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.
152. Tandis qu'il sème la perle dans son trouble désespérant, le démon la lui cache, pour qu'il ne la connoisse pas , et qu'il ne seconnoisse pas luimême. Il sème dans le royaume de Dieu , et ne connoît pas ce qu'il sème ; mais seulement la semence des péchés et de l'instigateur. 53. Or alors il ne consent pas au péché ^ qu'il commet cependant lui-même, mais le démon l'accable avec ses bataillons , en sorte que l'homme adamique fait dans la colère ce que ne veut pas l'homme nouveau-né dans le saint élément. Quoique maintenant il fasse ceci, ce n'est pas cependant l'homme nouveau dans l'image qui le fait, mais le vieil homme dans la colère. * 54. C'est pourquoi il y a en lui un perpétuel combat , et il court toujours vers la pénitence. Là cependant l'homme dans la colère ne peut pas atteindre le lys , mais l'homme caché le peut, 55. C'est ce qui fait qu'il est souvent dans le doute et dans l'impatience 5 il y a un grand combat ch. 2r. ( 201 ) dans un tel homme , et il ne se connoît pas. Il nâ connoît et ne voit que sa méchanceté , et il est cependant engendré en Dieu : car son esprit brise continuellement les portes des ténèbres ; mais la colère , qui est en lui, le retient , pour qu'il n'entre pas. Malgré cela, il obtient quelquefois un coup d'œil, dont l'a me devient joyeuse , et la noble perle est semée dans une vallée tout-à-fait ténébreuse.
256. Si donc il se souvient de l'agréable et ancien goût de la perle , qu'il a goûtée ; aussitôt l'arae voudroit percer l'obstacle , et elle cherche la perle. Alors vient l'esprit de ténèbres, qui la lui cache, et il y a tempête et combat au sujet de la perle : chacun veut avoir son droit 5 l'ame veut la posséder, mais le démon la couvre, et jète devant l'ame la colère et les péchés. C'est là-dedans qu'elle a à se contempler : là alors surviennent souvent la foîblesse , le découragement , en sorle que la pauvre anie devient souvent abattue, timide et tremblante; elle reste ainsi ichmobile , et pense toujours à de nouvelles voies pour l'amendement , pour savoir comment elle pourra obtenir la perle. 57. Mais l'instigateur est un artificieux, et il vient alors avec les régions de ce monde , avec l'attrait charnel de ce monde, avec les honneurs et les richesses temporelles ; il retient la pauvre ame , pour la faire mordre à la pomme aigre. C'est ainsi qu'il en conduit plusieurs , pendant long-tems , enchaînés à sa chaîne , dans la colère de Dieu. 58. Mais si le noble grain de sénevé est semé , !! ( 202 ) Ç0. 21] a1or« la noble vierge de Dieu ou la sophie 1q protège , et rappelle sans cesse à la pauvre ame ^ qu'elle doit courir vers la pénitence , et entrer eu combat avec le démon. Ohl qu'il y a touie^ fois une merveilleuse voie pour les e^fans de Dieu dans cette misérable maison de chair , quoique Cependant la raison de l'hypocrite ne puisse ui le comprendre , ni le croire ! U n'j a que celui qui l'éprouve qui le sait.
35g. A la vérité , cette précieuse connoi6sanc# n'a lieu qu'autant qu'il a vaincu dans la teni* péta et surmonté le démon , et que l'am^ a ^t" teint une fois la porte du ciel , en sorte qu'<ell9 ait reçu la couronne de héros que la très aimable vierge de chasteté ou sopuiE lui donne comme un signe de victoire, qu'elle a remportée en soa cher déi'enseur Christ. Alors se dévoile la connoissance des merveilles ^ mais non pas entièrement complète. 6o. Car l'ancien ennemi est subtil et puissant; il contrarie toujours l'ame, cherchant à l'affliger et à la tromper. S'il ne peut pas la surmonter par les péchés , alors il commence contre elle une guerre extérieure , et excite contre elle les enfans de la méchanceté pour qu'ils la méprisent , la raillent , la honnissent et lui fassent toute» sortes de maux ; pour qu'ils l'aviUssent dans son corps et dans ses biens ; qu'ils la couvrent de ridicules , de reproches et de calomnies , et la regardent comme une victime expiatoire du monde ( i. cor. 4 : i3 ). Ils lui présentent devant les en. sr. ( io3 ) yeux ses iitperfeclions , et sî elle repousse leurs calomnies et lenr injustice , alors ils la regardent comme une hypocrite. 61. Ce ne sont pas seulem^âit les enfans de la méchanceté qui agissent ainsi , mais souvent le .démon enrôle contre elle , dans ses troupes , lés pauvres âmes des enfans de Dieu, en sorte que, dans leur aveuglement , ils deviennent des fou^ furieux , comme Saul envers Etienne à Jérusalem ( act : 7 ). Ainsi la pauvre ame doit se baigner dans les épines et les ronces , et toujours s'attendre que la tempête du monde méchant va martyriser son corps. Xa valeurruxe porte de la pauvre etme,
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.
