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 52

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Facing Pages · Branch 81 of 244

The 138 Canons · Canon 52

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Latin

Horti philosophorum ingressum Hesperius custodit Draco; quo patefacto fons aquae limpidissimae ex septemplici scaturigine emergens in limine se se undique effundit; in quo ter septeno magico numero Draconem pota, bibatque, donec ebrius squalidam vestem exuat: Luciferae Veneris & corniculatae Dianae tibi propitia Numina sunto.

English

A Hesperian dragon guards the entrance to the philosophers' garden. Once it is opened, a fountain of the clearest water rises from a sevenfold spring and pours itself out everywhere upon the threshold. In it give the dragon drink by the magical number three times seven, and let it drink until, drunken, it sheds its filthy garment. May the divinities of light-bearing Venus and crescent-horned Diana be favourable to you.

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.