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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.
1107. Ainsi noussavons quequand Adam eut vécu quarante jours dans le paradis , alors il enira dans l'esprit de ce monde , tandis qu'il devoil entrer dans la trinilé sainte ; car il éloit dans lYpoque de la tentation , et s'il avoit résisté pendant ces quarante jours,il auroit existé pleinement par son ame,dans la lumière de Dieu ; et par son corps , dans le ternaire saint , comme ce même Christ. 108. En effet, après que le Christ eut passé dans répreuve les quarante jours qui suivirent sa résurrection dans ce monde, alors il monta sur unemontagne,oii il avoit donné rendez-vous à ses disciples; il s'éleva visiblement en haut , avec son propre corps qu'il avoit sacrifié sur la croix ( jusqu'à ce qu'il vint un nuage qui le cacha), comme un signe certain qu'il étoit leur frère , et qu'il resteroit lié avec eux dans cette forme terrestre et dans ce corps ^ c'est pour cela aussi qu'il leur dit : Voyez , je serai avec vous tous les jours , jusqu'à la fin du monde. 109. Mais la raison dit : Où le Christ est-il donc en allé? est- il monté hors de ce monde au-dessus des étoiles dans un autre ciel ? Ecoute , ma chère raison , incline ta base affective vers le Christ , et vois : Voici ce que nous voulons te dire ; car nou» le voyons , et nous le savons : non pas moi toutefois. Lorsque je dis nous , tu ne dois pas entendre simplement mon homme terrestre^ mais y comprendre CH. 25. ( 34,^ j
2aussi l'esprit qui dirige cette plume. C'est pourquoi ) écris et ,e dis nous , quand je veux parler de moi , comme d'un auteur. Car je ne saurois rien si l'esprit n'insuffloit pas en moi la connaissance , et je n aurois rien pu trouver non plus , si ce n'eût été de cette manière. L'esprit ne vouloil pas que cela arrivat autrement. Toutefois il se cachoit ; alors mon ame se montroit très inquiète , et soupiroii ardemment après l'esprit ; jusqu'à ce que j'appris enfin en quoi la chose consisloit. iio. Vois , ce quia été invenlé el raconfé par les anciens n'est pas la base; savoir: qu'ils aient mesuré combien il y a de cent milles milles jusqu'au ciel où le Christ est monté. Ils agissaient ainsi , parcequ'ils vouloient être des dieux sur la terre comme l'annonce leur règne fabuleux qui n'existe' qu à Babiloue. Si nous parlons des trônes, c'est bien autre chose , et on apperçoit leur aveuglement et leur ignorance , quoique dans leurs connoissances Il y ait aussi un esprit qu'il ne faut pas rejetertoutefois il ne vient pas du ternaire saint, oâ ' du corps de Jésus-Christ. Il est de la haute éternité qui marche audessus des trônes , ce dont il pourra ' être traité en un autre endroit. ' m. C'est dans ce trône là que nous aurions du rester à demeure. Que me servent les autres trônes qui sont des anges-princes ? néanmoins ils sont nos amis , et vivent fidèlement dans le service de Dieu. ( Heb. 1:4). Toutes nos vues doivent se porter sur notre trône , dans lequel nous avons été faits créalures , et sur notre pi iuce-trône , en Dieu. Le prei •■*, ( 35o ) CIT. 25. niier plan de Dieu , lorsqu'il nous créa , et qu'il nous aperçut dans rélernelle alliance , doit subsister.
3112. Ce trône apparlenoil à Lucifer avec sa légion; mais lorsque Lucifer tomba il fut jeté dans le premier principe. Alors le trône dans le second principe resta vide. C'est dans la gloire de ce trône là que Dieu créa l'hoinrae , qui devoit s'y maintenir ; et l'épreuve fut faite pour savoir si cela seroit possible. C'est pourquoi Dieu créa le troisième principe dans le lieu de ce monde , afin que toutefois l'homme en tombant ne devînt pas un démon , et qu'il pûl encore être guéri : c'est de là que vient l'inimitié du démon contre le Christ , de ce qu'il siège sur son trône royal , et le lient encore prisonnier avec son principe. ii3. Ainsi le lieu de ce monde , selon le principe céleste , est notre Christ ; c'est son trône et son propre corps ; de même aussi , tout ce qui est dans ce monde , dans le troisième principe , est sien ; et ]e démon qui demeure dansce lieu , dans le premier principe , est le prisonnier de notre Christ. 1 14. Car , tous les trônes sont en Dieu le père,et hors de lui il n'y a rien ;il est l'alliance de l'éternité } mais son amour, dans le corps du Christ ou dans son trône , retient prisonnière la colère , dans l'alliance de l'éterntié , ainsi que les démons. Or , comprenez comment tout est ainsi créalurel , tant ton amour que sa colère ; il n'y a qu'une génération qui les sépare ( comme il est dit ci-dessus ). J^lors on ne peut pas dire que les démons demeurent ^»- ^^- ( 35i )
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.
