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Diotimos Library · Esotericism & Spirituality Collection · Bilingual Edition

Attributed to Jean d’Espagnet

The Secret Work of the Hermetic Philosophy

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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The 138 Canons · English

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Latin

Deinde in praeparatione secundâ, quae ab autoribus prima nuncupatur, quia primam omittunt; Sole iam reincrudato, & in primam suam materiam resoluto, huiusmodi Mercurius corporum, sive philosophorum propriè dicitur; tunc materia vocatur Rebis, Chaos, totus Mundus, cui omnia operi necessaria insunt, quia illa unica lapidi perficiendo sufficit.

English

Next, in the second preparation, which authors call the first because they omit the first, once the sun has been made crude again and resolved into its first matter, a mercury of this kind is properly called the mercury of bodies, or of the philosophers. The matter is then called Rebis, Chaos, and the whole world. It contains everything necessary for the work, because it alone is sufficient for perfecting the stone.

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.