the great Seed-Truth which has grown and blossomed in so many strange
forms, rather than to establish a school of philosophy which would
dominate, the world's thought. But, nevertheless, the original truths
taught by him have been kept intact in their original purity by a few
men each age, who, refusing great numbers of half-developed students and
followers, followed the Hermetic custom and reserved their truth for the
few who were ready to comprehend and master it. From lip to ear the
truth has been handed down among the few. There have always been a few
Initiates in each generation, in the various lands of the earth, who
kept alive the sacred flame of the Hermetic Teachings, and such have
always been willing to use their lamps to re-light the lesser lamps of
the outside world, when the light of truth grew dim, and clouded by
reason of neglect, and when the wicks became clogged with foreign
matter. There were always a few to tend faithfully the altar of the
Truth, upon which was kept alight the Perpetual Lamp of Wisdom. These
men devoted their lives to the labor of love which the poet has so well
stated in his lines:

"O, let not the flame die out! Cherished age after age
in its dark cavern--in its holy temples cherished. Fed
by pure ministers of love--let not the flame die out!"

These men have never sought popular approval, nor numbers of followers.
They are indifferent to these things, for they know how few there are in
each generation who are ready for the truth, or who would recognize it
if it were presented to them. They reserve the "strong meat for men,"
while others furnish the "milk for babes." They reserve their pearls of
wisdom for the few elect, who recognize their value and who wear them in
their crowns, instead of casting them before the materialistic vulgar
swine, who would trample them in the mud and mix them with their
disgusting mental food. But still these men have never forgotten or
overlooked the original teachings of Hermes, regarding the passing on of
the words of truth to those ready to receive it, which teaching is
stated in The Kybalion as follows: "Where fall the footsteps of the
Master, the ears of those ready for his Teaching open wide." And again:
"When the ears of the student are ready to hear, then cometh the lips to
fill them with wisdom." But their customary attitude has always been
strictly in accordance with the other Hermetic aphorism, also in The
Kybalion: "The lip