POEMANDRES. I. 13 



xneet with a greater vengeance, 1 and he ceases not fromi 

 insatiably moving their concupiscence to unbounded ap- 

 petites, as in a battle in the dark, and so tortures, and 

 ^augments the fire more and more upon them." 



24. " You have well taught me," I said, " all things as I 

 desired, Mind ! But tell me further about the ascent 

 that is to be." (a) To these things Poemandres said : 

 " First, indeed, in the dissolution of the body material, it 

 -delivers up the body itself unto alteration (&), and the form 

 which thou hadst becomes invisible, and delivers the 

 -character (c) deprived of energy to the demon, and the 

 senses of the body return back to their respective 

 sources, becoming portions (d), and again united together 

 with the energies (e). And passion and desire depart unto 

 the irrational nature. 



25. And thus the residue (/) hastens upward through 

 the Harmony, and gives up to the first zone the energy 

 of increase and that of decrease, and to the second the 

 machination of the evils and the fraud de-energized (g) ; 

 and to the third the concupiscent deception de-ener- 

 gized ; and to the fourth, the pride of domineering, with- 

 out means of satisfaction (K) ; and to the fifth, the un- 

 holy boldness and the rashness of the audacity; and to 

 the sixth, the evil covetings after wealth, de-energized; 

 and to the seventh zone, insidious falsehood. 



26. And then, denuded from the operations (i) of the 

 Harmony, it becomes energizing at the eighth nature, having 

 its proper power, and along with the Entities (&) hymn- 

 ing The Father. Those being present at this his coming 

 there, rejoice together, and being made Like to those who 

 are with him(Q, he hears also the powers who are above 

 the eighth nature in a certain sweet voice hymning The 



(a) ecvobov ri)$ yivopiuns. (6) otAAo/y<r;v. (c) TO %6o$. 



(d) pepy yivoftevai (e) trvvtffToifitvai {1$ rx$ siipysis. 



(/) AO/TTOV, sine artic. (g) dveytp'/YiTov. (A) fls-s-Agoj/fXTJrroy. 



(i) tytpyifipdiTuv. (k) rotlg ovai. (I) avvovaiv. 



1 Compare the parable of the Unclean Spirit (Matt. xii. 44 ; Luke 

 xi.24). 



