Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
Nine Books on the Nature of Things
A fresh translation from the early Latin text with annotations and study apparatus
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Facing Pages · Branch 218 of 642
Book 5 · Death · Passage 15
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1605 pp. 220–221
Latin
Mortificatio plumbi ut redigatur in cerussam, est duplex, una ad medicinam, altera ad Alchymiam. Praeparatio vero cerussae in medicina est talis: Laminas plumbi suspende in olla de vitrea supra acetum forte ex vino, olla optime obturata, ne spiritus exhalent: hanc ollam pone in cineres calidos, vel in hyeme post fornacem, tunc semper post decem vel quatuordecim dies invenies optimam cerussam adhaerentem laminis, quam pede leporis abradito: laminam vero reponito supra acetum tandiu, donec satis cerussae habes. Altera autem praeparatio cerussae ad Alchymiam est similis superiori, nisi quod in aceto multum optimi & pulcerrimi Salis Armoniaci solvi oporteat, hac ratione pulcerrimam & subtilissimam cerussam habebis ad purgandum stannum & plumbum & cuprum dealbandum. Si vero ex plumbo minium conficere volumus, oportet prius sale calcinari in cinerem, & postea in vitrea lata olla lateraliter aduri, semper agitando filo ferreo, donec rubescat. Hoc minium est optimum & carissimum, & in Medicina simul ac Alchymia usurpari debet: alterum autem quod mercatores vendunt in tabernis, non valet. Fit enim tantum ex cineribus, qui in minerarum liquefactione permanent, quod & figuli ad incrustandum vasa emunt, tale minium tantum ad picturas, & neque ad medicinam neque ad Alchymiam valet.
English
Lead has a twofold mortification into ceruse: one for medicine and one for alchemy. The medicinal preparation is this. Suspend lead plates above strong wine vinegar in a glass pot, closely stopped so the spirits cannot escape. Put the pot in warm ashes, or in winter behind the furnace. After ten or fourteen days you will find excellent ceruse adhering to the plates; scrape it off with a hare’s foot and replace the plate above the vinegar until you have enough. The alchemical preparation of ceruse resembles the first, except that much of the best and finest sal ammoniac must be dissolved in the vinegar. This produces very fine and subtle ceruse for purifying tin and lead and whitening copper. To make minium from lead, first calcine it with salt into ashes, then heat it from the side in a broad glass pot, continually stirring with an iron wire until it reddens. This minium is the best and most valuable and should be used in medicine as well as alchemy. The other kind, sold by merchants in shops, is worthless: it is made only from ashes remaining after the melting of ores, which potters also buy to glaze vessels. Such minium is useful only for painting, neither for medicine nor alchemy.
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Reading Nine Books on the Nature of Things · Book 5 · Death · Book 5 · Death · Passage 15
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The complete supplied Latin–English edition of the historical title, dedication and all nine books, with 363 separately labelled historical marginal notes, 117 modern annotations and the complete Diotimos study apparatus. The transmitted composite work is traditionally attributed to Paracelsus; individual authorship remains qualified.
Historical Text and Translation
The normalized Latin follows the complete 1605 Frankfurt Palthenian witness, volume six, printed pages 198–271, in SUB Göttingen PPN578052199, historical scans 182–255. Earlier textual tradition is German; the individual translator of the 1605 Latin text is not identified. The dedication’s 1537 date is transmitted text, not an established date for the composite work.
About Diotimos Editions
This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.
Rights
The historical Latin text is in the public domain. The fresh English translation and editorial material were prepared with AI assistance for Diotimos Editions in 2026 and are published with the site owner’s authorization.