Fetching
One moment.
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.
11. ANNO 1612, he wrote the Aurora, or the Dawning of the Day; or Morning-Redness in the Rising of the Sun: Containing the Root of Theology, Philosophy, and Astral Science from the true Ground. Dated June 2, Anno Aetatis 37. It had Notes added, with his own Hand, in 1620. Having been summoned, on Account of the Aspersions of the Superintendent of Gorlitz, and accused as Author of this Book, it was laid up by the Magistrates of that Place; and he was commanded (as being a simple Layman) to desist from writing of Books. Upon this, he refrained for seven Years. But being afterwards stirred up by the Instigation of the Divine Light, he proceeded to write the rest, as follows. 2. Anno 1619. The Three Principles of the Divine Essence: Of the Eternal Dark, Light, and Temporary World. With an Appendix of the Threefold Life of Man. 3. Anno 1620. The High and Deep Searching of the Threefold Life of Man, through, or according to the Three Principles. 4. An answer to the Forty Questions concerning the Soul, proposed by Doctor Balthasar Walter. In the Answer to the First Question, is the Philosophic Globe, or Wonder-Eye of Eternity, or Looking-Glass of Wisdom, (which in itself contains all Mysteries) with an Explanation of it. 5. The Treatise of the Incarnation. In Three Parts. Dated in May. Part the First, Of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The Second, Of the Suffering, Dying, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. The Third, Of the Tree of Faith.
26. The Great Six Points, containing the Deep Ground of the Great Mystery, and of the Three Worlds; and a brief Explanation of six others, or the small six Points. 7. Of the Heavenly and Earthly Mystery. Dated May 8. 8. Of the last Times; being two Letters; The First, to Paul Keym, dated August 14; and the Second, to the same, dated November 23; both concerning the Thousand Years Sabbath, and of the End of the World. They are in the Collection of his Letters. 9. Anno 1621. Signatura Rerum; or, The Signature of all Things: Showing the Sign and Signification of the several Forms, Figures, and Shape of Things in the Creation; and what the Beginning, Ruin, and Cure of every Thing is; comprising all Mysteries lO.Of the Four Complexions: A Treatise of Consolation, or Instruction, in Time of Temptation. Dated in March. 11. Two Apologies to Balthasar Tylcken, The First, in Two Parts, concerning the Aurora. The Second, in Two Parts. Dated July 3. Part the First, concerning Predestination. The Second, concerning the Person of Christ, and the Virgin Mary; which he had wrote of in the Treatise of the Incarnation. 12. Considerations upon Isaiah Stiefel's Book, dated April 8, concerning the Threefold State of Man, and the New Birth; and of the last Sion, or New Jerusalem. 13. Anno 1622. Of the Errors of the Sects of Ezekiel Meths, or an Apology to Isaiah Stiefel concerning Perfection.Dated April 6. 14.0f True Repentance. 15. Of True Resignation.
316. Of Regeneration. Dated June 24. 17. Anno 1623. Of Predestination, and the Election of God. Dated February 8. There is an Appendix to it, intitled as follows: 18. A Short Compendium of Repentance. Dated February 9. 19. The Mysterium Magnum: An Explanation of Genesis; treating of the Manifestation, or Revelation of the Divine Word through the Three Principles of the Divine Essence: also of the Origin of the World and the Creation, wherein the Kingdom of Nature and Grace are explained, for the better understanding of the Old and New Testament; and what Adam and Christ are. Dated September 11. 20. A Table of the Divine Manifestation; or, An Explanation of the Threefold World: In a Letter of the True and False Light, to G. F. and J. H. Dated November 11. It is in the Collection of his Letters. 21. Anno 1624. Of the Supersensual Life. 22. (22.) Of Divine Contemplation, or Vision. It proceeds to the sixth Verse of the fourth Chapter. 23. Of Christ's Testaments. In Two Books. Dated May 7. The First, Of Holy Baptism. The Second, Of the Holy Supper of the Lord Christ. 24.0f Illumination. A Dialogue between the Enlightened and Unenlightened Soul. 25. An Apology for the Book of True Repentance, and of True Resignation. Dated April 10; occasioned by a Libel published by Gregory Rickter, the Primate of Gorlitz. 26. (26.) An Hundred and Seventy-seven Theosophic Questions, with answers to Thirteen of them; and to the Fifteenth, as far as to the Fifth Verse.
