(6) just sent thee, is the glory of the name of the mystery of the Revealer, which is the First Commandment, and of the mystery of the five Impressions, and of the mystery of the great Envoy of the Ineffable, who is the great Light, and of the mystery of the five Leaders, who are the five Helpers. There is further in this vesture the glory of the name of the mystery of all orders of the emanations of the Treasury of the Light and of their saviours, and [of the mystery] of the orders of the orders, which are the seven Amēns and the seven Voices and the five Trees and the three Amēns and the Twin-saviour, that is the Child of the Child, and of the mystery of the nine guards of the three gates of the Treasury of the Light. There is further therein the whole glory of the name [of all those] which are in the Right, and of all those which are in the Midst. And further there is therein the whole glory of the name of the great Invisible, which is the great Forefather, and the mystery of the three triple-powers and the mystery of their whole region and the mystery of all their invisibles and of all those who are in the thirteenth æon, and the name of the twelve æons and of all their rulers and all their archangels and all their angels and of all those who are in the twelve æons, and the whole mystery of the name of all those who are in the Fate and in all the heavens, and the whole mystery of the name of all those who are in the sphere, and of its firmaments and of all who are in them, and of all their regions. "'Lo, therefore, we have sent thee this vesture, which no one knew from the First Commandment

(615) who had been great criminals: they were just, as they fancied, about to return into the upper world, but the mouth, instead of admitting them, gave a roar, whenever any of these incurable sinners or some one who had not been sufficiently punished tried to ascend; and then wild men of fiery aspect, who were standing by and heard the sound, seized and carried them off; and Ardiaeus and others they bound head and foot and hand, and threw them down and flayed them with scourges, and dragged them along the road at the side, carding them on thorns like wool, and declaring to the passers-by what were their crimes, and that 8 they were being taken away to be cast into hell.’ And of all the many terrors which they had endured, he said that there was none like the terror which each of them felt at that moment, lest they should hear the voice; and when there was silence, one by one they ascended with exceeding joy. These, said Er, were the penalties and retributions, and there were blessings as great. Now when the spirits which were in the meadow had tarried seven days, on the eighth they were obliged to proceed on their journey, and, on the fourth day after, he said that they came to a place where they could see from above a line of light, straight as a column, extending right through the whole heaven and through the earth, in colour resembling the rainbow, only brighter and purer; another day’s journey brought them to the place, and there, in the

(5) Would that it were possible for thee to get thee wings, and soar into the air, and, poised midway 'tween earth and heaven, behold the earth's solidity, the sea's fluidity (the flowings of its streams), the spaciousness of air, fire's swiftness, [and] the coursing of the stars, the swiftness of heaven's circuit round them [all]! Most blessed sight were it, my son, to see all these beneath one sway - the motionless in motion, and the unmanifest made manifest; whereby is made this order of the cosmos and the cosmos which we see of order.

