allied to it, it is expedient and possible to discover them.
IT. Every soul, therefore, ought to consider in
the first place, that soul produced all animals, and
inspired them with life ; viz. those animals w hich
the earth and sea nourish, those w'hich live in the
air, and the divine stars contained in the heavens.
Soul also made the sun ; soul made and adorned
this mighty heaven. Soul, too, circumvolves it in
an orderly course, being of a nature different from
the things which it adorns, which it moves, and
causes to live, and is necessarily more honourable
than these. For these are corrupted when soul
deserts them, and generated when it supplies them
with life. But soul always exists, because it never
deserts itself What the mode is, however, by
which life is supplied to the universe, and to each
of its parts, may be considered to be as follows :
Let a certain other soul whose dignity in contem¬
plating is not small, being liberated from deception,
and the allurements which fascinate other souls, be
established in a quiet condition and survey a mighty
soul. And let not only the surrounding body and
the storms of body be at rest with respect to it,
but the whole of that by which it is surrounded.
Let the earth, therefore, be still ; let the sea be
still, the air, and the heavens themselves which are
more excellent than the elements.1 Afterwards,
1 Proclus had evidently this beautiful passage in view, when, in his second book On the Theology of Plato, he celebrates the ineffable principles of things, with the following matchless magnificence of diction.
<c Let us now, if ever, remove from ourselves multiform knowledge, exterminate all the variety of life, and in perfect quiet approach near to the cause of all things. For this pur¬ pose, let not only opinion and phantasy be at rest, nor the passions alone which impede our anagogic impulse to the first be at peace ; but let the air be still, and the universe itself be still. And let all things extend us with a tranquil power to communion with the ineffable. Let us also, standing there, having transcended the intelligible (if we contain any thing of this kind), and with nearly closed eyes adoring as it were the rising sun, since it is not lawful for any being whatever intently to behold him — let us survey the sun whence the light of the intelligible gods proceeds, emerging, as the poets say, from the bosom of the ocean ; and again, from this divine tranquillity descending into intellect, and from intellect, employing the reasonings of the soul, let us relate to ourselves what the na¬ tures are, from which, in this progression, we shall consider the first god as exempt. And let us as it were celebrate him, not as establishing the earth and the heavens, nor as giving subsistence to souls, and the generations of all animals ; for he produced these indeed, but among the last of things. But, prior to these, let us celebrate him, as unfolding into light the whole intelligible and intellectual genus of gods, together with all the supermundane and mundane divinities·— as the god of
let this quiet soul behold that other mighty soul,
externally as it were, on all sides flowing and in¬
fused into, penetrating and illuminating the quies¬
cent mass. For just as the rays of the sun darting
on a dark cloud cause it to become splendid, and
golden to the view, thus also, soul entering into the
body of heaven gave it life, gave it immortality, and
excited it from its torpid state. But heaven being
all gods, the unity of all unities, and beyond the first adyta, — - as more ineffable than all silence, and more unknown than all essence, — as holy among the holies, and concealed in the intel¬ ligible gods." 1
1 A γε δη ουν, ειπερ ποτέ, κ ai wv τας πολυειδεις αποσκιυασωμεθα γνώσεις, και παν το ποικιλον της ζωής ι'ζορισωμεν cap’ ημών, και πάντων tv ηοεμια γενομενοι, τω πάντων αιτιω προσιωμεν εγγύς. έστω δε ημιν μη μονον δοζης , μηδε φαντα¬ σίας ηοεμια , μηδε ησυγμα των παθών ημών εμποδίζοντων την προς το πρώτον αναγωγον ορμήν, αλλ’ ησυγος μην αηρ, ησυγον δε το παν τούτο . παντα δε ατρε- μει τη δνναμει προς την Τον άρρητον μετονσιαν ημάς ανατεΐνετω. καί σταντες ίκει, καί το νοητον ( ει δη τι τοιουτον εστιν εν ημιν') υπεξδοαμοντες , και οιον ήλιον αν ισγ^οντα προσκυνησαντες, μεμυκοσι τοις οφθαλμοίς (ου yap θεμις αντωπειν ουδέ άλλο των ον των ονδεν') τον τοιννν του φωτός των νοητών θεών ήλιον εζ ωκεανού, φασιν οι ποιηται, π^οφαινομενον ιδοντες, και αυθις εκ της ενθεον ταυ της γαληνης εις νουν καταβαντες , και απο νου τοις της φυ^ης ερωμένοι λογισμοί; , ει πωμιν ποος ημάς αυτους , ων εξηρημενον εν τη ποξεια ταυτη τον πρώτον θεόν τεθειμεθα . χαι οιον υ μνησωμεν αυτόν ονχ^ οτι γην, και ουρανον υπεστησεν λε γοντες, ουδ αυ οτι ^υγ^ας, και ζωων απαντων γενεσεις, και ταυτα μεν yap, αλλ’ επ εσγ^ατοις. προ δε τούτων, ως παν μεν το νοητον των θεών γζνος, παν δε το y οερον είςεφηνε, παν » τας δε τους υπέρ τον κοσμον, και τους εν τω κοσμωθεους απαντας, και ως θεός εστι θεών απαντων, και ω; ένας εναδων, και ως των αδυνατών (lege άδυτων) επί® κείνα των πρωτων, και ως πασης σιγής αοζητοτεξον, και ως πασης υπαρξεως ayvw - στοτερον , άγιος εν άγιο ις, τοις νοητοις εναποκεκξν(χμενος θεοις, Pl’OC. in Plat. Theol. p. 109.
