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.
137. La raison dit : Ah ! si Adam ne s'oloit pas laissé aller à l'attract , il ne se seroit pas endormi ! Si j'avois été à sa place, j'aurois tenu ferme et je serois resté dans le paradis ! Oui , chère raison , tu fais de belles conjectures : mais souvent tu t'abuses beaucoup trop ; je veux te montrer ce que sont tes forces, et ce que c'éloit que la porte: pense seulement comment tu aurois pu tenir ferme si tu avois été devant l'arbre de la tentation comme Adam. 38. Vois. Je vais te présenter une juste comparaison : je suppose que tu sois un jeune homme , ou une jeune vierge , comme Adam étoit l'un et l'autre en une seule pe/sonne ; comment te persuaderas-tu que tu résisterois ? Je suppose ainsi que je mette ensemble un jeune homme d'une bonne complexion , ( 2o6 ) CH. la.
2beau et vertueux , el une jeune , belle et chaste Clie , et que non-seulement jo les laisse causer l'un el l'autre , el s'eniretenir amicalemeiil , mais encore qu'ilspuissent se saisir et s'embrasser l'un et l'autre j que je leur recommande de ne point s'enflammer de désiret d'amour l'un pour l'autre, par aucune pensée^ de n'en point écouter l'iuclinaiion, et encore moins de se laisser aller à aucune imprégnation dans Ja volonté ^ que je les laisse être ensemble pendant quarante jours et quarante nuits , et se promener l'un et l'autre dans une pure joie 5 que je leur commande eu outre, que leur volonté et leur base affective soit dans la résolution de ne jamais concevoir la pensée de se désirer l'un et l'autre , et de s'imprégner par aucune essence ni propriété 5 mais que leur volonté etleuriuclinalion soit fixement et fermement liée à mon commandement 5 et que le jeune homme ait dans sa volonté de ne jamais jouir de celle vierge ou d'une autre, et que celle-ci ail à sou tour la même volonté , etc. 5 comment penseras-tu , toi , misérable raison, pleine d'erreurs et d'infirmités, que tu aurois résisté? ne l'aurois-lu pas promis comme Adam 3 mais aurois-tu , plus que lui , tenu ta parole ? 39. Ainsi , ma chère raison , je l'ai présenté uu miroir : voilà comment il eu a été avec Adam. Dieu avûit créé son ouvrage très sagement et bon , el il avoil extrait l'un de l'autre. Il étoit le premier fondement d'où il avoit créé ce inonde , et du monde l'homme à qui il avoit donné son esprit , et lui avoit recommandé de vivre très parfaitement en lui sans Tacillation , et sans aucune autre volonté. • 1' CH. 12. ( 2<^7 )
340. Mais Adam avoit aussi l'esprit de ce monde ^ car il étoit du monde , el il vivoit dans le monde : or , Adam étoit la chaste vierge , entendez ceci de l'esprit qui lui avoit été soulBé par Dieu 5 et l'esprit qu'il avoit reçu de la nature ou de ce monde, étoit le jeune homme. Ils étoient actuellement près l'un de l'autre , et ils reposoienl sur la même lige- ou sur la même base, 41. Maintenant la chaste vierge [ qui n^est ici que VesprU cP Adam ]ôit\o\X s'établir dans le coeur de Dieu;n'avoir nulle autre imagination, et ne se point laisser attirer par la beauté de ce charraanc jeune \\ommG{V esprit de la nature] ; mais le jeune homme s'enilamma pour la jeune vierge , et désira de s'unir avec elle ; car il dit : Tu es ma chère épouse , moa paradis , et mon jardin de roses ; laisse-moi entrer dans ton paradis : je veux me remplir de toi , afia que je puisse recevoir de tes esseuces , et jouir de tes saints amours. Combien j'aimerois à goûter l'aimable douceur de ta puissance ! Si je pouvois seulement recevoir de la belle lumière , combien alors je serois jojreux ! 42. Et la chaste vierge dit : Tu es mon époux et mon compagnon ; mais tu m'es inférieur en ornement. Ma perle est plus précieuse que toi ; ma puissance est impérissable ; ma base affective est toujours la même : la tienne est inconstante , el ta force est passagère. Demeure dans mon parvis; je le traiterai avec amitié ; je te ferai l)eaucoup de bien ; je te décorerai de mes ornemens ; je te revêtirai de mes parures ; mais je ne puis te donner iva ( 208 ) CH. 12^
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.
137. Reason says: Ah! if Adam had not let himself go to the attract, he would not have fallen asleep! If I had been in his place, I should have held firm and I should have remained in paradise! Yes, dear reason, thou makest fair conjectures: but often thou deceivest thyself far too much; I will show thee what thy forces are, and what the gate was: think only how thou couldst have held firm if thou hadst been before the tree of the temptation like Adam. 38. See. I am going to present thee a just comparison: I suppose that thou be a young man, or a young virgin, as Adam was the one and the other in one single person; how wilt thou persuade thyself that thou wouldst resist? I suppose thus that I put together a young man of a good complexion, ( 2o6 ) CH. la.
2fair and virtuous, and a young, fair and chaste girl, and that not only I let them converse the one and the other, and entertain one another amicably, but moreover that they may seize and embrace one another; that I recommend to them not to inflame themselves with desire and love the one for the other, by any thought, to listen not at all to the inclination thereof, and still less to let themselves go to any impregnation in the will; that I let them be together during forty days and forty nights, and walk the one and the other in a pure joy 5 that I command them moreover, that their will and their affective base be in the resolution never to conceive the thought of desiring one another, and of impregnating themselves by any essence nor property 5 but that their will and their inclination be fixedly and firmly bound to my commandment 5 and that the young man have in his will never to enjoy this virgin or another, and that she in her turn have the same will, etc. 5 how wilt thou think, thou, miserable reason, full of errors and infirmities, that thou wouldst have resisted? wouldst thou not have promised it like Adam 3 but wouldst thou have, more than he, kept thy word? 39. Thus, my dear reason, I have presented thee a mirror: behold how it has been with Adam. God had created his work very wisely and good, and he had extracted the one from the other. He was the first foundation whence he had created this world, and of the world man to whom he had given his spirit, and had recommended him to live very perfectly in him without vacillation, and without any other will. • 1' CH. 12. ( 2<^7 )
340. But Adam had also the spirit of this world, for he was of the world, and he lived in the world: now, Adam was the chaste virgin, understand this of the spirit which had been breathed into him by God 5 and the spirit that he had received from nature or from this world, was the young man. They were actually near one another, and they reposed upon the same stem or upon the same base, 41. Now the chaste virgin [ who is here nothing but the spirit of Adam ] was to establish herself in the heart of God; to have no other imagination, and to let herself not be attracted by the beauty of this charming young man [the spirit of nature]; but the young man was inflamed for the young virgin, and desired to unite himself with her; for he said: Thou art my dear spouse, my paradise, and my garden of roses; let me enter into thy paradise: I will fill myself with thee, so that I may receive of thy essences, and enjoy thy holy loves. How I should love to taste the amiable sweetness of thy power! If I could only receive of the fair light, how joyous then I should be! 42. And the chaste virgin said: Thou art my spouse and my companion; but thou art inferior to me in ornament. My pearl is more precious than thou; my power is imperishable; my affective base is always the same: thine is inconstant, and thy force is passing. Dwell in my court; I will treat thee with friendship; I will do thee much good; I will decorate thee with my ornaments; I will clothe thee with my adornments; but I cannot give thee my ( 208 ) CH. 12^
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.