Sept. 10. 1853.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



247- 



above, it appears that he intended to publish a 

 new and correct translation of Behmen's Woj-ks ; 

 but did not survive to accomplish it. He died in 

 1761, before the first of the four volumes was 

 published ; and if he were in any way identified 

 with it, it could only be by some one or two of his 

 corrections (found in his own copy of the Works 

 after his decease) being incorporated therein ; but 

 of this there is some uncertainty. The Symbols, 

 or Emblems, which are stated in the title-page of 

 this edition to have been "left by Mr. Law," were 

 not his production, but merely copies of the 

 originals themselves. These were all designed by 

 the above Dionysius Andreas Freher, a learned 

 German, who had resided in this countiy from 

 about the year 1695 till his death in 1728, in 

 illustration of his own systematic elucidations of 

 the ground and principles of the central philo- 

 sophy of Deity and Nature, opened as a new 

 original, and Jinal revelation from God, in " his 

 chosen instrument, Behmen." It was, I believe, 

 from Freher, that Francis Lee (see " N. & Q ," 

 Vol. ii., p. 355.) became so deeply versed in the 

 scope and design of high supersensual and mys- 

 tical truth. From the year 1740, Freher, by his 

 writings, demonstrations and diagrams, may be 

 considered the closet-tutor of William Law at his 

 philosophical retreat at King's Clifie, in respect to 

 the great mysteries of Truth and Nature, the 

 origin and constitution of things, glanced at in 

 what are popularly called Law's later or mystical 

 writings. 



Next to Behmen's Works, and coupled with 

 those of Law, Freher's writings and illustrations 

 must, in regard to theosophical science, be con- 

 sidered the most valuable and important in exist- 

 ence. Freher also was personally acquainted with 

 Gichtel, who was deeply imbued with the philo- 

 sophy of Jacob Behmen, viz. ^^ the fundamental open- 

 ing of all the poivers that work hoth in Nature and 

 Grace ;" and who, perhaps more than any other in- 

 dividual, experimentally lived and fathomed it. 



Freher's original manuscripts and copies of 

 others (besides those formerly in the possession of 

 William Law), as well as the manuscripts of Law 

 and of Francis Lee, and some original documents 

 relating to the Philadelphian mystic author, Mrs. 

 Jane Lead (Lee's mother-in-law), are now in the 

 possession of Mr. Christopher Walt' n, of Ludgate 

 Street ; who, I understand, is on the eve of com- 

 pleting, for private circulation, a voluminous ac- 

 count of these celebrated individuals. It will also 

 contain, if I am correctly informed, a represent- 

 ation of the whole nature and scope of mystical 

 divinity and theosophical science, as apprehensible 

 from an orthodox evangelical — or> in a word, a 

 standard point of view ; as likewise of the nature 

 and relations of the modern experimental tran- 

 scendentalism of Animal Magnetism, with its in- 

 ductions of the trance and clairvoyance, in respect 



to the astral as well as Divine magic ; with other 

 similar recondite, but now lost, philosophy. But 

 to return to Behmen. 



The publication of the large edition of his 

 Wo7-ks in question was undertaken at the sole 

 expense of Mrs. Hutcheson, one of the two ladies 

 who were Mr. Law's companions and friends in 

 his retirement at King's ClifTe, out of respect to 

 his memory ; and who furnished the books Mr. 

 Law left behind him relating to this object. The 

 chief editor was a Mr. George Ward, assisted by 

 a Mr. Thomas Langcake, two former friends 

 and admirers of Law ; who occasionally superin- 

 tended his pieces through the press, being then 

 resident in London. And the reason of this edi- 

 tion not being completed was, that both Mrs. 

 Hutcheson and Mr. Ward died about the time of 

 the publication of the fourth volume ; Mrs. Gib- 

 bon*, the aunt of the historian, it appears, not 

 being willing to continue the publication. All 

 that these parties did as editors was, to take the 

 original translations, change the phraseology here 

 and there without reference to the German ori- 

 ginal (which language it is supposed they did not 

 understand), omit certain portions of the trans- 

 lator's Prefaces, alter the capital letters of a few 

 words, and conduct the treatises through the press. 



The literary productions which have com- 

 manded the admiration and approbation of such, 

 deep thinkers as Sir Isaac Newtonf, William Law, 

 Schelling, Hegel, and Coleridge, may perhaps,' 

 before long, be thought worthy of republication. 

 What is required is a well-edited and correct 

 translation of Behmen's entire Works, coupled with 



* Among the papers of this lady were found, after 

 lier decease, several letters to lier from her nephew, 

 Edward Gibbon, the historian, and his friend Lord 

 Sheffield, from which it would appear^ that the re- 

 ligious views of the former liad, at least from the year 

 1788, undergone considerable change. From one of 

 these interesting letters, shortly to be published, I 

 have been kindly permitted to make the following 

 extract : — " Whatever you may have been told of my 

 opinions, I can assure you with truth, that I consider 

 religion as the best guide of youth, and the best sup- 

 port of old age ; that I firmly believe there is less real 

 liappiness in the business and pleasures of the world, 

 than in the life which you have chosen of devotion and 

 retirement." 



f William Law, in the Appendix to the second edi- 

 tion of his Appeal to all that Doubt or Disbelieve the 

 Truths of the Gospel, p. 314., 1756, mentions that 

 among the papers of Newton (now in Trinity College, 

 Cambridge) were found many autograph extracts from 

 the Works of Behmen. This is also confirmed in an 

 unpublished letter, now before me, from Law to Dr. 

 Cheyne in answer to his inquiries on this point. Law 

 affirms that Newton derived liis system of fundamental 

 powers from Behmen ; and that he avoided mention- 

 ing Behmen as the originator of his system, lest it 

 should come into disrepute. 



