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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.
131 Car l'arbre de la tentation étoit torrestre j commesontencoreaujourd'hui tous les arhres',ettous les autres étoient paradisiaques. Là , Adam pouvoit manger dans la bouche les puissances paradisiaques, etiln'avoit besoin ni d'estomac, ni d'entrailles ; car les arbres paradisiaques étoient homogènes à son corpset àrélémeut, et l'arbre delà tentation étoit homogène aux quatre élémens. 22. Mais que Moïse appuie si fortement là-dessus y et dise : Dieu a créé l'homme du limon tei' xestrejn'est parce que son voile est devant sa face,de façon que l'homme terrestre ne peut pas le voir à découvert. A la vérité , il fut terre et un morceau de terre y lorsqu'il eut mangé du fruit tenestre, que Dieu lui avoit toutefois interdit. Si Adam, avant sa chute , avoit été terrestre et de terre , Dieu ne lui auroit pas défendu le fruit terrestre; eu outre, s'il avoit été créé de l'élément delà terre, pourquoi l'élément terrestre ne lerevétit-il pas tout de suite de soii habit avec une peau grossière ? Pourquoi laissa-t-il l'homme nu et dépouillé? Or, quoiqu'il l'eût déjà possédé, il le laisse cependant nu et à découvert. 23. Moïse parle seulement des tables de la loi sur lesquelles furent gravés d'outre en outre les dixcomxnandemens , afin qu'on pût voir au travers dans le paradis. Il attacha le voile sur sa face , comme on le voit en Israël 3 or^ dès que l'homme est deveuu CH. 17. ( 9 ) terrestre , il faut donc qu'il dépose ce qu'il a de terrestre ; alors il pourra entrer avec Josué et Jésus dans la terre promise du paradis , et non pas rester avec Moïse dans le désert de ce monde , où le voile de ce monde est suspendu devant le paradis.
224. Il ne doit nullement se figurer par sa raison que Dieu ait formé un animal d'un morceau de terre, comme le pottier fait un pot; mais Dieu dit: Que toutes sortes d'animaux soient produits , chacun selon son espèce ; c'est-à-dire , de toutes les essences , chacun selon les propriétés de ses essences 5 alors ils furent figurés ainsi de leurs propres essences par le fiât , aussi bien que tous les arbres , les plantes, les herbes, tout ensemble ou à la fois. Comment donc l'image de Dieu auroit-eUe pu être formée des essences corruptibles, puisqu'elle a été créée des essences éternelles , dans le paradis ? 25. La terre n'est point éternelle , et à cause de celte destruclibilité le corps de l'homme doit se dissoudre , puisqu'il s'est revêtu de ce qui est périssable. Or , la connoissance , les délices , et la joie paradisiaque se sont aussi éloignées de lui ; et il est tombé dans la colère alumée , dans les quatre élémens enflammés qui inqualljîent avec Péteruelle colère dans l'abîme selon leur âpreté, quoique la région extérieure soit tempérée par le soleil, en sorte qu'elle est une aimable demeure , comme cela se voit. Mais si le soleil disparoissoit, alors tu pourrois bien voir, sentir et éprouver la colère de Dieu: pense sérieusement à cela. 26. Ainsi il nous est montré dans la laucière de k II ( 10 ) CH. 17. nature , que lorsqu'Adain fut ainsi imprégné par l'esprit de ce monde, Dieu produisit un jardin d'Eden sur Ja terre dans le paradis ; qu'il y fit croître toute espèce de fruits paradisiaques agréables à voir, et bons à manger, et au milieu l'arbre de la tentation qui tenoit ses essences de l'esprit de ce monde , tandis que les autres avoient les essences paradisiaques.
32.y. Dans ce jardin , l'inriage de Dieu étoit entièrement libre 3 il lui étoit permis de touchera tout ce qu'elle vouloit , excepté à l'arbre de la tentation , sur lequel portolt la défense. u4datn resta dans le jardin quarante jours dans les connoissaiices , !es joies, et les délices, paradisiaques ; là il n'y eut toutefois pour lui ni nuit , ni jour , mais l'éternité; il voyoit par la verlu divine avec ses jeux , et ses yeux n'éloient point assujétis à se fermer: il n'avoit point du tout besoin de la lumière du soleil, quoique tout dût lui servir et lui être soumis. L'extra -génération des quatre éiémens ne l'atteignoit point ; il n'y avoii eu lui , ni sommeil , ni douleur , ni crainte-, pour lui mille ans éloient comme un jour. Il étoit une image semblable à celle qui ressuscitera au dernier jour ; et rien autre chose ne ressuscitera que ce que Dieu créa au commencement. C'est pourquoi peuiiesy bien. 28. Mais si je dis que l'homme Adam a été qnarante jours dans le paradis , on en voit le témoignage dans la tentation du Christ le second Adam , et dans la tenlatiou d'Israël , à la montagne de Sinaï, Moïse étant sur la mouiaguc , lesquelles ont CH. 17. ( Il ) duré chacune quarante jours, Ce que tu peux lire dans Moïse et dans la tentation du Christ : tu trouveras là des merveilles.
