viii PREFACE. 



modern times, by three of his earliest editors, supposed to 

 have existed before the times of Moses, and to have ob- 

 tained the appellation of " Thrice greatest," from his three- 

 fold learning and rank of Philosopher, Priest, and King, 1 

 and that of "Hermes," or Mercurius, as messenger and 

 authoritative interpreter of divine things. In the Hiero- 

 glyphics he, like Horus, is represented by a bird with a 

 hawk's head, and to him was sacred the Ibis and the 

 Moon. 2 



f This Hermes and there was but one among the ancient 

 I Egyptians 3 was worshipped as a god by them. Terfcul- 

 lian 4 says, " In ancient times most authors were supposed 

 to be, I will not say god-like, but actually gods ; as, for 

 instance, the Egyptian Hermes, to whom Plato paid very 

 great deference." 



/ Clement of Alexandria 5 writes, " Hermes of Thebes and 

 Esculapius of Memphis ex vate Deus ; " and he subse- 

 quently gives a detailed account of his works, forty-two 

 in number four of astrology, others of astronomy, geology, 

 and hieroglyphics, and thirty -six of philosophy, hymns 

 to God, religious ceremonies, and sacerdotal discipline. 6 

 Lactantius 7 expresses himself thus (quoting Cicero, "De 

 Natura Deorum," Lib. iii.) : " Although a man, he was of 

 great antiquity, and built Hermopolis, and is there wor- 

 shipped as well as at Pheneus. He was most fully imbued 

 with every kind of learning, so that the knowledge of 

 many subjects and arts acquired for him the name of 



' 



1 See the edition of the works of Hermes by Frangois de Foix, 

 Comte de Candalle, assisted by the younger Scaliger. 



2 Champollion the younger (" Pantheon Egyptien"). Several hiero- 

 glyphical representations of him, under various Egyptian names, are 

 given by Pietschmann, p. 1. 



3 See Pietschmann, ibid. pp. 35, 36. 



4 " De Anima," ch. 2. 



6 Stromata, I., ch. 21, p. 389, Oxford Edition, Lib. vi., ch. 4, p. 757. 



6 The " Kitual of the Dead," vulgarly attributed to Hermes, as at 

 present discovered, consists of three Books redivided into 23 portions 

 and about 165 chapters. See Eawlinson's Egypt, i. 138. 



7 Lib. i., ch. 6. 



