(4) I saw two sitting leaned against each other, As leans in heating platter against platter, From head to foot bespotted o'er with scabs; And never saw I plied a currycomb By stable-boy for whom his master waits, Or him who keeps awake unwillingly, As every one was plying fast the bite Of nails upon himself, for the great rage Of itching which no other succour had. And the nails downward with them dragged the scab, In fashion as a knife the scales of bream, Or any other fish that has them largest. "O thou, that with thy fingers dost dismail thee," Began my Leader unto one of them, "And makest of them pincers now and then, Tell me if any Latian is with those Who are herein; so may thy nails suffice thee To all eternity unto this work." "Latians are we, whom thou so wasted seest, Both of us here," one weeping made reply; "But who art thou, that questionest about us?" And said the Guide: "One am I who descends Down with this living man from cliff to cliff, And I intend to show Hell unto him."

(46) And the young Man said; Thy Ornament is mine already, I [will] use thee according to my Will; in that thou sayest I shall be broken, (corrupted or destroyed,) yet my Worm is eternal, I will rule with that; and yet I will dwell in thee, and cloath thee with my Garments.

(20) Thus the Soul desired the Pearl again, but it was gone, and must be generated anew, and be sown as a Grain of Mustard-seed, which is small and little, and afterwards there grows a great Tree out of it; and thus the Pearl grows in the Bosom of the Virgin in the Soul. Therefore keep what thou hast, for Misery is an ill Guest; regard not what Sugar the Devil strows, though the Kingdom of this World seems as sweet as Sugar, it is nothing else but Gall; consider that the poor Soul in this World, and in the Flesh and Blood, is not in its true Home, it must travel into another Country. Therefore suffer not the Devil to cover it thus with the Untowardness of the Flesh, for great Earnestness is requisite for the Driving away of the Devil; though that would not be in our Ability [and Power,] if the exceeding worthy Champion did not aid and assist us.

(5) The second, tinct of deeper hue than perse, Was of a calcined and uneven stone, Cracked all asunder lengthwise and across. The third, that uppermost rests massively, Porphyry seemed to me, as flaming red As blood that from a vein is spirting forth. Both of his feet was holding upon this The Angel of God, upon the threshold seated, Which seemed to me a stone of diamond. Along the three stairs upward with good will Did my Conductor draw me, saying: "Ask Humbly that he the fastening may undo." Devoutly at the holy feet I cast me, For mercy's sake besought that he would open, But first upon my breast three times I smote. Seven P's upon my forehead he described With the sword's point, and, "Take heed that thou wash These wounds, when thou shalt be within," he said. Ashes, or earth that dry is excavated, Of the same colour were with his attire, And from beneath it he drew forth two keys.

(7) "Whence to the immortal gods the tribes of men The victim's white bones on the altars burn."

(59) And you see clearly, that the wicked Pharisees and Scribes put these Things upon him; for these Things did not happen to him for nothing, or without Cause; for it was of Necessity to be so; for the Pharisees, Scribes, and Rulers, had put that in his Dish for him, which he must eat. Or shall we be silent? We must tell it, though it should cost us our Life.

(5) My dear Mind, thou supposest thou art very sound, but thou art so beaten, that thou feelest thy Disease no more. Art thou not very near unto Death, how then canst thou account thyself to be sound? O my dear Soul, boast not of thy Soundness, thou liest fettered in heavy Bonds, yea in a very dark Dungeon; thou swimmest in a deep Water, which rises up to thy very Lips, and thou must continually expect Death. Besides, the Hunter is behind thee with a great Company of thy worst Enemies, whereby he draws thee continually down by his Chains into the horrible Deep, into the Abyss of Hell, and his Crew thrust thee on behind thee, and run upon thee on all Sides, yelling and hunting, as if they had the Hind they hunt after.

(44) I cut off your head, but that head is such That it is restored to life by being cut off!" My main object herein is to inculcate resignation, O Mosalman! it behoves you to seek resignation. O potherbs, you boil in trials and sufferings Though you once smiled in that earthly garden, If you are torn away from the garden of earth, You become sweet food to revive man's life; Yea, become his food and strength and thought! You were only milk, you become a lion of the forest!

