The Secret Work of the Hermetic Philosophy

Name: The Secret Work of the Hermetic Philosophy
Author: Attributed to Jean d’Espagnet

A Fresh English Translation from the Complete 1623 Latin Arcanum

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The Secret Work of the Hermetic PhilosophyThe 138 Canons · English

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English Page · Branch 36 of 244

The 138 Canons · English

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Latin

Corpora perfecta semine perfectiori praedita sunt; sub duro itaque perfectorum metallorum cortice latet perfectum semen, quod qui novit solutione philosophicâ eruere, regiam viam ingressus est, nam

in auro Semina sunt auri, quamvis abstrusa recedant Longius.

English

Perfect bodies are endowed with more perfect seed. Beneath the hard rind of the perfect metals, therefore, lies a perfect seed. Whoever knows how to draw it out by philosophical dissolution has entered the royal road, for

in gold are the seeds of gold, though hidden they withdraw further into the depths.

About This Reading Edition

The complete anonymous 1623 Arcanum, conventionally attributed to Jean d’Espagnet, with Latin and a fresh English translation, 138 canons, original marginalia and errata, 88 modern annotations, separately identified historical reception documents, and the complete supplied Diotimos study apparatus.

Historical Text and Translation

Anonymous, Arcanum hermeticæ philosophiæ opus. Paris: Nicolas Buon, 1623. Bibliothèque municipale de Lyon copy, digitised by Google Books, uJNr_M9LDGgC. Conventionally attributed to Jean d’Espagnet; the original title page is anonymous.

About Diotimos Editions

This historical edition credits Diotimos Editions as its English translator.

Rights

Historical texts are public-domain works. The supplied 2026 fresh English translation, Latin reading transcription and Diotimos editorial material are published with the site owner’s authorization. The historical Signifer is credited to the Getty Research Institute copy and Internet Archive.