1107. Thus we know that when Adam had lived forty days in the paradise, then he entered into the spirit of this world, whilst he was to enter into the holy trinity; for he was in the epoch of the temptation, and if he had resisted during these forty days, he would have existed fully by his soul, in the light of God; and by his body, in the holy ternary, as this same Christ. 108. In effect, after the Christ had passed in the trial the forty days which followed his resurrection in this world, then he went up upon a mountain, where he had given rendezvous to his disciples; he raised himself visibly on high, with his own body that he had sacrificed upon the cross ( until there came a cloud which hid him ), as a certain sign that he was their brother, and that he would remain bound with them in this terrestrial form and in this body; it is for that also that he said to them: See, I shall be with you all the days, until the end of the world. 109. But the reason says: Where then is the Christ gone? is he gone up out of this world above the stars into another heaven? Hear, my dear reason, incline thy affective base toward the Christ, and see: Behold what we will tell thee; for we see it, and we know it: not I however. When I say we, thou must not understand simply my terrestrial man, but comprehend therein CH. 25. ( 34,^ j
2also the spirit which directs this pen. It is why I write and I say we, when I would speak of myself, as of an author. For I should know nothing if the spirit did not insufflate in me the knowledge, and I could have found nothing either, if it had not been in this manner. The spirit would not that that should happen otherwise. However it hid itself; then my soul showed itself very disquieted, and sighed ardently after the spirit; until I learned at last in what the thing consisted. iio. See, what has been invented and related by the ancients is not the base; to wit: that they have measured how many hundred thousand miles there are to the heaven where the Christ went up. They acted thus, because they would be gods upon the earth as their fabulous reign announces which exists but at Babylon. If we speak of the thrones, it is quite another thing, and one perceives their blindness and their ignorance, although in their knowledge there be also a spirit which must not be rejected; however it comes not from the holy ternary, or from the body of Jesus-Christ. It is of the high eternity which walks above the thrones, whereof it may be treated in another place. ' m. It is in that throne that we should have remained in dwelling. What serve me the other thrones which are angel-princes? nevertheless they are our friends, and live faithfully in the service of God. ( Heb. 1:4). All our views must bear upon our throne, in which we have been made creatures, and upon our prince-throne, in God. The fir •■*, ( 35o ) CIT. 25. st plan of God, when he created us, and when he perceived us in the eternal alliance, must subsist.
3112. This throne belonged to Lucifer with his legion; but when Lucifer fell he was cast into the first principle. Then the throne in the second principle remained void. It is in the glory of that throne that God created the man, who was to maintain himself there; and the trial was made to know whether that would be possible. It is why God created the third principle in the place of this world, in order that however the man in falling should not become a demon, and that he might still be healed: it is thence that comes the enmity of the demon against the Christ, in that he sits upon his royal throne, and holds him still prisoner with his principle. ii3. Thus the place of this world, according to the celestial principle, is our Christ; it is his throne and his own body; even so also, all that is in this world, in the third principle, is his; and the demon who dwells in this place, in the first principle, is the prisoner of our Christ. 1 14. For, all the thrones are in God the father, and out of him there is nothing; he is the alliance of the eternity; but his love, in the body of the Christ or in his throne, holds prisoner the anger, in the alliance of the eternity, as well as the demons. Now, comprehend how all is thus creatural, both his love and his anger; there is but a generation which separates them ( as it is said above ). Then one cannot say that the demons dwell ^»- ^^- ( 35i )
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.