The book of Thoth, although consisting of figures, or speaking hieroglyphs, is certainly not one of easy translation; and it is doubtless the difficulties in properly understanding it that perhaps induces many Scholars to pretend not only that they do not know that we write of this invaluable book, but that
144
Monsieur de Gébélin, whom they cite as one of the most serious antiquarians, spoke about it in the eighth volume of his Primitive World.
Prizes, donations, legacies, are awarded at least sometimes for diverse things, the product of which certainly is unequal to all the knowledge which we could retain from the reading flowing from the most ancient of all books, in short the book of Thoth.
There are difficulties in understanding this ancient book, which diverted us from some correct meanings that the sheets [lames = cards], or leaves [feuillets = cards] have, which we are going to remedy; because it is better, say the Sages, to admit one’s weaknesses than to try to legitimate them.
The errors which we committed do not always support, as we can justify, the ignorance of the false Cartonomancers; that is, of these people
145
--scholars, moreover, in their field--who get involved in establishing principles of Cartonomancy.
We connected words together, for example: to that of stranger [or foreigner], we inappropriately added the word good.
We did not resort enough to generic terms, having put prattle [caquet] instead of words [paroles], etc. The words are seen only as [??: Les paroles ne devant se voir que comme] for speaking helpfully, or as roguery, depending on the cards which accompany those which mean words.
In several cases we forgot to say, as supposed here, that pregnancy being by no means next to a figure, nor even by the replacement, this sheet [or card] not falling again on a figure, [??: que grossesse n'étant nullement à côté d'une figure, ni même par le réléve, cette lame ne retombant pas sur une figure], it could take the meaning of abundance or fertility; because pregnancy being the generation of
146
the human species, it cannot be less than that for the generation of wheat, which then becomes an abundance. See the festivals of abundance that the Ancients had before sowings and at the harvest; the good of the Farmers was there generally stipulated. [Translation comment: I do not understand the negations at the beginning of this paragraph, as it would seem that the affirmative is what is meant.]
Domestic can also, according to the case, be expanded upon, as also a subordinate. A Messenger can be taken as road, it is the constitution of the spread to lead to what gives a reasonable interpretation, because we take in the generic particular things which are similar to the generic.
We forgot the meaning of relatives, putting in place of it an absolutely foreign meaning; and it is one of our faults marked as well as possible in the corner of our ignorance. [?]
The examples which we have just
147
given being--to repeat ourselves absolutely--examples, we thus have to talk completely about the whole, and about the detailed parts of Cartonomancy, and finally make a just analysis of the original, if we want to be a Cartomancer, which is as much as saying a sage and wise interpreter of the book of Thot (1). Let us see our faults, or at present our corrections.
The Cards in their positions. Situs [Situated, probably meaning upright].
No. 25. The Page [Valet]. Foreigner [or Stranger] [1969 France-Cartes (F) and Decker, Dummett, & Depaulis (DDD) 1789 card both have as keyword Étranger = for F, A Stranger; Dusserre (D) has Bon Étranger = Good Stranger]
No. 29. the 7. To speak [Pour parler[. Words. [1969 F & D have as keyword Pourparlers = F Negotiations, D Preliminary talks; DDD 1789 card Pour Parler = (in their translation) Negotiations]
No. 56. the 8. Morally or Physically. Leprosy. [1969 F, D & DDD Critique = F & DDD Criticism, D Critical]
______________________________
(1) It was shown to us that Ptolemy wanted to undertake interpreting the book of Thoth.
148
No. 61. the 3. (1). [F, DDD, & D Eloignement = F & DDD Separation, D Removal]
No. 63. the 1. Extreme, with Passion. [F & D Extrême = Extreme]
No. 66. The Knight. Object, Useful thing. [F & D Utilité = F Usefulness, D Utility]
The Cards Reversed.
No. 25. The Page [Valet]. News.
No. 26. the 10. Obstacle.
No. 35. the 1. More morally: Fall. (F, D & DDD card Chute = F & D Fall]
No. 37. The Lady. Woman with position.
No. 38. the Knight. Roguery. [F & D Friponnerie = F Dishonesty, D Roguery]
________________________________________
(1) The Sages indeed want to tell us how we can render the meaning as Vestal, our Nuns not rendering all the expression of this quality, for the first Egyptians, given to girls and women who are solitary or cloistered.
149
No. 39. The Page [Valet]. He who flatters. (1) [F and D Penchant = F Inclination, D Tendency]
No. 45. the 5. Relative (2).
No. 57. the 7. Give or take wise Advice. [F
No. 58. the 8. We see that it [is] Declaration.
No. 62. the 2. What is not true. Falsehood. [F & D Faux = F Falsehood, D Falsity]
No. 64. King of coin. Depraved man. [F & D Homme Vicieux = F Depraved Man, D Vicious man.]
No. 66. Knight who neither goes nor comes. Inaction.
_________________________________________________
(1) How to render by abbreviation the real meaning of this sheet [or card: lame]? Here is the spirit of it, which will make it more understandable to us.
38.39. The tendency. What flatters, is to commit a piece of roguery: 66, 39; what flatters is to be helpful: or 39, 66, your helpfulness flatters the one who follows 39.
(2) 10 pages would be required to explain how the Egyptians distinguished all their relatives. They formed out of sixteen figures a genealogical table. In my lessons, verbally, I give examples of it more easily.
150
To deepen the book of Thoth, it would be necessary to make tableaus of every meaning, as we gave the plan with regard to the four Cardinal virtues.
It would be necessary in addition to see the connections or rapprochements among hieroglyphs when they are declined [perhaps by "declined" he means: in particular positions in sentences].
Example:
Messenger and Domestic are not the same thing; nevertheless, in the end, we feel that they are both servants; but Domestic is by itself a figure, and Messenger also relates to the sending of any object: now I may say, I send you this present by my Domestic, and not properly,
151
my Domestic sends you this present.