Hierocles upon the Golden verses of the Pythagoreans translated immediately out of the Greek into English.

Title

Hierocles upon the Golden verses of the Pythagoreans translated immediately out of the Greek into English.

Author

Hierocles, of Alexandria, fl. 430.

Publication

London :: Printed by M. Flesher for Thomas Fickus ...,

1682.

Rights/Permissions

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Subject terms

Pythagoras.

Golden verses.

Link to this Item

https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A43737.0001.001 content_copy

Cite this Item

"Hierocles upon the Golden verses of the Pythagoreans translated immediately out of the Greek into English." In the digital collection Early English Books Online. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A43737.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed May 30, 2024. content_copy

Contents

• title page
• TO MY Most Worthy Friend, F. B. OF THE Middle-Temple, Esq
• THE PREFACE.
• THE Golden VERSES OF THE PYTHAGOREANS.
• The INTRODUCTION.
• HIEROCLES Upon the Golden VERSES Of the PYTHAGOREANS.
  • First, HONOUR THE IMMORTAL GODS AS THEY ARE DISPOSED BY THE LAW.
  • AND HONOUR AN OATH.
  • THEN THE ILLUSTRIOUS HE∣ROES, Then honour Heroes which Mankind excel.
  • HONOUR ALSO THE DEMONS OF THE EARTH DOING RIGHT THINGS.
  • HONOUR ALSO YOUR PARENTS AND THOSE WHO ARE NEXT OF KIN TO YOU.
  • THEN AMONG OTHERS MAKE HIM A FRIEND WHOEVER IS MOST VERTUOUS.
  • YIELD TO MILD WORDS AND PROFITABLE DEEDS, NEITHER HATE YOUR FRIEND FOR A SMALL OFFENCE, AS MUCH AS YOU CAN, FOR POWER DWELLS NEAR NECESSITY.
  • LET THESE THINGS BE SO, BUT ACCUSTOM YOUR SELF TO RE∣STRAIN THESE. YOUR BELLY FIRST, AND SLEEP, THEN LUST AND ANGER.
  • COMMIT NO FILTHY THING, NEI∣THER IN ANOTHER'S PRE∣SENCE, NOR IN PRIVATE, BUT REVERENCE YOUR SELF ABOVE ALL THINGS.
  • THEN EXERCISE JUSTICE IN DEED AND WORD, NEITHER USE YOUR SELF IN ANY MATTER TO ACT WITHOUT REASON, BUT KNOW THAT 'TIS APPOINTED FOR ALL MEN ONCE TO DYE, AND THAT RICHES ARE SOMETIMES POS∣SEST, AND SOMETIMES LOST.
  • MOREOVER WHATSOEVER EVILS MEN UNDERGO BY DIVINE FOR∣TUNE, BEAR YOUR PART MILD∣LY, NEITHER FRET AT IT. BUT YOU SHOULD CURE IT WHAT YOU CAN, YET CONSIDER THIS, THAT FATE DOES NOT DISTRI∣BUTE MUCH OF THIS TO GOOD MEN.
  • MANY GOOD AND BAD DISCOUR∣SES PROCEED FROM MEN, WHICH NEITHER ADMIRE O∣VERMUCH, NOR YET UTTER∣LY DISDAIN. BUT IF ANY SPEAK UNTRUTH GIVE WAY WITH MILDNESS.
  • BUT OBSERVE WHAT I TELL YOU IN EVERY THING; LET NO MAN INTICE YOU EITHER BY WORDS OR DEEDS, TO DOE OR SAY ANY THING WHICH IS NOT PROFITABLE TO YOU.
  • ADVISE BEFORE ACTION THAT NO FOLLY INSUE; HE IS A MI∣SERABLE MAN THAT DOES OR SPEAKS WHAT IS INCONSIDE∣RATE. THAT DOE WHICH WILL NOT TROUBLE YOU AFTER∣WARDS.