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.
11. ANNO 1612, he wrote the Aurora, or the Dawning of the Day; or Morning-Redness in the Rising of the Sun: Containing the Root of Theology, Philosophy, and Astral Science from the true Ground. Dated June 2, Anno Aetatis 37. It had Notes added, with his own Hand, in 1620. Having been summoned, on Account of the Aspersions of the Superintendent of Gorlitz, and accused as Author of this Book, it was laid up by the Magistrates of that Place; and he was commanded (as being a simple Layman) to desist from writing of Books. Upon this, he refrained for seven Years. But being afterwards stirred up by the Instigation of the Divine Light, he proceeded to write the rest, as follows. 2. Anno 1619. The Three Principles of the Divine Essence: Of the Eternal Dark, Light, and Temporary World. With an Appendix of the Threefold Life of Man. 3. Anno 1620. The High and Deep Searching of the Threefold Life of Man, through, or according to the Three Principles. 4. An answer to the Forty Questions concerning the Soul, proposed by Doctor Balthasar Walter. In the Answer to the First Question, is the Philosophic Globe, or Wonder-Eye of Eternity, or Looking-Glass of Wisdom, (which in itself contains all Mysteries) with an Explanation of it. 5. The Treatise of the Incarnation. In Three Parts. Dated in May. Part the First, Of the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. The Second, Of the Suffering, Dying, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. The Third, Of the Tree of Faith.
26. The Great Six Points, containing the Deep Ground of the Great Mystery, and of the Three Worlds; and a brief Explanation of six others, or the small six Points. 7. Of the Heavenly and Earthly Mystery. Dated May 8. 8. Of the last Times; being two Letters; The First, to Paul Keym, dated August 14; and the Second, to the same, dated November 23; both concerning the Thousand Years Sabbath, and of the End of the World. They are in the Collection of his Letters. 9. Anno 1621. Signatura Rerum; or, The Signature of all Things: Showing the Sign and Signification of the several Forms, Figures, and Shape of Things in the Creation; and what the Beginning, Ruin, and Cure of every Thing is; comprising all Mysteries lO.Of the Four Complexions: A Treatise of Consolation, or Instruction, in Time of Temptation. Dated in March. 11. Two Apologies to Balthasar Tylcken, The First, in Two Parts, concerning the Aurora. The Second, in Two Parts. Dated July 3. Part the First, concerning Predestination. The Second, concerning the Person of Christ, and the Virgin Mary; which he had wrote of in the Treatise of the Incarnation. 12. Considerations upon Isaiah Stiefel's Book, dated April 8, concerning the Threefold State of Man, and the New Birth; and of the last Sion, or New Jerusalem. 13. Anno 1622. Of the Errors of the Sects of Ezekiel Meths, or an Apology to Isaiah Stiefel concerning Perfection.Dated April 6. 14.0f True Repentance. 15. Of True Resignation.
316. Of Regeneration. Dated June 24. 17. Anno 1623. Of Predestination, and the Election of God. Dated February 8. There is an Appendix to it, intitled as follows: 18. A Short Compendium of Repentance. Dated February 9. 19. The Mysterium Magnum: An Explanation of Genesis; treating of the Manifestation, or Revelation of the Divine Word through the Three Principles of the Divine Essence: also of the Origin of the World and the Creation, wherein the Kingdom of Nature and Grace are explained, for the better understanding of the Old and New Testament; and what Adam and Christ are. Dated September 11. 20. A Table of the Divine Manifestation; or, An Explanation of the Threefold World: In a Letter of the True and False Light, to G. F. and J. H. Dated November 11. It is in the Collection of his Letters. 21. Anno 1624. Of the Supersensual Life. 22. (22.) Of Divine Contemplation, or Vision. It proceeds to the sixth Verse of the fourth Chapter. 23. Of Christ's Testaments. In Two Books. Dated May 7. The First, Of Holy Baptism. The Second, Of the Holy Supper of the Lord Christ. 24.0f Illumination. A Dialogue between the Enlightened and Unenlightened Soul. 25. An Apology for the Book of True Repentance, and of True Resignation. Dated April 10; occasioned by a Libel published by Gregory Rickter, the Primate of Gorlitz. 26. (26.) An Hundred and Seventy-seven Theosophic Questions, with answers to Thirteen of them; and to the Fifteenth, as far as to the Fifth Verse.
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.
No commentary for this page.