(627) 1771 To say: N. is a well-equipped spirit, who asks to be; 1771 heaven is agitated; the earth quakes 1771 --------------------------- 1772 N. was born on (the day of the feast) of the month; N. was conceived on (the day of the feast) of the half-month; 1772 (for) he came forth with the dorsal carapace of a grasshopper, 1772 as among that (of) which the wasp bore. 1773 The two wings ------------------- 1773 --------- two uraeuses. N. was conceived in the night and ascends to R` each day. 1773 The chapel is open for him (when) R` appears. 1774 N. has ascended on the rain-cloud; he has descended ---- 1774 -------------------- truth is before R` 1774 on the day of (the feast) of each first-of-the-year. 1775 Heaven was in satisfaction; the earth was, in joy, 1775 (after) they heard that N. had put truth [in the place of error]. 1776 ------ protect (or, avenge) ----- N. in his divine court 1776 with the true decision, which comes forth from his mouth, 1776 demanded his installation as chief: Two acres 1776 ---------------- 1777 N. is the great falcon who asks to be; 1777 N. ferries over the sky on four geese (?). 1777 N. has ascended on the rain-cloud; he has descended --- 1777 ------------------ 1778 N: is the great falcon, who is upon the battlements (or, cornice blocks) of the house of "him of the hidden name," 1778 who will seize the (possessions, or) provisions of Atum for him who separates the sky from the earth and Nun 1778 -- this N. in all (?) ---- shines. 1779 His two lips are like those of the male of the divine falcons; 1779 his neck is like that of the mistress of the nbi-flame; 1779 his claws are like those of the bull of the evening; 1780 his wings are like those of him who presides over (his) abode within the lake of his chapel. 1780 The w (taste) of N. is like the swnw-r.f-wr, who is at the side of him who is, in Nun. 1780 N. was born at (or, on) the hand of eternity. 1781 ------------------- 1781 N. [went?] to the field of the glorified; 1781 his hands fell upon Dbn-wp.wt (him of the twisted horns), north of the island of Elephantin� (bw); 1781 he has illuminated the earth with his first divine being. 1782a (N. I 168). To the side --------- 1782 ------------ the [urae]us, the gu[ide], in his first birth. 1782 He is busying himself with pd.w nw.t; 1782 It goes well with N. because of his ba. 1783 ----------------- 1783 ------------------- w 'irmn.wt nfr. 1783 The name of N. is made like that of a divine falcon, through which he who passes by it fears; 1784 because like N. mw is older than nhd -- 1784 ------ 1784 N. goes to his seat (place?) of (in) the Ssm.t-land; 1784 that which N. eats comes from the Marshes, of Offerings 1784 and from the lakes of malachite ------------1785a (N. I 171). He --- a ka in the body of a hundred thousand --- 1785 N. conducts R` into his two boats of m`.t 1785 on the day (of the feast) of the end of the year, 48. TEXTS OF MISCELLANEOUS CONTENTS,

(3) It was my cross that the world did not accept, my apparent exaltation, my third baptism in a revealed image. When they had fled from the fire of the seven authorities, and the sun of the powers of the rulers set, darkness overtook them. And the world became poor. After they bound him with many restraints, they nailed him to the cross, and they fastened him with four nails of brass. The veil of his temple he tore with his hands. There was a trembling that overcame the chaos of the earth, for the souls that were in the sleep below were released, and they arose. They walked about boldly, having shed jealousy of ignorance and unlearnedness beside the dead tombs; having put on the new human; having come to know that perfect blessed one of the eternal and incomprehensible father and the infinite light, which is I. When I came to my own and united them with myself, there was no need for many words, for our thought was with their thought. Therefore they knew what I was saying, for we took counsel about the destruction of the rulers. And therefore I did the will of the father, who is I.

