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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.
1keepeth his natural seat or place in the birth or geniture of God; wherein it never cometh to pass that the heat is changed into the cold, or the cold into the heat, but each keepeth its natural place or position, and the one riseth up in the other, from whence the life hath its original. 84. So the holy angels move, walk or converse in all the three kingdoms, one among another, whereby they conceive or receive their conceptions, one from the other; that is, from the other's beauty, comely form, friendliness, courtesy and virtue every one receives his highest joy, and yet each keepeth for his own propriety his natural seat or place in which he is become a creature. 85. Like one in this world, when he hath a dear and near kinsman, who returns home from foreign parts of the world, whom he had a very hearty desire and earnest longing to see, there is joy and friendly saluting, and bidding welcome, also a friendly loving discourse or conference between them, and so he treateth this loving and welcome guest in the best manner that he can; yet this is but cold water, in respect of the heavenly. 86. Thus the holy angels do one towards another; when the army or company of one kingdom cometh to the other, or when the army or com pany of one princely quality cometh to an army or company of another princely quality, there is nothing but mere loving * entertainment, saluting and embracing reception; a very gracious, amiable and blessed discourse and friendly respect; a very gracious, amiable, blessed and loving walking and playing together; a most chaste and humble exercise; a friendly kissing, and leading one another up and down: here beginneth the lovely choir and set dancing.
2* " nothing but mere loving," etc., lit., " nothing but pure love reception [or conception], gracious discourse and friendly deference; blessed intercourse, chaste and humble behaviour, friendly kissing and escorting [or leading], and here beginneth the lovely round dance." 87. Like little children, when they go in May among the flowers, where many often meet together; there they have a friendly talk, and pluck or gather flowers many and diverse. 88. Now when this is done, they carry those flowers in their hands, and begin a merry round dance, and sing from the joy of their hearts, and rejoice. Thus also do the angels in heaven, when the foreign armies or companies meet together. 89. For the corrupted nature in this world labours in its utmost power and diligence, that it might bring forth heavenly forms, and many times little children might be their parents' schoolmasters and teachers, if parents could but understand, or would but take notice of them: But nowadays the corruption is unfortunately with both young and old, and the proverb is verified, Wie die Alten sungen, so lerneten die Jungen. As the old ones sing, So th' young learn to ring. 90. By this high humility of the angels the spirit admonisheth the children of this world, that they should view and examine themselves, whether they bear such a love one to another. Whether there be such humility among them. What kind of angels do they think they are. And whether they are like to these or no: They
3have [or possess] the third angelical kingdom within themselves. 91. Behold, the spirit will here present a little before thy eyes what manner of love, humility and courteous friendliness there is in thee, thou fair angelical bride; behold, I pray thee, thy fair attire, What great joy may thy bridegroom take in thee, thou beloved angel, that dancest daily with the devil! I. 92. First, If one be nowadays a little preferred or advanced, and getteth but a little while into an office, then others, that are in no preferment, are no more so good as he, or fit for his company he counteth the vulgar or layman his footstool, he instantly endeavoureth by cunning and craft to get the vulgar or layman's goods under his disposal; if he cannot compass it by tricks and designs, then he doth it by force, to satisfy his highmindedness. 93. If a simple man, that cannot place his words handsomely, cometh before him, then he taketh him up short, as if he were a dog; and if the man hath any business before him, then, in his eyes, only those of worldly esteem are in the right, and he lets them carry the cause, right or wrong: Take heed, Friend, what manner of princely angel indeed thou art; thou wilt find it well enough in the following chapter, concerning the fall of the devil; that will be thy lookingglass in which to see thyself. II. 94. Secondly, If one nowadays hath learnt more in worldly sciences, or studied more than the vulgar or layman, in an instant no vulgar or
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.
1keepeth his natural seat or place in the birth or geniture of God; wherein it never cometh to pass that the heat is changed into the cold, or the cold into the heat, but each keepeth its natural place or position, and the one riseth up in the other, from whence the life hath its original. 84. So the holy angels move, walk or converse in all the three kingdoms, one among another, whereby they conceive or receive their conceptions, one from the other; that is, from the other's beauty, comely form, friendliness, courtesy and virtue every one receives his highest joy, and yet each keepeth for his own propriety his natural seat or place in which he is become a creature. 85. Like one in this world, when he hath a dear and near kinsman, who returns home from foreign parts of the world, whom he had a very hearty desire and earnest longing to see, there is joy and friendly saluting, and bidding welcome, also a friendly loving discourse or conference between them, and so he treateth this loving and welcome guest in the best manner that he can; yet this is but cold water, in respect of the heavenly. 86. Thus the holy angels do one towards another; when the army or company of one kingdom cometh to the other, or when the army or com pany of one princely quality cometh to an army or company of another princely quality, there is nothing but mere loving * entertainment, saluting and embracing reception; a very gracious, amiable and blessed discourse and friendly respect; a very gracious, amiable, blessed and loving walking and playing together; a most chaste and humble exercise; a friendly kissing, and leading one another up and down: here beginneth the lovely choir and set dancing.
2* " nothing but mere loving," etc., lit., " nothing but pure love reception [or conception], gracious discourse and friendly deference; blessed intercourse, chaste and humble behaviour, friendly kissing and escorting [or leading], and here beginneth the lovely round dance." 87. Like little children, when they go in May among the flowers, where many often meet together; there they have a friendly talk, and pluck or gather flowers many and diverse. 88. Now when this is done, they carry those flowers in their hands, and begin a merry round dance, and sing from the joy of their hearts, and rejoice. Thus also do the angels in heaven, when the foreign armies or companies meet together. 89. For the corrupted nature in this world labours in its utmost power and diligence, that it might bring forth heavenly forms, and many times little children might be their parents' schoolmasters and teachers, if parents could but understand, or would but take notice of them: But nowadays the corruption is unfortunately with both young and old, and the proverb is verified, Wie die Alten sungen, so lerneten die Jungen. As the old ones sing, So th' young learn to ring. 90. By this high humility of the angels the spirit admonisheth the children of this world, that they should view and examine themselves, whether they bear such a love one to another. Whether there be such humility among them. What kind of angels do they think they are. And whether they are like to these or no: They
3have [or possess] the third angelical kingdom within themselves. 91. Behold, the spirit will here present a little before thy eyes what manner of love, humility and courteous friendliness there is in thee, thou fair angelical bride; behold, I pray thee, thy fair attire, What great joy may thy bridegroom take in thee, thou beloved angel, that dancest daily with the devil! I. 92. First, If one be nowadays a little preferred or advanced, and getteth but a little while into an office, then others, that are in no preferment, are no more so good as he, or fit for his company he counteth the vulgar or layman his footstool, he instantly endeavoureth by cunning and craft to get the vulgar or layman's goods under his disposal; if he cannot compass it by tricks and designs, then he doth it by force, to satisfy his highmindedness. 93. If a simple man, that cannot place his words handsomely, cometh before him, then he taketh him up short, as if he were a dog; and if the man hath any business before him, then, in his eyes, only those of worldly esteem are in the right, and he lets them carry the cause, right or wrong: Take heed, Friend, what manner of princely angel indeed thou art; thou wilt find it well enough in the following chapter, concerning the fall of the devil; that will be thy lookingglass in which to see thyself. II. 94. Secondly, If one nowadays hath learnt more in worldly sciences, or studied more than the vulgar or layman, in an instant no vulgar or
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.
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