Select Works of Plotinus — trans. Thomas Taylor

stupidly proud , is so orderly and wise as the universe? Indeed, to compare the one with the other is ridiculous, and is attended with great absurdity. Hence, when the comparison is made for any other purpose than that of argument, it is attended with impiety. Nor is it the province ofp. 113 a wise man to investigate things of this kind [as if he was dubious about them,] but of one who is men¬ tally blind , who is entirely destitute both of sense and intellect , and who being very remote from a knowledge of the intelligible world , does not look to the sensible universe. For what musician is there, who on perceiving the harmony in the intelligible world, is not moved when he hears the harmony arising from sensible sounds? Or who that is skilled in geometry and numbers, when he beholds through his eyes that which is commensurate, ana¬ logous and orderly, is not delighted with the view ? For those who view through the eyes the produc¬ tions of art, in pictures, do not behold them in the same way as they do the originals of which they are the resemblances. But the geometrician and arithmetician, knowing in the sensible object the imitation of that w hich subsists in intellection, they are as it were agitated, and brought to the recollec¬ tion of reality. And from this passion also, love is excited. He however, who sees beauty resplen¬ dent in the face, tends thither. But his mind must be dull and sluggish in the extreme, and incapable of being incited to any thing else, who on seeing all the beautiful objects in the sensible world, all this Plot . Hp. 114 symmetry and great arrangement of things, and the form apparent in the stars though so remote, is not from this view mentally agitated, and does not venerate them as admirable productions of still more admirable causes. For he who is not thus affected, will neither direct his attention to the one, nor have a knowledge of the other.

XVII. If also, they are induced to hate the nature of body, because they have heard that Plato greatly blames it as being an impediment to the soul, and says, that the whole of a corporeal nature is inferior to the soul, yet separating this by the discursive energy of reason, it is requisite to survey what remains, viz. the intelligible sphere, compre¬ hending in itself the form of the world, souls in an orderly series without bodies, imparting magnitude according to the intelligible, and producing it into interval ; so that the magnitude of that which is generated, may as much as possible be adequate to the im parti bility of the paradigm.

the world, souls in an orderly series without bodies, imparting magnitude according to the intelligible, and producing it into interval ; so that the magnitude of that which is generated, may as much as possible be adequate to the im parti bility of the paradigm. For that which is there great in power, is here great in bulk. And whether they wish to understand this sphere as cir¬ cularly moved by a divine power, which contains the beginning, middle, and end of the whole sphere,p. 115 or whether they consider it as stable* and not yet governing any thing else* they will thus be led to form a proper conception of the soul which go» verns this universe. They ought likewise to con¬ nect body with this soul in such a manner that soul may not be at all passive, but may impart some¬ thing to the body, which it is able to receive, be¬ cause it is not lawful there should be envy in the Gods. They should likewise ascribe such a power to the soul of the world, as is able to render the nature of body which is not of itself beautiful, a participant of beauty as far as it is capable of being adorned ; which beauty also excites divine souls. Unless, indeed, the Gnostics should say that their souls are not excited by beauty, and that they do not in a different manner survey deformed and beautiful bodies. If, however, this be the case, neither are they differently affected by base and beautiful studies, nor by beautiful disciplines and the contraries to these. Hence neither do they perceive the transcendency of the contemplative energy, nor of God himself. For on account of first natures the above-mentioned particulars sub¬ sist. If, therefore, the latter are not beautiful, neither are the former. Hence, the latter are beaup. 116tiful after the former. When, however, they say that they despise the beauty which is here, they would do well to despise the beauty in boys and women, so as not to be vanquished by lust. But it is requisite to know that they ought not to boast, if they despise what is base, but if they despise what they before had acknowledged to be beautiful, and by which they were in a certain respect affect¬ ed. In the next place it must be observed, that there is not the same beauty in a part and the whole, in all individuals and the universe. And in the third place, that there is so great a beauty even in sensibles, and partial natures such as dasmons, as to cause us to admire the maker of these, and to believe that they are derived from him.

and the whole, in all individuals and the universe. And in the third place, that there is so great a beauty even in sensibles, and partial natures such as dasmons, as to cause us to admire the maker of these, and to believe that they are derived from him. Hence, when we are not detained by these lower beauties, but proceed from these without reviling them to supernal natures, we then proclaim that the beauty of the latter is immense. And if, indeed, we are inwardly as well as outwardly beautiful, we must say that the one accords with the other. But if we are internally bad, we ought then to acknowledge that we suffer a diminution in things of a more excellent nature. Nothing, however, that is truly beautiful externally, is internally deformed. Forp. 117 every thing which is externally beautiful, is so in consequence of the domination of inward beauty. But those who are said to be beautiful, and are at the same time internally deformed, have a false external beauty. And if some one should say that he has seen those who are outwardly truly beauti¬ ful, but are inwardly base, I am of opinion that he has not seen such persons, but has mistaken others for them ; or if he has seen them, their inward de¬ formity has been adventitious to them, they being naturally beautiful. For there are many impedi¬ ments here which prevent our arriving at the. end. But what is there to prevent the universe which is externally beautiful from being so internally ? Moreover, those to whom nature has not given per¬ fection from the beginning, are perhaps incapable of arriving at the end ; so that it is possible for them to become depraved. The universe, how¬ ever, was never once a child so as to be imperfect ; nor does it acquire any thing new 1 by proceeding, and which is added to its body. For whence could it acquire this ? Since it already possessed all things. Nor can any addition to the soul of it be devised*

1 τι vtov is omitted in the original..

p. 118

But even if some one should grant the Gnostics that there can, yet nothing evil can be added to it-

XVII I. Perhaps, however, they will say that they by their arguments cause those who believe in them, to fly far from, and hate the body, but that our doctrines detain the soul in body.