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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 · Canon 33

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Facing Pages · Branch 53 of 244

The 138 Canons · Canon 33

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Latin

Tincturam tandem illi suam in Mercurium, aut in quodvis aliud corpus imperfectum iniiciant, & arctissimè pro artis viribus utrumque devinciant, spe tamen suâ dupliciter cadent, primò quod supra Naturae vires & pondus Tinctura nec penetrabit, nec tinget, quapropter nihil lucri inde cedet, quo refarciantur impensae & corporis spoliati abiectique iactura, sic

Cum labor in damno est crescit mortalis egestas.

Denique extorris illa Tinctura corpori extraneo applicata perfectam fixationem & permanentiam non dabit, ita ut examen forte patiatur, & Saturno exploratori resistat.

English

Finally, let them cast their tincture into mercury or any other imperfect body and bind the two together as tightly as the resources of their art permit: they will nevertheless be disappointed in two ways. First, the tincture will neither penetrate nor tinge beyond nature's power and weight; no profit will therefore result to make good their expenses and the loss of the stripped and discarded body. Thus,

When labour brings a loss, a mortal's poverty grows.

Lastly, that exiled tincture, applied to a foreign body, will not give perfect fixation and permanence sufficient to endure a severe assay and withstand Saturn the examiner.

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.