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.
12. Or donc , de quoi pouvons nous parler ou écrire ; si ce n'est des merveilles de la providence? car nous avons de^ceci un grand exemple en Caïn, l'orsqu'après son meurtre le règne de la colère s'éveilla en lui et vouloil l'engloutir. Kous voyons comment Dieu vint à son secours, lorsque dans sa conscience, la justice divirie le éondnmnoit à la mort , nous voyons qu'alors la téponse divine lui dit, au contraire : iVo« , c./«* qui tuera Caïn sera puni soixante - dix fois, lar cette parole la sévère vengeance de l'abîme de l'enfer fut éloignée de lui , en sorte que Cam ne se désespéra point ; et quoiqu'il se fut éloigné de Dieu , cependant le royaume du ciel* resta devant lui ; il pouvoit se convertir et marcher dans la pénitence. Dieu ne Tâvoit yas encore rejeté -, mais seulement son coupable meurtre , et 8a feusse confiance ; c'est là ce que Dieu mau^ dit et à quoi il no voulut pas acquiescer. CH. 21. ( i83 ) ç. Car, Dieu ne s'éloigna point de Caïn ; mais Gain s'éloigna lui-m^me de Dieu. S'il avoit été fort en croyance et en confiance en Dieu , comme il l'avoit été avant lacbute, dans sa persuasion qu'il pourroit briser la tête du serpent , il auroit pu rester ea Dieu. 4. On vit bien là ce qu'étoit la puissance de l'homme ; s'il avoit compris le véritable briseur de serpent, il seroil rentré aussitôt en Dieu, dans la vertu du biiscur de serpent. *• S. Mais Caïn étant dans la cbair^t le sang,ne comprit point l'intelligence de l'éternelle mort : or , lorsqu'il lut assuré de la part de Dieu, que personne ne le tueroit , alors il redevint joyeux ; car les essences de son ame furent réavivées par le rappel divin , attendu que les portes de la grâce restèrent ouvertes devant lui ; c'est pour lors qu'il devoit se retourner : Dieu ne veut point la mort du pécheur.
26. Ici on voit très exactement qui est-ce qui a été l'accusateur de Caïn -, savoir : particulièrement le sang d'Abel , qui cria de la terre à Dieu , et excita l'âpre colère de Dieu sur Caïn. Là alors les essences de l'ame d'Abel pénétrèrent jusqu'à Dieu au travers des portes de la colère , par le briseur de serpent ; c'est par là qu'elles touchèrent la racine de feu dans Caïn , ce dont la colère fut éveillée. 7. Mais lorsqu'il fut soulagé de nouveau par la voix de Dieu , Caïn ne sut pas comment cela se passoit, et ce qui avoit mis son meurtre en repos ; comme quelqu'un à qui , à son insçu , on auroit dérobé la vu« d'utt chien hargneux , en enfermant cet ',,if ; i ! ' ( 184 ) CH. 2U animal dans un lieu lénébienx. Mais il conliuua ; il bâtit son puissant règne terrestre , et ne mit pas toute sa confiance en Dieu. Car iorsqu*il vit qu'il devoit chercher son pain sur la terre , et prendre se» vêtemens des enfans de la terre, alors il ne s'occupa plus que des arts d'invention pour voir comment il pourroit trouver le trésor , et ensuite le posséder quand il l'auroit trouvé , atin qu'il eût toujours d© quoi se suffire , ne voyant plus Dieu. Alors il fit confhie Israël que Moïse conduisit hors de l'Egypte; lorsqu'ils ne le virent plus , puisqu'il étoit sur la montagne;, ils commencèrent leur danse et leur faux culte , et ne songèrent plus à s'informer où étoit Moïse. «9
38. Enfin , c'est ainsi que Caïn a bâti son règne terrestre , et a commencé à chercher toute espèce d'arts , non-seulement dans l'agriculture, mais dans les métaux ; et en outre , selon les sept esipriis de la nature , ce qui se voit bien dans la lettre [«oiV dann le nom deCaïrijSoU dans les traditions]^ dans laquelle lettre, nos écoles veulent être maîtres; mais dans la base elles n'ont jias encore été écoliers. 9. On reconnoît bien que les anciens ont eu dans les mains la lumière de la teinture dans laquelle ils laisoicnt leurs découvertes ; (quoiqu'ils ne la connussent pas entièrement ) ; car les péchés n'avoient pas encore été beaucoup multipliés sur la terre. C'est pourquoi aussi les mystères ne leur étoient pas si fortement cachés , et tout étoit aisénient trouvé , particulièrement par Adam qui avoit les mystères dans la maiu , et qui avoit 1 assé de$ CH. 2LI. ( i85 ) merveilles du paradis dans les merveilles de ce monde. Non-seulement il connoissoit l'essence, l'espèce et les propriétés des animaux , mais aussi celles de toutes les plantes et des métaux ; il connoissoit encore le fondement des sept arts libéraux , et des sept formes de la nature, quoique non pas si fondamentalement ; mais il étoit l'arbre duquel ensuite toutes les branches et les racines poussoient.
