The Hermetic Museum, Vol. II — trans. A. E. Waite (1893)

At the Tenitic mouth of the Nile, I learned quite as much as I had learned everywhere else, namely —nothing. When the people who lived there told me that Mercury never came to them at all, I began to bewail my hapless fate, and the many fruitless journeys I had undertaken; and I now saw that perhaps it would have been wiser to have begun at the other end. There, however, I was; only two mouths of the river were left; and in one of these Mercury would be found, if indeed the Prophetess had spoken true.

VERB OSORUBES OR TC LLBMY. 22m

At the Phoeenetic mouth another disappointment awaited me. Mercury had once lived there, but had long since migrated somewhere else. At the seventh, or Mendesian mouth, nothing whatever was known about him.

It may easily be imagined that, after this long series of disappointments, I began to suspect the Sibyl very strongly of having sent me on a fool's errand ; for I had now visited every one of the mouths of the Nile, and yet had not found even a trace of Mercury in any of them. Or if the words of the prophetess had been true, it seemed as if the various people of whom I had enquired must have deceived me with false information. But after more mature consideration of the answers which had been returned to my questions in the different places, I arrived at the conclusion that I had merely misapprehended their meaning. So I retraced my steps, and at length succeeded in finding Mercury in one of the mouths, where the people had at first appeared to know nothing about him. He shewed meat great length, where I must look for the Phceenix and where I could obtain possession of it: When I reached the place to which he directed me, I found that the Phoenix had temporarily deserted it, having chanced to be chosen umpire between the owl and other birds which pursue it, of which battle we have treated otherwise. It was expected back in a few weeks; but,as I could not afford to wait so long just then, I thought I might be content with the information I had gained, and determined to consummate my search at some future time. So, having returned to my native land, I composed the following epigrams in honour of the Sibyl, Mercury, the Phcenix, and the Medicine.

EPIGRAM
In Honour of the Erythrean Sibyl, named Herophyle.

• * [ thank thee, great prophetess, whose inspiration is not of the"
• * fiend, but of the Spirit of God, that thou didst direct me on"
• * my way to the Son of Nilus, who should shew unto me the" *bird Phoenix. Full of sacred knowledge, thou didst utter" *forth thy oracles when thou didst sing of God who" "should come in the fashion of a man. Thou dost love"

• * Him who, bearing the sentences of highest justice, will be the" " omnipotent judge of the whole world, though thou wert called " *a Gentile Maiden, and though men said that thou couldst" " know nothing of Him. "The cave near the Red Sea cannot"
• * hold thy greatness, when Christ shall claim thee for His own" *in Heaven. T

EPIGRAM
Dedicated 1o Mercury of the Sages.

*'The Latins call thee Mercury, the Messenger of the Gods ;" *among the Greeks thy name is that of great Hermes. Thou" *art called Tenthius on the soil of Egypt ; thy father is Nilus," * who enriches that soil, and has bequeathed unto thee untold" * wealth. "Thou hast duly conveyed to the peoples of Egypt" * the laws which Vulcan, being in the secret with thee, has given." * A]I nations of the world behold thee with delight, yet thou" * desirest to be known to very few. Of how many secrets of" * Nature have the keys been entrusted to thy keeping! Thy" *face is red, thy neck is yellow, thy bosom is whiter than" *purest snow. Thy feet are shod with black sandals, a wand " * with a double snake in no wise hurts thy hand. This is thine " * apparel whereby thou art known to all, O Hermes! Thy com-" * plexion is fittingly of four hues. — Thou didst shew to me the " * glorious bird Pheenix by the mouth of an interpreter, and I " *thank thee for thy love with all my heart ; though the words " * be light, they are weighty with gratitude. A hag i