quidem serio tractare debuimus; sed quia per Dialogum unum Principiorum edidimus, ita et alia finire cogimur, ne alicui illorum iniuriam inferre videamur. Sulphur maturius est caeteris Principiis et Mercurius non coagulatur nisi sulphure: ergo totalis nostra operatio in hac arte non est nisi ut sciamus ex metallis sulphur elicere, quo in visceribus terrae argentum vivum nostrum in aurum et argentum congelatur: quod quidem sulphur in hoc Opere loco masculi, ideo dignius habetur; Mercurius vero loco foeminae. Ex horum duorum composito et actu generantur Mercurii Philosophorum.
English
On Sulphur
On Sulphur
Among the three principles, philosophers have rightly placed sulphur first, as the worthiest principle, in whose preparation the whole science lies hidden. For sulphur is threefold, and a choice must be made among its kinds: sulphur that tinges or colours; sulphur that congeals mercury; and third, essential sulphur that matures. I ought indeed to have treated this seriously. But since I published one of the principles through a dialogue, I am compelled to finish the others in the same way, lest I seem to wrong any of them.
Sulphur is more mature than the other principles, and mercury is coagulated only by sulphur. Thus our whole operation in this art is simply to know how to draw from metals the sulphur by which our quicksilver is congealed into gold and silver in earth's depths. In this work sulphur takes the male's place and is therefore considered worthier; mercury takes the female's place. From the compound and action of these two the philosophers' mercuries are generated.
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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.