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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 · Latin

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The 138 Canons · Latin

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Latin

In opere lapidis cætera elementa in figura aquæ circulantur, terra enim in aquam resoluitur, cui reliqua insunt elementa, aqua in vaporem sublimatur, vapor in aquam recidit, & ita per circulum indefessum aqua mouetur donec fixa sistatur deorsum; illa autem fixata omnia elementa fixa sunt: Sic in illam resoluuntur, per illam extrahuntur, cum illa viuunt & in illa moriuntur: terra autem illorum omnium tumulus est ac supremus terminus.

English

In the work of the stone the other elements circulate in the form of water. Earth is resolved into water, within which the remaining elements are present; water is sublimed into vapour, and vapour falls back into water. Thus water moves in a tireless circle until it is fixed and brought to rest below. When it is fixed, all the elements are fixed. Thus they are resolved into it, extracted through it, live with it and die in it. Earth, however, is the tomb of them all and their final limit.

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.