VII

Preface

both treatises are most grossly distorted in the writings of Tauler Johannes Tauler (c. 1300–1361), a Dominican mystic and Ruusbroec Jan van Ruusbroec (1293–1381), a Flemish mystic. Where the tradition is faithful, Eckhart’s language is as simple and heartfelt as his thought is clear and transparent; only exceptionally, and where the content makes it unavoidable, does any obscurity of expression occur. Due to the carelessness of the scribes, much has become completely unintelligible. I have endeavored to restore some of the lesser passages, partly with the help of the edition of Tauler's Sermons (Basel, 1521) and the manuscripts of the Royal Library here. I designate these sources as Pfeiffer does (Meister Eckhart, Preface, pp. VIII–X) with the letters d, D, E, c, e. The changes to Pfeiffer’s text Franz Pfeiffer's 1857 edition was the standard at the time, though often criticized for its inaccuracies, which I consider to be somewhat certain, I list here, simply to give an account of my work and to invite others to a thorough study of the text. Some improvements might prove to be evident; most I offer as entirely non-binding suggestions. These improvements were initially undertaken solely for the purpose of making the text readable. No one will be more grateful for further instruction than I.

Page 3, Line 3. Here in time we speak d original: "Hie in der zît reden wir" — 3, 4. birth, there d original: "gebürte, dâ" — 3, 5. in eternity the eternal word, which now d original: "in êwikeit daz êwic wort, daz nû" — 4, 26. soul. There is — 5, 13. fully according to Greith l. c. p. 111 — 6, 5. God the Father d — 6, 20. is and will d — 7, 9. united and forgotten — 8, 5. of the overflowing God d — 8, 23. he calls it a word — 10, 6. for this unknowing d. — 11, 32. Now note this distinction. The characteristic of this birth is that similar d — 14, 2. unhindered — 14, 4. hindrance. As God — hindrances, as the blessed do. — 14, 12. the one cannot be in us — 15, 38. with his knowledge — 17, 19. of God, which is burdensome to the spirit, especially in this body d — 18, 24. for one grasps it nowhere better — 18, 28. one end and goes — 18, 38 teach to serve. Saint — — 19, 2. and they would be fed from it — 19, 7. He did not mean — 19, 40. The air clearly shows many images and light and warmth — 20, 13. are not yours — 20, 14 who works that and his image — 20, 23. note this — 20, 33. in laboring and in seeking one — 21, 31. in the spirit of the — 22, 40. the spirit of God — 24, 34. all multitude — 24, 35. multiplies you — 26, 34. Hosea [2:14] — 27, 21. impossible — 27, 26. but when you — 28, 17. the master of nature not — 30, 3 nor God to you — 30, 32. to love it — 30, 34 everything that can love him — 30, 35. without multiplicity, so love chases it — 31, 23. that is true cf. 61, 2. 265, 30. 304, 6. 512, 29 — 32, 13. there is God, and wherever God is — 32, 31. Thus