Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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English Page · Branch 160 of 204
On Sulphur · Passage 6
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1616 · sequence pages 63–64
Latin
Alchimista: O miser, propterea et mihi non potuit succurrere: certe mater eius facit illi magnam iniuriam: et quando dimittetur ex istis carceribus?
Vox: Amice, Sulphur Philosophorum non potest hinc exire, nisi longissimo tempore, et cum gravissimo labore.
Alchimista: Domine, et qui sunt custodes eius, qui illum custodiunt?
Vox: Amice, custodes eius sunt eiusdem generis, sed tyranni.
Alchimista: Domine, et tu quis es, et quomodo vocaris?
Vox: Ego sum Iudex et Praefectus carcerum, et nomen mihi Saturnus.
Alchimista: Ergo in tuis carceribus Sulphur detinetur?
Vox: In meis quidem carceribus Sulphur detinetur, sed habet alios custodes.
Alchimista: Et quid facit in carceribus?
Vox: Laborat quicquid eius custodes volunt.
Alchimista: Et quid scit laborare?
Vox: Illud est mille artifex, et est cor omnium rerum: scit emendare metalla, mineras corrigit, animalia intellectu docet; scit facere omnia genera florum in herbis et arboribus, atque illis omnibus praeest; corrumpit aerem, quem iterum emendat; est omnium odorum in Mundo artifex, omniumque colorum pictor.
English
Alchemist: Poor thing! That is why it could not help me either. Its mother certainly does it a great injustice. When will it be released from these prisons?
Voice: Friend, the philosophers' sulphur cannot leave here except after a very long time and with very great labour.
Alchemist: Sir, who are the guards that keep it?
Voice: Friend, its guards are of the same kind, but tyrants.
Alchemist: Sir, who are you, and what is your name?
Voice: I am judge and governor of the prisons. My name is Saturn.
Alchemist: So sulphur is held in your prisons?
Voice: Sulphur is indeed held in my prisons, but it has other guards.
Alchemist: What does it do in prison?
Voice: It performs whatever work its guards wish.
Alchemist: What work does it know?
Voice: It is a master of a thousand arts and the heart of all things. It knows how to improve metals and correct ores. It teaches animals understanding. It knows how to make every kind of flower in plants and trees and rules over them all. It corrupts air and restores it again. It makes every scent in the world and paints every colour.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · On Sulphur · On Sulphur · Passage 6
Ask about a concept, passage, contradiction, or connection.
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.