The Commentaries on the Timaeus of Plato — trans. Thomas Taylor

“ If however, the ('.oils alw iv* wish thr soul w hat is pood, why lines not the «oul always rnergiz' enthusi¬ astically? .''lay we not say, tb.a’t the Gods mdrrd always wish the soul what is pood, hut they are aNo willmp tli it the order of the universe should prev ail, and th it the soul through many cause*, is not adapt'd to enthusiasm, on which account, it does not alwuvs enthusiastic illy energize. Hut »< me s iv that the t'levic art extends as far as to the sublunary region.

11 the rrlorr, they mean, that no one of the Miprrlim irv, ■and celestial natures, energizes on the sublunary region, thev evidently assort what is absurd. I.ut if they mean that the tc lest.e. or mystic operator*, aie not at Ic to energize above the lunar sphere, we s 4 v, that it all tl r alb tments of souls are sublunary, their assertion will be true; but it there are also allotments of souls above the moon, as there are, (lor s ( me are the attend ,nts of tie sun, olhc rs of the moon, aid others if Saturn, since tiie H* muirpus disseminated some of them into tin earth, others into the nine n, and others elsrwhrre,)—this hemp the case, i? will he pos¬ sible fur the s ail t*. energize above the men n. For vvliat the whole ardor of things imparts to the soul, for a very extended pern d of time, this tl e soul is aNo able to impart to itself lor a short space of time, when assisted by thr Gods through the tclr'tic art. J'or the soul can never cm rgize above its own allotment, but can energize to the extent of it. 1 hus, lor instance, if the allotment ol the soul was as far as to philosophy, the soul would be aide, thouph it should not chcesr a philosophic but some other hie, to energize in that life somewhat philosophically. There arc also *aid to he certain supermundane souls. And thus wc F.uve shown how the soul energizes enthusiastically.

“ But how are statues said to have an enthusiastic

There arc also *aid to he certain supermundane souls. And thus wc F.uve shown how the soul energizes enthusiastically.

“ But how are statues said to have an enthusiastic energy l llav »« not say that a statue bring mar . rintr, does not itself energize about divinity, but the lelrMic net purifying the matter « I wl ich the statue ronsi-ts, and placing round it certain ch.uaclrrsar.il symbol*, in me fust pine renders it, through these means, animated and causes it to receive a certain life tr 111 thr worl I; and in the next place, after till*, it prepare s the statue t„ be illiimm..ird tv a divine nature, tl rough winch it always delivers oracles, 4 , long as it i, properly adapted. For the statue when f bas he- ,i rend- red perfect by the tele-tie art, remains afterwards [endued with a prophetic piwcr.l till it becomes entirely nnad ipicd to divine illiiminatu n ; but he who receives tie inspiring influence o' the f-ods, recc ivis it only at certain tinxs, and cot aiwvi-. But the cuise of this is, that the soul whrn filled w h (.city, energizes about it I Jr nee, in con-c uticncc of cnerpizing above its own power, ft becomes wc irv. For it would be a God, and similar to the sc>uls of the stars, it it did not I erome weary. Hut the natue, conforma¬ bly tu its participations, remains illuminated, lli nrc the in a | litudc ol it entirely proceeds into private n, unless it is again dc novo perfrrtidand animated by the mystic operator. Me have nuthc-cntly shown thcretore, that enthusiasm properly so railed, is effected about the onr of the soul, and that it is an illumination of divinity.

Me have nuthc-cntly shown thcretore, that enthusiasm properly so railed, is effected about the onr of the soul, and that it is an illumination of divinity.

“ Bi the next pi ire, let us liseuss the order, and the u«c Cif the four main is, and show why the philosopher makes mention of these alone Is ii because there are no other th m these, or because these were stubcirnt for bis purpose? That there are ticrrl re, many other divine inspirations, and mama*, Plato himseff indicates .as he pro.-erd*, and prior to this, he makes mention III the inspiration from the \vmphs. Hot there are abn insp rations fo in Han, from t .e iiiollicr e l the (rod-, .an I lr< hi tb. ( orvb intcs, which are ebew ! ere nient lined by HI It>i. l|e IC however, lie abate delivers these tour mania*; ill thr fust plair. because tl rs,- alone ire sufficient ti tfir «oul. hi the alt nutrient ol its j roper aporata tasis.as we si ,ll alirrwards s|i,,w ; and in the nut place, because he delivers the pruximate strps of ascent in the soul. For the gilts , f || e Gods to all being*, arc many and uumnprehensible. Hut now he delivers to us the energies of tie Gods winch are extended to «uul*. He delivers however these four mania*, not as it one of them was not sufficient, anil especially the amatory, to lead hack the son! fo its pristine felicity; but at present the series, and regular gradation of ihrtn, and the orderly ju-rferlioti of the soul, arc unfolded. As therefi re, it is possible for the Inanmc hie when suddenly changed to become aristocratic, through employing stieniious promptitude, and a ihvn e allotment, but the gradual ascent, is from a tyrannic to a tb moc ram, and from tins to an oligarchic hie, afterwards to a tuncKratic, and at last to an aristocratic life, but the descent and’ lap se, are vice versa ;—thus abo here, the koul bem-* about to asccr I, and l c restored to us former felicity) is in the first piicr, possessed with the musical mama) afterwards with the tclr*tic, then with the prophetic, and in the last plate, with the amatory inaru.i. These inspirations however, conspire with, and are in want of each other ; so abundant is their communion. For the telcstic requires the prophcUc' mama; amce the latter*

« For eai*rnr7» here, it is necessary to read e*rrnry». * And for *mrrnnj*', read rtarrun).

47i

ADDITIONAL NOTES.