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.
1a mu celte matrice,alors la matrice a opéré, et dans l'enflammeraent de l'esprit de Dieu dans la cinquième forme de la matrice , est sorti le ciel igné «Tes astres qui est une pure quintessence , née dans 3a cinquième forme de la matrice , dans lequel point la lumière aWiginise ; d'où aussi enfin est né Je soleil, par le moyen duquel le troisième principe a poussé, et qui maintenant dans ce troisième principe est la vie , et celui qui dans cette place est l'oupreur dans la matrice de la vie de toutes les vies. De même que le cœur de Dieu dans le ciel paradisiaque , dans le ciel et la génération immatérielle ouvre l'éternelle puissance de Dieu , dans laquelle l'éternelle vie s'élève sans cesse , et dans laquelle sans cesse brille Téternelle sagesse ou sophie ; de même aussi , la lumière du soleil qui a monté dans la matrice muette par ^esprit bouillonnant , a ouvert dans la matrice le troisième principe de ce monde matériel , ce principe troisième et initial , qui dans cette forme prendra une fin , et retournera dans son Ether , à la fin de cette énuméralion de tems , selon l'écriture. II. Alors tout ce qui est de ce troisième principe demeurera de nouveau dans la première matrice. Seulement ce qui dans ce principe a été rassemblé , et s'originUe du ciel paradisiaque et du second principe , tel que l'homme , cela demeure éternellement dans la matrice. Heureux , pour lui, si dausyce monde il a atteint la génération du second principe, «t y est né de nouveau ! sinon il demeurera bien k I' (6a) en. S. jamais dans la matrice , mais il ne touchera pas la lumière de Dieu.
212. Je sens bien qu'il y a ici quelque cLose qui ne sera passeulemenl obscuret inintelligible au lecteur, mais même .pénible , puisque j'ai écrit de la mère dans laquelle est la génération de Tesseuce divine , et que maintenant j'écris comment est muette et non-intelilgente celte même matrice d'où est engendré aussi un principe non-intelligent , comme il est clair que dans ce monde ni dans les astres , ni dans les élémens il n'y a aucune véritable intelligence , de même aussi que dans toutes leurs productions il n'y a qu'un instinct pour l'imprcgnation , la nourriture , et la multiplication, tel qu'est la matrice eu elle-même. i3. Sur quoi apprenez que dans le second principe qui cependant a dans le premier sa base et son éternelle racine , la matrice est purement un éternel , incompréhensible et doux esprit qui n'a aucune lumière ignée et insupportable , mais toute gracieuse et aimable , et l'éternelle matrice la plus originelle ne s'y fait jamais connoîlre ; mais la douce lumière de Dieu y rend tout agréable et délicieux. 14. C'est pourquoi aussi l'esprit qui sort dans la douce matrice est l'esprit saint. Et Dieu demeure en lui-même , et se nomme un Dieu colérique et jaloux , selon la plus originelle matrice , qui dans le paradis ï\'est pas manifeste ; et aussi dans le commencement fut il défendu à l'homme de manger du fruit de l'orimnelle matrice, (lequel éloit) bon et mauvais. Wr '. CH. 5. ( 69 ) Et l'homme en effet n'auroit pas connu Poriginelle matrice , s'il n'avoit pas porté vers elle son imagination , et s'il n'eût pas mangé de son fruit , ce qui fit que la matrice le saisit aussitôt et le retint prisonnier , et qu'elle l'imprègne , le nourrit , et le gouverne , comme on le voit à présent.
3î5. Ainsi sachez maintenant que le second principe a ceci en sa possession , et que là seulement est l'intelligence et la sagesse. Là se trouve aussi la toute puissance 5 et le troisième principe est la pro- 1 priété du second 5 non point séparé , mais là sont j toutes les essences ; et cependant il y a encore entre eux une génération , comme dans Luc. 16. au sujet de l'homme riche , et du pauvre Lazare , dont Tun étoit dans le paradis , et l'autre dans la matrice originelle ou dans l'enfer. 16. El Dieu a créé le troisième principe pour se manifester par le monde matériel. Comme il avoit créé dans le second principe , dans le monde paradisiaque les anges et les esprits -, dès lors ils pouvoienl concevoir l'éternelle génération dans le troisième principe , ainsi que la sagesse et la toute puissance de Dieu ; ils pouvoient se contempler là , et poser entièrement leur imagination dans le cœur de Dieu j de cette manière ils pouvoient rester dans le paradis en qualité d'auges , ce que les démons n'ont point lait. Mais ils se proposèrent de s'élever dans la matrice, et de dominer dans une grande puissance sur le paradis , et sur toutes les régions augéliques ; c'est pourquoi ils tombèrent du haut du paradis , cl lurent chassés de leur lieu daus un coin ( 70 ) CH. 5. étroit, de façon que la matrice de ce inonde les tient aussi prisonniers. 17. Car Je lieu de ce monde a été leur royaume an-' pélique. Làjdans le lieu de ce monde, ils étoient dans le paradis et le royaume céleste.
