(3) One night, the moths met together tormented by a desire to be united to the candle. They said: 'We must send someone who will bring us information about the obj ect of our amorous quest.' So one of them set off and came to a castle, and inside he saw the light of a candle. He returned, and according to his understanding, reported what he had seen. But the wise moth who presided over the gathering expressed the opinion that he understood nothing about the candle. So another moth went there. He touched the flame with the tip of his wings, but the heat drove him oflF. His report being no more satisfying than that of the first, a third went out. This one, intoxicated with love, threw himself on the flame; with his forelegs he took hold of the flame and united himself joyously with her. He embraced her completely and his body became as red as fire. The wise moth, who was watching from far off", saw that the flame and the moth appeared to be one, and he said: 'He has learnt what he wished to know; but only he understands, and one can say no more.'

(33) O how many Enemies has the Life among the Constellations [or Stars,] which qualify [or mingle their Influence] with the Tincture and Elements. When the Planets and the Stars have their Conjunctions, and where they cast their poisonous Rage into the Tincture, there arises in the Life of the meek Tincture, stinging, tearing, and torturing. For the sweet [or pleasant] Tincture (being a sweet and pleasing Refreshment) cannot endure any impure Thing. And therefore when such poisonous Influences are darted into it, then it resists and continually cleanses itself; but as soon as it is overwhelmed, that it is darkened, then the Flash goes out, the Life breaks, and the Body falls away, and becomes a Cadaver, Carcase, [or dead Corpse;] for the Spirit is the Life.

(27) Many students are doubtless familiar with the instance of the "sensitive plants" which exhibit a marked degree of sensibility to touch. Many insect-eating plants manifest an equally high degree of sensitiveness, though of course in a different direction. The leaves of the Venus' Fly Trap fold upon each other and thus capture the unfortunate insect which has been tempted into the trap by the sweet juice which appears upon the leaf as a dainty bait. The folding of the leaves follows the alarm given by the three sensitive bristles or hairs which act as feelers which sense the presence of the insects. Bits of earth, or raindrops, are recognized as "not-food" by these feelers, and no closing of leaves result from their presence on the leaves. Other plants are very sensitive to degrees of light, and they close at certain hours, the time varying according to the species of the plant. It was formerly held that this sensitiveness to light was merely a chemical response to the presence of light, but recent experiments have shown that such plants, when placed in a dark room, will continue this closing for several days, in a gradually lessening degree, thus indicating the presence of a "habit" within their consciousness, which "habit" indicates the presence of "mind" even more forcibly than does the closing itself. Certain ferns will wither if their fronds are touched too often.

(5) Wishing to express Sun in writing, they make a circle; and Moon, a figure like the Moon, like its proper shape. But in using the figurative style, by transposing and transferring, by changing and by transforming in many ways as suits them, they draw characters. In relating the praises of the kings in theological myths, they write in anaglyphs. Let the following stand as a specimen of the third species - the Enigmatic. For the rest of the stars, on account of their oblique course, they have figured like the bodies of serpents; but the sun, like that of a beetle, because it makes a round figure of ox-dung, and rolls it before its face. And they say that this creature lives six months under ground, and the other division of the year above ground, and emits its seed into the ball, and brings forth; and that there is not a female beetle. All then, in a word, who have spoken of divine things, both Barbarians and Greeks, have veiled the first principles of things, and delivered the truth in enigmas, and symbols, and allegories, and metaphors, and such like tropes. Such also are the oracles among the Greeks. And the Pythian Apollo is called Loxias. Also the maxims of those among the Greeks called wise men, in a few sayings indicate the unfolding of matter of considerable importance. Such certainly is that maxim, "Spare Time:" either because life is short, and we ought not to expend this time in vain; or, on the other hand, it bids you spare your personal expenses; so that, though you live many years, necessaries may not fail you. Similarly also the maxim "Know thyself" shows many things; both that thou art mortal, and that thou wast born a human being; and also that, in comparison with the other excellences of life, thou art of no account, because thou sayest that thou art rich or renowned; or, on the other hand, that, being rich or renowned, you are not honoured on account of your advantages alone. And it says, Know for what thou wert born, and whose image thou art; and what is thy essence, and what thy creation, and what thy relation to God, and the like. And the Spirit says by Isaiah the prophet, "I will give thee treasures, hidden, dark." Now wisdom, hard to hunt, is the treasures of God and unfailing riches. But those, taught in theology by those prophets, the poets, philosophize much by way of a hidden sense. I mean Orpheus, Linus, Musaeus, Homer, and Hesiod, and those in this fashion wise. The persuasive style of poetry is for them a veil for the many.

