lad us hour vor return to the text. Plato then, mentions Right before Dav, as conveying an image of invisible and intellectual measures. For common rumour arranges tie* former prior to the latter. Hence we arc accustomed to say the tn/clhnncron [or the space of night and day]; because in the intelligible causes of these, Night subsists prior to Day.* Hut with respect to the words thus, ami on account of these, the won I thus manifests the producing cause of Right and Day, and indicates that it is light in conjunction with the inerratic sphere. And the words, nn account (jthese, manifest the final cause; in order that the nycthcmc- ron may be the conspicuous measure of all the circulations. .Hut lie denominates the one most wise circulation, the revolution of tie* circle of the same, as lining uni¬ form and intellectual, and most allied to the permanency and sameness of mtel-
‘ •' But »f w ill rrrlniuh do whatsoever thing gm-th forth out of our own in>«itli. In luirii incense to tlie rjuecii ol heaven, and In pour mil <1 rink-ollt-mi-gn unto her, a% nr liavr door, nr, and nur father*, our kings, and our prince*, m t lie cities of Judali, and hi the streets of Jerusalem : for Ihcn had ter filmty vj rictuah , and t rtrr writ, and *aic nn rrif. But since we left off to hum intense to the •juern of heaven, and to pour out drink-offering* unto her, uv hair tranlrd all lhtnt*i, and have bceo consumed by the sword and by famine." Jeremiah, thap. xhv. 17, IS.
’ In the original the pari winch should iiuuirdiatt !v follow the words i rpo r^t ij/ir/mi at »wro wree- rrj'Tni', p. C(»(i, s$ by a strange confusion, connected with the latter part ol lire eommrntary on the fol¬ lowing text, and begins at the words to ht o vrwi tai im ravra I. si. p. C70. The order of the text likewise, in p. q66, is perverted, the commentary on which beginning at the words eat y rptry I. xxxv. is imperfect.
[book IT.
lect, and as j>osses:»ing uniformity from the one principle of things; the wisdom of it being derived from intellect, hut its circulation from the psychical jieculiarity. He likew ise asserts time to bo the wanderings of the stars, not as making the mo¬ tion of these to be time, but as conceiving the temporal intervals to be tin? mea¬ sures of motions, i'ur the number of the visible lift oj each of these, it secondary lime . But he calls both the peculiar, and the common time of the motions of each, infinite in multitude. For he co-assumrs the all-various circulations and configu¬ rations of them. And he says that they are admirably diversified, on account of their dances, their oppositions and conjunctions, their harmonious motion, and the order of their apocatustases. For such are the wanderings of tin* celestial bodies, the whole of them being merratically erratic, existing always in the end, and hastening to one end.
“ At the same time however, it is no less possible to conceive, that the perfect number of time will then accomplish a perfect year, when the celerities of all the eight periods being terminated with reference to each other, shall have a summit, as they are measured by the circle of that which subsists according to the same and the similar."
After the demiurgic generation of the spheres, the period of the seven bodies, the animation of them, and the order which the father inserted in them, and also after the vhrious motions of them, the temporal measures of their several periods, and the differences of their apocatastases ; the discussion proceeds to the monad of the temporal multitude, and to the one* number according to which all motion is measured, under which all other measures are comprehended, and according to which all the life of the world, the all-various evolution of bodies, and the whole of the psychical life, are defined, conformably to an all-perfect period. This period however, ought not to be surveyed doxasticallv, by adding myriads to myriads of years. For thus some are accustomed to speak of it, assuming the aeeurate apocatastasis of the Moon, and m a similar manner of the Sun, and then milling the one to the other, and afterwards adding to these, the apocatastases of Mer¬ cury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn ; and in the last place, the apocatastasis of the inerratic sphere, to the one common apocatastasis of the planets. After this manner therefore they sjwak, if the apoeatastatic times compared with each other are primary. But if they arc not primary, then assuming a common mea¬ sure, they see according to what numbers this measures each of the given apoea¬ tastatic times, and by the number according to which it measures the less of these times they multiply the greater, but by the number according to which it measures
TIM.EL'S OF PLATO.
the greater, lli«*y multiply the less ; and thus they have from both multiplication,, the common time of the apocatastasis of both, and whirl) also is measured bv both.
