Fetching
One moment.
Eleven books by a shoemaker of Görlitz who wrote, by his own account, because he could not help it. Ten of them stand here in the seventeenth-century English of John Sparrow, who translated Boehme within a generation of his death and whose prose is itself now four hundred years old; where that English has drifted out of reach, the facing pane carries a modern register — the same text with archaic inflection and spelling normalised by rule, never paraphrased. Nothing is reworded, and where no register appears beside a passage it is because the rules found nothing to change.
The eleventh book is not in English at all, and it is the reason this note exists.
Des trois principes de l'essence divine, printed at Paris in 1802, is the same work as Concerning the Three Principles of the Divine Essence, which stands here as the second book — the same twenty-seven chapters in the same order, opening `Du premier principe de l'essence divine` against Sparrow's `Of the first Principle of the Divine Essence`. Its translator was Louis-Claude de Saint-Martin, who gave the last years of his life to putting Boehme into French, and who has a shelf of his own in this Lycaeum.
That makes a closed circuit inside this archive, and it is worth naming plainly. Saint-Martin translates Boehme. La Iniciación, printed in Montevideo a hundred and forty years later, traces its own descent through Saint-Martin. A reader can therefore follow one thread from a German mystic of 1619, through the French philosopher who carried him into another language, to a Spanish-language monthly of the 1940s that claimed them both — and read every step of it in the original.
The two are shelved as one work rather than two because that is what they are. They are not set as facing panes: an English translation of 1619 and a French translation of 1802 are two independent readings of a lost German original, and pairing them line by line would assert a correspondence neither translator ever claimed.
1homme puisse discerner toutes choses dans leur essence, et voir à quelle hauteur chacune est graduée , ce qui est la base de la diversité des langues ? Si un animal avoit cela , il pourroit aussi parler , distinguer le son^ raisonner des choses qui sont là en essences, et pénétrer dans l'origine ; mais en raison de ce qu'il ne tient point de l'éternel , il n'a non plus aucune intelligence dans la lumière de la nature , quelqu'induslrieuxet agile qu'il puisse être d'ailleurs : aussi sa force et sa puissance ne lui servent de rien pour s'élever dans l'intelligence; ce seroit entièrement en vain qu'ilje tenterait, 84. L'homme a seul l'intelligence. Ses pensées atteignent dans les essences et les qualités des étoiles et des élémens , et scrutent la base des choses dans la région des étoiles et des élémens : or , cela dans l'homme a son principe dans l'éternel élément , de façon qu'il est créé de l'élément et non de l'extragénération des quatre élémens. C'est pourquoi, l'éternité voit dans l'extra - génération qui «'on^m/«e dans la corruptibilité , tandis que l'origine dansTextra-génération ne peut voir dans l'éternité ; car l'intelligence soriginise de l'éternité ou de l'éternelle base affective. 35. Mais ce qui fait que l'homme est si aveugle et .si peu intelligent , c'est qu'il est prisonnier dans le régime des étoiles et des élémens qui souvent figurent , dans la base affective de l'homme , une béte sauvage, un lion, un loup, un dogue, un renard, lin serpent , et autres semblables. Quoique l'homme pe prenne point un pareil corps, il a cependant une ( H^ ) CH. 16.
