them in habitude ; and about its figure, to the soul which ranks in a certain order; and farther still, that he did not teach us about supermundane souls, according to the opinion of others, who assert that he produces one, and seven supermundane souls, is I think through these things sullieiently manifest. For he conjoins to the universe, the soul which was fabricated according to the intention of the father, and constructs within it the whole of a corporeal-formed nature. And this is indeed evident from the whole design of the dialogue. For the whole discussion w as concerning the world, and not concerning supermundane progeny.
You may also see w ith w hat accuracy Tinueus adds each of the words. For the words, according to the intellect , manifest that intellect is the paradigm of the universe. For all-perfect animal is intelligible intellect, according to which this universe, and the soul of the universe were constituted. They likewise signify that nothing was constituted in vain, nor more nor less [than was tit] ; but that all things requisite to the completion of the psychical essence, were fashioned in a becoming 1 manner, and that the essence of the soul received all the demi¬ urgic will. For material natures, on account of matter, distribute into parts, impartible form, and that which is a whole is received by them as partial, and that which is without interval, as possessing interval. Hut the soul receives all the demiurgic fabrication, conformably to the w ill of the Demiurgus. The w ords also its composer manifest universal energy. For the words “ according to intellect" are indicative of completion ; but its composer of an energy, the whole of which is at once always present.* The words likewise, then-hole composition e>J the soul, manifest that nothing escapes the demiurgic art, but that the whole pro¬ gression of the soul, is governed by the form and power of the Demiurgus. Hut the words, “ in the nc.rt place" or “ after this" must not lie apprehended as having a temporal meaning, but as significant of order, l'or the separate life of the soul is one thing, and the secondary life posterior to this, and which commu¬ nicates with the body, is another. And in a divine essence, things more perfect precede such as are more imperfect. The words likewise, “ within the soul" evince that the world 1 is connascent with the soul, and the olFpring of it. For if the world proceeds in the soul, she is the mistress of its subsistence, comprehends the whole of its essence, and co-oj>erates with the Demiurgus m the orderly
* i» wunling litre in the original; but according to the version of Tliomxus,ought to be nililril.
* The word in the original is evnrmKri, in which word, an energy wholly,ever present is indicated by the prrjtosition 9*v.
* It is requisite here, to add ror tov/xov, omitted in the original.
distribution of body. For the soul of the universe is not 1 like partial souls, which receive bodies fashioned by other things, and on this account, at one time rule over them, but at another, are incapable of governing their proper organs. But proceeding from, she produces together with her father, her habitation, or rather her vehicle. Hence also, she governs the universe, and energizes eternal¬ ly, and without solicitude ami labour. For every thing which makes according to essence, makes with facility that which it makes.
Moreover, the words he fabricated manifest the production of the Demi¬ urges proceeding through solid and resisting substances; and also the ex¬ ternally adventitious formation of sensibles ; and does all but 1 represent him, employing Vulcanian 1 organs, by which he fashions the whole heaven from brass, depicting all things with forms, giving rotundity to corporeal masses, and figuring each thing with an appropriate form. .Since the fabrication however of the universe is triple; the first In-ing that according to which the Demiurgus produced it from the elements bound together by analogy, a whole of wholes; but the second being that according to which he adorned it from the whole spheres, since it is impossible, as it consists of the elements, that it should not be divided into the spheres ; and the third being that which gives completion to the universe from celestial, aerial, aquatic and terrcstial animals;— this being the case, Plato in what is now said, unfolds to is the middle fabri¬ cation. For he who fabricates tile whole of a corporeal-formed nature within the soul which is divided into circles, evidently fabricated it by dividing it into spheres, l'or the spheres are images of the circles [in the soul] which the De- miurgus forming, is said to have fabricated the whole of a corporeal formed na¬ ture, within the circles of the soul: by which aPo, it is evident, that the eight cir¬ cles comprehend in themselves the sublunary region, since the Demiurgus placed in them the whole of a corporeal nature. For if it w< re not so, Plato would have said, that the Demiurgus fabricated evtry thing celestial, and not every tiling corporeal within them. Fvery thing subcelestial therefore as being co-divideil with the heavens, is in these circles, or as being contained in the circle of the moon; theologists also calling the moon earth, through the alliance of the earth to it. Hence it is common to both of them to conceal the light.
“ And collecting middle to middle, lie co-harmonizctl them to each other."
1 Iustead of to yap in tins place, it o necessary to read cv yap.
* For pcrci\i here, read ,
4 Instead of in tins place, it it requisite to read Hpaiffreion.
TIMvEUS OF PLATO.