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.
131 For the tree of the temptation was terrestrial, as all the trees still are to-day, and all the others were paradisiacal. There, Adam could eat in the mouth the paradisiacal powers, and he had need neither of stomach, nor of entrails; for the paradisiacal trees were homogeneous to his body and to the element, and the tree of the temptation was homogeneous to the four elements. 22. But that Moses insists so strongly upon this, and says: God created man of the terrestrial slime; that is because his veil is before his face, so that terrestrial man cannot see it uncovered. In truth, he was earth and a piece of earth, when he had eaten of the terrestrial fruit, which God had nevertheless forbidden him. If Adam, before his fall, had been terrestrial and of earth, God would not have forbidden him the terrestrial fruit; besides, if he had been created of the element of the earth, why did the terrestrial element not clothe him at once with its habit with a gross skin? Why did it leave man naked and stripped? Now, although it had already possessed him, it leaves him nevertheless naked and uncovered. 23. Moses speaks only of the tables of the law upon which were graven through and through the ten commandments, so that one might see through into paradise. He attached the veil upon his face, as one sees it in Israel 3 now, as soon as man is become CH. 17. ( 9 ) terrestrial, he must then lay down what he has of terrestrial; then he will be able to enter with Joshua and Jesus into the promised land of paradise, and not to remain with Moses in the desert of this world, where the veil of this world is suspended before paradise.
224. He must in no wise figure to himself by his reason that God formed an animal of a piece of earth, as the potter makes a pot; but God said: Let all sorts of animals be produced, each according to his species; that is to say, of all the essences, each according to the properties of its essences 5 then they were figured thus of their own essences by the fiat, as well as all the trees, the plants, the herbs, all together or at once. How then could the image of God have been formed of the corruptible essences, since it has been created of the eternal essences, in paradise? 25. The earth is not eternal, and because of that destructibility the body of man must dissolve itself, since he has clothed himself with what is perishable. Now, the knowledge, the delights, and the paradisiacal joy have also withdrawn from him; and he is fallen into the kindled anger, into the four inflamed elements which inqualify with the eternal anger in the abyss according to their harshness, although the exterior region be tempered by the sun, so that it is an amiable dwelling, as this is seen. But if the sun disappeared, then thou couldst well see, feel and prove the anger of God: think seriously upon that. 26. Thus it is shown us in the light of II ( 10 ) CH. 17. nature, that when Adam was thus impregnated by the spirit of this world, God produced a garden of Eden upon the earth in paradise; that he made to grow there every species of paradisiacal fruits agreeable to see, and good to eat, and in the midst the tree of the temptation which held its essences of the spirit of this world, whilst the others had the paradisiacal essences.
32.y. In this garden, the image of God was entirely free 3 it was permitted him to touch all that it would, except the tree of the temptation, upon which the prohibition bore. A4dam remained in the garden forty days in the paradisiacal knowledges, joys, and delights; there there was nevertheless for him neither night, nor day, but eternity; he saw by the divine virtue with his eyes, and his eyes were not subjected to close: he had no need at all of the light of the sun, although all was to serve him and be submitted to him. The extra-generation of the four elements attained him not; there was in him, neither sleep, nor pain, nor fear; for him a thousand years were as a day. He was an image like to that which shall rise again at the last day; and nothing else shall rise again but what God created at the beginning. That is why think upon it well. 28. But if I say that the man Adam was forty days in paradise, one sees the testimony of it in the temptation of the Christ the second Adam, and in the temptation of Israel, at the mountain of Sinai, Moses being upon the mountain, which have CH. 17. ( Il ) lasted each forty days, Which thou canst read in Moses and in the temptation of the Christ: thou wilt find there marvels.
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.