Col. IV.

COL. IV.

(1) A scout-spreader (?), which the great god Imuthes makes. Its spirit-gathering. You bring a table of olive-wood

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[paragraph continues] (2) having four feet, upon (?) which no man on earth has ever sat, and put it, it being clean, beside (?) you. When you wish (3) to make an inquiry-of-god (?) with it truthfully without falsehood, behold (this is) the manner of it. You put the table in a clean room (?) (4) in the midst of the place, it being near your head; you cover it with a tunic (?) from its head to its feet, and you put four bricks (5) under the table before it, one above another (?), there being a censer of clay before it (the table); and you put charcoal (6) of olive-wood on it (the censer) and put wild-goose fat pounded with myrrh and qs-ankh and make them into balls (7) and put one on the brazier, and lay the remainder at your side (?), and pronounce this spell in Greek (?) speech to it--Formula--and you spend, the night without speaking (8) to any one on earth, and you lie down and you see the god in the likeness of a priest wearing fine linen and wearing (a) nose at his feet.

(9) 'I invoke thee who art seated in the invisible darkness and who art in the midst (10) of the great gods sinking and receiving the sun's (11) rays and sending forth the luminous goddess Neboutosoualeth,

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[paragraph continues] (12) the great god Barzan Boubarzan Narzazouzan Barzabouzath, (13) the sun; send up to me this night thy archangel (14) Zebourthaunen; answer with truth, truthfully, without falsehood, without (15) ambiguity concerning this matter, for I conjure thee by him (16) who is seated in the flaming vesture on the silver (?) head of the (17) Agathodaemon, the almighty four-faced daemon, the highest (18) darkling and soul-bringing (?) Phox; do not disregard me, but send up (19) speedily in this night an injunction (?) of the god.' Say this three times.

(20) Then he speaks with you with his mouth opposite your mouth in truth concerning everything that you wish. When he has finished, and goes away again, (21) you place a tablet of reading (?) the hours upon the bricks and you place the stars upon it and write your purpose (?) on a new roll (22) and place it on the tablet, then he (?) makes your stars appear which are favourable for your purpose (?).

(23) [A method] of lucky-shadows (?), that is tested: a hawk's egg with myrrh, pound (?), put on your eyes of it, then it makes lucky-shadows (?). (24) Another again: head and blood of a hoopoe; cook (?) them and make them into a dry medicament and paint your eyes with it; then you see them, again.