The Theology of Plato, in six books — trans. Thomas Taylor

THE LIBRARY

192 P94 f05 urn

SIX BOOKS OF PROCLUS, ...

ON THE THEOLOGY OF PLATO,

TRANSLATED FROM THE GREEK »

TO WHICH

A SEVENTH BOOK IS ADDED,

IN ORDER TO SUPPLY THE DEFICIENCY OP ANOTHER BOOK ON THIS SUBJECT,

WHICH « « «R!TTEV BY VKOCIA'S, ULT MSCE KMT.

i

ALSO, A TRANSLATION FROM THE CREEK OF

PROCLUS' ELEMENTS OF THEOLOGY.

A TRANSLATION OF THE TREATISE OF PROCLUS,

£>n protMDcncc ano jTate;

A TRANSLATION OF EXTRACTS FROM HIS TREATISE, ENTITLED,

TEN DOUBTS CONCERNING PROVIDENCE;

AND

A TRANSLATION OF EXTRACTS FROM HIS TREATISE
ON THE SUBSISTENCE OF EVIL;

As preserved in the Bibliotheca Gr. of Fabricius.

BY THOMAS TAYLOR.

A>£ «rr»v, «m, run tij tyyiKa

Tlierc are, there are, though laugh the w offer roar,
Jove and the God*, who mortal ills survey.

axnif nvt Jmi to Wit, xau xujmi rsXXix. Corinlh. 1. Cap, 8. v. i.

At there be Gods many, and Lord* :

TWO VOLUMES.
VOL I.

LONDON :
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR,
By A. J. I'afpy, Tooket Court, Chancery Lane.
AND SOLD BY MESSRS. LAW AND Co.; LONGMAN AND Co.; BALDWIN AND Co.;

AND ALL OTHER BOOKSELLERS.

1816.

Q'7

TO

I

WILLIAM MEREDITH, ESQUIRE,

WHO WITH A FIRMNESS AND MUNIFICENCE,
UNPARALLELED IN MODERN TIMES,
HAS PATRONIZED

THE PHILOSOPHY OF PLATO AND ARISTOTLE,

AND ITS ENGLISH PROMULGATOR ;

AS AN ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF NO COMMON ESTEEM FOR HIS CHARACTER,
AND A TRIBUTE OF THE WARMEST GRATITUDE FOR HIS PATRONAGE,
THIS WORK IS DEDICATED

BY THE TRANSLATOR,

THOMAS TAYLOR.

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INTRODUCTION.

I rejoice iu the opportunity which U afforded me of presenting the truly philosophic reader, in the present work, with a treasure of Grecian theology ; of a theology, which was first mystically and symbolically promulgated by Orpheus, afterwards disseminated enigmatically through images by Pythagoras, and in the last place scientifically unfolded by Plato and his genuine disciples. The peculiarity indeed, of this theology is, that it is no less scientific than sublime j and (bat by a geometrical scries of reasoning originating from the moat self-evident trutlw, it developes all the deified progressions from the ineffable principle of things, and accurately exhibit* to our view all the links of that golden chain of which deity is the one extreme, and body the other.

That also which >. most admirable and laudable in this theology is, that it produces in the mind properly prepared for iu reception the most pure, holy, venerable, and exalted conceptions of the great cause of all.