Thrice-Greatest Hermes, Vol. II (the Corpus Hermeticum) — G. R. S. Mead (1906)
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
3 &ir\affTov, that is to say, not made up, non-fictitious, not compounded ; that is, simple — the opposite of compounded.
4 Cf. below, § 7 : the man " who hath been taken pity on by
God " ; and also § 10.
Yea, I have had my former composed form dismembered for me. I am no longer touched, yet have I touch ; I have dimension too ; and [yet] am I a stranger to them now.
Thou seest me with eyes, my son ; but what I am thou dost not understand [even] with fullest strain of body and of sight.
4. Tat. Into fierce frenzy and mind-fury hast thou plunged me, father, for now no longer do vl see myself.
Her. I would, my son, that thou hadst e'en passed right through thyself, as they who dream in sleep yet sleepless.
Tat. Tell me this too ! Who is the author 1 of Kebirth ?
Her. The Son of God, the One Man, by
God's Will.
5. Tat. Now hast thou brought me, father, unto pure stupefaction.
Arrested from the senses which I had before, . . . . 2 ; for [now] I see thy Greatness identical with thy distinctive form.
Her. Even in this thou art untrue3; the mortal form doth change with every day. 'Tis turned by time to growth and waning, as being an untrue thing.4
6. Tat. What then is true, Thrice-greatest One ?
2 A lacuna unfortunately follows.
Her. That which is never troubled, son, which cannot be defined ; that which no colour hath, nor any figure, which is not turned, which hath no garment, which giveth light ; that which is comprehensible unto itself [alone], which doth not suffer change ; that which no body can contain.1
Tat. In very truth I lose my reason, father.
Just when I thought to be made wise by thee, I
find the senses of this mind of mine blocked up.
Her. Thus is it, son : That which is upward borne like fire, yet is borne down like earth, that which is moist like water, yet blows like air,2 how shalt thou this perceive with sense — the that which is not solid nor yet moist, which naught can bind or loose, of which in power and energy alone can man have any notion, — and even then it wants a man who can 3 perceive the Way of Birth in God *?
7. Tat. I am incapable of this, 0 father, then ?
Her. Nay, God forbid, my son ! Withdraw into thyself, and it will come ; will, and it comes to pass ; throw out of work the body's senses, and thy Divinity shall come to birth ; purge from thyself the brutish torments — things of matter.
Tat. I have tormentors then in me, 0 father ?
1 Of. P. S. A., xxxi..3. 2 Of. 0. H., iv. (v.) 1.
3 Retaining the reading
4 TV e'v 0e$ yeveffiv—cf. § 10.
Her. Ay, no few, my son; nay, fearful ones and manifold.
Tat. I do not know them, father.
Her. Torment the first is this Not-knowing,1 son; the second one is Grief; the third, Intemperance ; the fourth, Concupiscence ; the fifth, Unrighteousness ; the sixth is Avarice ; the seventh, Error 2 ; the eighth is Envy ; the ninth, Guile 3 ; the tenth is Anger ; eleventh, Eashness ; the twelfth is Malice.
These are in number twelve ; but under them are many more, my son ; and creeping through the prison of the body 4 they force the man that's placed within 5 to suffer in his senses. But they depart (although not all at once) from him who hath been taken pity on by God6; and this it is which constitutes the manner of Rebirth. And . . . . 7 the Reason (Logos).
8. And now, my son, be still and solemn silence keep ! Thus shall the mercy that flows on us from God not cease.
Henceforth rejoice, 0 son, for by the Powers of God thou art being purified for the articulation of the Reason (Logos).
1 Hyvoia. z foraTTj. 3 $6\os.
4 Gf. C.H., XVi. 15. 6
6 Cf. above, § 3 : " brought to birth out of God's mercy " ; and also § 10.
7 A lacuna in the text.
Gnosis of God hath come to us, and when this comes, my son, Not-knowing is cast out.
Gnosis of Joy hath come to us, and on its coming, son, Sorrow will flee away to them who give it room. The Power that follows Joy do I invoke, thy Self-control. 0 Power most sweet ! Let us most gladly bid it welcome, son ! How with its coming doth it chase Intemperance away !
9. Now fourth, on Continence I call, the Power against Desire.
. . . . * This step, my son, is Righteousness' firm seat. For without judgment2 see how she hath chased Unrighteousness away. We are made righteous, son, by the departure of Unrighteousness.
Power sixth I call to us, — that against Avarice,
Sharing- with-all. 8
And now that Avarice is gone, I call on Truth.
And Error flees, and Truth is with us.