152. Whilst it sows the pearl in its despairing trouble, the demon hides it from it, so that it may not know it, and may not know itself. It sows in the kingdom of God, and knows not what it sows; but only the seed of sins and of the instigator. 53. Now then it consents not to the sin that it commits however itself, but the demon overwhelms it with his battalions, so that the adamic man does in the anger what the new-born man in the holy element wills not. Although now he does this, it is not however the new man in the image who does it, but the old man in the anger. * 54. That is why there is in him a perpetual combat, and he runs always toward penitence. There however the man in the anger cannot reach the lily, but the hidden man can, 55. It is that which makes him be often in doubt and in impatience 5 there is a great combat ch. 2r. ( 201 ) in such a man, and he knows not himself. He knows and sees only his wickedness, and he is nevertheless begotten in God: for his spirit breaks continually the gates of the darkness; but the anger, which is in him, retains him, so that he enter not. In spite of that, he obtains sometimes a glance, whereof the soul becomes joyous, and the noble pearl is sown in a quite tenebrous valley.
256. If then it remembers the agreeable and ancient taste of the pearl, which it has tasted; at once the soul would pierce the obstacle, and it seeks the pearl. Then comes the spirit of darkness, which hides it from it, and there is tempest and combat upon the subject of the pearl: each will have his right 5 the soul will possess it, but the demon covers it, and casts before the soul the anger and the sins. It is therein that it has to contemplate itself: there then supervene often feebleness, discouragement, so that the poor soul becomes often cast down, timid and trembling; it remains thus immobile, and thinks always of new ways for amendment, to know how it may obtain the pearl. 57. But the instigator is an artful one, and he comes then with the regions of this world, with the carnal attract of this world, with the temporal honours and riches; he retains the poor soul, to make it bite the sour apple. It is thus that he conducts several, for a long time, chained to his chain, in the anger of God. 58. But if the noble grain of mustard is sown, !! ( 202 ) Ç0. 21 a1then the noble virgin of God or the sophia 1q protects it, and recalls unceasingly to the poor soul, that it must run toward penitence, and enter into combat with the demon. Oh! what a marvellous way there is however for the children of God in this miserable house of flesh, although nevertheless the reason of the hypocrite can neither comprehend it, nor believe it! There is only he who experiences it who knows it.
35g. In truth, this precious knowl6edge has place only inasmuch as it has vanquished in the tempest and surmounted the demon, and that the soul has once reached the gate of heaven, so that it9 may have received the crown of hero that the very amiable virgin of chastity or SOPHIA gives it as a sign of victory, that it has carried off in its dear defender Christ. Then is unveiled the knowledge of the marvels; but not entirely complete. 6o. For the ancient enemy is subtle and powerful; he contradicts always the soul, seeking to afflict it and to deceive it. If he cannot surmount it by sins, then he begins against it an exterior war, and excites against it the children of wickedness so that they may despise it, mock it, shame it and do it all sorts of evils; so that they may vilify it in its body and in its goods; that they may cover it with ridicule, with reproaches and with calumnies, and regard it as an expiatory victim of the world ( i. cor. 4 : i3 ). They present before its en. sr. ( io3 ) eyes its imperfections, and if it repulses their calumnies and their injustice, then they regard it as a hypocrite. 61. It is not only the children of wickedness who act thus, but often the demon enrols against it, in his troops, the poor souls of the children of God, so that, in their blindness, they become furious madmen, like Saul toward Stephen at Jerusalem ( act : 7 ). Thus the poor soul must bathe itself in the thorns and the brambles, and always expect that the tempest of the wicked world will martyrise its body. The valorous gate of the poor soul,
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.