POEMANDRES. XI. 75 



there is nothing more comprehensive (a), nor quicker nor 

 more powerful, but it of all things is the most compre- 

 hensive and quickest and most powerful. 



19. And understand thus of (b) thyself, and command 

 the Soul of thife to proceed to India, and quicker than 

 thy command it will be there; command it to proceed to the 

 Ocean, and there again it will quickly be, not as if having 

 passed on from place to place, but as if being there. 

 Command it also to fly up to the Heaven, and it will not 

 be in want of wings; nor will anything be hindrance 

 to it, neither the fire of the Sun, nor the atmosphere, 

 nor the revolution (c), nor the bodies of the other stars, 

 but, piercing through all, it will fly up even to the last 

 body. And if thou shouldest wish even to break through 

 this Universe (d), and to behold the things without (if in- 

 deed there be anything without the World), it is possible 

 for thee. 



20. See how much power, how much speed thou hast ! 

 Art thou able for all these things together, but The God 

 not? After this manner then understand The God as if 

 that He had all understandings (e) in Himself, the whole 

 World itself. If then thou wouldest not compare (/) thy- 

 self with The God, thou canst not understand The God; 

 for like is understandable by like. Augment thyself to 

 an immeasurable magnitude, having got rid of all body, 

 and having surpassed all time, become eternity; and thou 

 wilt understand The God. Having supposed (g) in thyself 

 nothing impossible, think thyself immortal and able to 

 understand all things: every art indeed, every science, the 

 habit of every animal. Become more lofty than every 

 height and lower than every depth. Collect in thyself all 

 the sensations (h) of the things made, of fire, water, dry 

 and moist, and at the same time to be everywhere in earth, 

 in sea, in heaven, not yet to have been born, to be in the 

 womb, young, old, to have died, things after the death, and 



(Ci) 7TplX,TlXr6)TtpOV. (6) CCITO. (c) V) B/1/J7. 



(d) etvro oAov. (e) voqftoiTa. (/) 



(g) i>7ro(TT-/i<rK[t,ev6$. (h) 



