Latin — 1533, repaired
Mercurialia sunt inter elementa aqua, licet indistincte omnia moveat, similiter et humores, praecipue tamen permixtos: sed et spiritum animalem regulat, saporesque varios et peregrinos permixtosque: ex metallis illius sunt, argentum vivum, stannum, marcasita argentea. Inter lapides, smaragdus lapis, achates, porphyrites, topazius, et qui sunt diversorum colorum, et quibus figurae variae a natura insitae, aut qui ab arte factitii sunt, ut vitrum, et quae croceum cum viridi miscent.
Inter plantas et arbores, corylus, pentaphyllon, mercurialis, fumus terrae, pimpinella, maiorana, petroselinum, et quae breviores et minores in foliis sunt, mixtisque naturis et vario colore compositae. Animalia sagacia, ingeniosa, strenua, versatilis ingenii, velocis cursus, et facilem consuetudinem cum hominibus habentia, ut canes, simiae, vulpes, mustelae, cervus et mula: et animalia hermaphroditica, et quae utrumque sexum vicissim mutant, ut lepus, et hyaena et similia. Inter aves quae a natura ingeniosae, canorae et musicae sunt ac versatiles, ut carduelis, ficedula, merula, turdus, alauda, philomela, calandra, psittacus, pica, ibis, porphyrio, et scarabeus unicornis. Inter pisces vero trochus qui se ipsum init, quocirca masculo et femina aequat. Item polypus fraudulentus et colore versatilis, et pastinaca ob solertiam: similiter et mugil cauda cibum hamo excutiens.
Close translation
Mercurial things: among the elements, water — though it moves all of them indistinctly, and likewise the humors, especially however the mixed ones: but it also governs the animal spirit, and flavors that are various, unusual, and mixed: of metals, its own are quicksilver, tin, and silver marcasite. Among stones: the emerald-stone, agate, porphyry, topaz, and those of diverse colors, and those into which nature has set varied figures, or those made artificially, such as glass, and those that mix saffron-color with green.
Among plants and trees: hazel, cinquefoil, mercury-herb, fumitory, burnet-saxifrage, marjoram, parsley, and those that are shorter and smaller in their leaves, and composed of mixed natures and varied color. Animals that are shrewd, clever, energetic, of a versatile disposition, of swift movement, and that easily habituate themselves to men — such as dogs, monkeys, foxes, weasels, the stag, and the mule; and hermaphroditic animals, and those that alternate between the two sexes in turn, such as the hare, the hyena, and the like. Among birds, those that are by nature clever, tuneful, musical, and versatile — such as the goldfinch, the fig-pecker, the blackbird, the thrush, the lark, the nightingale, the crested lark, the parrot, the magpie, the ibis, the purple gallinule, and the unicorn-beetle. Among fishes: the sea-urchin (?), which impregnates itself, on which account it makes male and female equal. Likewise the octopus, deceitful and changeable in color, and the sting-ray for its cunning; likewise the grey mullet, which shakes the bait off the hook with its tail.
Modern rendering
Mercury governs water among the elements — though it stirs all of them somewhat indiscriminately — and the humors too, especially the mixed ones. It also governs the animal spirit and flavors that are varied, unusual, and blended. Among metals: quicksilver, tin, silver marcasite. Among stones: emerald, agate, porphyry, topaz, and any stone of mixed colors, or one where nature has worked in varied patterns, or an artificial stone like glass — especially where saffron and green mix.
Among plants and trees: hazel, cinquefoil, mercury-herb, fumitory, burnet-saxifrage, marjoram, parsley, and any plant with smaller, shorter leaves and a mixed, variously colored composition. Among animals: the shrewd, clever, energetic, versatile, fast-moving ones that adapt easily to living around people — dogs, monkeys, foxes, weasels, deer, mules; also hermaphroditic animals and those that swap sex back and forth, like the hare and the hyena and similar creatures. Among birds: the naturally clever, musical, versatile ones — goldfinch, fig-pecker, blackbird, thrush, lark, nightingale, crested lark, parrot, magpie, ibis, purple gallinule, and the unicorn beetle. Among fish: the [a sea creature — likely sea-urchin] that fertilizes itself and so makes male and female the same thing; the octopus, deceptive and color-shifting; the sting-ray, for its cunning; and the grey mullet, which flicks bait off a hook with its tail.
Editorial flags — draft status
- list: Full Mercurial correspondence catalogue (metals, stones, plants, animals, birds, fish) — generally high confidence; verify plant list ('fumus terrae' reading) and bird list order against page image.
- uncertain: 'trochus' (the self-fertilizing marine creature opening the fish list) is not confidently identified — possibly a sea-urchin (echinus) or a type of shellfish; kept as the Latin name per spec rather than resolved to a species. Flag for re-keying.
- uncertain: 'sumus rerrae' reconstructed as 'fumus terrae' (fumitory) is plausible given the herb-list context and known OCR confusion patterns (f/s, t/r) but should be checked against the page image rather than taken as certain.
- uncertain: 'fimitix' at the close of the hermaphroditic-animal clause reconstructed as 'similia' (closing a list, as elsewhere in this chapter set) — reasonable but not certain; alternate readings possible.