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.
12. Now then, of what can we speak or write; if it be not of the marvels of providence? for we have of this a great example in Cain, when after his murder the reign of anger awoke in him and would engulf him. We see how God came to his succour, when in his conscience, the divine justice condemned him to death, we see that then the divine answer said to him, on the contrary: No, he who shall kill Cain shall be punished seventy times. By this word the severe vengeance of the abyss of hell was withdrawn from him, so that Cain despaired not; and although he had withdrawn from God, nevertheless the kingdom of heaven remained before him; he could convert himself and walk in penitence. God had not yet rejected him; but only his culpable murder, and 8a false confidence; it is that which God cursed and to which he would not acquiesce. CH. 21. ( i83 ) ç. For, God withdrew not from Cain; but Cain withdrew himself from God. If he had been strong in belief and in confidence in God, as he had been before the fall, in his persuasion that he could break the head of the serpent, he could have remained in God. 4. One saw well there what was the power of man; if he had comprehended the true bruiser of the serpent, he would have re-entered at once into God, in the virtue of the bruiser of the serpent. S. But Cain being in the flesh and the blood, comprehended not the intelligence of the eternal death: now, when he was assured on the part of God, that no one would kill him, then he became joyous again; for the essences of his soul were re-enlivened by the divine recall, seeing that the gates of grace remained open before him; it is then that he was to turn back: God wills not the death of the sinner.
26. Here one sees very exactly who it was that was the accuser of Cain; to wit: particularly the blood of Abel, which cried from the earth to God, and excited the harsh anger of God upon Cain. There then the essences of the soul of Abel penetrated even to God through the gates of anger, by the bruiser of the serpent; it is thereby that they touched the root of fire in Cain, whereof the anger was awakened. 7. But when he was solaced anew by the voice of God, Cain knew not how that passed, and what had put his murder in repose; like someone from whom, unknown to him, one had stolen the sight of a snarling dog, by enclosing this ',,if ; i ! ' ( 184 ) CH. 2U animal in a tenebrous place. But he continued; he built his powerful terrestrial reign, and put not all his confidence in God. For when he saw that he must seek his bread upon the earth, and take his garments from the children of the earth, then he occupied himself no more than with the arts of invention to see how he might find the treasure, and afterward possess it when he should have found it, so that he might always have wherewith to suffice himself, seeing God no more. Then he did like Israel that Moses conducted out of Egypt; when they saw him no more, since he was upon the mountain, they began their dance and their false worship, and thought no more of informing themselves where Moses was. «9
38. At last, it is thus that Cain built his terrestrial reign, and began to seek every kind of arts, not only in agriculture, but in metals; and besides, according to the seven spirits of nature, which is well seen in the letter [ whether in the name of Cain, or in the traditions ]^ in which letter, our schools will be masters; but in the base they have not yet been scholars. 9. One recognises well that the ancients had in their hands the light of the tincture in which they made their discoveries; ( although they knew it not entirely ); for sins had not yet been much multiplied upon the earth. That is why also the mysteries were not so strongly hidden from them, and all was easily found, particularly by Adam who had the mysteries in his hand, and who had 1 passed from the CH. 2LI. ( i85 ) marvels of paradise into the marvels of this world. Not only did he know the essence, the species and the properties of the animals, but also those of all the plants and of the metals; he knew still the foundation of the seven liberal arts, and of the seven forms of nature, although not so fundamentally; but he was the tree from which afterward all the branches and the roots pushed.
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.