1 h r »
Porphyry, understanding by iniilcllc the physical part of the soul, endeavours to co-adapt it to the middle of the universe, though Plato does not here even in words, assume that which is physical. It, however, vve wish to interprt t what is now said more ngreahly to the meaning of Plato, we must say that the Pcmi- urgns placed in the soul, which has a middle order h< tween intellect and hotly, the middle of the world ; and not simply in the soul, hut in its most middle part.
For this is to rolled middle to middle. But that this is his meaning is evident from what follows, in which he says that the soul was every way (Mended from the middle to the extremities of the universe. Prom these things therefore, we may assume, that the whole ot a corporeal nature is every way similarly animated, and that the w hole of the mundane soul is on all sides exempt from the hotly, in order that it may imitate the whole Deiniurgus, who is present to all things, and separate from all. We may also assume, that the corporeal nature being the middle of the soul, makes the animation of it to proceed everyway similarly.
J'or if the extremes of the universe wen* conjoined to the middles themselves, some things would he more reunite from, but others neart r to the soul. It is ne¬ cessary however, that all things should remain as it were rooted in, and filled with life from it. But the adaptation of middle to middle, shows that the soul is similarly exempt from all things, and is equally distant from all Forifit was dis¬ tant from some things more, but from others less, we must ascribe to it a habi¬ tude to secondary natures. Kach of the assertions therefore is true, that body is the middle, and that it is adapted to soul, which is also a middle. Moreover,
“ to collect," exhibits the demiurgic union, and the bond according to which the universe is perpt tual. But to co-harinoni/e, indicates the harmonious association of the body with the soul; the latter performing w hat pertains to itself, and the former preserving its proper order, and neither divtiUing, nor drawing downw ard the mt< lleetion of a divine essence. For this is the harmonious form of commu¬ nion. If however, in the association of the less and the more excellent nature, either the former or the latter falls off from its perfection, and causes perturbation m the t nergies of the more excellent nature ;—in this case, such a communion is iinharmonious, 1 disorderly, and confused. Hence the soul subsists according to harmonic ratios, and the w hole of a corporeal-formed nature, is seen to be in »
friendship with it through analogy, and is harmoniously composed. What bonds therefore, can be more indissoluble, more perpetual, or more divine than these?
None, except it should l>c said the will itself of him, by whom the soul is bound, and which is exempt from the things that arc hound.
1 For €Kipfntwrei here, it n necessary to read nvnpfj ovrai.
Vou II.
Tim. Plat.
Proclus on T11e
[book III.
“ But the soul being every way interwoven from the middle to the very extremities of the universe, and circularly covering it as with a veil, at the same time herself revolving in herself, gave rise to the divine commencement of an unceasing and wise life, through the whole of time."
The mode of animation according to conversion or regression, beginning, as we have ln-fore said, from lx m ath, proceeds to tilings on high, anil from the last, ends in the summits of things ; and such is the mode now assumed by Plato, for the soul proceeding from oil liigli, as far as to the last recesses of the earth, and illuminating all things with the light of life, the world being comerted to it, beginning from the last of tilings, is animated both according to its middle, and the whole of its interval. Besides this also, it external!) enjoys the intellectual illumination of soul. Hence, the soul is said to oci npv the middle of the universe, as placing in it the powers of itself, and a symbol ot its proper presence. It is likewise said to extend itself to the extremities of the universe, as vivifying it on all sides ; ami to circularly eovt r it as with a veil, in consequence of leaving powers ext nipt from partible masses ; in so doing, all but projecting the agis of .Minerva, from w hit li
A luu.illtd golden ornaments depend. 1
Through this likewise, it externally surrounds the whole world. And if it lx 1 re¬ quisite to s|R\ik the truth, Plato through these words ( loses the mouths of those who fancy that the figure of the sou! is truly circular, and thus possesses interval. For how is it possible for a < ircle to be interwoven with a hotly, and being extended equally to cover it with list If as with a veil, and thus be adapted to it, according to all the interval of the world 7 '1 his therefore immediately manifests, that
the imagination is false of those who apprehend the soul thus to subsist.
In addition to this also, it is necessary tosiirvtv that which we before asserted, that the being interwoven with, and circularly covering the universe as with a veil, assimilates the soul to the inlellet tual life, which prior to this Plato said, surrounds the two circles of the soul For as this life comprehends the soul, so the soul comprehends the universe. And farther still, it must be conside red how the soul is assimilated to those Gods, to whom Parmenides attributes the similar and dis-
* This vtrst i$ front the Iliad, hut it has suffered much from the transcribers, l or in the Commen¬ tary of Proclus it is rrji tiaroy yjjvaavot yovotot tjtfitflot rui, whereas it ought to be,
1 qs tear ot Ovaanji to) \uvaioi ijeptbotTO.
Iliad, lib. li. 443.