(6) With such an attempt the devil has given me so many assaults, and has so wearied me, that I have often resolved to let it alone; but my former purpose was too hard for me. For when I took care for the belly, and to get my living, and resolved to give over this business in hand, then the gate of heaven in my knowledge was bolted up.

(493) 1059 To say: Greetings to you, who rule over abundance, 1059 who look after food, who reside as ruler of the green field, 1059b + 1 (N. XIV 1055 + 47). near the lord of splendour. 1059b + 2 (Nt. XXVII 701-702). Cause N. to eat of the corn which originates there, 1059b + 3 (N. 1055 + 48). like the equipment which was made in Mtwr.t 1059b + 4 (N. 1055 + 48). by him who sees with his face. 1059b + 5 (N. 1055 + 48). It (the corn) will be brought in for N. and for him who eats with his mouth. 1059c- 1060 Those who are attached to the offerings of the oldest gods-- 1060a-b. they introduce me to abundance, they introduce me to food, 1060b + 1 (N. 1055 + 49). that N. may eat with his mouth like him who separates Wp-sn.wi (the two tuffs (of hair), 1061a (Nt. XXVII 704). and drop with my (or, his) anus like eret. 1061a + 1 (Nt. 704). I give offerings and distribute food 1061a + 2 (N. 1055 + 50). like him with the long wings who lives in the Marsh of Reeds. 1061 Wind is in my nose; seed is in my phallus, 1061 as (seed is in the phallus) of him of mysterious form, who lives in splendour. 1061c + 1 (N. 1055 + 50. N. sees Nun, 1061c + 2 (Nt. 705). when she appears on her way. 1061c + 3 (N. 1055 + 51). Honour will be given to N.; 1061c + 4 (Nt. 706). N. will be great because of her power; there will be a six days' feast in Hri-`; 1062. (Nt. 706). N. will eat of the pregnant cow like those who are in Heliopolis.

(3) I saw one made in fashion of a lute, If he had only had the groin cut off Just at the point at which a man is forked. The heavy dropsy, that so disproportions The limbs with humours, which it ill concocts, That the face corresponds not to the belly, Compelled him so to hold his lips apart As does the hectic, who because of thirst One tow'rds the chin, the other upward turns. "O ye, who without any torment are, And why I know not, in the world of woe," He said to us, "behold, and be attentive Unto the misery of Master Adam; I had while living much of what I wished, And now, alas! a drop of water crave. The rivulets, that from the verdant hills Of Cassentin descend down into Arno, Making their channels to be cold and moist, Ever before me stand, and not in vain; For far more doth their image dry me up Than the disease which strips my face of flesh. The rigid justice that chastises me Draweth occasion from the place in which I sinned, to put the more my sighs in flight.

(390) 683 To say: N. is pure, his ka is pure. 683 How well is N., how well is N.--the bodily health of Horus! 683 How well is N., how well is, N.--the bodily health of Set! 683 The bodily health of N. is (to be) between you. 684 It is N. who stretched the cord (of a bow) as Horus, who draw the string as Osiris. 684 It is that one (the dead) who has gone; it is this one (Osiris) who comes (again). 685 Art thou Horus? A face is upon thee; thou shalt be set on thy head. 685 Art thou Set? A face is upon thee; thou shalt be laid on thy back. 685 This foot of N. [which he has placed upon thee is the] foot of Mfd.t; 685 [that] hand of N., which he has placed upon thee, is the hand of Mfd.t, who lives in the "house of life." 686 N. strikes thee in thy face, 686 so that thy saliva runs away. [He ------- so that] thy cheek ---. 686 iw-serpent, lie down; n`w-serpent, glide away.

(88) And we are seriously and highly to know (for it is seen in the Light of Life) that the Marrow in the Bones has the noblest and highest Tincture, wherein the Spirit is sweetest, and the Light clearest; which may be known in the Fire, if you be not blind with your Gain- saying; and it is accurately known, that those Places (where the hard Bones now are) were Wonders and Virtue [or Power,] which have broken the Gates of the Darkness, in which [Power] the angelical Man in the Light stood.

