500 Reviews that is fast becoming an endangered species). An in-depth discussion of Danto's the? oretical framework would have been a welcome and important inclusion, given the title and focus of this monograph. The seven illustrations are interesting additions but seem peripheral, and only one figure is directly related to theatrical iconography, which remains a relatively unexplored topic. These minor misgivings aside, Indiscernible Counterparts constitutes an incisive overview of seventeenth-century drama. Always fluent and often eloquent, Braider's passion is both reasoned and contagious; it is difficultnot to resist descriptions such as: 'There is something almost autistic about Racinian tragedy, a magnificent ifat times monstrous solipsism comparable to nothing so much as the hermetic self-involvement of its leading characters' (p. 326). The study will unquestionably represent a stimulus for its readership. University of Kansas Paul Scott La Comedie de proverbes: piece comique d'apres Vedition princeps de 1633. Ed. by MichaelKramer. (Textes litteraires francais, 551) Geneva: Droz. 2003. 488pp. SwF 104.40; ?70.74. ISBN 2-600-00809-8. La Comedie de proverbes is a curious theatrical experiment offering several points of interest and posing one or two unanswered questions. An anonymous three-act comedy, containing around seventeen hundred proverbs and vernacular sayings, it nevertheless boasts a coherent plot. Written at a time when the principles of French theatrical classicism were still hotly debated, it was one of the firstworks to observe the rule of the three unities. Although written to be performed, there is scant evi? dence that it was ever staged. Although the work is usually attributed to the warrior playwright comte de Carmain and was probably written around 1629, neither author nor date of composition has been definitively identified. Although hardly known by its contemporaries, it had fifteeneditions before the end of the century. Michael Kramer's edition is most workmanlike, with a 159-page introduction di? vided into sections devoted to the differenteditions, the language, the nature of the comedy, the way it was treated as a repository of sayings for other authors, and so on. Kramer covers most of the ground one would like explored, albeit in a somewhat tedious manner, as when he dutifully considers every scrap of evidence forthe various possible dates of composition and comes down in favour of 1629. One occasionally feels that he exaggerates the quality of a play which, without the wealth of idiomatic sayings, would be just a routine comedy. For example, to quote the initial abduc? tion and the cases of mistaken identity as examples of verisimilitude might be seen as exhibiting excessive good will. In addition, the subject of the play's provenance gives rise to a pointless 60-page account of the life and works of Carmain, including biographical detail with no conceivable bearing on the question of authorship. The case for such a study is not made, the evidence remains inconclusive, and Kramer finally accepts that 'La Comedie de Proverbes reste done anonyme' (p. 149). In place of this digression, one would have appreciated at least some consideration ofthe fun? damental challenge of constructinga plot, which self-evidently requires action, out of proverbs, which, by the nature of things, evoke reflection. That said, this is a worthy study of a theatrical oddity that deserves to be better known. University of Leeds David Shaw Silent Witness: Racine's Non- VerbalAnnotations ofEuripides. By Susanna Phillippo. Oxford: Legenda. 2003. xvi + 2i4pp. ?19.50. ISBN 1-9007-5661-0. It is generally accepted that Racine, a confirmed Hellenist (unusually forthe creative writers ofhis time), used Euripides more than Aeschylus or Sophocles as source mate- ...
seven hermetic principles pdf download
The Kybalion is a compilation of Hermetic teachings. These same doctrines are based on principles originally explained by Hermes Trismegistus. The Kybalion provides a Master-Key for students to unlock the fundamental and basic teachings of esoteric philosophy. There are seven Hermetic principles that the entire philosophy is based on. Together, these seven principles constitute an explanation of the basic laws that apply to all of creation.
Although the principles described in this book are found in all lands, among all religions, they have never been identified with any specific religious sect. Instead, the lessons contained in the book have always been maintained with strict secrecy. Even today the word hermetic refers to sealed, or protected. This concealment has been intentional. Hermes and his followers worried that if they made their teachings open, then their followers would be persecuted. History shows that this fear was well-grounded. Throughout history, religious groups have suffered persecution, from ostracism to burning at the stake. The Huguenots in France were tormented. Many non-Christians or fringe Christian sects faced torture and death at the hands of the Spanish Inquisition. 2ff7e9595c
Comments