Sal Lumen and Spiritus Mundi Philosophici

Name: Sal Lumen and Spiritus Mundi Philosophici
Author: Clovis Hesteau de Nuysement

Treatises on the True Salt and the Universal Spirit of the World

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Sal Lumen and Spiritus Mundi PhilosophiciBook Two · Chapter 2

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English Page · Branch 88 of 251

Book Two · Chapter 2

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French

1621 pp. 79–81 · scans FR099, FR100, FR101

Par les raisons ja deduictes estant à mon advis suffisamment prouvé que l'Esprit du monde prend corps, il faut icy declarer comment il se corporifie. Et bien que plusieurs ayent beaucoup travaillé & fort peu avancé en cette recherche, j'essayeray à le rendre palpable & visible à ceux principalement qui favorisez d'une heureuse naissance, admirateurs des rares effects de Nature taschent d'entrer au cabinet de ses secrets. Car ce qui a deceu tant d'esprits curieux en la perquisition & descouverte de ce corps, a esté que les uns ont estimé cette cognoissance du tout hors de la faculté du sens commun de l'homme, & reservé seulement aux Anges ou demons. Les autres que le nommant l'Esprit du monde on ne luy devoit imaginer autre corps que celuy de l'univers; veu qu'à un esprit general il faut un corps universel. Les autres, qu'on ne le pouvoit autrement appercevoir que par la conversion des corps plus parfaicts en leur premier esprit & sperme, par une exacte & laborieuse subtiliation, ne s'advisant pas qu'il n'y a point de retrogression en Nature: & que plus les corps sont parfaicts, plus ils sont esloignez de leurs commencemens & corporeité premiere. Les autres encore ont pensé qu'il falloit extraire des corps ce qu'ils nomment quinte essence, croyant que ce qui estoit plus subtil & volatil feust l'esprit qu'ils cherchoient: & s'esloignant ainsi du but où ils visoient le plus, vouloient trouver l'Orient au couchant: Car ils spiritualisoient les corps au lieu de corporifier les esprits. Mais puisque cet esprit se void manifestement tourné en corps de terre; & que sans contradiction ny doute aucun tous corps sont engendrez de luy; On le doit donc tirer d'eux mesme: d'autant que ce seroit infiniment se destourner du droict chemin de la Nature, qu'au lieu de faire un corps terrestre on en feist un de feu, que les quintessenciaux appellent leur Ciel. Or le commencement de corporification en toutes choses se fait par la terre; Car c'est la premiere ou plus prochaine operation du Mercure que se terrifier. Pourquoy veulent ils donc commencer par ignification? c'est tout ainsi que de commencer un bastiment par la toiture & non par les fondemens.

Sal Lumen and Spiritus Mundi Philosophici: Book Two · Chapter 2

1621 pp. 79–81 · scans FR099, FR100, FR101

Since the reasons already set out have, in my judgement, sufficiently proved that the spirit of the world takes on a body, we must now explain how it becomes embodied. Although many have laboured greatly and advanced very little in this inquiry, I shall try to make it palpable and visible, chiefly to those who, favoured with a happy birth and admiring Nature's rare effects, endeavour to enter the cabinet of her secrets. What has deceived so many inquisitive minds in searching for and discovering this body is that some have considered this knowledge altogether beyond the capacity of the human common sense, and reserved to angels or demons alone. Others have thought that, since it is called the spirit of the world, no body should be imagined for it other than that of the universe, because a general spirit requires a universal body. Others have thought that it could be perceived only by converting the more perfect bodies into their first spirit and seed through an exact and laborious subtilisation. They fail to consider that there is no going backwards in Nature, and that the more perfect bodies are, the further they stand from their beginnings and their first corporeality. Still others have thought it necessary to extract from bodies what they call quintessence, believing that whatever was more subtle and volatile must be the spirit they sought. Thus, in moving furthest from the mark they aimed at, they wished to find the east in the west: they spiritualised bodies instead of embodying spirits. Yet since this spirit is visibly turned into a body of earth, and all bodies are indisputably and undoubtedly generated from it, it must therefore be drawn from those bodies themselves. It would be an infinite departure from Nature's straight path to make, in place of an earthly body, a body of fire, which the quintessence makers call their heaven. The beginning of embodiment in all things takes place through earth, for mercury's first or most immediate operation is to become earth. Why, then, do they wish to begin by making it fire? That is just like beginning a building with its roof rather than its foundations.

About This Reading Edition

The complete French text of 1621 with a new English translation, all three books, preliminary texts, nine concluding sonnets, original errata, 299 annotations and the complete supplied study apparatus.

Historical Text and Translation

Clovis Hesteau de Nuysement, Traittez de l’harmonie et constitution generalle du vray sel, secret des Philosophes, & de l’Esprit universelle du Monde. Paris: Jérémie Périer and Abdias Buisard, 1621. The governing witness is the BnF/Gallica reproduction, ark:/12148/bpt6k656273. The reproduced privilege is dated 6 November 1620; the separate eighty-page Poème philosophic of 1620 is outside this edition.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

The historical text printed in 1621 is in the public domain. The supplied 2026 French reading text, new English translation, introduction, notes and complete study apparatus are published with the site owner’s authorization.