(4) He who said this, used to affirm, that this vision was shewn to the Theologian, through one of the holy and blessed Angels set over us, and that from his illuminating direction, he was elevated to that intellectual contemplation in which he saw the most exalted Beings seated (to speak symbolically) under God, and with God, and around God, and the super-princely Eminence elevated unspeakably above them and all, seated on high in the midst of the superior Powers. The Theologian then learned, from the things seen, that, as compared with every super-essential pre-eminence, the Divine Being was seated incomparably above every visible and invisible power, yea, even that It is exalted above all, as the Reality of all things, as Absolute--not even like to the first of created Beings;--further also, that It is source and essentiating Cause, and unalterable Fixity of the undissolved continuance of all things, from, Which is both the being and the well-being of the most exalted Powers themselves. Then he revealed that the Godlike powers of the most holy Seraphim, themselves, whose sacred appellation signifies the Fiery, concerning which we shall shortly speak as best we can, conducted the elevations of the empyrean power to the Divine likeness. And, the holy Theologian, by viewing the description of free and most exalted elevation of the sixfold wings to the Divine Being in first, middle, and last conceptions, and further, their endless feet and many faces, and their extended wings--one under their feet, and the other over their faces, as seen in vision, and the perpetual movement of their middle wings--was brought to the intelligible knowledge of the things seen, since there was manifested to him the power of the most exalted minds for deep penetration and contemplation, and the sacred reverence which they have, supermundanely, for the bold and courageous and unattainable scrutiny into higher and deeper mysteries; and of the incessant and high-flying perpetual movement of their Godlike energies in due proportion. But he was also taught the hidden mysteries of that supremely Divine and much esteemed Hymn of Praise--whilst the Angel who formed the vision imparts, as far as possible, his own sacred knowledge to the Theologian. He also taught him this, that the participation, as far as attainable, in the supremely Divine and radiant purity, is a purification to the pure however pure; and it being accomplished from the very Godhead by most exalted causes, for all the sacred Minds by a superessential hiddenness, is in a manner more clear, and exhibits and distributes itself, in a higher degree, to the highest powers around It; but with regard to the second, or us, the lowest mental powers, as each is distant from, as regards the Divine likeness, so It contracts its brilliant illumination to the single unknowable of its own hiddenness. And it illuminates the second, severally, through the first; and, if one must speak briefly, it is firstly brought from hiddenness to manifestation through the first powers. This, then, the Theologian was taught by the Angel who was leading him to Light--that purification, and all the supremely Divine operations, illuminating through the first Beings, are distributed to all the rest, according to the relation of each for the deifying participations. Wherefore he reasonably attributed to the Seraphim, after God, the characteristic of purification by fire. There is nothing, then, absurd, if the Seraphim is said to purify the Prophet. For, as God purifies all, by being cause of every purification, yea, rather (for I use a familiar illustration) just as our Hierarch, when purifying or enlightening through his Leitourgoi or Priests, is said himself to purify and enlighten, since the Orders consecrated through him attribute to him their own proper sacred operations; so also the Angel who effected the purification of the Theologian attributes his own purifying science and power to God, indeed, as Cause, but to the Seraphim as first-operating Hierarch; as any one might say with Angelic reverence, whilst teaching one who was being purified by him, "There is a preeminent Source, and Essence, and Worker, and Cause of the cleansing wrought upon you from me, He Who brings both the first Beings into Being, and holds them together by their fixity around Himself, and keeps them without change and without fall, moving them to the first participations of His own Providential energies (for this, He Who taught me these things used to say, shews the mission of the Seraphim), but as Hierarch and Leader after God, the Marshal of the most exalted Beings, from whom I was taught to purify after the example of God -- this is he, who cleanses thee through me, through whom the Cause and Creator of all cleansing brought forth His own provident energies from the Hidden even to us." These things, then, he taught me, and I impart them to thee. Let it be a part of thy intellectual and discriminating skill, either, to acquit each of the causes assigned from objection, and to honour this before the other as having likelihood and good reason, and perhaps, the truth; or, to find out from yourself something more allied to the real truth, or to learn from another; (God, of course, giving expression, and Angels supplying it;) and to reveal to us, the friends of Angels, a view more luminous if it should be so, and to me specially welcome.

(609) 1703 To say: N., thy mother Nut has given birth to thee in the West; 1703 thou hast descended in the West in company with the lord of veneration (?); 1703 thy mother Isis has given birth to thee at Chemmis; 1703 thy hand which is (full of) the north wind takes (Possession) of thee 1703 overflowing thee, behind the north wind, father N. 1704 The Lake of Reeds is full; the Winding Watercourse is inundated; 1704 the mn`-canal of N. is open, 1704 whereby he may ferry over to the horizon, to the place where the gods will be born, 1704 and where thou wilt be born with them. 1705 The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for R`, 1705 that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon to the place where the gods will be born, 1705 and where he will be born with them. 1706 The two reed-floats of heaven are placed for N., 1706 that he may ferry over therewith to the horizon to the place where they will be born, 1706 and where he will be born with them. 1707 Thy sister is Sothis; thy mother (bearer) is the morning star; 1707 thou sittest between them on the great throne, 1707 which is at the side of the Two Enneads. 1708 Behold, let these four dwellers of the region (or, height) be brought, 1708 who sit upon their d`b-sceptres, who come forth on (or, from) the eastern side of the sky, 1708 that they may proclaim this thy goodly utterance to Nb-k.w, 1708 which thy daughter, (m.t), said to thee, and 1708 Nb-k.w shall proclaim this thy goodly utterance 1708 to the Two Enneads. 1709 It is Hpnti, he who lays hold of thy hand when thou descendest into the boat of R`, 1709 descending into the boat with an offering which the king gives; descending and ferrying over. 45. THE DECEASED KING ON EARTH AND IN HEAVEN

