Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 151 of 204
Sulphur · The Three Principles · Passage 12
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 53
Latin
Tu igitur quicunque cupis ad hanc sanctam Scientiam accedere, pone in primis spem integram in Deo Creatore tuo, illumque precibus fatiga, et crede firmiter te ab illo non derelinquendum; quoniam si Deus cor tuum candidum, et spem integram in se positam cognoverit, facile dabit medium, per hanc sive per aliam viam adiuvabit te, ut voto potiaris. Initium sapientiae timor Domini. Ora, sed nihilominus et labora, Deus quidem dat intellectum, sed tu illo scias uti: nam sicut sunt dona Dei, intellectus bonus et occasio bona, ita est poena peccati, quando omittitur occasio bona.
English
You, therefore, whoever desires to approach this sacred science, first place your entire hope in God your Creator. Weary him with prayers and firmly believe he will not forsake you. If God recognises that your heart is honest and your whole hope is placed in him, he will readily give you the means. Through this way or another he will help you attain your desire. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Pray, but nevertheless work too. God indeed gives understanding, but you must know how to use it. As good understanding and good opportunity are God's gifts, so the neglect of a good opportunity is a punishment for sin.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Sulphur · The Three Principles · Sulphur · The Three Principles · 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.