(11) As moths rush swiftly into a blazing fire to perish there, even so do these creatures swiftly rush into Thy mouths to their own destruction.

The FUMIGATION with TORCHES. NIGHT, parent goddess, source of sweet repose, From whom at first both Gods and men arose, Hear, blessed Venus, deck'd with starry light, 3 In sleep's deep silence dwelling Ebon night! Dreams and soft case attend thy dusky train, Pleas'd with the length'ned gloom and feaftful strain. Dissolving anxious care, the friend of Mirth, With darkling coursers riding round the earth. Goddess of phantoms and of shadowy play, Whose drowsy pow'r divides the nat'ral day: By Fate's decree you constant send the light To deepest hell, remote from mortal sight For dire Necessity which nought withstands, Invests the world with adamantine bands. Be present, Goddess, to thy suppliant's pray'r, Desir'd by all, whom all alike revere, Blessed, benevolent, with friendly aid Dispell the fears of Twilight's dreadful shade.

(31) Among the dangers to which the deceased is exposed is that of being caught in a net by hidden genii, who will treat him as is done to water-fowl or fishes. But he escapes from this peril, because he knows the names of the fowlers and fishermen who intend to attack him, and also of the net itself, and of the various parts of which it consists. All these names are mystical; they are connected with some divinity, and this gives them a magical power, owing to which the deceased can make his escape

(25) By bending upon them the awakened inner light, there comes a knowledge of things subtle, or concealed, or obscure.

(10) Those beasts which have no dread whatever of the hand are evil.

(12) Wisdom summons you in her goodness, saying, "Come to Me, all of you, O foolish ones, that you may receive a gift, the understanding which is good and excellent. I am giving to you a high-priestly garment which is woven from every (kind of) wisdom." What else is evil death except ignorance? What else is evil darkness except familiarity with forgetfulness? Cast your anxiety upon God alone. Do not become desirous of gold and silver, which are profitless, but clothe yourself with wisdom like a robe; put knowledge on yourself like a crown, and be seated upon a throne of perception. For these are yours, and you will receive them again on high another time.

(31) In the Originality of Darkness, there is Harshness and Austereness, this Harshness causes that it be light; for Harshness is Desirousness, an Attracting; and that is the first Ground of the Willing [or Longing] after the Light, and yet it is not possible to comprehend it; and the Attracting in the Will is the [Sting or] Prickle, which the Desiring attracts, and the first Stirring [or Moving.] Now the Prickle cannot endure the Attracting in the Will, but resists, flies up, and yet cannot get away from thence; for it is generated in the Attracting. But because it cannot remove from thence, nor can endure the Attracting, therefore there is a great Anguish, a Desiring [or Longing] after the Light, like a Furiousness, and like a breaking whirling Wheel; and the Anguish in the Bitterness rises up in the Wrath after the Light, but cannot get it, being desirous in the Anxiety to lift up itself above the Light, yet does not overcome, but is infected, [impregnated or mingled] with the Light, and attains a twinkling Flash; and as soon as the Harshness, or the Hardness (viz. the Darkness) gets the same into it, it is terrified, and instantly goes away into its Ether: And yet the Darkness continues in the Center. And in this Horror [Terror or Shriek] the Hardness or Harshness becomes mild, soft, [supple,] and thin; and the Flash is made in the Bitterness, which flies up thus in the Prickle: Thus the Prickle discovers itself in the Mother, which so terrifies the Mother with the Flash, that she yields herself to be overcome; and when the Prickle strengthens itself in the Mother, and finds her so mild, then that is much more terrified, and loses its [fierce, strong] wrathful Propriety, and in the Twinkling of an Eye becomes white, clear, and bright, and flies up very joyfully, trembling with great Delight, [Lust] and Desire; and the Mother of Harshness from the Light comes to be sweet, mild, thin, and material, even Water. For she loses not the Essence of the harsh Conditions, and therefore the Essence attracts continually to it out of the Mildness, so that out of the Nothing, Something comes to be, viz. Water.

(6) It is natural, then, that having a superstitious dread of those irascible [gods], they imagine that all events are signs and causes of evils. If a mouse bore through an altar built of clay, and for want of something else gnaw through an oil flask; if a cock that is being fattened crow in the evening, they determine this to be a sign of something.

(14) Why, then, is the serpent called wise? Because even in its wiles there may be found a connection, and distinction, and combination, and conjecturing of the future. And so very many crimes are concealed; because the wicked arrange for themselves so as by all means to escape punishment.

