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 · Latin

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Latin Page · Branch 175 of 244

The 138 Canons · Latin

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Latin

Furni materia sit ex cocto latere, aut etiam ex terrâ pingui, vel argillâ optimè tritâ, & cum fimo equino, pilis admixtis, præparatâ, vt pertinacius adhæreat, nec longo calore rimosa fiat: Spissi fiant parietes trium aut quatuor digitorum, quo calorem sistere, eique resistere validiùs possint.

English

Let the furnace be made of fired brick, or of rich earth or finely ground clay prepared with horse dung and mixed-in hair, so that it adheres more firmly and does not crack under prolonged heat. Let its walls be three or four fingers thick, so that they may hold the heat and withstand it more effectively.

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.