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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.
153. Mais si tu persistes dans fa forme bestiale jusqu'à la fin , que tu t'en tiennes là , et que tu doiyies de bonnes paroles à Dieu, pour qu'il prenne ta bête dans le ciel , tandis que cependant il n'y a aucm^e foi en toi , mais que ta foi n'est qu'une counoissance historique de Dieu , comme le démon lo oonnoît bien aussi historiquement 5 alors tu n'es pas lié à l'alliance de Jésus-Christj ton ame demeure un ver et une bête ; elle ne porte point l'image di* vine , et lorsqu'elle se sépare du corps , elle de-* meure dans l'éternel purgatoire, et n'atteint jamaîat les portes du brisement, Im sévère porte du purgatoire. 54. L'entendement se dit : Une ame ne peut-elle donc pas être délivrée du purgatoire par la prière des hommes? C'est par^là que le démon a introduit bien des facéties, et son règne repose là-dessus. Mais je t'exposerai le but; il est parfaitemen!^ connu dans la lumière de la nature. 55. La prière des hommes sert, en tant que l'ame est attachée au fil de la régénération , et n'est pas euticrement un ver ou une bête , en sorte qu'elle puisse par le désir pénétrer dans Dieu ; et si ce sont de vrais chrétiens qui soient sincèrement dans J^ régénération, el que leur esprit d'ame , dans leur amour ardent pour les pauvres âmes , et en unioa avec elles sollicite Dieu , dans le fil de l'alliance des pauvres ^es ; alors ^ ca effet , ili aidem les 2 I ( 122 ) Cil. 19" pauvres âmes prisonnières à combattre , et à rompre les chaînes du démon.
256. Sur-tout si cela se fait avant la séparation des pauvres âmes d'avec le corps , et particulièrement par l'organe des parens oudesenfans, ou des frireset sœurs, ou des cousins -, car en ceux là leur teinture inqualifu, comme étant engendrés d'un m^me bang, et leur esprit se livre plus volontiers à ce grand combat ; ils triomphent aussi plutôt et plus puissamment qu'un étranger , pourvu qu'ils soient dans la régénération; mais, sans cette condition, cela ne sert de rien , aucun démon n'en détruit ua autre. 57. Mais si l'ame du mort est entièrement détachée de l'alliance de Jésus-Christ , et n'atteint pas seulement le fil par ses propres efforts , la prière de ceux qui l'environnent ne lui sert de rien : toutefois il en est pour elles , comme Christ dit à ses 70 disciples (Math. 10 : 12 ) , qu'il envoya sn mUsion .• Quand pous entrez dans une maison , saluez ceux qu% y sont. S'il se trouve un ami de la paix dans cette maison, i^^otre salut de paix reposera sur lui ; sinon, votre salut de paix reviendra sur vous. Ainsi votre cordial vœu d'amour , et votre empressement sincère auprès de Dieu reviendra sur le croyant , qui s'est ainsi cordialement intéressé à l'ame de ses amis. 58. Quant à ce qui tient aux inventions sacerdotales au sujet des célébrations pour les aines; tout ce qui se fait sans dévotion , sans une cordiale instance auprès de Dieu, et pour de l'argent , cela est cntièCff. 19. ( 123 ) renient faux , et demeure dans Babel ; cela sert peu n l'nme , ou point du tout ; il faut absolument qu'il y ait un violent Combat avec le démon ; il faut que tu sois armé, car tu entres en combat avec un souverain : prends garde à n'être pas vaincu toi-même dans ton impur vêtement.
