The dedication’s former–latter ambiguity

Meaning

In the dedication, Nuysement first discusses binding the Emerald Table to the Pimander, then contrasts le premier and le second: one treats creation, while the other depicts the spirit animating the world. The order of the pronouns is awkward after the preceding changes of subject. The supplied translation retains “former” and “latter” rather than silently rewriting the French order.

The explicit distinction between creation and animation remains usable even where the antecedents resist a neat grammatical assignment. The passage should therefore support an account of the two texts’ asserted conformity and double sense, not an overconfident claim that the pronouns have been conclusively repaired.