translation used that of the seventeenth century. The first three
dialogues are a translation made by William Law, one of the greatest
masters of the English language, and found in MS. after his death. This
translation from the original German is not exactly literal, but rather
a liberal version, or paraphrase, the thought of Behmen being expanded
and elucidated, though in nowise departed from. The dialogue called "The
way from darkness to true illumination" was taken by the eighteenth
century editors from a book containing translations of certain smaller
treatises of Behmen then lately printed at Bristol and made, as they
say, "in a style better adapted to the taste and more accommodated to
the apprehension of modern readers." I do not know who was the
translator, but the work seems to be excellently well done.

It will be well to say a few words first as to the life, then as to the
leading ideas of Jacob Behmen. This name is more correctly written Jacob
Boehme, but I prefer to retain the more easily pronounced spelling of
Behmen, adopted by the Editors of both the complete English editions.

Jacob Behmen's outward life was simplicity itself. He was born in the
year 1575 at Alt Seidenberg, a village among pastoral hills, near
Goerlitz in Lusatia, a son of poor peasants. As a boy he watched the
herds in the fields, and was then apprenticed to a shoemaker, being not
enough robust for rural work. One day, when the master and his wife were
out, and he was alone in the house, a stranger entered the shop and
asked for a pair of shoes. Jacob had no authority to conclude a bargain
and asked a high price for the shoes in the hope that the stranger would
not buy. But the man paid the price, and when he had gone out into the
street, called out "Jacob, come forth." Jacob obeyed the call, and now
the stranger looked at him with a kindly, earnest, deep, soul-piercing
gaze, and said, "Jacob, thou art as yet but little, but the time will
come when thou shalt be great, and become another man, and the world
shall marvel at thee. Therefore be pious, fear God, and reverence his
Word; especially read diligently the Holy Scriptures, where thou hast
comfort and instruction; for thou must endure much misery and poverty,
and suffer persecution. But be courageous and persevere, for God loves,
and is gracious unto thee." So saying, the stranger clasped his hand,
and disappeared.

After this Jacob became even more pensive and serious, and would