(3) "'1. In faith have I had faith in the Light; and it remembered me and hearkened to my song. "'2. It hath led my power up out of the chaos and the nether darkness of the whole matter and it hath led me up. It hath removed. me to a higher and surer æon, lofty and firm; it hath changed my place on the way which leadeth to my region. "'3. And it hath given unto me a new mystery, which is not that of my æon, and given unto me a song of the Light. Now, therefore, O Light, all the rulers will see what thou hast done unto me, and be afraid and have faith in the Light.' This song then Pistis Sophia uttered, rejoicing that she had been led up out of the chaos and brought to regions which are below the thirteenth æon. Now, therefore, let him whom his mind stirreth, so that he understandeth the solution of the thought of the song which Pistis Sophia hath uttered, come forward and say it." Andrew came forward and said: "My Lord, this is concerning what thy light-power hath prophesied aforetime through David:

(35) Now if a man likeneth the Son of God to the globe of the sun, as I have often done in the foregoing chapters, that is spoken in the way and manner of natural similitudes; and I was constrained to write so, because of the lack of understanding of the Reader, that so he might raise his sense or thoughts in these natural things, and climb from step to step, from one degree to another, till he might come into the high Mysteries.

(697) 2169 To say: O N., the mouth of the earth opens for thee; Geb speaks to thee: 2169 "Thou art great like a king; thou art mighty like R`. 2170 Thou purifiest thyself in the lake of the jackal; thou cleansest thyself in the lake of the Dt." 2170 "Come in peace," say the Two Enneads to thee. 2170 The eastern door of heaven is open for thee by 'Imn-km. 2171a . Nut has given her arms to thee, N., she of the long hair, she of the hanging breasts; 2171 she lifts thee high to herself to heaven; she did not cast N. down to the earth. 2172 She gives thee birth, N., like S'h; 2172 she makes thee remain as chief of the two 'itr.t-palaces." 21 72 N. descends into the boat like R`, on the shores, of the Winding Watercourse. 2173 N. is transported by the indefatigables; 2173 N. commands the imperishable stars; 2173 N. is transported on the nti-ocean; 2173 N. takes the helm to the fields of . 2174 Thy messengers go; thy runners hasten. 2174 They say to R`: "Behold, N. is come; behold, N. is come in peace." 2175 Do not go by these water-courses of the west; 2175 those who go there, they do not come back. 2175 Go thou, N., by these water-courses of the east, 2175 among the Followers of [R`] 2175 ------ him who lifts up the arm in the east. 2175 -----------------------------------

