(34) [pages 109 and 110 are missing in NHC III, replaced here by the corresponding section in the Berlin Gnostic Codex, the beginning of which is somewhat different from the final partial sentence of NHC III 108 (the broken off sentence)]

(16) Let us conclude this second book of the Stromata at this point, on account of the length and number of the chapters.

(Pages 1 to 6 of the manuscript, containing chapters 1 - 3, are lost. The extant text starts on page 7...)

(6) All of their coverings uplifted were, And from them issued forth such dire laments, Sooth seemed they of the wretched and tormented. And I: "My Master, what are all those people Who, having sepulture within those tombs, Make themselves audible by doleful sighs?" And he to me: "Here are the Heresiarchs, With their disciples of all sects, and much More than thou thinkest laden are the tombs. Here like together with its like is buried; And more and less the monuments are heated." And when he to the right had turned, we passed Between the torments and high parapets.

(24) The heading of this Chapter appears to have no relation to its contents, while it perfectly suits the latter half of Chapter xxii, which has nothing corresponding to it in the heading of that chapter. As however the heading of Chapter xxiv. is common both to the Wurtzburg MS. and Luther’s editions, the translator has no option but to retain it in its present position.

(31) It is evident also that the mispaginations in the Shakespearian Folios and other volumes are keys to Baconian ciphers, for re-editions--often from new type and by different printers--contain the same mistakes. For example, the First and Second Folios of Shakespeare are printed from entirely different type and by different printers nine years apart, but in both editions page 153 of the Comedies is numbered 151, and pages 249 and 250 are numbered 250 and 251 respectively. Also in the 1640 edition of Bacon's The Advancement and Proficience of Learning, pages 353 and 354 are numbered 351 and 352 respectively, and in the 1641 edition of Du Bartas' Divine Weeks pages 346 to 350 inclusive are entirely missing, while page 450 is numbered 442. The frequency with which pages ending in numbers 50, 51, 52,53, and 54 are involved will he noted.

(391) 687 To say twice: On [thy] side! Thou shalt lie down. 687 Escape, escape; hence, hence -------------- 687 [Deliv]er N.; protect N. 687 Thy message is ready; thy testament is received; that which is before thee is restful.

(19) Upon moving the altar to one side a brass cover was disclosed. Lifting this revealed a body, presumedly that of C.R.C., which, although it had lain there 120 years, was as well preserved as though it had just been interred. It was ornamented and attired in the robes of the Order, and in one hand was clasped a mysterious parchment which, next to the Bible, was the most valued possession of the Society. After thoroughly investigating the contents of the secret chamber, the brass plate and altar were put back in place, the door of the vault was again sealed, and the Brothers went their respective ways, their spirits raised and their faith increased by the miraculous spectacle which they had beheld.

(21) The writing of these memoranda of mine, I well know, is weak when compared with that spirit, full of grace, which I was privileged to hear. But it will be an image to recall the archetype to him who was struck with the thyrsus. For "speak," it is said, "to a wise man, and he will grow wiser; and to him that hath, and there shall be added to him." And we profess not to explain secret things sufficiently - far from it - but only to recall them to memory, whether we have forgot aught, or whether for the purpose of not forgetting. Many things, I well know, have escaped us, through length of time, that have dropped away unwritten. Whence, to aid the weakness of my memory, and provide for myself a salutary help to my recollection in a systematic arrangement of chapters, I necessarily make use of this form. There are then some things of which we have no recollection; for the power that was in the blessed men was great. There are also some things which remained unnoted long, which have now escaped; and others which are effaced, having faded away in the mind itself, since such a task is not easy to those not experienced; these I revive in my commentaries. Some things I purposely omit, in the exercise of a wise selection, afraid to write what I guarded against speaking: not grudging - for that were wrong - but fearing for my readers, lest they should stumble by taking them in a wrong sense; and, as the proverb says, we should be found "reaching a sword to a child." For it is impossible that what has been written should not escape, although remaining unpublished by me. But being always revolved, using the one only voice, that of writing, they answer nothing to him that makes inquiries beyond what is written; for they require of necessity the aid of some one, either of him who wrote, or of some one else who has walked in his footsteps.

