BOHME, JACOR 



BOIELDIRD, ADRIES-FRANCOia 



748 



nation ana ejection 01 uoa, loss. IT, A ua 

 aooe.' IS, 'Myaterium Magnum, or an Exp 

 IB, 'A Table of the PrineipU, or a Key of I 

 the Suparaeaeual Life.' 31, ('Of the Diriue 



1, ' Aurora.' 2, ' Of UM Three Principles,' 161. 3, Of the Three- 

 fold Lift of Mao,' 1620. 4. ' Au.wers to the Forty Questions of the 

 Soul' 5, ' Of tb lueamation of Jeeus Christ.' ' Of the SaBering, 

 Death, and lUmrrection of Christ' < Of the Tne of Faith.' 6, ' Of 

 UM Six Poiata, (trmt and small.' 7, ' Of the Heavenly and Earthly 

 My*tery.' 8, Of the Last Times,' to P. K. , ' De Signature Rerum.' 

 10, ' A Condolatory Book of the Four Complexion*.' 1 1, ' An Apology 

 to lUliha-ar Tilkeu,' in two parts. 12, Conaideratione upon Isaiaa 

 Stiefel's Itook. 1 13, ' Of True Repentance,' 1622. 14, ' Of True Re- 

 signation.' 15, < A Book of Regeneration.' 16, < A Book of Predesti- 

 nation and Election of God,' 1623. 17, ' A Compendium of Repent- 



EJ position upon Qenesia.' 

 his Writings.' 20, ' Of 

 > Vision.') 22. 'Of the 



Two Testaments of Chriat, Baptism and the Supper.' 23, ' A Dialogue 

 between the Enlightened and Unenlightened Soul' 24, < An Apology 

 far the Book on True Repentance, against a Pamphlet of the Primate 

 of Gorilla, Gregory RichUr.' 29. (' A Book of 177 Theosophick 

 Questions.') 26, 'An Epitome of the Mysterium Magnum.' 27, 

 (The Holy Weeks, or the Prayer Book.') 28. <A Table of the 

 Divine Manifestation.' 29, 'Of the Errors of the Secta of Ezekiel 

 Meths aad Isaias Stiefol, or Antistiefelius II.' 80, 'A Book of the 

 Last Judgment.' 31, 'Letters to Diven Persons with Keys for 

 Hidden Word*.' 



Among the many learned men who visited Bohme after the publi- 

 cation of his ' Aurora,' was a physician, Balthaeor Walter from Silesia, 

 who had travelled in search of ancient magical learning through 

 Egypt, Syria, Arabia, Ac., where Ua found such small remnants of it, 

 that he returned unsatisfied to his own country, where he became 

 inspector of the chemical laboratory at Dresden. Having become 

 acquainted with Buhme, he rejoiced that at hut he had found at home, 

 in a poor cottage, that for which he had travelled so far in vain. 

 Walter introduced the appellation of ' Philosophua Teutonicus.' 

 Walter went to the German universities, and collected such questions 

 concerning the soul a* were thought and accounted impossible to be 

 re-olvl fundamentally, of which he made a catalogue, being forty in 

 number, and sent them to Bohme, from whom he received answers to 

 his satisfaction. These answers have all been published, and translated 

 into many language*. 



Dr. Weianer, after giving in a letter a curious account of the per- 

 secution of Bohme by Gregorius Richter, the primate of Oorlitx, of 

 Jacob's banishment by the senate, of their repealing their absurd 

 and unjust order, goes on to say, that tired with the prelate's incessant 

 clamour, they at length sent for him again, and entreated him that in 

 love to the city's quiet he would seek himself a habitation elsewhere ; 

 which if he would do they should hold themselves obliged to him for 

 it, as an acceptable service. In compliance with this friendly request 

 of theirs be removed from thence. After this upon a citation, Jacob 

 Buhme went to Dresden before his highness the prince elector of 

 Saxony, where were ambled six doctors of divinity and two prof, s- 

 son of the mathematics, who, in the pretence of the prince elector, 

 examined him concerning his writings, and the high mysteries then in. 