  • DOE NOTHING WHICH YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT LEARN WHAT IS DECENT, AND SO YOU WILL LIVE THE MOST PLEA∣SANT LIFE.
  • NEITHER OUGHT HEALTH OF BODY TO BE NEGLECTED, BUT A MEASURE IS TO BE OBSERV'D IN DRINK, MEAT, AND EXER∣CISE. AND I CALL THAT A MEASURE WHICH DOES YOU NO PREJUDICE.
  • ACCUSTOME YOUR SELF TO A CLEAN WAY OF LIVING WITH∣OUT LUXURY, AND BEWARE HOW YOU DOE THOSE THINGS WHICH ARE OPEN TO CEN∣SURE. DON'T SPEND HIGH OUT OF SEASON, LIKE ONE THAT KNOWS NOT WHAT IS MAGNI∣FICENCE. NEITHER BE SORDID AND NIGGARDLY; MEDIOCRI∣TY IS BEST IN ALL THINGS.
  • DOE THOSE THINGS WHICH WILL NOT HURT YOU, AND CONSI∣DER BEFORE YOU ACT.
  • NEITHER ADMIT SLEEP INTO YOUR EYES TILL YOU HAVE THRICE RECOLLECTED EVERY SINGLE ACTION OF THE DAY. WHEREIN HAVE I TRANSGRES∣SED? WHAT HAVE I DONE? WHAT DUTY HAVE I OMIT∣TED? RUN OVER THESE THINGS BEGINNING FROM THE FIRST, AND THEN IF YOU HAVE DONE EVIL, BE TROUBLED; IF GOOD, REJOYCE.
  • LABOUR IN THESE THINGS, MEDI∣TATE ON THESE THINGS, LOVE THESE THINGS. THESE WILL LEAD YOU INTO THE WAY OF THE DIVINE VERTUE. I SWEAR BY HIM WHO DELIVERED TO US THE QUATERNARY, THE FOUNTAIN OF ETERNAL NA∣TURE.
  • THEN PROCEED TO YOUR WORK, HAVING PRAY'D TO THE GODS THAT YOU MAY FINISH IT.
  • THIS IF YOU OBSERVE, YOU SHALL KNOW THE CONSTITU∣TION OF THE IMMORTAL GODS AND OF MORTAL MEN, HOW FAR EVERY THING PROCEEDS, AND WHERE IT CONSISTS.
  • MOREOVER YOU SHALL KNOW, AS FAR AS IS FIT, NATURE IN ALL RESPECTS LIKE HER SELF, THAT SO YOU MAY NOT HOPE WHAT IS NOT TO BE HOPED, AND THAT YOU MAY NOT BE IGNORANT OF ANY THING.
  • AND YOU SHALL KNOW MEN EM∣BRACING EVILS OF THEIR OWN ACCORD, MISERABLE, AND WHO NEITHER SEE NOR HEAR NEIGH∣BOURING GOOD, AND THAT THERE ARE FEW WHO KNOW HOW TO DISINTANGLE THEM∣SELVES FROM EVIL, SUCH A FATE HURTS THE MINDS OF MORTALS, WHO ARE ROLLED HERE AND THERE UPON CY∣LINDERS BEARING INFINITE MISERIES, FOR A PERNICIOUS CONTENTION IS THEIR INBRED COMPANION WHICH TREACHE∣ROUSLY HURTS THEM, WHICH WE SHOULD BY NO MEANS PROVOKE, BUT YIELDING, A∣VOID.
  • O FATHER JUPITER, EITHER FREE US ALL FROM SO GREAT EVILS, OR DISCOVER TO ALL WHAT DEMON THEY USE. BUT BE THOU OF GOOD CHEAR, BE∣CAUSE THOSE MORTALS ARE KIN TO GOD, TO WHOM SA∣CRED NATURE DISCOVERS EVE∣RY THING. AMONG WHICH IF YOU ARE AT ALL INTERESTED, YOU WILL OBSERVE WHAT I COMMAND YOU, AND HAVING HEAL'D YOUR SOUL, YOU WILL PRESERVE IT FROM THESE E∣VILS.
  • ABSTAIN MOREOVER WITH JUDG∣MENT FROM THOSE MEATS WHICH WE HAVE SPOKEN OF IN THE LUSTRATIONS AND SOLU∣TION OF THE SOUL. AND CON∣SIDER ALL THINGS, SETTING REASON THE BEST CHARIO∣TEER IN THE UPPERMOST PLACE.
  • BUT IF HAVING LEFT YOUR BO∣DY YOU COME INTO THE FREE AETHER, YOU SHALL BE AN IM∣MORTAL GOD, INCORRUPTI∣BLE, NEVER MORE LYABLE TO DEATH.