Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Latin Page · Branch 158 of 204
On Sulphur · Passage 4
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 60–62
Latin
Accidit autem quadam vice, cum ita fere in extasi speculando deambularet, pervenit ad quoddam nemus viridissimum, omniumque rerum refertissimum: in quo erant omnium minerarum et metallorum fodinae, omniumque animalium et avium genera, omnium arborum, herbarum et fructuum copia. Ibi etiam erant varii aquaeductus, quoniam illis in locis aqua non habebatur nisi quae per varia instrumenta et canales trahebatur, et hoc per varios artifices ex variis locis: praecipua fuit illa, clariorque caeteris, quae a radiis Lunae trahebatur; et haec non nisi pro Nympha nemoris illius procurabatur. Ibi etiam pascebantur tauri et arietes, et pastores erant duo iuvenes, quos Alchimista interrogans: Cuius, inquit, est haec sylva? Cui responderunt: Est nemus et hortus nostrae Nymphae Veneris. Alchimista huc illuc inambulabat. Placuit illi quidem locus, sed ille tamen semper de suo sulphure cogitabat, atque ita ambulando fessus, miser consedit ad latus canalis, sub quadam arbore, et coepit miserrime lamentari, deplorando tempus et sumptus in suo labore frustra impensos. Non erat alias deceptoriae facultatis, sed sibi ipsi nocivus. Aitque: Quid est hoc, omnes dicunt rem esse communem, vilem, facilem, et ego sum vir doctus, et hunc miserum lapidem non possum excogitare? Sicque lamentando coepit maledicere sulphuri, quod in illo tot sumptus, tot labores frustra consumpserit; et sulphur fuit etiam in illo nemore, sed inscio Alchimista. Interim dum ita lamentaretur, audivit vocem quasi alicuius senis: Amice cur ita lamentaris, cur maledicis sulphuri? Alchimista circumspexit ubique neminemque videns perterrefactus est. Vox autem illa iterum ait: Amice cur ita contristaris?
English
One time, while walking and reflecting almost in an ecstasy, he came to a very green grove, abundantly supplied with everything. It contained mines of every ore and metal, every kind of animal and bird, and plentiful trees, herbs and fruits. There were various aqueducts too, since those places had no water except what was drawn through different instruments and channels by various artists from different locations. The chief water, clearer than the others, was drawn from the moon's rays and procured solely for the grove's nymph. Bulls and rams grazed there too. Their herdsmen were two youths. The alchemist asked them: Whose forest is this? They replied: It is the grove and garden of our nymph Venus.
The alchemist wandered about. He liked the place, yet kept thinking about his sulphur. Tired from walking, the wretched man sat beneath a tree beside a channel and began to lament most miserably, mourning the time and money vainly spent upon his work. He was not otherwise a cheat, but harmed himself. What is this? he said. Everyone says the thing is common, cheap and easy. I am a learned man, yet cannot work out this wretched stone! As he lamented he began to curse sulphur, upon which he had fruitlessly spent so much money and labour. Sulphur was also in that grove, though the alchemist did not know it. While he lamented, he heard what seemed an old man's voice: Friend, why do you lament so? Why do you curse sulphur? The alchemist looked everywhere and, seeing no one, was frightened. The voice said again: Friend, why are you so distressed?
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · On Sulphur · On Sulphur · Passage 4
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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.