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 419 of 642
Book 8 · Separation · Passage 22
Source reference
- Latin witness
- 1605 p. 241
Latin
Hoc in censu praecipuum est Aurum finum, deinde finum argentum, tertium plumbum, quartum stannum, quintum cuprum, postremum ferrum. Sic inter transmutata metalla primum est pars cum parte, deinde plumbum cinereum, praeterea Laton, insuper aes caldarium, porro Rubeum, & novissimum Album. Quanquam pro una vice Mercurius plus uno metallo non assumat, cum quo amalgametur. Illud tamen Amalgama postea semper per corium hircinum aut pannum gossypinum iniecta, ut decet, chorda, fortiter exprimendum est. Hoc enim pacto per corium aut pannum nihil praeter solum Mercurium vivum transibit. Is quod attraxerat metallum, illud in corio aut panno remanet instar calcis, quod postea cum sale Alcali aut alio in corpus Metallicum eliquando reducere potes. Hoc autem ingenio Mercurius vivus ab universis metallis multo expeditius & compendiosius, quam per gradum destillationis segregatur, &c. Hoc per Mercurium vivum processu a perito & industrio Alchimista metalla omnia post calcinationem suam in pulverisatione, a se invicem extrahi ac separari possunt. Eodem modo, facili admodum labore stannum etiam ac plumbum a cupro aut vasis cupreis, a ferro & chalybe stanno obductis, citra omnem ignem & aquam per solum Mercurii vivi Amalgama, ut diximus, separari potest. Nihilominus etiam fusum & foliatum aurum argentumve, velut & molitum tritumque quodvis metallum, penicillo aut calamo, pannis, membranis, papyro, corio, lignis, lapidibus aut aliis inscriptum illitumque per Mercurium vivum resolvi potest, ut tamen postea Mercurius ab illis metallis separari iterum ac segregari queat.
English
In this ranking refined gold comes first, then refined silver, third lead, fourth tin, fifth copper and last iron. Among transmuted metals, part-with-part comes first, then ash-coloured lead, then laton, cauldron metal, the red, and finally the white. Yet at one time mercury takes up only one metal with which to amalgamate. Afterwards that amalgam must always be squeezed firmly through goatskin or cotton cloth, tied properly with a cord. In this way nothing but quicksilver passes through the skin or cloth. The metal it had attracted remains in the skin or cloth like a calx, which you can subsequently reduce by melting with alkali salt or another salt into a metallic body. In this manner quicksilver is separated from all metals much more readily and briefly than by distillation. Through this process with quicksilver, a skilled and industrious alchemist can extract and separate all metals from each other in their pulverised condition after calcination. In the same way, with very little labour, tin and lead can also be separated from copper or copper vessels, and from tinned iron and steel, without any fire or water, by an amalgam of quicksilver alone, as we have said. Cast and leaf gold or silver, and any ground or crushed metal written or spread with a brush or pen on cloth, parchment, paper, leather, wood, stone or other things, can likewise be dissolved by quicksilver, which can afterwards be separated and set apart from those metals again.
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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.