(3) Do then so. And I pray thee for God’s love that thou let none see this book, unless it be such one that thee think is like to the book; after that thou findest written in the book before, where it telleth what men and when they should work in this work. And if thou shalt let any such men see it, then I pray thee that thou bid them take them time to look it all over. For peradventure there is some matter therein in the beginning, or in the midst, the which is hanging and not fully declared there as it standeth. But if it be not there, it is soon after, or else in the end. And thus if a man saw one part and not another, peradventure he should lightly be led into error: and therefore I pray thee to work as I say thee. And if thee think that there be any matter therein that thou wouldest have more opened than it is, let me wit which it is, and thy conceit thereupon; and at my simple cunning it shall be amended if I can.

(17) Chapter X. Although there are still certain powerful persons who oppose and hinder us--because of which we must remain concealed--we exhort those who would become of our Fraternity to study unceasingly the Sacred Scriptures, for such as do this cannot be far from us. We do not mean that the Bible should be continually in the mouth of man, but that he should search for its true and eternal meaning, which is seldom discovered by theologians, scientists, or mathematicians because they are blinded by the opinions of their sects. We bear witness that never since the beginning of the world has there been given to man a more excellent book than the Holy Bible. Blessed is he who possesses it, more blessed he who reads it, most blessed he who understands it, and most godlike he who obeys it.

(669) 1961 To say: A prince ascends --- a great burnt-offering on the interior of the horizon; 1961 he has seen the preparation of the feast, and the preparation of the fire-pan, 1961 at the birth of the gods, on the five epagomenal days, who are before thee, 1961 "Great-his-breast," thou who art before the Bstw.w. 1962 -------------------------------------------1962a + 1 (N. X 755) ----------- N. of his mother; Twt, 1962a + 2 (N. 755). he who was born, a double, in the nest ---- Thot 1962 in the interior of the field of the tamarisk, at the source of the gods, 1963 for N. is my brother, proceeding from the thigh, 1963 who separated the two brothers, put apart the two fighters, who split your heads, O gods. 1964 -------- of --------------------- 1964b (N. 756) ---------- her fillet, N., 1964c (N. 756). as Nwrw, who is great among you, O gods, you who come to him, O gods; 1964 as Isis said to Nun: 1965 "I have given birth to him for thee; I have deposited him for thee; 1 have certainly spit him out for thee." 1965 He has no feet; he has no arms, 1965 and how shall he be assembled? 1966 Then let this copper be brought ------ the nw-boat --- with it. 1966b (N. 756). [Come ye] with him, nourished, with him in your arms, say they, the gods. 1966c (N. 756). Behold, he is born. 1966 Behold, he is assembled; behold he exists. 1967. Wherewith shall we break that which appertains to his egg, say they, the gods. 1968 Let then Seker of pdw come, 1968 that he may mould (smelt) his bones, that he may construct his skeleton 1968 ---------- 1968 It is he who shall break the e[gg], and [loose] the copper, 1969a (N. 758). so that the two followers of the gods, with sharp teeth and long claws, may bring the god forth by his hands. 1969 Behold, N. exists; behold, N. is assembled; 1969 behold N. has broken (his) egg. 1970 Wherewith shall N. be caused to fly? 1970b (N. 758-759). Then let there be brought to thee ------ nw-boat, built by Mw-n, 1970 that thou mayest fly therewith, that thou mayest fly therewith, 1970d (N. 759). the south-wind for thy foster-mother, the north-wind for thy nurse. 1971. N. flies; N. alights on the two wings (lit. feathers) of his father, Geb. 51. THE DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND SPIRITUALIZATION OF THE KING,

(6) Upon this side he fell down out of heaven; And all the land, that whilom here emerged, For fear of him made of the sea a veil, And came to our hemisphere; and peradventure To flee from him, what on this side appears Left the place vacant here, and back recoiled." A place there is below, from Beelzebub As far receding as the tomb extends, Which not by sight is known, but by the sound Of a small rivulet, that there descendeth Through chasm within the stone, which it has gnawed With course that winds about and slightly falls. The Guide and I into that hidden road Now entered, to return to the bright world; And without care of having any rest We mounted up, he first and I the second, Till I beheld through a round aperture Some of the beauteous things that Heaven doth bear; Thence we came forth to rebehold the stars.

(5) Devoted readers will not be diverted from the Great Text. Perhaps other readers—the casual New-Testament reader and the non-reader —after enjoying these pages may venture the greater enjoyment: the attentive perusal of all the gospels and all the epistles, perhaps of all the New Testament.

(10) And Noah slept ( with his fathers, and was buried on Mount Lubar in the land of Ararat.

(6) [22 lines are missing here.]

