Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Latin Page · Branch 29 of 204
Treatise III · Passage 3
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1606 pp. 99–100
Latin
Prima vero metallorum materia est humiditas quaedam mixta aere calido, et est in forma aquae pinguis adhaerentis unicuique rei purae vel impurae, in uno loco tamen abundantius quam in altero, quod fit quia terra est in uno loco magis aperta et porosa, vim attractivam habens, quam in altero: provenit aliquando per se in lucem induta veste aliqua, praesertim in locis ubi non habet adhaerere alicui, cognoscitur ita, quia res omnis ex tribus principiis est composita, in materia vero metallorum unica tantum sine coniunctione, excepta veste, vel eius umbra scilicet sulphure, etc.
English
The first matter of metals is a certain moisture mixed with warm air. It has the form of a fatty water adhering to every pure or impure thing, more abundantly in one place than another, because in one place the earth is more open and porous and has greater attractive power than in another. Sometimes it comes to light by itself, clothed in a certain garment, especially in places where it has nothing to adhere to. It is recognised in this way: every thing is composed of three principles, but in the matter of metals there is only one, uncombined, apart from its garment or shadow—namely sulphur, and so forth.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Treatise III · Treatise III · 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.