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 · Canon 28

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Facing Pages · Branch 48 of 244

The 138 Canons · Canon 28

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Latin

Qui tincturam physicam extra solem & lunam quaerit, oleum & operam perdit; sol enim uberrimam rubedinis tincturam, Luna verò albedinis suppeditat; haec enim duo tantùm perfecta dicuntur, quia purissimi Sulfuris substantiâ ingenio Naturae perfectè mundatâ referta sunt: Tinge igitur tuum Mercurium cum alterutro horum luminarium; tingi enim necesse est antequam tinguat.

English

Whoever seeks the natural tincture outside sun and moon wastes oil and labour. The sun supplies a most abundant tincture of redness, and the moon one of whiteness. These two alone are called perfect, because they are filled with the substance of the purest sulphur, perfectly cleansed by nature's skill. Therefore tinge your mercury with one or the other of these luminaries: it must itself be tinged before it can tinge.

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.