similar. For the interweaving exhibits the presence of the soul in the world, through similitude. For all communion of essences, powers, and energies, sub¬ sists from this. But the circularly covering the universe as with a veil, as it signi¬ fies transcendency', represents to us, how the soul incommensurable to the world, an throng h its incommensurability, is imparticipable. For that which is incommensurable, is certainly dissimilar to that to which it is incommensurable. Perhaps however both have both. For to be interwoven, is the province of things, which are partly similar, and partly dissimilar. And to circularly cover as with a veil, togf tlirr with the inseparable, exhibits intellectual comprehension, which is secondarily present to the universe. For through this comprehension, the universe imitates intellect, of which it becomes ' the first resemblance. Hence it is present with the universe, in a s -parate manner, and illuminates all things, without* being itself converted to the illuminated natures, or receiving habitude, or co-ordination vv ith them. For these things are foreign to the whole soul [or to the soul which ranks as a whole]. Because however body proceeds together with the soul, hut not the soul together with body ; and the soul by its infinite power, com¬ prehends the world ; by its non-possession of interval, all interval; by its impart¬ ible nature, every tiling partible; and by its simplicity,that which is composite;— hence, the fabrication of body is suspended from the generation of the soul, but not vice versa. The essence of the soul therefore, is tin* lender, as bring more allied to intellect, and body is suspended from the soul, as from its cause. Is there then any reason why we should endure to admit such an interweaving, as some adduce, who conceive the soul to he present with body, through partible powers, cntelccheid and inseparable lives? By no means. For everv distribution of tins kind, is secon¬ dary to the one soul [of the universe]. Since in us also, tbe cntcUcheia animates the body iu one way, but the separate soul m another; the former indeed, being divided about the corporeal masses; but the latter being established in itself, and imparlihly present everywhere, and containing partible lives, by its own impart¬ ible powers. But if it be requisite to speak in a manner becoming the dignity of the whole soul of tbe universe, tbe interweaving is an unmingled union of tbe body with the soul, and a communion, connected comprehension, and vivification of tbe soul, proceeding from the Demiurgus, and lielng again converted to him. For as we must not understand tbe “ circularly covering as with a veil" either ac-
* For yo-o/jo iji' litre, it is obviously necessary to read ytrcfitv or.
* Ov« is omitted here, in the original.
1 The cause by which the animal is ri tatty moved, is tbe rational soul, but tbe cause by which the animal thus moved, is defined or bounded, is called by Aristotle tnttlechti*. See my IranjUtKlp of bis treatise On the Soul
PItOCLUS ON T1IE
[book hi
companies with interval, or locally, lmt as signify in" that the soul is on all sides similarly exempt from the body, and by Immii" thus exempt uniformly compre¬ hend*. it; thus also, we must not understand the " being interwoven^ as accompa¬ nied with contact, but as manifesting the animation which jw-rvades through all things, and the union of all things with it. Tor the soul tilling all thiugs with itse!t r and connectedly containing all things, contains, prior’ toother things, itself in purity, and converts the world to itself, lb nee, by a much greater pri¬ ority, it is itself converted to itself. On this account, Tinneus adds, that it is itself com <d veil in itself in order that he may indicate the difference between the soul, and the body of the universe, which is indeed convolved, yit notin itst If, hut in the whole of place which it occupies. For tliis is convolved locally, but the soul vitally and intellectually, understanding itself, and finding itself to be all things. For it is the plenitude of wholes, ami contains the images of all things, which intellectually perceiving, it is said to revolve in itselt ; the revolu¬ tion indicating the intellectual and at the same time apucatastatic ; but its rcvolv- in?> in itself, the peculiarity of self motion. For the universe also revolves, but is moved b\ another [l. e. by soul .
Ib re, therefore, we have a solilMoii of that which was investigated by Us. For We inquired, looking to the whole of the psychognuy, where Plato lias delivered to us tin* gnostic pi cnliarity of the soul, m tlie same manner as lie h.is tin? essen¬ tial and tin vital peculiarities; the former indeed through the triple mixture; but the latter through the motion in the same. Through the circular conversion therefore, of the soul to itself, the Deimiirgus effected its gnostic peculiarity, ami which Plato in wiiat is now said, more clearly manifests. Fur in order to show how the soul knows all things, lie says, that it revolves in itselt, and thus re- volvm* r be ,r all to live a wise and iiitcllci tiial hie. Ilcnce, it Is inline.liatt ly evident, that the conversion to itself, is the knowledge of itself, ami of every tiling in, prior to, ami proceeding troin itself. Fur all knowledge is a conversion to the object of knowledge, and an alliance and adaptation to it. .lnd on this account also, truth is an agreement of that which knows tilth the thing known. Since however, con¬ version or regression is two-fold, the one r* turning as to the good, but the other as to being, hence the vital conversion of all things is directed to the good, but the gnostic to biiug. Hence loo, the forint r win n converted, is said to have the good, but the latter to have being. 1 he appri /tension of truth also, is the comprihension of bung, whether existing in that by which it is apprehended, or prior to, or posterior to it. This therefore, as 1 have said, becomes evident to us from these tilings.
