I. His First Book ... ... ... ... i

2.
Poemander
7
3-
The Holy Sermon
i8
4-
The Key
20
5-
That God is Not Manifest, and yet Most Manifest ...
31
6.
That in God alone is Good ...
37
7-
The Secret Sermon in the Mount of Regen- eration, and the Profession of Silence
41
8.
That the greatest evil in Man is the not knowing of God
51
9-
A Universal Sermon to Asclepius ...
53
lO.
The Mind to Hermes
60
1 1.
Of the Common Mind to Tat
71
12.
Hermes Trismegistus, his Crater or Monas...
82
13-
Of Sense and Understanding
87
14-
Of Operation and Sense
93
15-
Of Truth to his Son Tat
100
i6.
That none of the things that are, can perish
105
17-
To Asclepius, to be truly Wise
108
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HERMES TRISMEGISTUS :
HfS
FIRST BOOK.
O MY SON., write this First Book, both for Humanity’s sake, and for Piety towards God.
2. For there can be no Religion more true or just, than to know the things that are ; and to acknowledge thanks for all things, to Him that made them, which thing I shall not cease continually to do.
3. What then should a man do, O Father, to lead his life well ; seeing there is nothing here true
4. Be Pious and Religious, O my Son ; for he that doth so, is the best and highest Philosopher, and without Philosophy it is impossible ever to attain to the height and exactness of Piety and Religion.
5. But he that shall learn and study the things that are, and how they are ordered and governed, and by whom, and for what cause, or to what end, will acknovdedge thanks to the Workman, as to a good Father, an excellent Nurse, and a faithful Steward, and he that gives thanks shall be Pious or Religious, and he that is Religious shall know both
[where
I
where the truth is, and what it is, and learning that he will be yet more and more Religious.
6. For never, O my Son, shall, or can that soul, which, while it is in the body, lightens and lifts up itself to know and comprehend that which is good and true, slide back to the contrary. For it is infinitely enamoured thereof, and forgetteth all evils ; and when it hath learned and known its Father and Proge7iitor, it can no more apostatize or depart from that good.
7. And let this, O Son, be the end of Religion and Piety ; whereunto thou art once arrived, thou shalt both live well and die blessedly, whilst thy soul is not ignorant whither it must return, and fly back again.
8. For this only, O Son, is the way to Trtilh, which our Progenitors travelled in ; and by which making their journey, they at length attained to the good. It is a venerable way and plain, but hard and difficult for the soul to go in that is in the body.
9. F"or first must it war against its own self, and after much strife and dissentior, it must be overcome of one part ; for the contention is of one against two, whilst it flies away, and they strive to hold and detain it.
10. But the victory of both is not like, for the one hasteth to that which is Good, but the other is a neighbour to the things that are Evil ; and that which is Good desir- eth to be set at liberty, but the things that are Evil love Bondage and Slavery.
11. And if the two parts be overcome, they become quiet, and are content to accept of it as their Ruler ; but if the one be overcome of the two, it is by them led and carried to be punished by its being and continuance here.
12. This is, O Son, the Guide in the way that leads thither ; for thou must first forsake the Body before thy end, and get the victory in this contention and strifeful life, and when thou hast overcome, return.
[13. But
13- ljut now, () my Son, I will by Heads run through the things that are. Understand thou what I say, and remember what thou hearest.
14. All things that are are moved, only that which is not is immoveable.
15. Every body is changeable.
16. Not every body is dissolveable.
1 7. Some bodies are dissolveable.
18. Every living being is not mortal.
19. Nor every living thing is immortal.
20. That which may be dissolved is also corruptible.
21. That which abides always is unchangeable.
22. That which is unchangeable is eternal.
23. That which is always made is always corrupted.
24. That which is made but once is never corrupted, neither becomes any other thing.
25. Firstly, God ; secondly, the World ; thirdly, Man.
26. The World for Man ; Man for God.
27. Of the soul ; that part which is sensible is mortal, but that part which is reasonable is immortal.
28. Everv Essence is immortal.
29. Every Essence is unchangeable.
30. Everything that is, is double.
31. None of the things that are stand still.
32. Not all things are nioved by a soul, but everything that is, is moved by a soul.
33. Everything that suffers is sensible ; everything that is sensible, suffereth.
34. Everything that is sad, rejoiceth also ; and is a mortal living creature.
35. Not everything that joyeth is also sad, but is an eternal living thing.
36. Not every body is sick ; every body that is sick is dissolveable.
37. The mind in God.
38. Reasoning (or disputing or discoursing) in Man.
[39. Reason
1
9
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39- Reason in the Mind.