 They also proposed to him many profound queries in divinity, philu- 

 sophy, and the mathematics : to all which he replied with such meek- 

 neat of spirit, depth of knowledge, and fulness of matter, that none 

 of those doctors and professors returned one word of dislike or con- 

 tradiction. The prince his highness much admired his demeanour, 

 and was 10 intonated with Bobme that he took him apart, and dis- 

 coursed with him concerni ng difficult points, and courteously rliimiseed 

 him. Soon after Buhme' return to GurliU his adversary the pastor 

 primarius Gregoriua Riehter died ; and Bobme himself died three 

 months and a half later. On Sunday, November 18, 1624, early in 

 tan morning, be aaked his son Tobias if he h.-ard the excellent music 1 

 The son replied, " No." " Open," said he, " the door, that it may be 

 bettor beard." Afu-rwards be aaked what the clock bad struck, and 

 Mid, " Three noun henoe is my time." When it was near six he took 

 Uave of bit wife and son. bleawd them, and aaid, " Now go I henoe 

 into Paradise;" and bidding his son to turn him, he fetched a deep 

 a%h awl departed. 



Jacob Bohme was lean, and of mall stature ; bad a low forehead ; 

 his temples were prominent; was somewhat hawk-nosed; his eyes 

 wars grey and veryawire; his beard was thin and short; hi< voice 

 low, but be bad a pleaiug speech, and was modest and humble in his 

 conversation, lie wrote very slowly but legibly, and seldom or never 

 truck out and corrected what be had written. 



After Bonnie's death hi* opinions spread over Germany, Holland, 

 aad England. Even a son of his persecutor Riohtcr, being then a 

 merchant's clerk at Than, edited at bis own expense an epitome of 

 rbibme work in eight volume., and arranged their contents in a sort 

 of index The Bret collection of Bohtne'i works was published by 

 Hdariob Betke, Am.L 1(75, 4 to. At the conclusion of the 17th, and 

 in the first yean of the Icth century, the works of Bohme were trans- 

 jaUd into Dutch by Abraham Wilhelm van BeyerUnd, and published 

 by him in 12mo, 8vo, and 4 to. More complete than Beycrland's is 

 the edition by Gichtel in 10 voU 8o, Amat., 1681 For this edition 

 tew aaauecripU were bought from the heirs of Btyerland. This was 

 Nfjfteted wW. Oichtels manuscript 'Marginalia,' Altona, 1715, 2 vols. 

 Ito, and again with a notice of former editions and some additions 



from Gichtel's ' Memorieiia,' 1780. There are some later editions of 

 separate works. The best translation of bis works into Knglish is 

 that by the celebrated William Law of Oxford, Loud. 1764, in two 

 vola, 4 to. Several accounts of his views were published about the end 

 of the 17tb century ; among these the following may be mentioned : 

 Jacob Bohme's ' Theosophic Philosophy, unfolded by Edward 

 Taylor, with a short account of the life of J. B.,' Lond., 1691-4. The 

 preacher and physician John Pordage, who was born about 1625, and 

 died in London, 1698, endeavoured to systematise the opinions of 

 Bohmo in ' Metaphyaica vera et diviiia;' and several other works. 

 The ' Metaphysica ' was translated into German in three volumes, 

 Francf. and Leipzig, 1725-28. Henry More also wrote on the mystical 

 views of Buhme. Among the most zealous supporters of liohme's 

 theoeophy in England were Charles and Duraud Hothatu, who pub- 

 lished ' Ad Philosophiam Teutonicam,' a Carolo Hotham, 1648 ; and 

 ' The Lifd of Jacob Behmen,' by Durum! Hotham, Esq., 1654, 4to. 

 A later English Bohmeuite's work ought perhaps to be named 

 ' Memoirs of the Life, Death, Burial, and wonderful Writings of Jacob 

 Behmen, now first done at large into English from the beat edition 

 of his works in the original German, with an introductory preface 

 of the translator, directing to the due and right use of this myste- 

 rious and extraordinary Theosopher,' by Francis Okuly, formerly of 

 St. John's College, Cambridge, Northampton, IVbO, 8vo. Claude 

 St. Martin, who died at the beginning of the present century, published 

 French translations of several of Bohme's writings. 



