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.
146. Aussi , maintenant l'esprit des astres et des élémens veut toujours retourner dans l'élément- car dans l'élément il y a douceur et repos ; et dans leur enflammement il n'y a que combat et opposition ; et dans ceci , en outre , le démon gouverne ; ainsi les astres et les élémens voudroient bien être délivrés de cet hôte méchant et nuisible \ ils soupirent avec grande angoisse après la délivrance , comiiie Saint ( IfO ) CH. 14; Paul dit : Toutes les créatures soupirent avec nou« après le i^oo^ent où elles seront délivrées de la vapilé. 47. La pensée dit en soi : Pourquoi Dieu laisse-fil cçlf^ nag^r si long-tems daus l'angoisse ? Ah I s'il arrivoit jamais que je pusse voir la vierge ou sqphibI l^OU te , toi noble et cher enteudcment, Iqut doit entrer dans 1^ gloriBcation de Dieu , et louer Dieu comme il est écrit : Tomien l€9 langues doivent huêr J)itu. Tranquilise toi jusqu'à ce que le nombre pour la louange de Dieu soit plein , selon l'éternell» base affective.
248. Diras- lu : Quelle est donc la grandeur de ce nombre ? Regarde ; compte si tu peux les étoiles dans le firmament; compte les arbres, les plantes et les herbes. Le nombre qui doit enirer daus la gloire et la majesté de Dieu , est aussi grand que cela 9 car loutes les étoiles retourneront à la fm dans l'élément| cjans la mèire , et là alors il paroîlra combien elle^ auront engendré de bien par leur opéraJion ; en effet , l'ombre et l'image de tous les titres paroi t root dev^ Dieu dans l'élément , et y resteront éternci'* lement , ce dout tu auras une grande joie ; tu verras 1^ d^daus toutes tes œuvress, ainsi que les tourmens quje tu auras supportés \ ils seront changés tous en Dpe g^^ande joie , et te récréeront beaucoup. SeuleiiQeiit cou fie- toi eji Dieu. L'esprit enseigne que , quand le tems du lys sera veuu , alo^s cela ai^^ rivera. 49. C'est ce qui fait que Diefi temporise si long-* tems , à ep ^ugex par oos yeuA , aiiu que sou règuo fn. J4> ( »7^ ) de gloire soit grand en nombre , mais' devant lui ce n'est qu'un instanl. Prends seulement patience ; ce monde se dissoudra sûrement avec la colère qui demeure dans le premier principe : c'est pourquoi tiens-toi en garde.
35o. Mon cher lecteur,je présente ma parabole des essences de Pkomification dans le sein de la mère , comme un entretien de l'esprit avec les essences et les éléraens. Je ne ppis rien offi'ir de plus propre à éUre entendu ; seulement il faut que tu saches que ce n'est point une conférence , mais que cela arrive ainsi certainement dans les essences et dai« l'esprif. Tu pourras dire que je me suis point dans Vhomificatiom et que je ne la vois poin< \ que je suis bien une fois devenu homme , mais que je n« sais ni comment si quand , et que je ne peuK pas revenir ou rentrer dans le sein de la mère , et vo4r comment cela se passe. Aussi ne suis-je pas plus grand docteur que cela • et je ne pourrois pas facilenieol argumenter dans ma propre raifion , si j'étois encore lié dans ma propre cœcité. Mais louange soit à Dieu qui m'a réengendré , comme sa créature vivante , par l'eau et l'esprit saint, afin que dans sa lumière je puisse voir iBies énormes vices originels qui SQnt dans ma «kair. 5i. Auasi je vis maintenant , dans ma chair, dans ^'esprit de ce monde ; or , nïa chair sert l'esprit de 45e monde, et ma base affective sert Dieu. Ma chair est engendrée de ce monde \ elle tient sa région des étoiles et des élémens qui y deweurewt , et ont puUsance tur le corps j et mQn «ne est engendrée de If ( ^72 ) OT. i4; nouveau en Dieu ; elle vit pour Dieu , et quand même je ne pourrois ni saisir ni retenir la vierg» ou SOPHIE jet qu'ainsi mon ame tombât dans le péché ; cependant aussi Pesprit de ce monde ne peut pas la tenir toujours prisonnière.
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.
146. Also, now the spirit of the stars and of the elements will always return into the element; for in the element there is sweetness and repose; and in their inflaming there is only combat and opposition; and in this, besides, the demon governs; thus the stars and the elements would indeed be delivered from this wicked and hurtful guest; they sigh with great anguish after the deliverance, as Saint ( IfO ) CH. 14; Paul says: All the creatures sigh with us after the moment when they shall be delivered from vanity. 47. The thought says in itself: Why does God let that swim so long a time in the anguish? Ah! if it ever happened that I might see the virgin or SOPHIA! Praise be to thee, thou noble and dear understanding, all must enter into 1the glorification of God, and praise God as it is written: All the9 tongues must praise God. Tranquillise thyself until the number for the praise of God be full, according to the eternal affective base.
248. Wilt thou say: What then is the greatness of this number? Look; count if thou canst the stars in the firmament; count the trees, the plants and the herbs. The number that must enter into the glory and the majesty of God, is as great as that 9 for all the stars shall return at the end into the element, into the mother, and there then it shall appear how much good they shall have begotten by their operation; in effect, the shadow and the image of all the titles shall appear before God in the element, and shall remain there eternally, whereof thou shalt have a great joy; thou shalt see 1therein all thy works, as well as the torments that thou shalt have borne; they shall all be changed into a great joy, and shall recreate thee much. Only confide thyself in God. The spirit teaches that, when the time of the lily shall be come, then that shall ar- rive. 49. It is what makes that God temporises so long a time, to judge by our eyes, so that his reign fn. J4> ( »7^ ) of glory be great in number, but before him it is only an instant. Take only patience; this world will surely dissolve itself with the anger which dwells in the first principle: that is why keep thyself on guard.
35o. My dear reader, I present my parable of the essences of the homification in the bosom of the mother, as a conversation of the spirit with the essences and the elements. I can offer nothing more proper to be understood; only thou must know that it is not a conference, but that this happens thus certainly in the essences and in the spirit. Thou wilt be able to say that I am not in the homification and that I see it not; that I am indeed once become a man, but that I know neither how nor when, and that I cannot return or re-enter into the bosom of the mother, and se4e how that comes to pass. Also am I no greater doctor than that; and I could not easily argue in my own reason, if I were still bound in my own blindness. But praise be to God who has re-begotten me, as his living creature, by the water and the holy spirit, so that in his light I may see the enormous original vices that are in my flesh. 5i. Also I live now, in my flesh, in the spirit of this world; now, my flesh serves the spirit of 45this world, and my affective base serves God. My flesh is begotten of this world; it holds its region of the stars and of the elements which dwell therein, and have power over the body; and my soul is begotten a- If ( ^72 ) OT. i4; new in God; it lives for God, and even though I could neither seize nor retain the virgin or SOPHIA, and that thus my soul fell into sin; nevertheless also the spirit of this world cannot hold it always prisoner.
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.