(456) 852 To say: Greetings to thee, Great One, son of a Great One! 852 The w of the pri-wr run for thee; 852 the pri-nsr work for thee; 852 the apertures of the (heavenly) windows are open for thee; 852 the steps of light are revealed for thee. 853 Greetings to thee, sole one, of whom it is said, he will live always! 853 Horus comes, he with the long stride comes; 853 he comes, he who wins power over the horizon, who wins power over the gods. 854 Greetings to thee, soul, who is in his red blood, 854 sole one, as his father named him, wise one, as the gods called him, 854 who took his place, as the sky was separated (from the earth), at the place where thy heart was satisfied, 854 that thou mayest stride over the sky according to thy stride, 854 that thou mayest traverse Lower and Upper Egypt in the midst of that which thou stridest! 855 He who really knows it--this saying of R`, 855 he who uses them--those charms of Harachte, 855 he shall be indeed an intimate of R`, 855 he shall be a friend of Harachte. 856 N. knows this saying of R`; 856 N. uses them--these charms of Harachte. 856 N. shall be an intimate of R`, 856 N. shall be a friend of Harachte. 856 The arm of N. will be taken to heaven in the following of R`. Utterance 497. 857 To say: The watered fields are satisfied, the canals are inundated 857 for N. on this day, 857 when his spirit is given to him, when his might is given to him. 858 Raise thyself up, N., take to thyself thy water; gather to thee thy bones. 858 Stand up upon thy feet; spirit art thou at the head of the spirits. 859 Raise thyself up for this thy bread, which cannot mould, 859 for thy beer, which cannot become sour, 859 by which thou shalt become spiritually mighty, by which thou shalt become pre-eminent, by which thou shalt become physically mighty, 859 by which thou shalt give thereof to him who was, before thee. O N., thou art glorious and thy successor is glorious.

(2) "And all the rulers and all those who are in the Fate, were thrown into agitation and fell on one another and were in exceeding great fear on seeing the great light that was about me. And they gazed on my vesture of light and saw the mystery of their name on my vesture and fell into still greater agitation; and they were in great fear, saying: 'How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing?' And all the bonds of their regions and of their orders and of their houses were unloosed; they all came at once, fell down, adored before me and sang praises all together to the interiors of the interiors, being in great fear and great agitation.

(9) Now the Lord, having come alone into the intellectual world, enters by His sufferings, introduced into the knowledge of the Ineffable, ascending above every name which is known by sound. The lamp, too, was placed to the south of the altar of incense; and by it were shown the motions of the seven planets, that perform their revolutions towards the south. For three branches rose on either side of the tamp, and lights on them; since also the sun, like the lamp, set in the midst of all the planets, dispenses with a kind of divine music the light to those above and to those below.

(3) "And all rulers and all authorities and all angels therein were thrown all together into agitation because of the great light which was on me. And they gazed at the radiant vesture of light with which I was clad, and they saw the mystery which contains their names, and they feared most exceedingly. And all their bonds with which they were bound, were unloosed and every one left his order, and they all fell down before me, adored and said: 'How hath the lord of the universe passed through us without our knowing?' And they all sang praises together to the interiors of the interiors; but me they saw not, but they saw only the light. And they were in great fear and were exceedingly agitated and sang praises to the interiors of the interiors.

(6) But, I well know you will further ask that the propitious sleep of Almighty God, and His awakening, should be explained. And, when we have said, that the superiority of Almighty God, and His incommunicability with the objects of His Providence is a Divine sleep, and that the attention to His Providential cares of those who need His discipline, or His preservation, is an awakening, you will pass to other symbols of the Word of God. Wherefore, thinking it superfluous that by running through the same things to the same. persons, we should seem to say different things, and, at the same time, conscious that you assent to things that are good, we finish this letter at what we have said, having set forth, as I think, more than the things solicited in your letters. Further, we send the whole of our Symbolical Theology, within which you will find, together with the house of wisdom, also the seven pillars investigated, and its solid food divided into sacrifices and breads. And what is the mingling of the wine; and again, What is the sickness arising from the inebriety of Almighty God? and in fact, the things now spoken of are explained in it more explicitly. And it is, in my judgment, a correct enquiry into all the symbols of the Word of God, and agreeable to the sacred traditions and truths of the Oracles.

