Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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English Page · Branch 165 of 204
On Sulphur · Passage 11
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 68–69
Latin
Alchimista: Domine, ego scio facere oleum Sulphuris, quod cum calcinatis crystallis praeparatur: scio et aliud per campanam sublimare.
Vox: Certe tu etiam es Philosophus ex illis Comitiis: nam optime mea dicta interpretaris, sic, ni fallor, et omnium Philosophorum.
Alchimista: Domine, nonne est hoc oleum sanguis Sulphuris?
Vox: O amice, sanguis Sulphuris non datur nisi his, qui illud sciunt ex carceribus liberare.
Alchimista: Domine, scitne etiam Sulphur aliquid in metallis?
Vox: Dixi tibi, quod omnia scit, et in metallis multo melius quam alibi; sed custodes eius sciunt, ibi facile liberari possit, propterea ibi in durissimis carceribus detentum custodiunt, ita ut et respirare non potest; timent enim, ne ad palatium Regis perveniat.
Alchimista: Domine, in omnibusne metallis ita incarceratum est?
Vox: In omnibus, sed non uniformiter: in aliquibus non ita stricte.
Alchimista: Domine, et quare in metallis ita tyrannico more?
Vox: Quia tunc non amplius timeret illos, quando ad palatium suum Regale pervenerit: iam enim potest videri, iam libere ex fenestris prospicit; quoniam illic est in proprio Regno, licet nondum ita ut desiderat.
English
Alchemist: Sir, I know how to make oil of sulphur prepared with calcined crystals. I also know how to sublime another kind beneath a bell.
Voice: Certainly, you too are one of the philosophers from that assembly! You interpret my words excellently, and, unless I am mistaken, all the philosophers' words likewise.
Alchemist: Sir, is this oil not sulphur's blood?
Voice: Friend, sulphur's blood is given only to those who know how to free it from prison.
Alchemist: Sir, does sulphur know anything about metals too?
Voice: I told you it knows everything, and much better in metals than elsewhere. Its guards know it can readily be freed there. They therefore keep it confined in the harshest prisons, so that it cannot even breathe. They fear it may reach the king's palace.
Alchemist: Sir, is it imprisoned in this way in all metals?
Voice: In all, but not uniformly. In some it is not so tightly confined.
Alchemist: Sir, why this tyranny in metals?
Voice: Because once it reached its royal palace it would no longer fear them. There it can already be seen, already looks freely from the windows. For it is there in its own kingdom, though not yet as it desires.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · On Sulphur · On Sulphur · Passage 11
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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.