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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English Page · Branch 324 of 642
Book 7 · Transmutations · Passage 9
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1605 p. 232
Latin
Tinctura est septimus gradus & ultimus, qui totum opus nostri Mysterii ad transmutationem concludit, & omnia imperfecta perfecta facit, & in nobilissimam Essentiam transmutat, & in summam suam sanitatem, ac in alium colorem alterat. Tinctura igitur est materia nobilissima, qua tinguntur corpora metallica & humana, & in meliorem Essentiam, & longe nobiliorem transferuntur, & in summam suam sanitatem & puritatem. Tinctura enim colorat omnes res iuxta suam naturam & colorem suum. Sunt autem multae & variae tincturae, & non solum ad metallica & humana corpora: quoniam omne, quod aliam materiam penetrat, vel tingit alio colore vel Essentia, ita ut priori non amplius similis sit, tinctura vocari potest. Quare multiplices sunt tincturae, nempe metallorum, mineralium, humanorum corporum, aquarum, liquorum, oleorum, salium, omnium pinguium, & in summa omnium, quae extra vel intra ignem ad fluxum perduci & reduci possunt. Nam si tinctura tingere debet, necesse est, corpus vel materiam, quae tingenda est, apertam esse, & in fluxu stare, & nisi hoc fieret, tinctura operari non posset. Nam fieret, sicut si quis crocum vel alium colorem in aquam coagulatam, vel glaciem proiiceret: ita enim non tam cito glaciem suo colore tingeret, ac si in aliam aquam proiiceretur. Et quamvis tingeret, simul tamen glaciem in aquam resolveret. Quare etiam metalla, quae tingere volumus, in igne liquefieri oportet, & a sua coagulatione liberari. Et hic sciendum est, quod quo calidius liquescunt, eo celerius ea tinctura transcurrit, sicut fermentum penetrat, & totam massam acetositate inficit, & quo melius subigatur, & quo calidius custoditur massa, eo melius fermentat, & eo meliorem panem dat: Est enim & fermentum tinctura massae farinaceae & panis.
English
Tincture is the seventh and final stage, completing the whole work of our mystery toward transmutation. It makes all imperfect things perfect, transmutes them into a most excellent essence and changes them into their highest health and another colour. A tincture is therefore a most excellent material by which metallic and human bodies are tinged and transferred into a better and far more excellent essence, into their highest health and purity. Tincture colours everything according to its own nature and colour. There are many different tinctures, not merely for metallic and human bodies: anything which penetrates another material or tinges it with another colour or essence, so that it no longer resembles its former condition, can be called a tincture. Thus there are tinctures of metals, minerals, human bodies, waters, liquors, oils, salts, all fatty things—in short, everything which can be brought into fluidity outside or inside fire. For a tincture to tinge, the body or material to be tinged must be open and in flow; otherwise the tincture cannot work. It would be as though someone threw saffron or another colour into coagulated water, or ice. It would not tinge the ice as quickly as if thrown into liquid water; and even if it tinged it, it would at the same time dissolve the ice into water. Metals which we wish to tinge must therefore be melted in fire and released from their coagulation. The hotter they melt, the more quickly the tincture runs through them, just as leaven penetrates and infects the whole dough with sourness. The better the dough is kneaded and the warmer it is kept, the better it ferments and the better bread it yields. Leaven too is a tincture of flour dough and bread.
Socrates
Reading Nine Books on the Nature of Things · Book 7 · Transmutations · Book 7 · Transmutations · Passage 9
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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 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.