Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Latin Page · Branch 136 of 204
Sulphur · Fire · Passage 12
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 35
Latin
Haec immortalitas principalis fuit causa, quod Philosophi hunc lapidem quaerere ingeniati sunt, sciverunt enim hominem ex talibus Elementis integris creatum esse. Meditati sunt igitur de Creatione ista, quam cum naturalem esse cognoverunt, coeperunt scrutari an talia elementa incorrupta possunt haberi, aut si illa in aliquo subiecto coniungi et infundi possent, quibus ipse Altissimus Conditor rerum inspiravit compositionem talium elementorum in auro esse, quoniam in animalibus fieri est impossibile, cum ex elementis corruptis vitam sustentare debent; in vegetabilibus etiam non est, quia inaequalitas Elementorum in illis inventa est;
English
This immortality was the principal reason why philosophers devised their search for the stone. They knew that the human being had been created from such whole elements. They therefore meditated upon that creation. Once they recognised it as natural, they began to investigate whether such incorrupt elements could be obtained, or joined and infused into some subject. The Most High Creator of things inspired them to perceive that a composition of such elements exists in gold. In animals it is impossible, since they must maintain life from corrupt elements. Nor does it exist in plants, where an inequality of elements is found.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Sulphur · Fire · Sulphur · Fire · Passage 12
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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.