I know I haven’t posted since I returned from Australia, but I can assure you it wasn’t because I was in the doldrums following a wonderful vacation. Far from it!
I have been writing a Foreword and Introduction to Saint-Martin’s book in preparation for its public début. Realizing not everyone will be familiar with the terminology used nearly 250 years ago, and trying to make the book as ‘user-friendly’ as possible for Scottish Rite Masons, Martinists and the interested public, I have added co textual notes to aid the process. Not that I am trying to rewrite his words: his genius stands alone!
Now for a reveal! Some months ago I acquired an original copy of the First Edition from the South of France. The book is in almost perfect condition, and you can imagine the pleasure I have had in working from the very pages of yhis precious time. The very pages ooze history – and for that matter, a link to the man himself. This feels like a culmination of 25 years’ fascination with this famous esoteric French theosophist – to actually hold one of his first pronouncements in my hand!
For Saint-Martin was living in Lyon when he wrote it, and regularly read extracts to members of Pasqually’s Order of Élus Cohen at Jean-Baptiste Willermoz’ home. The printers, les Frères Périsse, were personal friends of WIllermoz and in all his Orders, so far from being disinterested businessmen they were probably in the audience who listened to a young Saint-Martin reading his book of a cold evening around the fire (he wrote it in 4 months over Christmas of 1774).
Knowing all printing was a manual process and books had to be inspected for flaws, I like yo think there was a high probability that not only did the Périsse Brothers inspect this low-numbered book, but perhaps even the Author himself stopped by the premises regularly yo make sure his labor of love was being properly handled?…
