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.
172. C'est pourquoi l'ame n'a pas besoin de se porter à aucune distance, quand elle se sépare du corps. Dans la place où le corps meurt , là est le ciel et l'enfer. Dieu et le démon sont là, mais chacun dans son règne. Le paradis est aussi là ; et l'ame n'a seulement qu'à entrer par les profondes portes dans le centre. Si elle est sainte ,elle demeure dans les portes du ciel 5 le corps terrestre n'avoit fait autre chose que la retenir hors du ciel : lorsqu'il se brise , elle est bientôt dans le ciel ; elle n'a besoin d'aucuneentrée ni sortie 5 le Christ la tient dans ses bras. Car , là où se brisent les quatre élémens, là demeure leur racine, c'est-à<lire , l'élément saint : en lui est le corps du Christ , ainsi que le paradis qui est dans la source de joie ascendante, et l'élément est la douce et paisible demeure. 73. Onpeutdireaussiqu'ilenestde mêmedesdam- «lés. Lorsque le corps se brise , l'ame n'a besoin (L fl d'aucun départ , nî de se porter à une gande distance ; elle demeure dans l'extérieur , hors des quatre élémens , dans les ténèbres et dans la source anfeoisseiise. Sa source nVst qu'après la lumière , et son ascension est sa propre inimitié ; elle s'élève ainsi toujours au-dessus des trônes de la divinité , et ne les trouve pas dans louie Téternité ; mais elle vo^rage dans son orgueil au-dessus des trônes, dans son propre miroir , avec la forte puissance de la co1ère : ce dont tu trouveras une ample description, là où nous parlerons du jugement dernier. ( 119) ,fci» i> ■ ■*' CHAPITRE VINGTIEME. .0 De la sortie d'Adam et d'Eve du paradis et de leur entrée dans ce monde. * ''k'ÏJe'r"' '"" *^'""""' ''^'«^ -' 5». De l'église antichrétienne Caïnique. "5 nous ne puissions attendri» rï« 1» christ et de ses n^hA **"enare de l'ante-.
2e. danger ^^Td t ^/e 17 1" ' ''''''^'^ -uveur Chrù. nous foHifie. clrJL2V°''" aperçu se préseu.e ici à nous dans dl ! ? ' ''" veille? r'.c. ^ . "® grandes nier11^ """^ * *"^'5 regarder i* ( l50 ) CH. 20. Tavenir comme étant au-dessus de toutes les considérations. 2. Aussi notre écrit servira dans son lems , quand le lys produira ses roses. Car dans cet écrit il y a plusieurs nobles roses , qui ne peuvent pas encore être reconnues à cause des grandes ténèbres qui sont dans Babel 5 mais il j a un tems oui il sera saisi dans son vrai esprit. 3. Si nous dévoilons ici Tantecbrist , le démon soutenu de sa bête nous résistera puissamment ; il criera contre mous comme si nous voulions exciter des tumultes et des révoltes ; toutefois cela n*est pas vrai. Vois, seulement , avec attention , ce qu'est un chrétien ; il est étranger au tumulte et a la discorde. Car il est comme une brebis au milieu des loups 5 et il doit rester dans la forme et l'affection d'une brebis , et non dans celles d'un loup. 4. Cela n'empêche pas que l'esprit de Dieu n'en arme plusieurs dans le zèle, et dans la grande puissance du père dans la colèrô , ainsi que cela se voit dans Elie, Là quelquefois l'épée de la colère de Dieu est donnée à un ange pour égorger , par Elie , les prêtres de Baal dans Babel. Là Moise brise les tables de la loi , et l'épée marche contre les péchés des adorateurs du veau ; ce n'est ni Moïse ni Elie qui font ces choses ; mais la colère du feu de Dieu par Elie , sur la montagne. 5. Or donc , lorsque Dieu prononça à Adam et à Eve leur sentence ; qu'il leur annonça leurs souffrances terrestres , leurs fatigues , les soins et la pesante charge qu'ils auroreut à supporter 3 qu'il les
3constitua mari et femme ;qu'illes Ha par les dPt. ^ • du mariage pour s'attacher l'un à J'au^ ' "^ -1 corps, pour s'ai.er et se Zj^^:""^, l'autre comme un corn* x'^ v/ j *^*^""r i un et éloieo. de bou. e. avoieu. homëÏ V '^'"""^' ' "' 'eur i„fa..e, ainsi ,„e InZZ^Tl^ xrr4rj::rT "^ '^ ^^^ Ls.Ll V ^ extérieur , ils avoient le procédé tesnal de commun avec tous les ê.res animauriU -ornais e pe^X^irier^tr^ 6. Alors le seigneur Dieu leur fît, nar IV.nri. a monde , des hah,»c a^ . ^ ^"^ ^® ^^ c, aes ùaoïts de peaux de bétes *.* ]« revêt t par l'esnri» A^ Z j ' ^^^ «« qu'ils apprisse». con.„.en. ils d To L "Th "'^ e. ouvrir les „.erveilles dans IwT « ' H e. se revélir de merveilles. ""'"'^^ » 7. Ou voi. même ici , comment l'homme A •nonde, n'est point chez lui, mas a„T ' " comme un convive étranger "1 ^ '" '''"" •;'i.abit , ainsi ,ue le tonZsZZJX:^'^ «ia-s ce monde sont chez elles. SaÏ i ft .' """..î emprunte son habit de* r^nfc. ■7^"/' *''"' q"'t ^'-ns . et .1 doit se t v^td w. ':;;: :l'" «er , Qu'il n'a nnin» . ^ vêtement étrana ^ n! ^ ^ '"'""^«- D«°s <=ette parure W se pavanne comme uiie ma,;^- •• . '^ «uie mauée ijjsensée jils'iœacîne aîn.i être beau -, cet habit , cependant , n'est rindré que par l'esprit de ce .nonde qui le reprend da^son Ls'et le brise; il ne le lui prête que pour un lenis , et ensuite il le détruit. 8 Cell arrive par la raison que l'espnt de ce ■Jndecbercbe toujours lauoble vierge de la sagesse deDiou ou so.HtK. Usait qu'elleest dans l'homme, ce qu. fait que l'homme doit chercher et mettre en lumière les grandes merveilles qui sont «» "'• j" "" prU d. ce inonde croit toujours que , par 1 homme, «va apporter à la lumière '^ ""ble '«j"'"--- ' ^'l" que le paradis paroisse, et qu'U so.t déhvré de la vanité terrestre. • , ,„
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.