Plot.
moved with a perpetual motion, through the guid¬
ance of a wise soul, became a blessed animal* It
also acquired dignity through soul becoming its in»
habitant, since, prior to soul, it was a dead body,
viz. earth and water, or rather the darkness of mat¬
ter and non-entity ; and, as some one says, that
which the Gods abhor. The power, however, and
nature of soul will become still more apparent and
manifest, if any one directs his attention to the
manner in which it comprehends and leads heaven
by its will For it gives itself to the whole of this
vast magnitude ; and every interval, both great and
small, is animated by it : one body indeed, being
situated differently from another, and some bodies
being opposite, but others being suspended from
each other. This, however, is not the case with
soul. For it does not give life to individuals,
through a division of itself into minute parts, but it
vivifies all things with the whole of itself ; and the
whole of it is present every where, in a manner
similar to its generator, both according to oneness
and ubiquity* Heaven, also, though it is ample,
and different parts of it have a different situation,
yet is one through the power of soul. And through
this the sensible world is a God® The sun, like-
wise, is a God, because it is animated. And this
is also the case with the other stars. Whatever we
too possess, we possess on account of this. For
dead bodies are more worthless than dunghills. It
is necessary, however, that soul, which is the cause
to Gods [i. e. to the mundane Gods] of their being
Gods, should be itself a more ancient God. Simi¬
lar to this likewise is our soul. And when it is
surveyed in a pure condition, without any thing
extraneous adhering to it, this same thing which is
soul will be found to be a venerable thing, and
more honourable than every corporeal nature. For
[perhaps without soul T] all things would be earth®
And though fire should then exist, what would
there be [venerable] in its burning power, or in the
composites from fire and earth, even though you
should add to these, water and air ? But if body is
an object of pursuit because it is animated, why
does any one, neglecting himself, pursue another
thing? Since, therefore, you admire soul in another
thing, admire yourself.
E It appears from the version of Ficinus, that the words ισω$ avev ought to be supplied in this place®
III. Hence, as the soul is so honourable and
divine a thing, now confiding in a cause of this
kind, ascend with it to divinity. For you will not
be very distant from him ; nor are the intermediate
natures many. In this, therefore, which is divine,
receive that part which is more divine, viz. the vici¬
nity of the soul to that which is supernal, to which
the soul is posterior, and from which it proceeds·
For though it is so great a thing as we have de¬
monstrated it to be, yet it is a certain image of in¬
tellect. And, just as external discourse is an image
of the discursive energy within the soul, after the
same manner, soul, and the whole of its energy, are
the discourse of intellect, and a life which it emits
in order to the hypostasis of another thing ; just as
in fire, the inherent heat of it is one thing, and the
heat which it imparts another. It is necessary,
however, to assume there, not a life flowing forth,
but partly abiding in intellect, and partly giving
subsistence to another life. Hence, since soul is
derived from intellect, it is intellectual, and the in¬
tellect of soul is conversant with discursive ener¬
gies. And again, the perfection of soul is from
intellect, as from a father that nourishes it, who
generated soul, as with reference to himself, not per-
feet. This hypostasis, therefore, is from intellect,
and is also reason in energy when it perceives intel»
lect. For when it looks to intellect, it possesses
internally, and appropriately, the things which it
understands, and the energies which it performs.
And it is necessary to call those energies alone the
energies of the soul, which are intellectual and
dwell with it. But its subordinate energies have
an external source, and are the passions of a soul
of this kind. Intellect, therefore, causes the soul
to be more divine, both because it is the father of
it, and because it is present with it. For there is
nothing between them, except the difference of one
with reference to the other, soul being successive
to, and the recipient of intellect ; but intellect sub¬
sisting as form. The matter also of intellect is
beautiful, since it has the form of intellect, and is
simple. The great excellence, however, of intel¬
lect, is manifest from this, that though soul is such
as we have described it to be, yet it is surpassed
by intellect.
IV. This also will be evident to him who ad¬
mires this sensible world ; who surveys its magni¬
tude and beauty, and the order of its perpetual
motion ; the Gods it contains, some of whom are
visible, and others invisible ; and the daemons,
animals and plants, with which it is replete ; and
who ascends from these to its archetype, and the
more true world [of which this is the image.] For
there he will behold all intelligibles, which together
with the intelligible world are eternal, and subsist
in an appropriate intelligence and life. An unde»
caying intellect, likewise, and immense wisdom
preside over this intelligible world ; and a life
which is in reality under Saturn, nourishes there ;
Saturn being a God, and a pure intellect. For he
comprehends in himself all immortal natures, every
intellect, every God, and every soul, all which sub¬
sist in him with invariable stability. For why
should he seek after change, since he possesses an
excellent condition of being? Or whither should
he transfer himself, since he possesses all things
with himself ? But neither, being most perfect, will
he seek to be increased. Hence, all things that
are with him are perfect, in order that he may be
entirely perfect, having nothing which does not par¬
take of perfection ; and possessing nothing in him¬
self which he does not intellectually perceive. But
lie intellectually perceives, not investigating, but
possessing.5 Its blessedness* also, is not adventi-
tious to it, but it possesses all things in eternity*
And it is itself truly eternity, which time running
round soul imitates* omitting some things, but
applying itself to others. For other and again
other things are about soul ; since at one time the
form of Socrates, and at another the form of horse
present themselves to its view ; and always one
certain thing among the number of beings. But
intellect has all things. Hence, it possesses in
the same all things established in the same. It
likewise alone is, and is always, but is never fu¬
ture; for when the future arrives, it then also is;
nor is it the past . For nothing there has passed
away, but all things abide in the present now ;
since they are things of such a kind, as to be satis-
lied with themselves thus subsisting. But each of
them is intellect and being. And the whole is
every intellect, and every being. Intellect, there-
fore, derives its subsistence as intellect, from the
intellection of being.4 But being subsists as being,