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.
1moved that matrix, then the matrix operated, and in the inflaming of the spirit of God in the fifth form of the matrix, there issued the igneous heaven of the stars which is a pure quintessence, born in 3the fifth form of the matrix, in which point the light originises itself; whence also at last was born the sun, by means of which the third principle pushed forth, and which now in that third principle is the life, and that which in that place is the opener in the matrix of the life of all lives. Even as the heart of God in the paradisiac heaven, in the heaven and the immaterial generation opens the eternal power of God, wherein the eternal life rises without cease, and wherein without cease shines the eternal wisdom or sophia; even so also, the light of the sun which mounted in the mute matrix by the boiling spirit has opened in the matrix the third principle of this material world, that third and initial principle, which in that form shall take an end, and shall return into its Ether, at the end of that enumeration of times, according to the scripture. II. Then all that is of that third principle shall dwell anew in the first matrix. Only that which in that principle has been gathered, and originises itself from the paradisiac heaven and from the second principle, such as man, that dwells eternally in the matrix. Happy, for him, if in this world he has attained the generation of the second principle, and is there born anew! if not he will indeed dwell for I' (6a) en. S. ever in the matrix, but he will not touch the light of God.
212. I feel well that there is here something which will be not only obscure and unintelligible to the reader, but even painful, since I have written of the mother wherein is the generation of the divine essence, and since now I write how mute and non-intelligent is that same matrix whence is begotten also a non-intelligent principle, as it is clear that in this world neither in the stars, nor in the elements there is any veritable intelligence, likewise also that in all their productions there is but an instinct for the impregnation, the nourishment, and the multiplication, such as the matrix is in itself. i3. Whereupon learn that in the second principle which nevertheless has in the first its base and its eternal root, the matrix is purely an eternal, incomprehensible and sweet spirit which has no igneous and insupportable light, but one all gracious and lovable, and the most original eternal matrix never makes itself known there; but the sweet light of God renders all agreeable and delicious there. 14. It is why also the spirit which issues in the sweet matrix is the holy spirit. And God dwells in himself, and names himself a choleric and jealous God, according to the most original matrix, which in paradise is not manifest; and also in the beginning it was forbidden to man to eat of the fruit of the original matrix, ( which was ) good and evil. Wr '. CH. 5. ( 69 ) And man in effect would not have known the original matrix, if he had not carried towards it his imagination, and if he had not eaten of its fruit, which made that the matrix seized him at once and held him prisoner, and that it impregnates him, nourishes him, and governs him, as one sees at present.
3î5. Thus know now that the second principle has this in its possession, and that there only is the intelligence and the wisdom. There is found also the omnipotence 5 and the third principle is the pro-1perty of the second 5 not at all separated, but there are all the essences; and nevertheless there is still between them a generation, as in Luke 16. on the subject of the rich man, and of poor Lazarus, whereof the one was in paradise, and the other in the original matrix or in hell. 16. And God created the third principle to manifest himself by the material world. As he had created in the second principle, in the paradisiac world the angels and the spirits, from then they could conceive the eternal generation in the third principle, as well as the wisdom and the omnipotence of God; they could contemplate themselves there, and set entirely their imagination in the heart of God; in that manner they could remain in paradise in quality of angels, which the demons did not do. But they proposed to themselves to rise into the matrix, and to dominate in a great power over paradise, and over all the angelic regions; it is why they fell from the height of paradise, and were driven from their place into a narrow corner ( 70 ) CH. 5. so that the matrix of this world holds them also prisoners. 17. For the place of this world was their angelic kingdom. There, in the place of this world, they were in paradise and the celestial kingdom.
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.