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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The 138 Canons · English

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Latin

Trium circulorum primus est euacuatio, cuius labor est in subtrahendo humido superfluo, tum etiam in separando puro, mundo & subtili à fecibus crassis & terrestribus. Summum autem periculum in huius circuli motu versatur, quia spiritualia tractat & Naturam exuberat.

English

The first of the three circles is evacuation. Its labour consists in removing superfluous moisture and also in separating what is pure, clean and subtle from thick, earthly dregs. The greatest danger, however, lies in the motion of this circle, because it handles spiritual things and enriches Nature.

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.