The FUMIGATION from STORAX. O Jove much-honor'd, Jove supremely great, To thee our holy rites we consecrate, Our pray'rs and expiations, king divine, For all things round thy head exalted shine. The earth is thine, and mountains swelling high, The sea profound, and all within the sky. Saturnian king, descending from above, Magnanimous, commanding, sceptred Jove; All-parent, principle and end of all, Whose pow'r almighty, shakes this earthly ball; Ev'n Nature trembles at thy mighty nod, Loud-sounding, arm'd with light'ning, thund'ring God. Source of abundance, purifying king, O various-form'd from whom all natures spring; Propitious hear my pray'r, give blameless health, With peace divine, and necessary wealth. Next: XV: To Juno Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XIII: To Rhea Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XV: To Juno » Sacred Texts | Classics

(4) The same kind of imagery is still current in Europe. German authorities tell us about the ‘Wetterbaum,’ which in some places is called ‘Abraham’s Tree,’ in others, ‘Adam’s Tree.’ The Yggdrasill myth is supposed to have the same origin. The Rainbow is the heavenly Mountain Ash of a well known Swedish and Esthonian riddle. The water from heaven was supposed in Egypt to be especially refreshing for the dead

(3) Well, the Greeks, when once a drought had wasted Greece for a protracted period, and a dearth of the fruits of the earth ensued, it is said, those that survived of them, having, because of the famine, come as suppliants to Delphi, asked the Pythian priestess how they should be released from the calamity. She announced that the only help in their distress was, that they should avail themselves of the prayers of Aeacus. Prevailed on by them, Aeacus, ascending the Hellenic hill, and stretching out pure hands to heaven, and invoking the commons God, besought him to pity wasted Greece. And as he prayed, thunder sounded, out of the usual course of things, and the whole surrounding atmosphere was covered with clouds. And impetuous and continued rains, bursting down, filled the whole region. The result was a copious and rich fertility wrought by the husbandry of the prayers of Aeacus.

(13) When our artisan awaked and told his dream, his apprentice said, "If the tree aimed at uselessness, how was it that it became a sacred tree?" "What you don't understand," replied his master, "don't talk about. That was merely to escape from the attacks of its enemies. Had it not become sacred, how many would have wanted to cut it down! The means of safety adopted were different from ordinary means, and to test these by ordinary canons leaves one far wide of the mark." Tzŭ Ch'i of Nan-poh was travelling on the Shang mountain when he saw a large tree which astonished him very much. A thousand chariot teams could have found shelter under its shade. "What tree is this?" cried Tzŭ Ch'i. "Surely it must have unusually fine timber." Then looking up, he saw that its branches were too crooked for rafters; while as to the trunk he saw that its irregular grain made it valueless for coffins. He tasted a leaf, but it took the skin off his lips; and its odour was so strong that it would make a man as it were drunk for three days together. "Ah!" said Tzŭ Ch'i. "This tree is good for nothing, and that is how it has attained this size. A wise man might well follow its example." In the State of Sung there is a place called Ching-shih, where thrive the beech, the cedar, and the mulberry. Such as are of a one-handed span or so in girth are cut down for monkey-cages. Those of two or three two-handed spans are cut down for the beams of fine houses. Those of seven or eight such spans are cut down for the solid sides of rich men's coffins.

The FUMIGATION from STORAX. O Father Jove, who shak'st with fiery light The world deep-sounding from thy lofty height: From thee, proceeds th' ætherial lightning's blaze, Flashing around intolerable rays. Thy sacred thunders shake the blest abodes, The shining regions of th' immortal Gods: Thy pow'r divine, the flaming lightning shrouds, With dark investiture, in fluid clouds. 'Tis thine to brandish thunders strong and dire, To scatter storms, and dreadful darts of fire; With roaring flames involving all around, And bolts of thunder of tremendous sound. Thy rapid dart can raise the hair upright, And shake the heart of man with wild afright. Sudden, unconquer'd, holy, thund'ring God, 'With noise unbounded, flying all abroad; With all-devouring force, entire and strong, Horrid, untam'd, thou roll'st the flames along. Rapid, ætherial bolt, descending fire, The earth all-parent, trembles at thy ire; The sea all-shining; and each beast that hears The sound terrific, with dread horror fears: When Nature's face is bright with flashing fire, And in the heavens resound thy thunders dire. Thy thunders white, the azure garments tear, And burst the veil of all surrounding air. O Jove, all-blessed, may thy wrath severe, Hurl'd in the bosom of the deep appear, And on the tops of mountains be reveal'd, For thy strong arm is not from us conceal'd. Propitious to these sacred rites incline, And crown my wishes with a life divine: Add royal health, and gentle peace beside, With equal reason, for my constant guide. Next: XIX: To Jove, as the Author of Lightning Sacred Texts | Classics « Previous: The Initiations of Orpheus: XVII: To Pluto Index Next: The Initiations of Orpheus: XIX: To Jove, as the Author o... » Sacred Texts | Classics