The FUMIGATION from AROMATICS. DAUGHTERS of darkling night, much-nam'd, draw near Infinite Fates, and listen to my pray'r; Who in the heav'nly lake (where waters white 3 Burst from a fountain hid in depths of night, And thro' a dark and stony cavern glide, A cave profound, invisible) abide; From whence, wide coursing round the boundless earth, Your pow'r extends to those of mortal birth To men with hope elated, trifling, gay, A race presumptuous, born but to decay; Whose life 'tis your's in darkness to conceal To sense impervious, in a purple veil, When thro' the fatal plain they joyful ride In one great car, Opinion for their guide; 'Till each completes his heav'n-appointed round At Justice, Hope, and Care's concluding bound, The terms absolv'd, prescrib'd by ancient law Of pow'r immense, and just without a flaw; For Fate alone with vision unconfin'd, Surveys the conduct of the mortal kind. Fate is Jove's perfect and eternal eye, For Jove and Fate our ev'ry deed descry. Come, gentle pow'rs, well born, benignant, fam'd, Atropos, Lachesis, and Clotho nam'd: Unchang'd, aerial, wand'ring in the night, Restless, invisible to mortal fight; Fates all-producing all-destroying hear, Regard the incense and the holy pray'r; Propitious listen to these rites inclin'd, And far avert distress with placid mind.

(59) These two Forms, or Principles, the Worm loses at the Departing of the Body; although indeed it continues in the Figure, which yet is but of a Serpent, and it is a Torment to it, that it was an Angel, and is now a horrible fierce poisonous Worm and Spirit; of which the Scripture says, That the Worm of the Wicked dieth not, and their Plague [Torment or Source] continues eternally. If the Worm had had no angelical and human Form, then its Source [Torment or Plague] would not have been so great; but that causes it to have an eternal anxious Desire, and yet it can attain nothing; it knows the Shadow of the Glory [it had,] and can never more live therein.

(8) At the approach of the day all manifest objects come forth from the unmanifested, and at the approach of the night they merge again into that which is called the unmanifested.

(2) The insect called āpšai or āpsȧit is difficult of identification. It is certainly not a tortoise as was formerly thought, but looks rather like the voracious Blatta orientalis . The form in Le is peculiar, but I have met it in a later papyrus. The last word of the chapter is doubtful. The most recent papyri have ‘their Lord,’ which gives a very good sense, but even the Turin copy has ‘her Lord’ which agrees with the oldest papyrus. Bekenrenef has Nebes , a lion-headed goddess

(13) And instead of light it has darkness, and therein the creature is sensible, by experience, that there is a darkness hidden in the centre.

The FUMIGATION from AROMATICS. HEAR, Goddess queen, diffusing silver light, Bull-horn'd and wand'ring thro' the gloom of Night. 2 With stars surrounded, and with circuit wide Night's torch extending, thro' the heav'ns you ride: Female and Male with borrow'd rays you shine, And now full-orb'd, now tending to decline. Mother of ages, fruit-producing Moon, Whose amber orb makes Night's reflected noon: Lover of horses, splendid, queen of Night, All-seeing pow'r bedeck'd with starry light. Lover of vigilance, the foe of strife, In peace rejoicing, and a prudent life: Fair lamp of Night, its ornament and friend, Who giv'st to Nature's works their destin'd end. 14 Queen of the stars, all-wife Diana hail! Deck'd with a graceful robe and shining veil; Come, blessed Goddess, prudent, starry, bright, Come moony-lamp with chaste and splendid light, Shine on these sacred rites with prosp'rous rays, And pleas'd accept thy suppliant's mystic praise.

(5) Upon the side on which the little valley No barrier hath, a serpent was; perchance The same which gave to Eve the bitter food. 'Twixt grass and flowers came on the evil streak, Turning at times its head about, and licking Its back like to a beast that smoothes itself. I did not see, and therefore cannot say How the celestial falcons 'gan to move, But well I saw that they were both in motion. Hearing the air cleft by their verdant wings, The serpent fled, and round the Angels wheeled, Up to their stations flying back alike. The shade that to the Judge had near approached When he had called, throughout that whole assault Had not a moment loosed its gaze on me. "So may the light that leadeth thee on high Find in thine own free-will as much of wax As needful is up to the highest azure," Began it, "if some true intelligence Of Valdimagra or its neighbourhood Thou knowest, tell it me, who once was great there. Currado Malaspina was I called; I'm not the elder, but from him descended; To mine I bore the love which here refineth."