If thou to all men wouldst their genius show! But fear not thou; men come of heav'nly race, Taught by diviner Nature what t' embrace; Which, if pursued, thou all I nam'd shalt gain, And keep thy soul clear from thy body's stain: In time of prayer and cleansing meats denied Abstain from; thy mind's reins let reason guide: 70 Then rais'd to Heaven, thou from thy body free, A deathless saint, no more shalt mortal be. [_Pythagoras, his Moral Rules._] Stanley's three vocations of poet, translator, and philosopher come well together in this closing piece, and the prose commentary completes the exposition in little.] The common received opinion that _Pythagoras_ is not the author of these verses, seems to be defended by _Chrysippus_ in _Agellius_, _Plutarch_, _Laertius_, and _Iamblichus_, who affirm that the rules and sense only were his, digested into verse by some of his scholars. But it is not improbable that they did no more than collect the verses, and so gave occasion to the mistake; for _Laertius_ confesseth that _Pythagoras_ used to deliver his precepts to his disciples in verse, one of which was [Greek: Pê parebên? ti d' erexa? ti moi deon ouk etelesthê?] _How slipt? what deeds, what duty left undone?_ Of this opinion I believe _Clemens Alexandrinus_, who cites one of these lines under his name, and _Proclus_, when he calls him [Greek: tôn chrysôn epôn patera], _the father of the golden verses_. [_thy duty pay_] [Greek: Nomô hôs diakeitai]; though _Hierocles_ in another sense read [Greek: diakeintai]. [_thy vow_] [Greek: Horkos]. _Hierocles_, [Greek: têrêsis tôn theiôn nomôn], _observance of religious rules_. [_honour the saints_] [Greek: Hêrôas]. _Laertius_ on these words explains _souls whereof the air is full. Hierocles, angels, the sons of God, &c._ [_Thy prince and rulers_] [Greek: Katachthonious daimonas], _Hierocles_, [Greek: Tous epi gês politeuesthai dynamenous]; _capable of government_. [_nor their laws despise_] [Greek: Ennoma rhezein]. _Hierocles_ [Greek: Peithesthai hois apoleloipasin hêmin parangelmasi]; _to obey their commands_. [_with observance_] [Greek: Erga epôphelima], _that is_, [Greek: euergesia, therapeia]: _yet, Hierocles otherwise_. [_Thy power is neighbour to necessity_] Whatsoever necessity can force thee to bear, it is in thy power to bear voluntarily. If thy friend have wronged thee, how canst thou say, thou art not able to endure his company, when imprisonment might constrain thee to it? See _Hierocles_. [_'Mongst men discourses good and bad are spread;_ _Despise not these,[1] nor be by those misled._] So _Hierocles_; _Marcilius_ reads [Greek: ôn] (that is, [Greek: oun]) for [Greek: hôn] which best agrees with this sense. [_what any other may accuse_] [Greek: phthonon]. _Hierocles_ interprets [Greek: mempsin], _invidia_, so taken sometimes by _Cicero_, _Marcell._