(1) Hermes, the God who presides over language, was formerly very properly considered as common to all priests; and the power who presides over the true science concerning the Gods is one and the same in the whole of things. Hence our ancestors dedicated the inventions of their wisdom to this deity, inscribing all their own writings with the name of Hermes. If, therefore, we participate of a portion of this God, adapted and commensurate to our powers, you do well to propose your theological doubts to the priests, as friends, and to make these doubts known to them. I also very properly conceiving that the epistle sent to my disciple Anebo was written to me, shall give you a true answer to your inquiries. For it would not be becoming, that Pythagoras and Plato, Democritus and Eudoxus, and many other of the ancient Greeks, should have obtained appropriate instruction from the sacred scribes of their time, but that you who are our contemporary, and think conformably to those ancients, should be frustrated of your wish by those who are now living, and who are called common preceptors. I, therefore, thus betake myself to the present discussion; and do you, if you please, conceive that the same person to whom you sent the letter returns you an answer. Or, if it should seem fit to you, admit it to be me who discourses with you in writing, or some other prophet of the Egyptians, for this is of no consequence. Or, which I think is still better, dismiss the consideration whether the speaker is an inferior or a superior character, but direct your attention to what is said, so as readily to excite your mind to survey whether what is asserted is true or false.

The FUMIGATION from FRANKINCENSE. Brass-beating Salians, ministers of Mars, Who guard his arms the instruments of wars Whose blessed frames, heav'n, earth, and sea compose, And from whose breath all animals arose: Who dwell in Samothracia's sacred ground, Defending mortals thro' the sea profound. Deathless Curetes, by your pow'r alone, Initial rites to men at first were shewn: Who shake old Ocean thund'ring to the sky, And stubborn oaks with branches waving high. 'Tis your's in glittering arms the earth to beat, With lightly-leaping, rapid, sounding feet; Then every beast the noise terrific flies, And the loud tumult wanders thro' the skies: The dust your feet excites with matchless force, Flies to the clouds amidst their whirling course; And ev'ry flower of variegated hue, Grows in the dancing motion form'd by you. Immortal dæmons, to your pow'rs consign'd The talk to nourish, and destroy mankind. When rushing furious with loud tumult dire, O'erwhelm'd, they perish in your dreadful ire; And live replenish'd with the balmy air, The food of life, committed to your care. When shook by you, the seas, with wild uproar, Wide-spreading, and profoundly whirling, roar: The concave heav'ns, with Echo's voice resound, When leaves with ruffling noise bestrew the ground. Curetes, Corybantes, ruling kings, Whose praise the land of Samothracia sings: From Jove descended; whose immortal breath Sustains the soul, and wafts her back from death; Aerial-form'd, much-fam'd, in heav'n ye shine Two-fold, in heav'n all-lucid and divine: Blowing, serene, from whom abundance springs, Nurses of seasons, fruit-producing kings.

(3) But soon the facts shall be the Naiades Who shall this difficult enigma solve, Without destruction of the flocks and harvests. Note thou; and even as by me are uttered These words, so teach them unto those who live That life which is a running unto death; And bear in mind, whene'er thou writest them, Not to conceal what thou hast seen the plant, That twice already has been pillaged here. Whoever pillages or shatters it, With blasphemy of deed offendeth God, Who made it holy for his use alone. For biting that, in pain and in desire Five thousand years and more the first-born soul Craved Him, who punished in himself the bite. Thy genius slumbers, if it deem it not For special reason so pre-eminent In height, and so inverted in its summit. And if thy vain imaginings had not been Water of Elsa round about thy mind, And Pyramus to the mulberry, their pleasure, Thou by so many circumstances only The justice of the interdict of God Morally in the tree wouldst recognize.