Quotes:Espagnet, Jean d’

Zirkoff, Boris

Espagnet, Jean d’. French magistrate and alchemist of the first half of the seventeenth century. He was president of the Bordeaux Parliament and distinguished himself by his integrity. Fought the abuses of the Fronde as well as the evils of witchcraft. He is considered one of the most outstanding representatives of the Hermetic Philosophy of the time. His chief work is the Enchiridion physicae restitutae (Paris: Nicolas Buon, 1623. 8vo.) which outlines the physical theory upon which is based the transmutation of metals, the philosophy of the Alexandrian School, and the teachings concerning the three worlds: elemental, celestial and archetypal. This work went through a considerable number of editions (Paris, 1638, 1642, 1650; Rouen, 1647, 1658; Geneva, 1653, 1673; Kiel, 1718; Tübingen, 1728, with a Commentary by Hanneman). It was translated into French by Jean Bachon, as La philosophic naturelle restablie en sa purete (Paris: Edme Pepingue, 1651. 8vo.; reprinted in the Bibliotheca chimica of Albineus, and in the Chimica curiosa of Manget). Espagnet also wrote a work entitled Arcanum philosophiae hermeticae containing rules for the practice of the Great Work.

Source: Boris de Zirkoff, «H. P. Blavatsky Collected Writings», vol. 11, p. 573