Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
A New Light of Alchemy
With the Dialogue of Mercury and the Treatise of Sulphur
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Facing Pages · Branch 106 of 204
Preface to the Treatise of Sulphur · Passage 6
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · unnumbered preface 6–7
Latin
In hac Septentrionali attractiva polari Monarchia, ut Psalmista ait: Misericordia et veritas obviabunt sibi, pax et iustitia osculabuntur; Veritas de terra orietur, et iustitia de caelo prospiciet. Unum ovile, et unus pastor. Scientiae multae sine invidia, quod ego cum desiderio expecto. Tu quoque, Candide Lector, Deum invoca, time, ama, meaque scripta diligenter lege, et tibi certe divinare bona. Quod si Deo favente, natura operante, cuius imitator sis, ad portum desideratum huius Monarchiae appuleris, tunc videbis et iudicabis omnia me tibi bona et vera dixisse.
Vale.
English
In this northern, attractive, polar monarchy, as the Psalmist says: Mercy and truth will meet; peace and justice will kiss. Truth will spring from the earth, and justice will look down from heaven. There will be one fold and one shepherd. There will be many sciences, without envy: this I eagerly await. You too, honest reader, call upon God, fear him, love him, and read my writings diligently, and confidently foretell good things for yourself. If, with God's favour and nature's operation—be her imitator—you reach the desired harbour of this monarchy, you will then see and judge that everything I have told you is good and true.
Farewell.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Preface to the Treatise of Sulphur · Preface to the Treatise of Sulphur · 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.