The Secret Teachings of all Ages:
On the subject of the Hermetic books, James Campbell Brown, in his History of Chemistry, has written:
"Leaving the Chaldean and earliest Egyptian periods, of which we have remains but no record, and from which no names of either chemists or philosophers have come down to us, we now approach the Historic Period, when books were written, not at first upon parchment or paper, but upon papyrus.
A series of early Egyptian books is attributed to Hermes Trismegistus, who may have been a real savant, or may be a personification of a long succession of writers.
He is identified by some with the Greek god Hermes, and the Egyptian Thoth or Tuti, who was the moon-god, and is represented in ancient paintings as ibis-headed with the disc and crescent of the moon.
The Egyptians regarded him as the god of wisdom, letters, and the recording of time.
It is in consequence of the great respect entertained for Hermes by the old alchemists that chemical writings were called 'hermetic,' and that the phrase 'hermetically sealed' is still in use to designate the closing of a glass vessel by fusion, after the manner of chemical manipulators.
We find the same root in the hermetic medicines of Paracelsus, and the hermetic freemasonry of the Middle Ages."
Among the fragmentary writings believed to have come from the stylus of Hermes are two famous works.
The first is the Emerald Table, and the second is the Divine Pymander, or, as it is more commonly called, The Shepherd of Men, a discussion of which follows.
One outstanding point in connection with Hermes is that he was one of the few philosopher-priests of pagandom upon whom the early Christians did not vent their spleen.
Some Church Fathers went so far as to declare that Hermes exhibited many symptoms of intelligence, and that if he had only been born in a more enlightened age so that he might have benefited by their instructions he would have been a really great man!
In his Stromata, Clement of Alexandria, one of the few chroniclers of pagan lore whose writings have been preserved to this age, gives practically all the information that is known concerning the original forty-two books of Hermes and the importance with which these books were regarded by both the temporal and spiritual powers of Egypt.
Clement describes one of their ceremonial processions as follows:
"For the Egyptians pursue a philosophy of their own.
This is principally shown by their sacred ceremonial.
For first advances the Singer, bearing some one of the symbols of music.
For they say that he must learn two of the books of Hermes, the one of which contains the hymns of the gods, the second the regulations for the king's life.
And after the Singer advances the Astrologer, with a horologe in his hand, and a palm, the symbols of astrology.
He must have the astrological books of Hermes, which are four in number, always in his mouth.
Of these, one is about the order of the fixed stars that are visible, and another about the conjunctions and luminous appearances of the sun and moon; and the rest respecting their risings.
Next in order advances the sacred Scribe, with wings on his head, and in his hand a book and rule, in which were writing ink and the reed, with which they write.
And he must be acquainted with what are called hieroglyphics, and know about cosmography and geography, the position of the sun and moon, and about the five planets; also the description of Egypt, and the chart of the Nile; and the description of the equipment of the priests and of the place consecrated to them, and about the measures and the things in use in the sacred rites.
Then the Stole-keeper follows those previously mentioned, with the cubit of justice and the cup for libations.
He is acquainted with all points called Paedeutic (relating to training) and Moschophaltic (sacrificial).
There are also ten books which relate to the honour paid by them to their gods, and containing the Egyptian worship; as that relating to sacrifices, first-fruits, hymns, prayers, processions, festivals, and the like.
And behind all walks the Prophet, with the water- vase carried openly in his arms; who is followed by those who carry the issue of loaves.
He, as being the governor of the temple, learns the ten books called 'Hieratic'; and they contain all about the laws, and the gods, and the whole of the training of the priests.
For the Prophet is, among the Egyptians, also over the distribution of the revenues.
There are then fortytwo books of Hermes indispensably necessary; of which the six-and-thirty containing the whole philosophy of the Egyptians are learned by the forementioned personages; and the other six, which are medical, by the Pastophoroi (image-bearers),~treating of the structure of the body, and of disease, and instruments, and medicines, and about the eyes, and the last about women.
One of the greatest tragedies of the philosophic world was the loss of nearly all of the forty-two books of Hermes mentioned in the foregoing.
These books disappeared during the burning of Alexandria, for the Romans—and later the Christians—realized that until these books were eliminated they could never bring the Egyptians into subjection.
The volumes which escaped the fire were buried in the desert and their location is now known to only a few initiates of the secret schools.