172. That is why the soul has no need to bear itself to any distance, when it separates itself from the body. In the place where the body dies, there is heaven and hell. God and the demon are there, but each in his reign. Paradise is also there; and the soul has only to enter by the deep gates into the centre. If it is holy, it abides in the gates of heaven 5 the terrestrial body had done nothing else but retain it out of heaven: when it breaks, it is soon in heaven; it has need of no entrance nor exit 5 the Christ holds it in his arms. For, there where the four elements break themselves, there abides their root, that is to say, the holy element: in it is the body of Christ, as well as the paradise which is in the source of ascending joy, and the element is the sweet and peaceable dwelling. 73. One may say also that it is the same with the damned. When the body breaks, the soul has need (L fl of no departure, nor of bearing itself to a great distance; it abides in the exterior, out of the four elements, in the darkness and in the anguishing source. Its source is only after the light, and its ascension is its own enmity; it raises itself thus always above the thrones of the divinity, and finds them not in all eternity; but it voyages in its pride above the thrones, in its own mirror, with the strong power of the ang1er: whereof thou wilt find an ample description, there where we shall speak of the last judgment. ( 119) ,fci» i> ■ ■*' CHAPTER TWENTIETH. .0 Of the going out of Adam and of Eve from paradise and of their entry into this world. * ''k'ÏJe'r"' '"" *^'""""' ''^'«^ -' 5». Of the antichristian Cainic church. "5 we cannot expect rï« 1» christ et de ses n^hA **"enare of the ante-.
2e. danger ^^Td t ^/e 17 1" ' ''''''^'^ -uveur Chrù. nous foHifie. clrJL2V°''" aperçu se préseu.e ici à nous dans dl ! ? ' ''" veille? r'.c. ^ . "® grandes nier11^ """^ * *"^'5 to regard i* ( l50 ) CH. 20. the future as being above all the considerations. 2. Also our writing will serve in its time, when the lily shall produce its roses. For in this writing there are several noble roses, which cannot yet be recognised because of the great darkness which is in Babel 5 but there is a time when it will be seized in its true spirit. 3. If we unveil here the antichrist, the demon sustained by his beast will resist us powerfully; he will cry against us as if we would excite tumults and revolts; however that is not true. See, only, with attention, what a christian is; he is a stranger to tumult and to discord. For he is like a sheep in the midst of wolves 5 and he must remain in the form and the affection of a sheep, and not in those of a wolf. 4. That prevents not that the spirit of God arm several in the zeal, and in the great power of the father in the anger, as that is seen in Elias. There sometimes the sword of the anger of God is given to an angel to slaughter, by Elias, the priests of Baal in Babel. There Moses breaks the tables of the law, and the sword marches against the sins of the adorers of the calf; it is neither Moses nor Elias who do these things; but the anger of the fire of God by Elias, upon the mountain. 5. Now then, when God pronounced to Adam and to Eve their sentence; when he announced to them their terrestrial sufferings, their fatigues, the cares and the heavy charge that they should have to support 3 when he them
3constituted husband and wife; that he bound them by the dPt. ^ • of marriage to attach themselves the one to the J'au^ ' "^ -1 body, to love one another and to Zj^^:""^, the other as a corn* x'^ v/ j *^*^""r i one and were of goo. e. had homëÏ V '^'"""^' ' "' 'their infamy, thus ,„e InZZ^Tl^ xrr4rj::rT "^ '^ ^^^ Ls.Ll V ^ exterior, they had the bestial procedure in common with all the animal beings iU -ornais e pe^X^irier^tr^ 6. Then the lord God made them, by the spirit of this world, hah,»c a^ . ^ ^"^ ^® ^^ c, and habits of skins of beasts *.* « clothed t by the spirit A^ Z j ' ^^^ «« that they might learn how they must d To L "Th "'^ and open the marvels in IwT « ' H and clothe themselves with marvels. ""'"'^^ » 7. One sees even here, how man in this world, is not at home, but mas a„T ' " as a stranger guest "1 ^ '" '''"" •;his habit, thus ,ue le tonZsZZJX:^'^ in this world are at home. SaÏ i ft ."""..î borrows his habit from the r^nfc. ■7^"/' *''"' q"'t ^'-ns . and .1 he must clothe himself w. ':;;: :l'" with a strange garment, that he has not nnin» . ^ ^ n! ^ ^ '"'""^«- In this attire he struts like an insensate bride; he imagines himself thus to be beautiful; this habit, however, is only lent by the spirit of this world which takes it back into its own and breaks it; it lends it to him only for a time, and afterward it destroys it. 8 That happens by the reason that the spirit of this world seeks always the noble virgin of the wisdom of God or SOPHIA. It knows that she is in man, which makes that man must seek and bring to light the great marvels which are «» "'• j" "" now the spirit of this world believes always that, by 1 man, it will bring to the light lumière '^ ""ble '«j"'"--- ' ^'l" that paradise may appear, and that it may be delivered from the terrestrial vanity. • , „
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.