112 HERMES TRISMEGISTUS. 



Tat. What then can any one doing, Father ! if there 

 is nothing truthful here, pass through the life rightly (a). 



Asdepius. Be pious, O Child! The pious man will 

 philosophize pre-eminently (&) ; for apart from philosophy 

 it is impossible to be pre-eminently pious; but he having 

 learnt what they are, and how they have been arranged, 

 and by whom, and on account of whom, will render thanks 

 for all things to the Creator as to a good father, and useful 

 nurse and faithful guardian; and he proffering thanks will 

 be pious; but the pious man will know both where is The 

 Truth and what that is; and having learnt he will be still 

 more pious. But by no means, Child ! can Soul being 

 in body, having elevated itself to the comprehension (c) 

 of that being good and true, fall away (d) to the opposite ; 

 for Soul having learnt the Forefather of itself exercises 

 vehement (e) love, and oblivion of all the evil things, and 

 cannot any more apostatize from The Good. This, O 

 Child ! let this be end of Piety, attaining to which thou 

 wilt both live rightly, and shalt die happily, the Soul of 

 thine not being ignorant whither it behoves that she 

 should soar up. For this is the only way, Child ! that 

 to Truth, which also l our forefathers journeyed, and having 

 journeyed attained The Good. This way is venerable and 

 smooth, but difficult for Soul to journey being in body. 

 For first it behove th her to war with herself, and to make 

 a great division, and to be prevailed over (/) by the one 

 portion. For the resistance (g) becomes of one against 

 two ; of the one flying, of the others dragging downwards, 

 and there comes to pass much strife and fighting of these 

 with each other ; of the one desiring to fly, of the others 

 hastening to retain. But the victory of both is not alike; 

 for the one hastens to the Good, the others dwell with the 

 evils ; and the one desires to be freed ; but the others love 



(a) Koe.'hus. (6) oixpa;. (c) Ktvrcihrffyiv. (d) o 



(e) fall/OV. (/) TT'hSOVtX.TYlD'/JVOtt. (ff) 9] 



1 " Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where 

 is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your 

 souls" (Jer. vi. 16). 



