-
Articles/Ads
Article THE ANCIENT MYSTERIES. - III. Page 1 of 7 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ancient Mysteries. - Iii.
THE ANOIENT MTaT
( Continued from p . 248 . ) Let us give the metamorphosis of Lucius in his own words , as described h A ^ " Trembling , and with niu ^ Wreath of roses , and most eagerly devoured mise deceive me . Porthwith my deformity slid away , and I was no longer
a brute . Pirst , my rough hair peeled off , my skin became soft , ni ^ J ^ lly diminished in size , my hoofs changed irrto feet and toes , while ^ handsno longer feet , were raised from the ground , and resumed their former duties . My neck was shortened , my face and head bee sumed ^ hum original size- my gr eat stony teeth were reduced to the size of man ' s teeth , and , which most displeased me , my tail entirely disappeared . "
T ^ with such extraoMinary ^^ c people were alike astbnished at so wondrous goddess ; arid lifting their hands in awe , poured forth their than so signal a mark of her favour . The priest then covered Lucius with a white linen garment , and addressed him as follows :
" Lucius ! tempest-driven by the storms of fortune , thou hast at length arrived iri the harbour of peace , at the altar of pity , after the vicissitudes of thy lbng , toilsome career . Hitherto , neither thy nobleness of birth hath protected thee , nor thy social position , nor the learning for which thou art celebrated . During the wantonness of youth thou hast fallen into the slavery of pleasure , and hast earned the just reward of thy ill-fated curiosity .
Fortune , however , blind as she is , even while tormenting thee with the most grievous perils , hath conducted thee in her shortsighted malice , to a state of religious beatitude . Let her now go and rage with all her fury * , and let her seek some other victim for her cruelty . Calamity has no power over those whom our goddess hath claimed for her service . What advantage has nefarious fortune gained from the robbers , from the wild beasts , from
the servitude , from the long toils on rugged roads , and from the fear of death , to which thou hast been continually exposed ? For now thou art the protected , not of fortune , blind , but of that clear far-seeing fortune who illuminates all other divinities with the splendour of her light . Let joy , then , pure and bright as the garment in which thou art now enveloped , enliven
thy countenance . Follow in the train of thy goddess deliverer with exulting step , and while thou art absolved from all thy former misfortunes , let the irreligious see and acknowledge their error in beholding thee , and cry , c Lucius having triumphed over his former calamities , through the foresight and foreknowledge of the mighty Isis , rejoices . ' And first and
foremost , that thou may est be the better protected , enter thy name in the ranks of this our sacred band , and ere long thou shalt be bound by an oath , with all due solemnity . Meanwhile , devote thyself wholly to our faith , yield thy neck gladly to the yoke of its service , and when thou hast begun to serve the goddess , more truly wilt thou enjoy the fruit of thy liberty . "
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
The Ancient Mysteries. - Iii.
THE ANOIENT MTaT
( Continued from p . 248 . ) Let us give the metamorphosis of Lucius in his own words , as described h A ^ " Trembling , and with niu ^ Wreath of roses , and most eagerly devoured mise deceive me . Porthwith my deformity slid away , and I was no longer
a brute . Pirst , my rough hair peeled off , my skin became soft , ni ^ J ^ lly diminished in size , my hoofs changed irrto feet and toes , while ^ handsno longer feet , were raised from the ground , and resumed their former duties . My neck was shortened , my face and head bee sumed ^ hum original size- my gr eat stony teeth were reduced to the size of man ' s teeth , and , which most displeased me , my tail entirely disappeared . "
T ^ with such extraoMinary ^^ c people were alike astbnished at so wondrous goddess ; arid lifting their hands in awe , poured forth their than so signal a mark of her favour . The priest then covered Lucius with a white linen garment , and addressed him as follows :
" Lucius ! tempest-driven by the storms of fortune , thou hast at length arrived iri the harbour of peace , at the altar of pity , after the vicissitudes of thy lbng , toilsome career . Hitherto , neither thy nobleness of birth hath protected thee , nor thy social position , nor the learning for which thou art celebrated . During the wantonness of youth thou hast fallen into the slavery of pleasure , and hast earned the just reward of thy ill-fated curiosity .
Fortune , however , blind as she is , even while tormenting thee with the most grievous perils , hath conducted thee in her shortsighted malice , to a state of religious beatitude . Let her now go and rage with all her fury * , and let her seek some other victim for her cruelty . Calamity has no power over those whom our goddess hath claimed for her service . What advantage has nefarious fortune gained from the robbers , from the wild beasts , from
the servitude , from the long toils on rugged roads , and from the fear of death , to which thou hast been continually exposed ? For now thou art the protected , not of fortune , blind , but of that clear far-seeing fortune who illuminates all other divinities with the splendour of her light . Let joy , then , pure and bright as the garment in which thou art now enveloped , enliven
thy countenance . Follow in the train of thy goddess deliverer with exulting step , and while thou art absolved from all thy former misfortunes , let the irreligious see and acknowledge their error in beholding thee , and cry , c Lucius having triumphed over his former calamities , through the foresight and foreknowledge of the mighty Isis , rejoices . ' And first and
foremost , that thou may est be the better protected , enter thy name in the ranks of this our sacred band , and ere long thou shalt be bound by an oath , with all due solemnity . Meanwhile , devote thyself wholly to our faith , yield thy neck gladly to the yoke of its service , and when thou hast begun to serve the goddess , more truly wilt thou enjoy the fruit of thy liberty . "