DiotimosReading Desk

Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Parallel Edition

Baro Urbigerus

Aphorismi Urbigerani

The Complete 1690 Volume · With Circulatum Minus

Explore the Lexicon
Aphorismi UrbigeraniI–XIII: First Matter and the Philosophical Subject · Original

Swipe or use the arrow keys.

Original English Page · Branch 31 of 194

I–XIII: First Matter and the Philosophical Subject · Original

Book Mode

Original English

XII. This Green Dragon is the natural Gold of the Philosophers, exceedingly different from the vulgar, which is corporeal and dead, being come to the period of its Perfection according to Nature, and therefore uncapable of generating, unless it be first generated it self by our Mercurial Water; but ours is spiritual, and living, having the generative Faculty in it self, and in its own Nature, and having receiv'd the Masculine Quality from the Creator of all things.

Modern English

XII. This Green Dragon is the philosophers’ natural gold, exceedingly different from common gold. Common gold is bodily and dead, having reached the end of its perfection according to Nature, and is therefore incapable of generating unless it is first itself generated by our mercurial water. Ours, however, is spiritual and living. It possesses the generative faculty in itself and in its own nature, having received the masculine quality from the Creator of all things.

About This Reading Edition

The complete 1690 Aphorismi Urbigerani: historical frontispiece and Latin inscriptions, title and licence, dedication, all 101 grand-elixir aphorisms, the complete Circulatum Minus with its title, address and 31 vegetable aphorisms, and the full explanatory postscript with both printed endings. Original and modern English readings, fresh Latin translations, 115 annotations and the complete supplied Diotimos study apparatus.

Historical Text and Translation

Baro Urbigerus, Aphorismi Urbigerani, London: Henry Faithorne, 1690; with Circulatum Minus Urbigeranum and the concluding postscript. The Getty Research Institute copy supplies the governing images; EEBO-TCP A25684 supplies the structured transcription witness, corrected against those images. The frontispiece signed W. F. is attributed in library catalogues to William Faithorne.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The historical text and engraving are public domain. The EEBO-TCP Phase 2 transcription is released under CC0; that waiver does not cover associated images. The engraving is credited to the Getty Research Institute copy digitised by Internet Archive. The supplied 2026 reading, translations and Diotimos editorial material are published with the site owner’s authorization.