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

W I al ih. n t'ot s Plato ol s. me y Mginty lluoilgh 1 hi r titiinh rs f It must hi *n.l, t .at ihret thoiisaiid and a inyiia.l, aie syinh U..lp ilttliou l ..| Plain doe* not 1111 an what tie in -til. i ina 11 1 'ign lieaiiuii ol the words r 111 I indie tie l or it this w• re thr ease, there would I I III ,p I ata't I'IS ol (ycry st„i| ,,i a iiiynad it yeti', in I t 11 s tins word w ould lu Colin ih 'lUutr t I souls. It it this Is unp-.s |t ‘t .as Is also evi.li Jit from W Ii it is It hired 1 I \ 1 1 la 11 s In (I I.t I el lilt b t-k olj the lit pul lit, wl o was many ill. usai d \« os under the • nth, .11 I yet was not aide lu i'i ■ t.d ifrum tin* liiollth, flm' 1 ,. I* . . I t r '« uls a-e. ride I Iruiu it. Pi it., the relote if 1 s not rule 1 d to s|g illy a linitl.i in i~u al and aritji- 111 In ..1 mu T iiii.lt ul veir', I i.t no asini s t 1 per It, t 1 lit ■I'nl gt I tilt 1- ot tu t, middle, anil la-t 'u ils. Per •Oiut *u'lls liiake tio ir a| ei. al.i'tasis im-re sw 1 ft I v, hut minis unite slowly,and some reip.iire l.nt a little, hut 1 tt us ai. al.iunl till, purit cation. And thrieisaprrlotn .ltd Ktj i. lit miing the In ginning, 111 u'i' h , and end I <n ah., is a tier tu l nionlir, suh'i t.ng a. 1 01.ling to nnot ti li-riu 1 r accir hug to a lurm ihtlemit In in tint I I till et and < • 11 j rehei.dili" ill It ill all mi 11, hers.

1 1 fee l.ke M'f, |S a: a ogtais to tiiti e thousand, and t, n to a my r,.ol I, r eat h ol the in is a inon.nl, .0 d is cmnprchti.sivc ol all ntiinhers. (in ail tlicse anoints theielme, I’lalo ii't-s three thoii'. nd and a myriad inauilr-sting h_v these numhe-rs, that those who philos-oplort' perfectly, make their apoeatastasls to the tufoc gt iura ot being are, es'rnee, pernianetirv, motion, satoriifs*. anj dtlferriirc. CMytup. 11. v. I*i 3 , ir.

\I)DlTIONAL NOTES.

17JJ iXlicil 1 c id a shorter l me, an rr.juiiing lint little or no jnint’iratiun; I ill tint tlie soul* of the innltilmlr make llicii a|'i rat I'ln'i* in a longer time, a' li< in; in want ril mm ti | 11iii'I• me■ t anil pm iIk it ioii. A thousand a I *o manifest* a • ertaitt nn .tsurrol tlir perfection the Mini that i' pn’if ! under ll.e e irlli; w Inch bavin; obtained, it a; nil i unn * into tnura'inii, and htvin; I nil wril nr ill u the cirth, n.'i n aupiirc-. its reipii'iie perfection under the earth. Ilein e, tticse | criod* do not rut ire Iv manifest mi ;ri at a multitude id years, *o as that souls make their ap i Ua-te* m *.11111 a great lengthof time, lull they *ynth> i' aliy *t; nty, a eeriain j rnprr measure of peril tinn; t , *'..u; , i » hieli the mui! receiving what ii aikipt'd to it, ai d ohiaiiiin^ its pcrfecliuii, is n sturr d to it*, p'ist me ti In ity.

I’ 111. Ht hnpj y Ii ft. A r.

receiving what ii aikipt'd to it, ai d ohiaiiiin^ its pcrfecliuii, is n sturr d to it*, p'ist me ti In ity.

I’ 111. Ht hnpj y Ii ft. A r.

The siipri ne tclu Itv of 'he «nul in another iife, f. nsi- ts iii the \im hi ol n telh.'il If' iri a ninth no re per- Iect manner than r in he tti nil l>v it in the pie*eiit life. Jins v i'i in, I’I i(o m the I'lixdr.i*, calls uuti itiun into ll e must I b:--c 1 ol mysieii* s. Il it In* all he mtlful word' are trill* it d hi me a* follows: “ \V» were then huw rvi r, perm Hid to *cr *p einlnl beauty, wl eu logrlhi r With that happy thoir, we obtained lint 1 3 e**ed special lr and vi'ion, ne imh r I tolluwm* with Jupiter, hut others with *oinC mher God, si ting and hrmixlmli lied in those imslcrns, which ill ty lr law¬ fully fdhd most hlrs*td .\nd thr«c divine orgies were perl' rmed hv u , who were then entire, and tree from the evils umrh aw.iitid us iii a po*terior t me. We .il n heheld with tlu*eil cvi*, and were epoptic spertators in a pure light, ut *ini| lr,'table and h*;*pv imnmou* appt nance-, hem; i>iir*r!vrs purr,and tree Irom the lin prc**:oii it that with whirli we are n iw sum uinleil, whirh we deni ruinate body, and to which we are h mn I, like an in *ter to it* *1 ed."

