Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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English Page · Branch 157 of 204
On Sulphur · Passage 3
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 60
Latin
Sicque confirmatus instituit in sulphure laborare. Incepit itaque illud distillare, sublimare, calcinare, frixare, oleum per campanam ex illo facere, tum per se, tum cum crystallis, corticibus ovorum, et alios multos labores in illo expertus est; cumque multum temporis et sumptuum consumpsisset, et nihil ad propositum invenire potuit, tristis fuit miser, multas noctes duxit insomnes; exibat etiam saepenumero extra urbem ad speculandum, ut eo commodius aliquid certi in suo labore excogitare posset.
English
Thus confirmed, he resolved to work upon sulphur. He began to distil, sublime, calcine and roast it; to make oil from it beneath a bell; to work it alone, with crystals and with eggshells. He tried many other labours upon it too. After spending much time and money without finding anything to his purpose, the wretched man grew sad. He passed many sleepless nights and often went outside the city to contemplate, so that he might more conveniently think out something certain about his work.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · On Sulphur · On Sulphur · 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.