Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 142 of 204
Sulphur · The Three Principles · Passage 3
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 39–40
Latin
Et haec est illa quinta essentia omni artifici multum necessaria, a multis contrariis separata, et sic habes in his tribus principiis in quacunque compositione naturali corpus, spiritum et animam occultam, quae tria si separata et bene purgata ut diximus coniunxeris, sine dubio imitando naturam purissimum fructum dabunt. Quoniam etiamsi anima ex nobilissimo loco assumpta est, illuc tamen quo tendit non potest pervenire nisi per spiritum, qui est locus et domicilium animae, quam si vis reducere in locum debitum, opus est ut sit lavata ab omni peccato, locus quoque sit purificatus, ut in illo anima possit glorificari et non amplius separari. Iam ergo habes trium Principiorum originem ex quibus tuum est imitando naturam Mercurium Philosophorum et eorum primam materiam producere, et ista principia rerum, maxime metallorum ad tuum propositum deducere, cum sine istis principiis impossibile est tibi aliquid perficere per artem, cum et natura ipsa sine ipsis nihil facit nec producit. Haec tria sunt in omnibus rebus, et sine illis in orbe nihil est, nec naturaliter erit.
English
This is that quintessence, greatly needed by every artist, separated from many contraries. Thus in any natural composition you have body, spirit and a hidden soul in these three principles. If you separate these three, purify them well and join them as I have said, they will undoubtedly give the purest fruit through imitation of nature. Although the soul is taken from the noblest place, it cannot reach its goal except through spirit, which is the soul's place and dwelling. If you wish to bring it to its proper place, it must be washed clean of every sin, and the place must also be purified, so that the soul may be glorified there and no longer separated.
Now you have the origin of the three principles. From them it is your task, by imitating nature, to produce the philosophers' mercury and their first matter, and to bring these principles of things, especially metals, to your intended end. Without them it is impossible to perfect anything by art, since nature herself does or produces nothing without them. These three are in all things; without them nothing exists or will naturally exist in the world.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Sulphur · The Three Principles · Sulphur · The Three Principles · 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.
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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.