POEMANDRES. XII. 79 



Hermes. Of Fate indeed are all the works, O Child! 

 and apart from that not anything of corporeal things, 

 neither good nor evil happens to be. It is fated too that he 

 having done the evil to suffer. And for this he does it, that 

 he may suffer what he does suffer, because he hath done it. 



6. But at the present let be (a) the discourse concerning 

 Vice and Fate ; for elsewhere we have spoken concerning 

 these, but now the discourse with us is concerning Mind, 

 what the Mind can, and how it is different; in men in- 

 deed of such kind, but in the irrational animals changed; 

 and again that in the irrational animals indeed, it is not 

 beneficent, but in men extinguishing both the irascible and 

 the concupiscent (&). And of these one must understand 

 some indeed as persons with reason (c), but others without 

 reason. 



7. All men are subject to fate and to generation and 

 to change ; for these are the beginning and end of Fate ; 

 and all men indeed suffer things fated, but those with 

 reason of whom we have said that the Mind is Guide, 

 suffer not in like manner with the others, but having 

 departed from Vice, not being evil, suffer not evil. 



Tat. Again how sayest thou, Father? A fornicator not 

 evil ? a murderer not evil ? and all the rest ? 



Hermes. But he with reason (d), Child ! not having 

 fornicated will suffer but as having fornicated; neither 

 having murdered but as having murdered. And the 

 quality of change it is not possible to escape from, just as 

 also of generation ; but it is for him having Mind, to escape 

 Vice. 



8. Wherefore also I have heard 1 the good Demon, O 

 Child ! saying always .... and if he had given it in 



(c) lAAoy/^oi/f &i/dpot$. (d) 6 



1 This is apparently peculiarly Socratic ; but that the meaning of j 

 Hermes did not stop there is manifest from his afterwards deno- 

 minating the good Demon The " First begotten God," and identify- 

 ing it afterwards with the Mind or Wisdom of God. This passage,. 

 however, has lacunae, and is clearly partially corrupt. 



