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.
121. L'entendement a tant eu à faire depuis le commencement de ce monde jusqu'à présent, au sujet de cette porte , et pour chercher en elle , que je «e pourrois compter les dégoûts des écrivains. Mais dans le Ijs , cette porte se manifestera comme un arbre de lauiier ; car ses branches recevront lasèva de la vierge suphib: c'est pourquoi ellesseront plus vertes que le trètle , el plus blanches que la rose* la vierge portera leur bonne odeur sur sa coa< ronne de perle , et elle Siiiii'mdr a. jusque da.ns le paradis de 'Dieu. 32. Puisque donc ce mystère se présente à nous ^ nous allons ouvrir les Heurs de ce bourgeon. Toutefois , nous ne voulons point donner notre travail aux chieus , aux loups et aux pourceaux , qui fouillent dans notre jardin de délices , comme des porcs ; mais à celui qui cherche , afin que l'infirme Adam soit conforté , et que la perle soit trouvée. 23. Maintenant, si nous scrutons la teinture > ce qu'elle est dans sou degré le plus élevé , alors nous trouvons l'esprit. Car nous ne pouvons pas dire que le feu soil la teinture, ni l'air non plus, attendu que le feu est opposé à la teinture, etqu'elle est étouffée par l'air. Elle est un aimable délice. La racine dont elle est engendrée , est à la vérité le feu ; mais si jedevois iiommer sa vraie place, el où elle siège , je ne pour- ( 228 ) ^- i3i
2rois dire autre chose sinon qu'elle est entre les trois principes ; savoir : le royaume de Dieu , le royaunae de l'enfer , et le royaume de ceraonde,dans le milieu ; elle n'en a aucun en propriété ; de plus elle est engendrée de toutes les trois i elle a comme un principe particulier qui pourtant n'est pas un principe , mais une claire et aimable demeure. Elle n'est pas non plus l'esprit même , mais l'esprit demeure en elle et elle renouvelle l'esprit , de manière qu'il est clair et appréhensible. Sou vrai nom est admirable^ et personne ne peut le nommer que celui à qui il est donné, et celui-là le nomme seulement en soi50U ihtérieurement,et non hors de soi. Elle n'a en substance aucun lieu pour son repos , et repose cependant toujours en elle - même ; et elle donne à toute chose 5 la splendeur , comme l'éclat du soleil donne à toutes les choses de ce monde , la lumière , la force et la beauté , et cependant n'est pas la chose , mais opère dans la chose , et fait que la chose croît et fleurit: elle se trouve, en effet aussi , véritablement dans toute chose ; et elle est dans toute chose , la vie et le cœur , mais non pas l'esprit qui est engendré des essences. 24. Dans une plante et une fleur odoriférante , la teinture est la douceur et la bénignité ; et l'esprit d* la fleur est amer et astringent ; et s'il n'y avoit pas de teinture , la plante n'auroit ni fleur ni odeur. Elle donne à toutes les essences , la puissance pour qu'elles poussent. Ainsi elle est aussi dans les métaux et dans les pierres : elle fait que l'argent et l'or végètent , et sans elle rien ne oroîtroit dms ce monde. CB. i3. C »29 5
3Elle est une vierge parmi tous les enfans de la na« ture ^et n'a jamais rien engendré d'elle-même , et aussi elle ne.peut pas engendrer, et cependant elle •fait-que tout s'engrosse. Elle est la plus cachée de toutes les choses , et cependant aussi la plus manifeste. Elle est une amie deiDieu , et la confidente de la vertu. 'Elle ne se laisse retenir par rien , et cependant elle est dans toute chose ; mais si elle éprouve des traitemens contre les droits de la nature , ell& .s'envole 9>et œla même très aisément. Elle ne tient ^poiut fort j et>cepe|^dant elle est immuable : elle ne demeure idans l'altération d'aucune chose. Tant -qu'elle: est dans la racine de la nature , et que rien 'nesv'y laltère , ni ne s'y dérange , elle demeure. Ello :»e"inet do fardeaux ]sur .aucune chose , mais elle allège le poids dans toutes les choses : elle fait que 'jtout se réjouit, et cependant elle ne fait entendreau- -oune acciamation , mais la yoix vient des essences i ' et se manifeste dans l'esprit. 25. 1 Le sentier qui y mène est très près , et celui quile trouve n'a pas envie de le manifester ,. et il ne le peut pas non plus : car ^ il n'y a aucune langue - qui puisse > l'exprimer. Quand même .quelqu'ua chercheroit 190g « tems cette teinture , si elle ne le vent pas , il ne la trouvera pourtant pas. Cependant elle va à la rencontre de celui qui la cherche bien , et selon le mode qui la constitue, c'est-à-dire ,. avec une ame virginale , etnou par jalousie et con» voitise.^ 'S'il suit fidèlement ce mode virginal , elle se laisse représenter et manifester par la foi du croyant , daas une chose ou elle n'étoit pas.. Elle est ( 23o ) ch. i3.