Bohme and his followers were especially persecuted by the clergy, 

 who seemed to deem his writings on theosophical subjects an infringe- 

 ment of the prerogatives of the clerical order. The ecclesiastics at 

 fl.irlit/ persecuted Bohme during his life, and refused to bury bin 

 corpse until they were compelled by the magistrates not to disgrace 

 the earthly remains of a man who had led a harmless life and always 

 been in strict communion with the Lutheran Church. Tho admirers 

 of Bourne were for the greater part not professional divines, but noble- 

 men, country gentlemen, courtiers, phj^ieiuux, chemists, men 

 and in general men who were eager in the pursuit of truth, and who 

 did not stickle for modes of speech and established formalities. The 

 persecutions raised against him brought Bohme first into the in 

 in. n of rank, who took delight in conversing with the poor shoemaker 

 and his followers, while universities and ecclesiastical courts enacted 

 laws against his opinions, and his persecuted disciples appealed even 

 in England to the high court of parliament. Sir Isaac Newton, 

 William Law, Schelling, and Hegel were all readers of Bohme. 

 William Law, in the appendix to the second edition of his ' Appeal to 

 all that doubt or disbelieve the Truths of the Gospel,' 1756, meiiti.ni.* 

 that among the papers of Newton were found many autograph extracts 

 from the works of Bohme. Law conjectures that Newton derived his 

 system of fundamental powers from Bohiue, and that he avoided men- 

 tioning Bohme as the originator of his system, lest it should come into 

 disrepute ; but this may be doubted. 



Bohme's philosophy consists in the endeavour to demonstrate in 

 everything its necessity by tracing ita origin to the attributes of God. 

 Consequently some of Bohme's phrases sound like the doctrines of 

 Maniclucan emanation, and have been misinterpreted as being such. 

 Bohme traces the parallelism between the visible physical, au.l the 

 invisible metaphysical world. H is comparisons and images are not 

 the essence of his theosophy, but only illustrative of thoughts which 

 have commanded the admiration and approbation of some of the 

 deepest thinkers, while others are apt to neglect him entirely on 

 account of his errors in subordinate non-essentials. Bbhme forms 

 undoubtedly an important link in the present state of the history of 

 the progress of mental philosophy. He often produces magi 

 ideas, but he occasionally supports his theory by false etymologies, 

 and by chemical and astrological notions which have been long ago 

 rejected. Bohme has many devoted admirers in the present day, 

 especially in Germany, and many of bis followers have accepted 

 wholly or partially thu in Rome respects not dissimilar 'revelations' 

 of Knmianiiel Swodcnborg. 



BOIELDIEU, ADRIKN-FRANCOIS. a French composer of high 

 and well deserved reputation, was born at Rouen, in 1776. At a very 

 early ]*riod of his life ho manifested a decided talent for music, and at 

 eighteen wrote a one act opera, which was produced at Rouen, and 

 drew all the amateurs of Normandy to hear it. In 1795 he went to 

 Paris, and brought out several compositions, of which many met with 

 great nucoees, and some are still admired. In 171*7 he produced ' l.u 

 Famille Suisse,' at the Opera Comique; in 1800 he wrote three 

 operas,' Beuiowski,' ' Le Califo de Bagdad,' and Ma Tante Aurora,' 

 all of which abound in musical beauties. On the establishment of the 

 Conservatoire de Musique, by the National Convention, Boieldien was 

 appointed one of the professors. In 1803 he accepted from the Emperor 

 Alexander the appointment of Mattre-de-Chapelle at thu in 

 court of Russia, and composed, for the Hermitage theatre, some pcni, 

 and various smaller dramatic works. In 1811 he returned t<> 

 and there, among other operas, produced 'Jean de Paris,' ' Le Petit 

 Chaperon Rouge,' and hi* most popular work, ' La Dame Blanche.' 

 He afterwards was called upon to compose music for the baptism of 

 the Due dc; Bordeaux, and the coronation of Charles X. After this, 

 ' the state of his health indicating the want of some repose, he proceeded 

 to a watering-place in the Pyrenees, and appeared to be much benefited 



