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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 · English

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The 138 Canons · English

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Latin

Denique Elixir perfectum & medicinam tingentem Mercurium suam quandoque philosophi, licèt impropriè; Mercurii enim nomen non nisi rei volatili propriè convenit, propterea quod sublimatur in quolibet operis regimine, Mercurium dicunt: At Elixir quia fixissimum est, simplex Mercurii nomen refugit, idcirco suum Mercurium dixere, ad differentiam volatilis. Recta tot Mercurios philosophorum investigandi & discernendi via illis tantum sternitur,

quos aequus amavit Iupiter, aut ardens evexit ad aethera virtus.

English

Lastly, philosophers sometimes call the perfect elixir and tinging medicine their mercury, though improperly. The name mercury properly belongs only to a volatile thing; they call what is sublimed in each governance of the work mercury for that reason. But because the elixir is most fixed, it does not admit the unqualified name mercury. They therefore called it their mercury to distinguish it from the volatile kind. The straight road to investigating and distinguishing so many mercuries of the philosophers is laid open only to those

whom kindly Jupiter has loved, or whom ardent virtue has raised to the heavens.

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.