Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
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Facing Pages · Branch 53 of 204
Treatise XI · Passage 4
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1606 pp. 131–132
Latin
Sed quomodo haec elementa inter se agant, brevibus dicam: in centro terrae est Sol centralis, qui motu suo vel sui firmamenti dat calorem magnum, qui extendit se usque ad terrae superficiem. Ille calor causatur aerem, hunc in modum: aeris matrix aqua est, quae parit filios suae naturae, sed dissimiles et multo subtiliores: nam ubi aquae introitus est denegatus, aer intrat, quando postea ille calor centralis, qui perpetuus est, agit, facit destillare aquam et calefacere, et sic illa aqua vi caloris vertitur in aerem, atque hoc pacto erumpit ad superficiem terrae, quia se includi non patitur ubi postea refrixit, resolvitur in aquam in oppositis locis: interim etiam fit, ut non solum aer, verum etiam aqua exeat, sicuti apparet, dum nigrae nubes violentia in aerem attolluntur: cuius rei tibi sit hoc exemplum domesticum, facies in olla fervere aquam, videbis igne lento, lentos vapores et ventos: igne vehementiori apparebunt nebulae crassiores: eodem plane modo calor operatur centralis, subtilem aquam in aerem elevat, quod spissum est ex sale vel pinguedine distribuit terrae, unde res variae nascuntur: residuum saxa et petrae fiunt.
English
I shall briefly explain how these elements act upon one another. At the earth’s centre is a central sun, whose own motion, or that of its firmament, produces great heat extending to the earth’s surface. This heat causes air as follows. Water is air’s womb; it bears children of its own nature, yet unlike itself and much more subtle. Where water is denied entrance, air enters. When that perpetual central heat then acts, it causes water to distil and become warm. By the power of heat the water is turned into air, and in this way bursts out toward the earth’s surface, because it will not endure confinement. When it cools, it is resolved into water in opposite places. Sometimes water as well as air comes out, as is evident when black clouds are violently raised into the air. Take this household example: set water to boil in a pot. With a gentle fire you will see gentle vapours and winds; with a stronger fire, thicker clouds appear. The central heat works in precisely the same way. It raises subtle water into air and distributes to the earth what is thick from salt or fatness, from which diverse things are born. The remainder becomes rocks and stones.
Socrates
Reading A New Light of Alchemy · Treatise XI · Treatise XI · 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.