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.
121. The understanding has had so much to do since the beginning of this world until now, touching this gate, and to seek in it, that I could not count the disgusts of the writers. But in the lily, this gate will manifest itself as a laurel tree; for its branches will receive the sap of the virgin SOPHIA: that is why they will be greener than the clover, and whiter than the rose. The virgin will bear their good odour upon her crown of pearl, and she will spread it even into the paradise of God. 32. Since then this mystery presents itself to us, we are going to open the flowers of this bud. Nevertheless, we will not give our labour to the dogs, to the wolves and to the swine, who root in our garden of delights, like hogs; but to him who seeks, so that the infirm Adam be comforted, and that the pearl be found. 23. Now, if we scrutinise the tincture, what it is in its most elevated degree, then we find the spirit. For we cannot say that the fire is the tincture, nor the air either, seeing that the fire is opposed to the tincture, and that it is stifled by the air. It is an amiable delight. The root whereof it is begotten, is in truth the fire; but if I had to name its true place, and where it sits, I could ( 228 ) ^- i3i
2say nothing else save that it is between the three principles; to wit: the kingdom of God, the kingdom of hell, and the kingdom of this world, in the midst; it has none of them in property; moreover it is begotten of all the three; it has as a particular principle which nevertheless is not a principle, but a clear and amiable dwelling. It is not either the spirit itself, but the spirit dwells in it and it renews the spirit, in such manner that it is clear and apprehensible. Its true name is admirable, and no one can name it but he to whom it is given, and he names it only in hims50elf or interiorly, and not out of himself. It has in substance no place for its repose, and yet reposes always in itself; and it gives to every thing 5 the splendour, as the brightness of the sun gives to all the things of this world, the light, the force and the beauty, and nevertheless is not the thing, but operates in the thing, and makes that the thing grows and flowers: it is found, in effect also, truly in every thing; and it is in every thing, the life and the heart, but not the spirit which is begotten of the essences. 24. In a plant and an odoriferous flower, the tincture is the sweetness and the benignity; and the spirit of the flower is bitter and astringent; and if there were no tincture, the plant would have neither flower nor odour. It gives to all the essences, the power that they may push forth. Thus it is also in the metals and in the stones: it makes that silver and gold vegetate, and without it nothing would grow in this world. CB. i3. C »29 5
3It is a virgin among all the children of nature, and has never begotten anything of itself, and also it cannot beget, and nevertheless it makes that all becomes pregnant. It is the most hidden of all things, and nevertheless also the most manifest. It is a friend of God, and the confidante of virtue. It lets itself be retained by nothing, and nevertheless it is in every thing; but if it experience treatments against the rights of nature, it flies away 9and that even very easily. It holds not fast; and nevertheless it is immutable: it dwells not in the alteration of any thing. So long as it is in the root of nature, and that nothing alters it there, nor deranges it there, it dwells. It puts no burdens upon any thing, but it lightens the weight in all things: it makes that all rejoices, and nevertheless it makes no acclamation to be heard, but the voice comes from the essences and manifests itself in the spirit. 25. 1 The path that leads there is very near, and he who finds it has no desire to manifest it, and he cannot either: for, there is no tongue that can express it. Even though some one should seek 190long this tincture, if it will not, he will nevertheless not find it. Nevertheless it goes to meet him who seeks it well, and according to the mode that constitutes it, that is to say, with a virginal soul, and not by jealousy and covetousness. If he follow faithfully this virginal mode, it lets itself be represented and manifested by the faith of the believer, in a thing where it was not. It is ( 23o ) ch. i3.
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.