The Golden Verses of Pythagoras — with commentary (1917)

" Diog. Laert., 1. viii., §9; Clem. Alex., Pad., 1. ii., p. 170. * Jambl., ibid., c. 21; Porphyre, Vitd Pythag., p. 37; Athen., 1. x., p. 418; Aul. Gell., 1. iv., c. 11.

c Diog. Laert., 1. viii., § 19. <* Hi6rocl., Aur. Carm., v. 32.

Examinations of the Golden Verses 197

"As the flame of a torch tends always upward whichever way one turns it," said the Indian sages, "thus the man whose heart is afire with virtue, whatever accident befalls him, directs himself always toward the end that wisdom indicates.""

"Misfortune follows vice, and happiness virtue," said the Chinese, "as the echo follows the voice and the shadow him who moves."*

O virtue! divine virtue! [exclaims Kong-Tse'] a celestial power presents thee to us, an interior force conducts us toward thee; happy the mortal in whom thou dwellest! he strikes the goal without effort, a single glance suffices for him to penetrate the truth. His heart becomes the sanctuary of peace and his very inclinations protect his innocence. It is granted to the sage only, to attain to so desirable a state. He who aspires to this must resolve upon the good and attach himself strongly to it; he must apply himself to the study of himself, interrogate nature, examine all things carefully, meditate upon them and allow nothing to pass unfathomed. Let him develop the faculties of his soul, let him think with force, let him put energy and firmness into his actions. Alas ! how many men there are who seek virtue and science, and who stop in the middle of their course, because the goal keeps them waiting! My studies, they say, leave me with all my ignorance, all my doubts; my efforts, my labours enlarge neither my views nor my sagacity; the same clouds hover over my understanding and obscure it ; I feel my forces abandoning me and my will giving way beneath the weight of the obstacle. No matter; guard yourself against discouragement; that which others have been able to attain at the first attempt, you may be able at the hundredth ; that which they have done at the hundredth, you will do at the thousandth.''

" Proverbes du Brahme Barthrovhari. * Chou-King, ch. Yu-Mo.

' On trouve ce passages dans le Tchong-Yong, ou Livre du Juste-Milieu; ouvrage trfes c61febre parmi les Chiinois.

<i A la perseverance il n'est rien qui r^siste: Quelques soient ses desseins, si le Sage y persiste, Nul obstacle si grand dont il ne vienne k bout: La Constance et le temps sont les maJtres de tout.

198 The Golden Verses of Pythagoras

Perfection

22. Let not sleep e'er close thy tired eyes,

Without thou ask thyself; What have I omitted, and what done?

Lysis, after having indicated the route by which Pythagoras conducted his disciples to virtue, goes on to teach them the use that this philosopher wished them to make of this celestial gift, once they had mastered it. Up to this point it is confined in the purgative part of -the doctrine of his teacher; he now passes to the unitive part, that is to say, to that which has as object the uniting of man to the Divinity, by rendering him more and more like unto the model of all perfection and of all wisdom, which is God. The sole instrument capable of operating this union has been placed at his disposition by means of the good usage that he has made of his will: it is virtue which must serve him at present to attain truth. Now, Truth is the ultimate goal of perfection: there is nothing beyond it and nothing this side of it but error; light springs from it; it is the soul of God, according to Pythagoras," and God himself, according to the legislator of the Indians.*