(64) For the teeth retain the word, letting the spirit go forth leisurely between the teeth. This signifieth that the astringent quality holdeth the earth and stones firmly and fast together; and yet, for all that, letteth the spirits of the earth spring up, grow and bear blossoms out of the astringent spirit; which signifieth the regeneration or restitution of the spirits of the earth.

(4) Therefore now, if we will speak of this most serious Article, we must go from Jerusalem to Jericho, and see how we lie among Murderers, who have so wounded us, and beaten us, that we are half dead, and we must look about us for the Samaritan with his Beast, that he may dress our Wounds, and bring us into his Inn. O how lamentable and miserable it is, that we are so beaten by the Murderer (the Devil) that we are half dead, and yet feel our Smart no more! O if the Physician would come, and dress our Wounds, that our Soul might revive and live, how should we rejoice! Thus speaks the Desire, and has such longing hearty Wishes; and although the Physician is present, yet the Mind can no where apprehend him, because it is so very much wounded, and lies half dead.

(2) In all of them the soles were both on fire; Wherefore the joints so violently quivered, They would have snapped asunder withes and bands. Even as the flame of unctuous things is wont To move upon the outer surface only, So likewise was it there from heel to point. "Master, who is that one who writhes himself, More than his other comrades quivering," I said, "and whom a redder flame is sucking?" And he to me: "If thou wilt have me bear thee Down there along that bank which lowest lies, From him thou'lt know his errors and himself." And I: "What pleases thee, to me is pleasing; Thou art my Lord, and knowest that I depart not From thy desire, and knowest what is not spoken." Straightway upon the fourth dike we arrived; We turned, and on the left-hand side descended Down to the bottom full of holes and narrow. And the good Master yet from off his haunch Deposed me not, till to the hole he brought me Of him who so lamented with his shanks. "Whoe'er thou art, that standest upside down, O doleful soul, implanted like a stake," To say began I, "if thou canst, speak out."

(3) Heaven determineth its hour; my Word of Power determineth all that which concerneth it; and my mouth determineth my Word of Power. I eat, and my teeth are like flint, and my grinders are like the Cliff of Tuf

(21) 13 [To say: How good is the condition (?) of thy mouth after] . I have adjusted for thee thy mouth to thy bones! 13 I open for thee thy mouth; I open for thee thine eyes, O N. 13 I open for thee thy mouth with the nw, the mtiw-hook of copper (or, iron), which opens the mouth of the gods. 13 Horus opens the mouth of this N.; [Horus opens the mouth of this N.]. 13 [Horus has opened] the mouth of this N.; Horus has opened the mouth of this N. 13 with that wherewith he opened the mouth of his father; with that wherewith he opened the mouth of Osiris; 14 with the copper, (or, iron) which comes forth from Set, the mtiw-hook of copper (or, iron), which opens the mouth of the gods. 14 He opens the mouth of N. therewith, that he may go, 14 that he himself may speak before the Great Ennead in the house of the prince, which is in Heliopolis, 14 that he may carry off the wrr.t-crown (which is) with Horus, lord of men.

(3) And I: "My Master, among such as these I ought forsooth to recognise some few, Who were infected with these maladies." And he to me: "Vain thought thou entertainest; The undiscerning life which made them sordid Now makes them unto all discernment dim. Forever shall they come to these two buttings; These from the sepulchre shall rise again With the fist closed, and these with tresses shorn. Ill giving and ill keeping the fair world Have ta'en from them, and placed them in this scuffle; Whate'er it be, no words adorn I for it. Now canst thou, Son, behold the transient farce Of goods that are committed unto Fortune, For which the human race each other buffet; For all the gold that is beneath the moon, Or ever has been, of these weary souls Could never make a single one repose." "Master," I said to him, "now tell me also What is this Fortune which thou speakest of, That has the world's goods so within its clutches?" And he to me: "O creatures imbecile, What ignorance is this which doth beset you? Now will I have thee learn my judgment of her.

(127) But that the astringent and bitter spirit sitteth still in its seat at the hinder gums on the tongue, and thrusteth forth the word at the mouth, and yet cannot get away from thence, signifieth that the devil and the wrath of God would indeed be domineering in all the creatures, yet would not have full power in them, but must stay in prison; and that there they would belch forth or blow into all the creatures, and plague them, but would not overcome them, unless the creatures themselves are minded to tarry there in that place.