(22) And now if the Glance out of this Mind, out of this or any other Form not here mentioned, glances [or darts] through the Eyes, then it catches up its own Form out of every Thing, as its starry Kingdom is most potent at all Times of the Heaven, in the Good or in the Bad, in Falshood or in Truth. And this is brought before the King, and there must the five Counsellors try it, which yet are unrighteous Knaves themselves, being infected from the Stars and Elements, and so set in their Region [or Dominion.] And now those [Counsellors] desire nothing more than the Kingdom of this World; and to which Sort the starry House of the Brains and of the Heart is most of all inclined, for that the five Counsellors also give their Advice, and will have it, be it for Pomp, Pride, Stateliness, Riches, Beauty, or voluptuous Life, also for Art and Excellence of earthly Things, and for poor Lazarus there is no Thought; there the five Counsellors are very soon agreed, for in their own Form they are all unrighteous before God; but according to the Region of this World they are very firm. Thus they counsel the King, and the King gives it to the Spirit of the Soul, which gathers up the Essences, and falls too with Hands and Mouth. But if they are Words [that are to be expressed] then it brings them to the Roof of the Mouth, and there the five Counsellors distinguish [or separate] them according to the Will of the Mind; and further [the Spirit brings them upon the Tongue, and there the Senses [divide or] distinguish them in the Flash, [Glance, or in a Moment.]

(22) And we find greater Mysteries yet in Evidence of the horrible Fall; for after that the four Elements had thus set themselves every one in a several Region, then they made themselves Lords over the Spirit of the Soul, which was generated out of the Essences, and they have taken it into their Power, and qualify with it. The Fire, viz. the mightiest of them, has taken it into its Region [or Jurisdiction] in the Heart; and there it must mkeep, and the Blossom and Light thereof goes out of the Heart, and moves upon the Heart, as the kindled Light of a Candle, where the Candle resembles the fleshly Heart, with the Essences out of which the Light shines. And the Fire has set itself over the Essences, and continually reaches after the Light, and it supposes that it has the Virgin, viz. the divine Virtue [or Power.]

(13) For observe it, although now in the Harshness there be Bitterness, Fire, Sound, Water, and that out of the springing Vein of the Water there flows Love (or Oil) from whence the Light arises and shines; yet the Harshness retains its first Property, and the Bitterness its Property, the Fire its Property, the Sound or the Stirring its Property, and the overcoming the first harsh or tart Anguish, (viz. the returning down back again) or the Water-Spirit, its Property, and the springing Fountain, the pleasant Love, which is kindled by the Light in the tart or sour Bitterness, (which now is the sweet [Source or] springing Vein of Water,) its property; and yet this is no separable Essence parted asunder, but all one whole Essence or Substance in one another. And each Form or Birth takes its own Form, Virtue, Working and Springing up from all the Forms; and the whole Birth now retains chiefly but these four Forms in its generating or bringing forth; viz. the rising up, the falling down, and then through the turning [of the Wheel in the sour, harsh,] tart Essence, the putting forth on this Side, and on that Side, on both Sides like a Cross; or, as I may so say, the going forth from the Point [or Center] towards the East, the West, the North and the South: For from the Stirring, Moving, and Ascending of the Bitterness in the Fire-Flash, there exists a cross Birth. For the Fire goes forth upward, the Water downward, and the Essences of the Harshness sideways.

(2) Let us, then, as I said, leave behind these things, beautifully depicted upon the entrance of the. innermost shrine, as being sufficient for those, who are yet incomplete for contemplation, and let us proceed from the effects to the causes; and then, Jesus lighting the way, we shall view our holy Synaxis, and the comely contemplation of things intelligible, which makes radiantly manifest the blessed beauty of the archetypes. But, oh, most Divine and holy initiation, uncovering the folds of the dark mysteries enveloping thee in symbols, be manifest to us in thy bright glory, and fill our intellectual visions with single and unconcealed light.

(1) "And I left that region behind me and ascended to the great æons of the rulers and came before their veils and their gates, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light which was about me. It came to pass then, when I arrived at the twelve æons, that their veils and their gates were shaken one over against the other. Their veils drew themselves apart of their own accord, and their gates opened one over against the other. And I entered into the æons, shining most exceedingly, and there was no measure for the light that was about me, forty-and-nine times more than the light with which I shone in the houses of the Fate.