40. The Mind is void of suffering.
41. No thing in a body true.
42. All that is incorporeal, is void of Lying.
43. Everything that is made is corruptible.
44. Nothing' good upon Earth ; nothing evil in Heaven.
45. God is good ; Man is evil.
46. Good is voluntary, or of its own accord.
47. Evil is involuntary, or against its will.
48. The gods choose good things, as good things.
49. Time is a Divine thing.
50. Law is humane. .
51. Malice is the nourishment of the World.
52. Time is the corruption of Man.
53. Whatsoever is in H eaven is unalterable.
54. All upon Earth is alterable.
55. Nothing in LI eaven is servanted ; nothing upon Earth free.
56. Nothing unknown in Heaven ; nothing known ■;
upon Earth. '
57. The things upon Earth communicate not with those in Heaven.
58. All things in Heaven are unblameable ; all things
upon Earth are subject to reprehension. ,
59. That which is immortal is not mortal ; that which
is mortal is not immortal. •’
60. That which is sown is not always begotten ; but |
that which is begotten always is sown. J
61. Of a dissolveable Body, there are two times; one for sowing to generation, one from generation to death.
62. Of an everlasting Body, the time is only from the Generation.
63. Dissolveable Bodies are increased and diminished.
64. Dissolveable matter is altered into contraries ; to
wit. Corruption and Generation, but Eternal matter into itself, and its like. [65 The
65. The Generation of I\Ian is Corruption ; the Cor- ruption of Man is the beginning of Generation.
66. That which offsprings or begetteth another, is itself an offspring or begotten by another.
67. Of things that are, some are in Bodies, some in their Ideas.
68. Whatsoever things belong to operation or working, are in a body.
69. That which is immortal, partakes not of that which is mortal.
70. That which is mortal cometh not into a Body im- mortal ; but that which is immortal cometh into that which is mortal
71. Operation or Workings are not carried upwards, but descend downwards.
72. Things upon Earth, do nothing advantage those in Heaven ; but all things in Heaven do profit and advan- tage all things upon Earth.
73. Heaven is capable, and a fit receptacle of ever- lasting Bodies ; the Earth of corruptible Bodies.
74. The Earth is brutish ; the Eleaven is reasonable or rational.
75. Those things that are in Heaven are subjected or placed under it, but the things on earth are placed upon it.
76. Heaven is the first element.
77. Providence is Divine order.
78. Necessity is the Minister or Servant of Providence.
79. P'ortune is the carriage or effect of that which is without order ; the Idol of operation, a lying PMntasie or opinion.
80. What is God ? The immutable or unalterable Good.
81. What is man ? An unchamjeable evil.
82. If thou perfectly remember these Heads, thou
canst not forget those things which in more words I have largely expounded unto thee ; for these are the contents or Abridgement of them. [83. Avoid
83. y\void all conversation with the multitude or common people ; for I would not have thee subject to Envy, much less to be ridiculous unto the many.
84. For the like always takes to itself that which is like, but the unlike never agrees with the unlike. Such discourses as these have very few Auditors, and peradven- ture very few will have, but they have something peculiar unto themselves.
85. They do rather sharpen and whet evil men to their maliciousness ; therefore, it behoveth to avoid the multitude, and take heed of them as not understanding the virtue and power of the things that are said.
86. Hoxv dost thou mean, O Father ?
87. This, O Son : the whole nature and Composition of those living things called Men, is very prone to Malicious- ness, and is very familiar, and as it were nourished with it, and therefore is delighted with it ; now this wight, if it shall come to learn or know that the world was once made, and all things are done according to Providence or Necessity, Destiny or Fate, bearing rule over all, will he not be much worse than himself, despising the whole, because it was made } A nd if he may lay the cause of Evil xipon Fate or Destiny, he will never abstain from any evil work.
88. Wherefore zve must look zvarily to szich kind of people, that being in igiwrazice they may be less evil for fear of that udnch is hiddezi and kept secret.
XTbe BuD of tbe jfirst iBook.
A
\
THE SECOND BOOK,
CALLED
POEM A NDER.
My thoughts being once seriously busied about the things that are, and my Understand- ing lifted up, all my bodily Senses being exceedingly holden back, as it is with them that are heavy of sleep, by reason either of fulness of meat, or of bodily labour : Methought I saw
one of an exceeding great stature, and of an infinite great- ness, call me by my name, and say unto me, W/iat wouldst thou hear and see ? Or what wouldst thou understand to learn and know ?
2. Then said I, Who art Thou ? I am, quoth he, Pocmander, the mind of the great Lord, the most mighty and absolute Emperor : I know what thou wouldst have, and I am always present with thee.
3. Then I said, I would learn the things that are, and understand the nature of them, and know God. How ? said he. I answered that I would gladly hear. Then said
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( « )
he, Have me again in thy mind, and whatsoever thou wouldst learn, I will teach thee.
4. When he had thus said, he was changed in his Idea or Foi'm, and straightway, in the twinkling of an eye, all things were opened unto me. And I saw an infinite sight, all things were become light, both sweet and exceed- ing pleasant ; and I was wonderfully delighted in the beholding it.
5. But after a little while, there was a darkness made in part, coming down obliquely, fearful and hideous, which seemed unto me to be changed into a certain moist nahire,
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unspeakably troubled, which yielded a smoke as from Fire; and from whence proceeded a voice unutterable, and very mournful, but inarticulate, inasmuch as it seemed to have come from the Light.
6. Then from that Light, a certain holy Word joined itself unto Nature, and outflew the pure and unmixed Fire from the moist nature upwards on high ; it was exceeding Light, and sharp, and operative withal. And the Air, which was also light, followed the Spirit and mounted up to Fire (from the Earth and the Water), insomuch that it seemed to hang and depend upon it.
7. And the Earth and the Water stayed by them- selves so mingled together, that the Earth could not be seen for the Water, but they were moved because of the Spiritual word that was carried upon them.
8. Then said Poemander unto me. Dost thou under- stand this vision, and what it meaneth ? I shall know, said