‘ Far w,,cf ru> o\\u. ill tills plate, rtatf tuv uWv*.
Hook Iii ]
Sinn* however, in the souls ol' partial animals reason at one time energizes intellectually, and is converted to itself, but not immediately from the first genera¬ tion [of the animal); lor in animals the progression is from the imjierfert to the perfect, and n mmi'-renee is after oblivion; on this account IMalo savs, that the .soul gave ri^e to the divine conimeneement of a wise life, beginning from on high, and from the first of its energies. For it has some energies, which are divine anil separate, but others, which are motive of the universe. It likewise always has the more perfect, prior to those that ar< secondary. For proceeding from the Dejniurgus, and beginning to energize, it commences from those energies that are more divine; and through these moves the secondary, viz. the intellectual ami the doxastic energies. This beginning however ts entirely divine. But that which commences from things imperfect, is evidently material, [For in the (foils, the more perfect energies prerode those that are subordinate;'] but vice versa in material natures. For generation begins from things imperfect, and proceeds to the perfect. The human soul then fore, though tl soviet hues energizes divinely, yet it ends m this energy , being satisfied at first to energize conformably to right opinion, after (his scientifically, and thin divinely, exciting 1 the one of itself, which is more excellent than Us intelUct. Hut a divine soul, has this for its first energy, and on account of this, moves all the secondary gnostic powers of itself, and always the subordinate through the superior powers, lly a inurh greater priority therefore, did the soul of the universe give rise to the divine commencement of a \\i*c life, energizing first according toils divine part [or the one of its essence], but after¬ wards supemally according to its dianoi tic part, moving this, and c ausing it to bo deit’orm. Unceasing energy however is the consequence of tins. For that which is gem-rated, -and that which exerts a divine energy in time, is naturally adapted to proceed from the imperfect to the perfect. But that which begins from the most perfect and divine energies, neither at any time ceases from this energy, nor ranks among things which have a temporal subsistence. If therefore tho soul of the universe gave rise to a divine commencement of energy, it energizes incessantly, and always, and with invariable sameness. For that which receives the perfection of itself in time, begins from the imperfect, and not from a divine commencement. From tins also, again it follows, that the life of a divine soul is wise. For if the life of this soul is unceasing, it is defined by intellect and wisdom.
' * The words swtlmi the brackets arc omitted in the original, but are inserted from the veniou of Thomacus. Hence in the original, after the words v wi tvvXoi ten*, it is requisite to add, tat yvp rv ii (kett, ai tvfftytttu rrXticrrpai irpoijyovn-ai ryy Karat'rrerfp+i*
* For tyr/putra here, it is necessary to read tyttprjoaea.
[book III.
For we must admit one of three 1 things, either that the life of it is always wise, or always destitute of wisdom, which it is not lawful to say, or that it is at one time wise, but at another time unwise. It remains therefore, that a wise life in a divine soul, in consequence of being incessant, never 1 fails.
In another respect ako, wisdom is adapted to this soul, because it participates of divine wisdom; but life, because it evolves the impartiality of the intellectual life, and has an extension in its energies, and transition in its motions, l or lift' (dioi) is most adapted to the soul. For if at any time, till', word is used in speak¬ ing of intellect, as in the Fhile bus there is said to be a certain (j2ioy) life of intellect, it signifies the jieeuliarity of the life. 1 Ur the word fiiog manifests these two things, viz. the peculiar form of each life , and the evolution of the choice from which it has its pro¬ gression. It is properly therefore asserted of souls; tor in these there is an evolu¬ tion [of choice]. .Sometimes also it 1-. asserted of intellect, and then it indicates to Us the peculiarity of the life of intellect. It may be said however, that all these particulars, are inherent in all divine souls, viz. to commence a divine beginning, to energize incessantly, and to possess a wis*- life. In vvliat respot t then tore, does tht' soul of the universe transcend other divine souls? Plato tin n foreseeing this, adds, “ through the a hole of time f For all souls indeed, energize transitively, ami have different periods, greati r or less. But the soul which ranks as a whole, alone receives the first and the one inti rval of time, and the whole and first mea¬ sure, which comprehends the periods of other souls. For as of dilferent divine bodies, there are dilferent periods, but the jwriod of a div iue generated 1 nature con¬ tains in itself all of them, comprehending apocatastatically, many Saturnian, many .Solar, and many Lunar periods ; and all time exists in the one period of the uni¬ verse; after the same manner also other divine souls, have their apocatastatie periods in more partial times. Since however, the intelligible breadth is bounded, but the apoeatastasis is dilferent to different souls, to some being shorter, and to others longer, because the object of intellection to them, i> more or less excellent; and since the apoeatastasis of the universe, has for its measure, the whole extension of time, and the whole evolution of it, than which there is no greater, except by the again and again ; for thus time is infinite; and of those beings that in¬ tellectually perceive according to one form, the soul of the universe is the first
1 Instead of wot here, it is requisite to read rpiuy.
* ,M< is oimtled in llie original.
1 i. e. Of die body of the whole world. For the epithet a dmnr grnrrnted natvrf, is priinarilv ap¬ plicable to this; though it also signifies esery body, which is moved perpetually and circularly, whether in the heavens, or undfr the moon.