Proteus

Meaning

Proteus is the shape-changing figure used to interpret the succession of colours. His monstrous forms frighten would-be captors, just as changing appearances can mislead the investigator attempting to retain and understand the subject.

II.3.36 attributes the colour variety specifically to internal sulphur. The appearance of whiteness then reveals Nature's sulphur, described through the white exterior and red interior and an anonymous sage's gold ring covered with silver. Proteus therefore marks changing appearance, not the identity of every sulphur. The author's statement that he once saw these colours refers to the earlier trial which did not transmute metals. A successful colour sequence cannot be promoted into successful gold-making through the mythic comparison.

The French Prothee and English Proteus are kept as distinct printed form and lookup rendering. The ring's saying remains attributed to an unnamed sage, not assigned to Geber merely because his name appears nearby.