Four leagues he traveled..., dense was the darkness, light there was none, neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see. Five leagues he traveled..., dense was the darkness, light there was none, neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see. Six leagues he traveled..., dense was the darkness, light there was none, neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see. Seven leagues he traveled.. dense was the darkness, light there was none, neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see. Eight leagues he traveled and cried out (!), dense was the darkness, light there was none, neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see. Nine leagues he traveled... the North Wind. It licked at his face, dense was the darkness, light there was none, neither what lies ahead nor behind does it allow him to see. Ten leagues he traveled...... is near,... four leagues. Eleven leagues he traveled and came out before the sun(rise). Twelve leagues he traveled and it grew brilliant....it bears lapis lazuli as foliage, bearing fruit, a delight to look upon.

(25 lines are missing here, describing the garden in detail.]

... cedar... agate... of the sea... lapis lazuli, like thorns and briars... carnelian, rubies, hematite,... like... emeralds (!)... of the sea, Gilgamesh... on walking onward, raised his eyes and saw...

(670) 1972. To say: The double doors of heaven are open; the double doors of the bows are open. 1973 The gods in Buto were filled with compassion, when they came to Osiris N., 1973 [at the voice of we]eping of Isis and at the lamentation of Nephthys, 1973 at the wailing of these two spirits 1973 [for this Great One who comes forth] from the D.t. 1974 The Souls of Buto dance for thee; 1974 they beat their flesh for thee; they hit their arms for thee; 1974 they dishevel their hair for thee; 1974 they smite their legs for thee. 1975 They say to thee, Osiris N., "thou art gone, thou art come; 1975 thou art asleep, [thou art awake]; thou art [dead (lit. thou landest)], thou art alive. 1976 Stand up, see that which thy son has done for thee; 1976 awake, hear [that which] Horus [has done for] thee. 1977 He has beaten for thee him who beats thee, li[ke an ox]; 1977 he has killed for thee him who kills thee, like a wild-bull; 1977 he has bound for thee him who binds thee; 1977 he has put him under thy great daughter who is in dm, 1978 so that mourning ceased in the two 'itr.t-palaces of the gods." 1978 Osiris speaks to Horus: 1978 After he had exterminated the evil [which was in N. on] his fourth day, 1978 after he had annulled that which he did against him on his eighth [day]. 1979 [Thou hast come forth] from the lake of life; [thou art] purified [in the lake of] b.w, 1979 and art become Wepwawet; and thy son Horus conducts thee, 1979 when he has given to thee the gods, thine enemies, and Thot has brought them to thee. 1980 How beautiful indeed is the sight, how agreeable is the view, the sight of Horus, 1980 in that he gave life to his father, [in that he offered] satisfaction to Osiris, 1980 before the gods of the west! 1981 Thy libation is poured by Isis, [Nephthys has purified thee]-- 1981 [thy two sisters] great and powerful, who collected thy flesh, 1981 who bound together thy limbs, who made thy two eyes to appear in thy face-- 11982a. the boat of the evening and the boat of the morning, 1982 Atum has given to thee, and the Two Enneads have made for thee. 1983 The children of thy child have raised thee up, perfect-- 1983 pi, 'Im.ti, Dw-mu.t-f, b-n.w.f, 1983 who made for thee [their] names [into tt.wi], 1983 [who washed thy face], [who dried] thy tears, 1983 who opened thy mouth with their copper (or, iron) fingers. 1984 Thou mountest, thou mountest towards the broad-hall of Atum; 1984 thou marchest towards the Marsh of Reeds; 1984 thou voyagest over the places of the great god. 1985 To thee heaven is given, to thee the earth is given, to thee the Marsh of Reeds is given, 1985 [by] the two great gods who row thee over- 1985 Shu and Tefnut, the two great gods of Heliopolis. 1986 The awakening [of the god], [the rising of the god], 1986 [for this spirit, who ascends from] the D.t, (even) Osiris N. who ascends from Geb. 52. TEXTS OF MISCELLANEOUS CONTENTS,

(405) 703 To say: O R`, O w-ti, O w-ti, O pnd.ti, O pnd.ti, 703 N. is thou, thou art N. 704 Praise be to N.; praise be to the ka of N. 704 Cause N. to be well, f or N. causes thee to be well; 704 cause N. to be well, for N. causes thee to be well. 704 Cause N. to be refreshed, for N. causes thee to be refreshed. 705 N. is that eye of thine which was on the horn of Hathor, 705 which repeats the repeating (successive) years for (or, upon) N., 705 while N. is conceived in the night and born every day.