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foecunda erit tellus, et aer ipse moesto torpore languescet. 

 Haec et tails senectus veniet mundi, irreligio, inordinatio, 

 irrationabilitas bonorum omnium. Cum haec cuncta con- 

 tigerint, O Asclepi, tune ille dominus et pater, Deus primi- 

 potens, et unus gubernator mundi, intuens in mores facta- 

 que voluntaria voluntate sua, quae est Dei benignitas, vitiis 

 resistens, et corruptelae omnium errorem revocans, malig- 

 nitatem omnem vel alluvione diluens, vel igne consumens, 

 vel morbis pestilentiisque per diversa loca dispersis finiens, 

 ad antiquam faciem mundum revocabit, ut et mundus ipse 

 adorandus videatur et mirandus, et tanti operis effector et 

 restitutor Deus ab omnibus qui tune erunt frequentibus 

 laudum praeconiis benedictionibusque celebretur. Haec enim 

 mundi genitura cunctarum reformatio rerum bonarum, et 

 naturae ipsius sanctissima et religiosissima restitutio, peracto 

 temporis cursu, quae est et fuit sine initio sempiterna. Vo- 

 luntas enim Dei caret initio, quae eadem est, et ubique est 

 sempiterna." i. e. 



" Are you ignorant, O Asclepius, that Egypt is tbe 

 image of heaven, or, which is more true, a translation and 

 descent of everything which is governed and exercised in 

 heaven ? And, if it may be said, our land is truly the temple 

 of the whole world. Nevertheless, because it becomes wise 

 men to foreknow all things, it is not lawful that you should be 

 ignorant that the time will come when it may seem that the 

 Egyptians have in vain, with a pious mind and sedulous re- 

 ligion, paid attention to divinity, and all their holy vene- 

 ration shall become void and of no effect. For divinity shall 

 return back from earth to heaven. Egypt shall be forsaken, 

 and the land which was the seat of divinity shall be destitute 

 of religion, and deprived of the presence of the Gods. For 

 when strangers shall possess and fill this region and land, there 

 shall not only be a neglect of religion, but (which is more mi-* 



