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 124 of 204
Sulphur · Air · Passage 3
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 20–21
Latin
Si igitur aliquis vellet esse bonus plantator arborum, animadvertendum est illi, ut cuspidem attractivum versus partem Septentrionalem vergat, sic nunquam frustrabitur labore. Quoniam sicut Polus Arcticus aquas, ita punctum verticale semen trahunt ad se, et quilibet cuspis attractivus correspondet illis, et habes exemplum in omni ligno cuius cuspis attractivus naturaliter ad punctum verticale tendit, et trahitur ab illo. Nam fiat lignum quodcunque aequaliter elaboratum, si vis scire quis cuspis est superior, pone illud in aquam, ac submergatur, extra tamen suam longitudinem, videbis semper cuspidem illum prius ex aquis emergere, quam eius oppositam partem, nescit enim natura errare in suo officio. De quibus latius in Harmonia de vi magnetica, quamvis de magnete facile is poterit, cui natura metallorum cognita est, tractabitur; hic nos dixisse sufficiat, Elementum hoc esse dignissimum in quo est semen et spiritus vitalis seu domicilium animae omnis creaturae.
English
If someone wishes to be a good planter of trees, he must take care to turn the attractive tip towards the north. In this way his labour will never be disappointed. For as the Arctic pole draws waters, so the point above draws seed to itself, and every attractive tip corresponds to them. You have an example in every piece of wood, whose attractive tip naturally tends towards the point above and is drawn by it. If a piece of wood has been worked evenly and you wish to know which is its upper tip, place it in water and submerge it beyond its length. You will always see that tip emerge from the water before its opposite end. Nature cannot err in her duty. This will be discussed more fully in the Harmony, on magnetic force—although someone who knows the nature of metals will readily be able to speak about the magnet. Here let it suffice that I have called this element most worthy: it contains the seed and vital spirit, or dwelling of the soul, of every creature.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Sulphur · Air · Sulphur · Air · Passage 3
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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.