2«emblable hase affeclive, ce dont Christ paxloil aux Juifs, eu en appelant quelques uns, loups, renards, vipères et serpens. Jean-Bap4isle aussi en disoit autant aux Pharisiens , et ij est prouvé visiblement combien la plupart des hommes vivent tout bestialement par leur ame animale , et sont néanmoins ^ssez hardis que de juger celui qui vit dans l'image de Dieu , et qui tient son corps dans la subordination. 36. Or lorsqu'il y a quelque chose de bon dans les paroles et les jugemens dfi l* homme , il ne parle point alors par l'image de Tame bestiale dans laquelle il vit 5 mais il parle par l'homme secret qui est caché dans l'animal , et il juge contre sa propre ne animale :car la loi secrète de l'éternelle nature est cachée dans la nature animale , où elle est dans une grande contrainte, et elle juge contre la méchanceté de l'ame charnelle. 37. Ainsi dans l'homme il j a trois champions qui combattent l'un contre l'autre ; savoir : 10, L'homme orgueilleux , méchant et colérique., provenant de l'origine de l'ame ; et 20. , Vhomme éternel , saint , chaste et humble qui est engendré de l'éternelle origine 5 et 3<> , Vhomme périssable , bestial , entièrement animal, né des étoiles et des élémens qui tient en sa possession tout le «^««^tf ettouterhabitation. 38. Il en est ici de l'image de l'homme comme le dit Saint-Paul xCeliù à qui vous vous abandonnez en aervitude comme un esclave , roue en êtes dominé , soit du péché pour la mort , soit de Vobéissance à Dieu pour la justice ; vous en avez r impulsion. Si rhaoune s'ahandonne par sou ame à la méchanceté,. CH. 16. < ^47 )
3à l'orgueil, à sou propre pouvoir , à la pompe ,^1 l'oppression des misérables , alors il est semblable à l'insensé et orgueilleux démon ; il en est 1 esclave obéissant ; il perd l'image de Dieu , et cette image ne représente plus qu'un loup , un dragon , un serpent ,\e tout selon les essences de l homme , tel qu'il est dans la figure de l'affection. 3q Mais s'il s'adonne à une autre espèce d anipiaUlé grossière , telle que de vivre dans un pur altract bestial, de manger) et boire ,usqu à la démence, de paillarder , de voler, de dérober, de massacrer , de mentir et de tromper ; alors l'ame éternelle lui figure aussi une semblable image , telle que d'un animal sans raison , et d'un reptile hideux : et quoique dans cette vie il porte l image ,le l'homme élémentaire , il.a cependant une image bestiale de vipère et de serpent cachée la-dedans , laquelle sera manifestée lors de la rupture du corps , et n'appartient point au royaume de Dieu. 40. Mais s'il s'adonne à l'obéissance en Dieu , et qu'il incline son ame vers Dieu pour abjurer en h«- iililé aux pieds de la croix , la méchanceté , les dewrs et les attracis charnels, de même que toute mauvaise vie et mauvaise [conduite ; alors son ame éternelle lui figure son image en un ange qui est pudique , pur et chasle 5 il conserve aussi son imago Jors de U brisure du corps , et après il épousera 1^ chère vierge sophie de l'éternelle sagesse , pudicit6 ^ chasteté du paradis. 41. Sur cette terre, il doit rester entre la portfi 01 les gonds 9 entre le royaume de l'enfer et I0 f '48 ) en ,6
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
1man may discern all things in their essence, and see at what height each one is graduated, which is the base of the diversity of the languages? If an animal had that, it could also speak, distinguish the sound, reason of the things which are there in essences, and penetrate into the origin; but by reason of what it holds not at all of the eternal, it has no more any intelligence in the light of nature, however industrious and agile it may be otherwise: also its force and its power serve it in nothing for raising itself into the intelligence; it would be entirely in vain that it should attempt it. 84. Man alone has the intelligence. His thoughts reach into the essences and the qualities of the stars and of the elements, and scrutinise the base of things in the region of the stars and of the elements: now, that in man has its principle in the eternal element, so that he is created of the element and not of the extra-generation of the four elements. That is why, the eternity sees into the extra-generation which originises itself in the corruptibility, whilst the origin in the extra-generation cannot see into the eternity; for the intelligence originises itself of the eternity or of the eternal affective base. 35. But what makes that man is so blind and so little intelligent, is that he is prisoner in the régime of the stars and of the elements which often figure, in the affective base of man, a savage beast, a lion, a wolf, a mastiff, a fox, a serpent, and other like ones. Although man take not such a body, he has nevertheless a ( H^ ) CH. 16.
