Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
Swipe or use the arrow keys.
Modernised English Page · Branch 190 of 204
John French to the Reader · 1650 · Passage 7
Source reference
- Historical English witness
- 1650 PDF image 22
Historical English · 1650
Courteous Reader, thou must excuse me for not affecting elegancies in these Translations, for if I were skilled in them, yet the matter of the books would not bear them. If I have sometimes used uncouth words, it was because the sense, to which I kept me close, would not properly bear any other, or at least better came not at the present into my mind. If any Errata’s have passed through the slips of my pen, or the Printers mistake, be thou candid, and mend them. If thou shalt not approve of what I have done, convince mee of my errour by doing better; for thereby thou shalt oblige the lovers of truth, and amongst the rest, thy friend
J. F.
Modernised English
Courteous reader, excuse me for not seeking elegance in these translations. Even if I were skilled in it, the books’ subject would not permit it. If I have sometimes used unfamiliar words, it was because the meaning, to which I kept close, could not properly bear another—or at least no better word came to mind at the time. If errors have slipped through my pen or the printer’s work, be generous and correct them. If you do not approve of what I have done, show me my error by doing better. In doing so you will oblige the lovers of truth and, among them, your friend,
J. F.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · John French to the Reader · 1650 · John French to the Reader · 1650 · Passage 7
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.