Ail this i* tin* admirably cvpltmid by Hcrmci*, " Plain even win re *a\*, tint the *uvrrrign Smi is analog' us to the hr*t prior pie ol ll in;*, kor as iieic t ir "in i* t l 'r *i vi ri ign id nn w huh *rn*d lr world, so is the lir*t ( rim ij In I i thr inti 1 . ;il le world And as from the sovereign h in 1 1_ht d* cc i d~, who h r >nj ll.*, roiinrct*, and unite* that who h Is visive with flat whirh is visible ; alter the *amc in nun r al-n. the Ii. ht proceeding Iron l c fust and sslurli i’l.ito rails truth, coii|oms in telle. I w it h the mu i i_iblr You see therefori that b'aoty lunt.itrs this light. ] or it i*. a* it were, a li;iii,'jnitieil Ir in the lomif iin i>l iulrlligililc* to till* vimI.Ic vvi.ild, il In r in; and i ah m; up w i rd all things io if self, and unit in; the lover with the oh jet I of love. I lci.ee al-o, > lev a turn ft., the Init lh;ib|e] |. , p r , _ Ini through ir Plato lit n l. re, *umni inly »ays.tl.at itllrlliglbl s a r toe ul.jiil* to wlui ll la ve cliv ills. For the hr nr 1 v, who h is in re, i* o'score m d sensible,

(pi* l a the li;ht vslnrli i* In re, i* nun l< d w it It an,) and lead- n* to the rein nisi i nee i.l I t oily it*ell.

re, *umni inly »ays.tl.at itllrlliglbl s a r toe ul.jiil* to wlui ll la ve cliv ills. For the hr nr 1 v, who h is in re, i* o'score m d sensible,

(pi* l a the li;ht vslnrli i* In re, i* nun l< d w it It an,) and lead- n* to the rein nisi i nee i.l I t oily it*ell.

Hut win n he siy*, 11 Ilf urrt lirn p< i n itlid lu sit iplenuui hiii/* he tin ai s Inauly it*i H r< ru-t aliu;, without any tnivime ol u* contrary. And Ihr h-ppi/ r./.rir. in r.*i pm lint witti wlittli we tint revolved, fonsi't* if divine stul', wlirli no aeuuuit ol their iiniti d'ub*l*li in e, are i died a i Ii ir. Hit l.e now df noiiiin.i'i s a choir. Ii it whuli he bclnii cvhdfAr arri'v >•! (mis n rid r/.limwl. It |s likewise pfoprily called by bun ha;pv For in reality, lie wlui Miiveys those tortus is ha| py and hh**ed.

Again, when lie say>, “ t’idefJ miIh

Jupiter," it must be observed, that i i the Tima in, be rrpirsrnts the IVmmrgus when Ii it makip- tli« world, di'senm dm; soul* erpial in i imb-r to tl 't ir*. i r. riju.il urordm; to h>rms lence, niakin" * nne of them to lie *■■ far, other* lain , and others Jovian, v^r., he di**i ruinated some oi t. nn into the I,arlli, hut other* into the other in*triun< nts of tune. Pla’u therefore mw*a\s,“ He i n feed t I'euirp icilh Ju, ilrr," as krinwin; In* proper God (r e the God to W" I iii'o scr ie* he In longed], For tin* r* the f. he tv of the human si id, to ri solve in ronpinrti n with apj ropriatc Gi ds; *inre ;t is m t po**il lr l. p i** I evrmd tl e Gods.

kk lien al*o In' *av*, “ /leif'g i'urei/r./,'* lie denomi¬ nates iMifi'i/mn (TiAenjJ Irom the *■ ol In-lug rerdcred by It ptif'd f napa to rrArnr T-ijr if ippr awrrrt A# ir.) You see tin reh.rr, that thr sold wa* onre perlret. IF nee, wlun it i* on the earth, it heroines divided, and the whole ol it is not al le to rnrr;i/r In it*rlt lie Jikcw |-C saw, “ |l AirA rfii/ hr /-i-i ff fhj llrri For the noon ot thrill is not Mmplv nu st l.|r**eil; «mi.c thr pern ivr r si c~, a* bein; different from that whirh is *ern. It is iircrs*.iry however, that union should take place. 1 hr establishment then fore m these objeet* ol vi*inn, is mosl bles-ed. Hut it is nrrcs*ary to f now that trhlr is one tlun nmrsn(*iov»u)

anoilier, ai d rp plrui (»t^»-t, a) in .tin r. J'fUlr there¬ fore, n .m.i|o;i ii* to tl it vs hu h i* prrpirafnrv to punfir.aii ns, and the like, lint n.iiiiu, whirh i* drnomili.strd Irom eh *in; the eyes, i* more divine. For to close the eves, is no |on;' r to receive tin *e divine my stern s hv sin*r, I tit to hrhold tin tn with the soul If*' ll. And r/ ep/rof i* to he r*tal |i*hr I in, and I Cfome a spectator ot them. He likewise s.ivs, " That divine eirniej mre j-r/ inner/ /■>/ n«,*' hrrau*e to perl, nn orgies, and l lu in' *teru i* talh d r’pn:rm f lift.*).