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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

Corpora autem illa virginitate intemeratâ & incorruptâ; viva & animata, non extincta, qualia sunt quae à vulgo tractantur, sumi necesse est; quis enim à mortuis vitam expectet? Corrupta autem dicuntur, quae copulam passa sunt: mortua verò quae urgente summo mundi tyranno, martyrio animam cum sanguine effuderunt. fuge fratricidam, à quo in toto opere summum imminet periculum.

English

Those bodies must be taken with their virginity inviolate and uncorrupted, living and animated, not extinguished like those commonly handled. For who would expect life from the dead? Those that have undergone coupling are called corrupted; those that, under pressure from the world's supreme tyrant, have poured out their soul with their blood in martyrdom are called dead. Flee the fratricide, from whom the greatest danger threatens throughout the work.

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.