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 · Latin

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Latin Page · Branch 68 of 244

The 138 Canons · Latin

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Latin

Naturalem terrae philosophicae qualitatem, eiusque cultum attigisse videtur poëta hoc carmine

Pingue solum primis extemplò à mensibus anni Fortes invertant tauri

tunc zephyro putris se gleba resolvit

English

The poet seems to have touched on the natural quality of the philosophical earth and its cultivation in these verses:

Let strong bulls turn the rich soil at once in the first months of the year;

then beneath the west wind the crumbling clod loosens.

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.