Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition
Sal Lumen and Spiritus Mundi Philosophici
Treatises on the True Salt and the Universal Spirit of the World
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English Page · Branch 58 of 251
Book One · Chapter 5
French
1621 pp. 41–43 · scans FR061, FR062, FR063Je ne veux toutesfois donner cet avantage à ceux qui lisant ce chapitre pourroient faire par precipitation un mauvais jugement de moy, sur ce que je destraque l'intention principalle de Hermes du grand chemin Phisique pour la jetter au sentier que je tiens: sçachant bien que selon son precepte tous les bons Philosophes veulent que leur Soleil soit conjoint à leur Lune, pour faire par leur conjonction la generation necessaire. Car comme dit Arnauld de Villeneufve en sa fleur des fleurs, leur sperme ne se joint point à leur corps, sinon par le moyen de leur Lune, & cette Lune n'est point l'argent vulgaire, ains la vraye matiere de la pierre, qui assemble en son ventre, & retient inseparablement le corps, qui est le Soleil, & le sperme, qui est le Mercure. Et c'est de cette Lune qu'il parle en sa nouvelle lumiere, disant que horsmis le maistre qui luy enseigna l'œuvre, il n'avoit jamais veu personne travaillant sur la vraye matiere: mais que tous s'esgaroient & extravaguoient au choix des choses, comme si d'un chien ils vouloient engendrer un homme.
Sal Lumen and Spiritus Mundi Philosophici: Book One · Chapter 5
1621 pp. 41–43 · scans FR061, FR062, FR063Nevertheless, I do not wish to give an advantage to those who, reading this chapter, might hastily judge me ill because I divert Hermes’ principal intention from the broad natural road into the path I am following. I know well that, according to his precept, all good philosophers require their sun to be joined to their moon so that their conjunction may accomplish the necessary generation. For, as Arnauld de Villeneufve says in his Flower of Flowers, their seed does not join their body except through their moon. This moon is not ordinary silver, but the true matter of the stone, which gathers within its belly and retains inseparably the body, which is the sun, and the seed, which is Mercury. It is of this moon that he speaks in his New Light, saying that, apart from the master who taught him the work, he had never seen anyone working upon the true matter, but that all went astray and wandered in their choice of things, as though they wished to generate a man from a dog.
Socrates
Reading Sal Lumen and Spiritus Mundi Philosophici · Book One · Chapter 5 · Book One · Chapter 5 · Unit 4
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Socrates will begin with this book and its sources.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.
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This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.
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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.
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