The Commentary of Hierocles upon the Golden Verses of Pythagoras

In what thou may’st, from wisdom seek relief,
And let her healing hand assuage thy grief;
Yet still whate’er the righteous doom ordains,
What cause soever multiplies thy pains,
Let not those pains as ills be understood;
For God delights not to afflict the good.

The reasoning art, to various ends apply’d,
Is oft a sure, but oft an erring guide.
Thy judgment therefore sound and cool preserve,
Nor lightly from thy resolution swerve;
The dazling pomp of words does oft deceive,
And sweet persuasion wins the easy to believe.

When fools and liars labour to persuade,
Be dumb, and let the bablers vainly plead.

This above all, this precept chiefly learn,
This nearly does, and first, thyself concern;
A large right-hand curly brace groups the following three lines of the poem, indicating a triplet.
Let not example, let no soothing tongue,
Prevail upon thee with a Siren’s song,
To do thy soul’s immortal essence wrong.
Of good and ill by words or deeds express,
Choose for thyself, and always choose the best.

Let wary thought each enterprize forerun,
And ponder on thy task before begun,
Lest folly should the wretched work deface,
And mock thy fruitless labours with disgrace.
Fools huddle on and always are in haste, waste.
Act without thought, and thoughtless words they
But thou, in all thou dost, with early cares
Strive to prevent at first a fate like theirs;