It is not proper ho wove?* to survey merely and alone after this manner, the whole mundane time, but to survey scientifically by intellect, and the discur¬ sive energies of reason, one number, one evolved powi r, and one perfective pro- givs-ion, extending to all the life of the world; and this proceeding to the end, returning to the beginning, and converging to itself; and on this, account making the measured motion to be circular. For as the monad bounds the infinity of number, and antecedently comprehends the indefiuileness of the duad, thus also time measures the; whole motion, and converts the end of it In the beginning. I b nee also it is called a iiuiuIht, and perfect. Fur a month is a number, and likewise a year, but not a perfect number: for they are parts of other numbi rs. lhit the time of the period of the universe is perfect, because it is not a part of any period, but is a whole, in order that it may imitate derail v. For eternity is primarily a wholeness. It introduces however, to beings at once all its wholeness; but time with extension. For the temporal wholeness is an evolution of the wholeness which abides conglomerated in eternity. The whole mundane time then fore, measures the one life of the universe, according to which all the celerities are terminated of the cch stial and sublunary circles. For in these also, there are periods, which have for the summit of their apocatastasis the lation of the i ircle of the same. 1 or they are reli rreil to this as to tluir principle, because it i-(he mos| simple of all For the apoeatastases are surveyed with reference to the points (l | 'Finis tor instance, all o! them make their apoca-
lastasis about the eipiinoelial point, 1 or about the summer tropic; or though the joint apocatastasis should not lie considered to he according to the same point, hut with i efi reiic«* to the same, when for instance, rising, or culminating. y« t ail of them will have with reference to it, a figure of such a kind. For now the pir-r.it order i- entirely a certain apocatastasis of all the heavenly bodies, yet the configuration is m»t seen about the same, hut with reference to the same point. Once however, it was about the same, and according to one certain point; at which if it should again take place, tin; whole of time will havi an end. One certain apocatastasis likewise, seems to have hern mentioned. Hence it is said, that Cancer i- the horoscope of the world, and this year is called Cynic, or pertaining to the dog, because among the constellations, the splendid star of the Dog rises together with Cancer. It therefore the planets
* For ifi^rfiikor here, it it olivioukl) neeestarv to read tmjfit/Htor. It mutt also l>e obteited, that there ire two equinoctial |>ouil», or signs, amt these are Arte* and Libra.
Tim. Plat. Yol. II. 2 I
[bouk IV.
Sflo
should again meet m the same point of Cancer, thin concurrence will be tine period of the universe. If however, the apocatastasis takes place in Cancer about the equinoctial point, that also which is from the summer tropic, will In- directed towards the summer tropic, and the number of the one will l»e equal to the nundver of the oilier, and the time of the one, to the time of the other. I'm each of them is one period, and is defined hy quantity, on account of the order of the bodies that are moved. And thus much concerning the one time of the universe, which measures all corpore:-! motions ; in the same manner as the world measures psychical, and eternity intellectual lives. It is likewise evident from what has been said, what tins one time is, wlienee it derives its subsistence, and what Ih-ih tit it u fiords to the universe. In addition however, to what Ims heen said, it must he observed, that this [k- rfect mimln-r differs from that mentioned in tin; Republic, which comprehends the [veriod of every divinely gem-rated nature ; since it is of a more partial nature, and is apncatastatic of the eight periods alone. 1'or the other perfect number comprehends the peculiar motions of the fixed stars, and in short, of all the divine genera that are moved in the hea¬ vens, whether visibly or invisibly, and also of the celestial g» nera posterior to the Hods, and of the longer or shorter periods of sublunary natures, together with the periods id' fertility and sterility, lienee likewise, it is the lord of the period of the human race.
“ Conformably therefore to, and for the sake of these things, such of the stars as proceeding through the heavens have revolutions, were ge¬ nerated, in order that this universe might be most similar to perfect and intelligible animal, tliumgh the imitation of an eternal nature. And other forms indeed, were fabricated, us far as to the generation of time, according to the similitude of that to which they were assimilated."
That the world became more perfect through the generation of time, imitating all-perleet animal according to the eternal, and that generation derived its sub¬ sistence through the latiuli of the seven cosmocrators; for from this lation, the variety according to generation, was unfolded into light; is evident from what has been before said. That which remains therefore of Plato’s speculations con¬ cerning time, deserves to he assumed, viz. that time proceeds analogous to soul, lieing at once eternal and generated. Hence as soul belongs to eternal beings, and i> the U st of generated natures ; so likewise time is both eternal and generated ; so far as it is co-mingled with souls and bodies, and so far as it proceeds and
Book Iv ]
T1M.-EUS OF PLATO.
extends through nil secondary brings. For it is number proceeding and a circle; but itself by itself, is both a monad and a centre. For the Dcmiurgus produced a medium of this kind, between things immoveable, and things that are moved, according to a sihiilitude to himself. For he also is a medium between the abiding and proceeding Gods,' according to an assimilation to the paradigm; because this also is a medium lie tween the intelligible and intellectual Gods,* between eternitv and number, 1 * * * 5 and the eternal ami pcrjntnal (In,Is.* For it participates of eternitv. but it primarily participates, and is the monad of intelligible animals. Hence also, the world being generated perpetual through the whole of time, was perfectly as¬ similated to its paradigm. For as its paradigm received the whole gift of eternitv; since every thing which primarily participates of a certain thing receives the whole of its gilt; thus also the world lives through the whole of time, and lives according to the whole perfect number of it. Hence likewise, it is perpetual. For every thing which is able to receive the whole evolution of time, is indestructible. Ihit the whole *»t time is the perfect number of the apocatastasis of the universe, as we have frcrpu-nlly observed.