10 HERMES TRISMEGISTUS. 



members of the sensible world, until the period of the 

 completion of beginnings and progenies, (a) 



18. Hear the remaining discourse which thou de- 

 sirest to hear. The period being completed, the con- 

 necting bond ($) of all things was loosed by the will of 

 God ; for all the living creatures being male-female, were 

 loosed apart (c) along with the Man, and became partly 

 some male, but some female in like manner. But The God 

 immediately said in Holy Word : ' Increase in increasing, 

 and multiply in multitude all formations and creations' 1 ^), 

 .and let the understander (e) recognise himself as being 

 immortal, and the cause of the death love of body, and 

 all Entities. 



19. The providence of Him speaking this, by means of 

 Fate and Harmony effected the minglings and established 

 the generations, and all things were multiplied according 

 to kind. And he that recognised (/) himself arrived at the 

 superabounding good ; but he that, from error of affection, 



(a) TlAonf dpx,uv x.u.1 ytvuv. (6) av 



(c) liiihviro. (d) x.Tifff4.ex.roi. x,ot,i 



(e) 6 svvovg. (/) 6 oivoiyyupiaoig SOCVTOV. 



1 " And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply and 

 fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth " (English 

 Version). "Koe.1 nfaoyyaev ccvrolo 0oV "hty 

 x.cti Tr'hYipaaoiTt rdv^ocrce. In roug 6otha.aaot.is, X.OLI roc. Trtrewo 

 Jiri rys 7% " (Sept., Gen. i. 22). The Vulgate and English Version 

 agree in reading as to the blessing of Noah and his sons before the 

 creation of man: "Increase or be fruitful and multiply and re- 

 plenish the earth, and subdue it " (Gen. ix. 1). The Septuagint adds, 

 &nd "be Lords over it" (see post, ch. iii.). A scholiast (Michael 

 Psellus) on one of the MSS. of another work attributed to Hermes, 

 (but not his), " De Operatione Demonum," published by Boissonade, 

 Nuremberg, 1838, and quoted in the notes by Parthey (p. 10), whilst 

 acknowledging that Hermes must have been acquainted with the 

 books of Scripture, and sometimes copied the very expressions, as in 

 this passage, complains that he has not conserved the simplicity and 

 clearness of Scripture, but has amplified and exaggerated them after 

 the Greek fashion ; but the real difference consists only in this, that 

 what in Genesis is enunciated separately, is here extended to all 

 created beings. Yet surely this is within the purview of the Scrip- 

 tural expressions. 