2like affective base, whereof Christ spoke to the Jews, in calling some of them wolves, foxes, vipers and serpents. John-Bap4tist also said as much to the Pharisees, and it is visibly proved how much the greater part of men live all bestially by their animal soul, and are nevertheless bold enough to judge him who lives in the image of God, and who holds his body in subordination. 36. Now when there is something good in the words and the judgements of man, he speaks not then by the image of the bestial soul in which he lives 5 but he speaks by the secret man who is hidden in the animal, and he judges against his own animal soul: for the secret law of the eternal nature is hidden in the animal nature, where it is in a great constraint, and it judges against the wickedness of the carnal soul. 37. Thus in man there are three champions who combat one against the other; to wit: 10, The proud, wicked and choleric man, proceeding from the origin of the soul; and 20. , the eternal man, holy, chaste and humble who is begotten of the eternal origin 5 and 3<> , the perishable man, bestial, entirely animal, born of the stars and of the elements which holds in its possession all the body and all the habitation. 38. It is here with the image of man as Saint Paul says: He to whom you abandon yourselves in servitude as a slave, you are dominated by him, whether of sin for the death, or of obedience to God for the justice; you have the impulsion thereof. If man abandon himself by his soul to wickedness, CH. 16. < ^47 )
3to pride, to his own power, to pomp, 1to the oppression of the wretched, then he is like to the senseless and proud demon; he is 1the obedient slave thereof; he loses the image of God, and this image represents no more than a wolf, a dragon, a serpent, the whole according to the essences of man, such as he is in the figure of the affection. 3q But if he give himself to another species of gross animality, such as to live in a pure bestial attract, to eat and drink even to madness, to whore, to steal, to rob, to massacre, to lie and to deceive; then the eternal soul figures for him also a like image, such as of an animal without reason, and of a hideous reptile: and although in this life he bear the image of the elementary man, he has nevertheless a bestial image of viper and of serpent hidden therein, which will be manifested at the rupture of the body, and belongs not at all to the kingdom of God. 40. But if he give himself to the obedience in God, and that he incline his soul toward God to abjure in humility at the foot of the cross, the wickedness, the carnal duties and attracts, as well as all evil life and evil conduct; then his eternal soul figures for him his image in an angel who is modest, pure and chaste 5 he preserves also his image at the breaking of the body, and afterwards he will espouse 1the dear virgin Sophia of the eternal wisdom, modesty6 and chastity of paradise. 41. Upon this earth, he must remain between the gate 01and the hinges 9 between the kingdom of hell and I0 f '48 ) en ,6
Our translation, period-faithful. Citable as our translation, never as the source.
Saint-Martin's French rendering of Boehme's 'Von den drei Principien göttlichen Wesens'. The same work stands in this estate in English as boehme:2. The title page also advertises 'L'Aurore naissante, du même Auteur' from the same booksellers — Saint-Martin's translation of the Aurora, whose English counterpart the estate holds as boehme:1. Reading the two versions against each other shows what a Martinist made of a German shoemaker's theosophy.
→ boehme:2
This work carries, in the author's own voice, both a set of hostile comparisons drawn against named peoples and an explicit refusal of any such boundary, and the Press publishes both rather than either alone. At Ch.25 §85 he calls the Jews blind; at Ch.17 §106 he warns of a coming visitation of the Jews and the Turks; and at Ch.26 §32-33, asked whence the Turks are grown, he answers "From thy perverted sense" — laying the rise of Mahomet at the door of christian pride and disputation. Against these stands Ch.25 §72, which opens the grace with no boundary at all: all men are invited to it, of whatever race, "whether Turks, Jews, Pagans, Christians", and no one is excluded. The same chapter that indicts turns the indictment inward at §105-106 — each believes not to dwell in Babel, and the author includes himself — and §33 concludes that God should be as near the one as the other. The contradiction is the author's, it is not resolved by him, and removing either half would misrepresent the work. Operator ruling, 2026-08-29.
This work carries, in the author's own voice, both a set of hostile comparisons drawn against named peoples and an explicit refusal of any such boundary, and the Press publishes both rather than either alone. At Ch.25 §85 he calls the Jews blind; at Ch.17 §106 he warns of a coming visitation of the Jews and the Turks; and at Ch.26 §32-33, asked whence the Turks are grown, he answers "From thy perverted sense" — laying the rise of Mahomet at the door of christian pride and disputation. Against these stands Ch.25 §72, which opens the grace with no boundary at all: all men are invited to it, of whatever race, "whether Turks, Jews, Pagans, Christians", and no one is excluded. The same chapter that indicts turns the indictment inward at §105-106 — each believes not to dwell in Babel, and the author includes himself — and §33 concludes that God should be as near the one as the other. The contradiction is the author's, it is not resolved by him, and removing either half would misrepresent the work. Operator ruling, 2026-08-29.
This work carries, in the author's own voice, both a set of hostile comparisons drawn against named peoples and an explicit refusal of any such boundary, and the Press publishes both rather than either alone. At Ch.25 §85 he calls the Jews blind; at Ch.17 §106 he warns of a coming visitation of the Jews and the Turks; and at Ch.26 §32-33, asked whence the Turks are grown, he answers "From thy perverted sense" — laying the rise of Mahomet at the door of christian pride and disputation. Against these stands Ch.25 §72, which opens the grace with no boundary at all: all men are invited to it, of whatever race, "whether Turks, Jews, Pagans, Christians", and no one is excluded. The same chapter that indicts turns the indictment inward at §105-106 — each believes not to dwell in Babel, and the author includes himself — and §33 concludes that God should be as near the one as the other. The contradiction is the author's, it is not resolved by him, and removing either half would misrepresent the work. Operator ruling, 2026-08-29.