Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
Swipe or use the arrow keys.
Latin Page · Branch 10 of 204
Preface to the Reader · 1611 · Passage 4
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1611 pp. 4–5
Latin
Non sunt somnia, ut ignarum vulgus loquitur, nec inania otiosorum hominum commenta, ut stulti et insipientes, qui artem rident. Veritas est ipsissima Philosophica, quam ut veritatis amator, in veritatis Chymicae immerito proclamatae subsidium et confirmationem, occultare aut silentio involvere non debui nec potui: quamvis hisce malignis temporibus, ubi virtus et vitium aequiparantur, propter saeculi indignitatem, hominumque ingratitudinem et infidelitatem, ne quid de Philosophorum maledictionibus loquar, in publicum prodire maximopere pertimescat. Possem adducere Chymicae huius veritatis testes, autores videlicet gravissimos, iuxta unanimem venerandae Antiquitatis in tot diversis nationibus consensum: at, quae experimento oculari videntur, probatione non indigent.
English
These are no dreams, as the ignorant crowd says, nor the idle inventions of men with nothing to do, as the foolish and senseless people who laugh at the art maintain. This is philosophical truth itself. As a lover of truth, I neither ought nor was able to conceal it or wrap it in silence, when it could defend and confirm chymical truth so unjustly denounced. Yet it greatly fears appearing in public in these malicious times, when virtue and vice are valued alike, because of the age’s unworthiness and people’s ingratitude and faithlessness—to say nothing of the philosophers’ curses. I could bring forward witnesses to this chymical truth: authors of the greatest authority, in accordance with venerable antiquity’s unanimous agreement across so many nations. But things seen through experience with one’s own eyes need no proof.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Preface to the Reader · 1611 · Preface to the Reader · 1611 · Passage 4
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
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.