359. Je ne dis pas qu'un vrai fidèle dans la nouvelle naissance , ne puisse par son vaillant combat , venir au secours d'une aine qui se débat dans les portes de la profondeur, entre le ciel et l'enfer; mais il faut qu'il soit fortement armé ; car il a à faire avec un prince et un potentat ; auli-ement il pourroit devenir son jouet , comme cela arrive certainement quand un pontife avec son habit blanc et éclatant, vient plein de passion, entre le ciel et l'enfer , et veut combattre avec le démon. 60. O î écoute , pontife ; ici l'argent et le bien ne font rien ; et même que sert ici une sanctificatiou provenue de l'élection humaine ? II y a un précieux champion qui assiste auprès de la pauvre ame: si elle ne remporte pas la victoire en lui , ce que tu fais est inutile pour elle. Tu prends de l'argent , et tu emploies des prières et des cérémonies pour toutes les âmes y soit qu'elles soient dans le ciel ou dans l'enfer; tu ne t'informes pas de cela; aussi n'en es-tu pas certain : cela maiiquaut, tu en imposes perpétuellement à la divinité. 61. Maisquantàcelte ame, sur laquelle j'expose ici une si subtile connoijisance relativement à son état après la séparation du corps , cela est très varié ^ le tout selon qu'elle a combattu. Si elle a marché ici bas
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.
153. But if thou persistest in thy bestial form unto the end, that thou keepest thereto, and that thou givest good words to God, that he may take thy beast into heaven, whilst nevertheless there is no faith in thee, but thy faith is only a historical knowledge of God, as the demon also knows him well historically 5 then thou art not bound to the alliance of Jesus-Christ; thy soul remains a worm and a beast; it bears not the divine image, and when it separates itself from the body, it remains in the eternal purgatory, and never reaches the gates of the breaking, The severe gate of purgatory. 54. The understanding says to itself: Can then a soul not be delivered from purgatory by the prayer of men? It is thereby that the demon has introduced many jests, and his reign rests thereupon. But I will expose to thee the aim; it is perfectly known in the light of nature. 55. The prayer of men serves, inasmuch as the soul is attached to the thread of regeneration, and is not entirely a worm or a beast, so that it can by desire penetrate into God; and if they are true christians who are sincerely in the regeneration, and if their spirit of soul, in their ardent love for the poor souls, and in union with them solicits God, in the thread of the alliance of the poor souls; then, in effect, they aid the 2 I ( 122 ) Cil. 19" poor imprisoned souls to combat, and to break the chains of the demon.
256. Above all if that is done before the separation of the poor souls from the body, and particularly by the organ of the parents or of the children, or of the brothers and sisters, or of the cousins; for in those their tincture inqualifies, as being begotten of the same blood, and their spirit gives itself more willingly to this great combat; they triumph also sooner and more powerfully than a stranger, provided that they be in the regeneration; but, without this condition, that serves for nothing, no demon destroys another. 57. But if the soul of the dead one is entirely detached from the alliance of Jesus-Christ, and reaches not even the thread by its own efforts, the prayer of those who environ it serves it for nothing: however it is for them, as Christ says to his 70 disciples (Math. 10 : 12 ), whom he sent on mission: When you enter into a house, salute those who are therein. If there is found a friend of peace in this house, your salutation of peace shall repose upon him; if not, your salutation of peace shall return upon you. Thus your cordial vow of love, and your sincere eagerness near God shall return upon the believer, who has thus cordially interested himself in the soul of his friends. 58. As to what belongs to the sacerdotal inventions upon the subject of the celebrations for the souls; all that is done without devotion, without a cordial instance near God, and for silver, that is entireCff. 19. ( 123 ) ly false, and remains in Babel; that serves little to the soul, or not at all; there must absolutely be a violent combat with the demon; thou must be armed, for thou enterest into combat with a sovereign: take care not to be vanquished thyself in thy impure garment.
359. I say not that a true faithful one in the new birth, cannot by his valiant combat, come to the succour of a soul which struggles in the gates of the depth, between heaven and hell; but he must be strongly armed; for he has to do with a prince and a potentate; otherwise he could become his plaything, as that happens certainly when a pontiff with his white and brilliant habit, comes full of passion, between heaven and hell, and will combat with the demon. 60. O! hear, pontiff; here silver and goods do nothing; and even what serves here a sanctification come of human election? There is a precious champion who assists near the poor soul: if it carry not off the victory in him, what thou doest is useless for it. Thou takest silver, and thou employest prayers and ceremonies for all the souls, be it that they are in heaven or in hell; thou informest thyself not of that; also art thou not certain of it: that wanting, thou imposest perpetually upon the divinity. 61. But as to this soul, upon which I expose here so subtle a knowledge relatively to its state after the separation of the body, that is very varied, the whole according as it has combatted. If it has walked here below
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.