Again, these tilings arehkewise effected!))'souls themselves. For being self-motive, they arrange themselves in an appropriate place, But they are also ellected by Fate. For this power delim s the appropriate allotments of each soul, and co¬ adapts them to the proper forms ot life. And in the third place, they are < fleeted bv the Gods, who dispose in an orderly manner the parts of the universe. For they distribute to all things that which is according to desert; and on this account it is said, that Justice proceeding to the* universe from the middle sphere of the Sun governs all things according to rectitude. As in wholes, however. Justice following Jupiter, is the avenger of vIiom* that desert the divine law, thus also, the energy ot Justice about souls, adorns those that forget the laws of 1 ate, and exchange for a more excellent, a subordinate life. And thus much m common as to tin se particulars.
But what is the proper time, what the kindred star, and what the happy life ? The proper tunc therefore, is such as that which Plato defines in the 1 lraalrus, to the souls which are circularly led 'ruin hence, alter the first generation, viz. a thousand vears, or some otliei period of this kind, l oras this time pertains to those that choose a philosophic life, so another period more or less extended, is adapted to those that make a dillcri nt choice, this time not subsisting monadi- callv, but being defined according to the form of life. But the kindred star , is that about which the distribution of souls and tin ir vehicles is made. So that if there are some souls, w hich from the first, have their allotment about the earth, these after the first life, follow ing Justice, and the Gods, will return to the ethereal vehicle o*‘the whole earth, relinquishing the terrestrial bulk. And in this establishing themselves, ami the organ eonnaseeiit with tln-m, [i. e. their ethe¬ real vehicle,] they will themselves be filled with intellectual hie, but will fill tin ir vehicles with divine light, and demiurgic power. If also, there arc certain souls that proceed about the Sun, these returning to their wholeness, will together with it dispose wholes in an orderly manner, being allotted through a co-ordination
nu ok v.]
muxs or plato.
«i(li it, a power ot such a kind, as not to depart from the intellection of them¬ selves, in their pro\ idential attention to the universe. And the happy li/e, is that life which is defined according to the peculiarity of the leading powers, For these are in the order of da-mons, Inning partial souls in their possession. an<l elevating them to the intelligible, in the same manner as the leaders of the hi m rated Gods. Hence also, Plato« I.-ew here, calls these souls happy, as being susp( nth d from these leaders w ho are happy (vj'ex.ivi.wmv r lVT mv\ i. c. w ho are beneficent da-mons. For « very where, that which is proximatclv established above the nature which is thought deserting of its providential care, has the order of a beneficent damon w ith respect to it.
It is requisite also to sunny the uninterrupted connexion of the theorems. For Plato constituted souls from the demiurgic and x ivilie cause, and alter their gene¬ ration, arranged different partial, under difli-n-nt divine souls, making the pro¬ gression and distribution of them to be supr rnmndane. After these divine souls also, he introduces partial souls into the universe, gives them vehicles, and dis¬ tributes tin ni about the stars. In the next place, he leads them into generation, and imparts to them the mortal form of life; and after these things, divides the lives ol them, and distributes allotments adapted to their lives. For the progres¬ sion to them, is from supermundane natures into the world ; but their descent from total life, is into generation. ISow tin refore, since he speaks of souls that are re- ston d to their kindred star, after tin ir first gem ration, and says, that leaving the body tin y obtain a happy life, how can we show that these things accord with what Is asserted in the Pha-dnis ? For there he who chons.-s a philosophic life, is restored to his pristine perlcction, through three lives. Or may we not say that the allotment whit h i-> here deliver* d, is not into that from whence each soul ori¬ ginally came; tor that is eflected through three periods, each of which consists of a thousand years; hut is a return to the star, under which it was essentially arranged, and m conjunction with which, it possesses a common life? For it is possible for souls that have not led a philosophic life, to he elevated by Justice to a certain place in the heavens, and there to receive the reward of the life w hich they passed in the human form. For this in asserted in the Piia-drus of the souls of those that are not philosophers. For the apocatastasis into the same situation again, is one thing, hut the ascent to the kindred star another. For the former requires three periods ; but the latter may be ell'ecti d through one period. And the former elevates the soul to the intelligible, from w hence it descended ; but the latter leads it to a subordinate form of life. For there are different 1 measures of felicity, and the return is two-fold, one of ascending souls, but the other, of
1 The word frtapepa is omitted here id the original.
[UOOK V.
those that have ascended. So that it is possible for the soul that arrives at its kindred star, either to be co-arrangcd with the mundane powers of its (iod, or to proceed still higher. Its recuireney however, to the intelligible its* It, requires a jieriod of three thousand years. For through this, the highest winged condition is dice ted.
“ 15ut that lie whose conduct was depraved, should in the second gene¬ ration, be changed into the nature ot .1 woman.
We have liefure observed, that Plato docs not call the semination of souls the first generation, but the one descent from the intelligible, common to all partial souls. lie calls therefore, the second descent, the second generation, and makes the second descent to he, into the nature of a woman; just as the third is into the brutal nature, indicating by this, the well-ordered diminution of life. Thus also in the Pliadrus, lie denoniiuati s all the lives successively after the first generation, conformably to the second lives.
“That both these, at the expiration of a thousand y ears, should return to the allotment and choice 1 of a second life ; each soul receiving a life conformable to its choice. And that in this election, the human soul should pass into the lilt* ot a brute.
Plato here exhibits another order of life, and leads the soul from a more pow¬ erful to a more imbecile nature, and from an intellectual life, to one deprived of intellect. For why is it necessary that the soul should not descend from the first generation into the nature of a woman ? For it the female genus subsisted through an aberration from the male, it would l»e necessary that souls recently perfected, should begin from that which is according to nature [i. e. should liegin from the male only]; since that which is preti rnatural is every where posterior and adven¬ titious. But since the female nature is also in thetiods, what should prevent souls, in this respect imitating their proper leaders, from not only choosing lives adapted to them, 1 hut also the nature of animals allied to them ? It is not how¬ ever wonderful, that alternations should tube place, as we betore observed, l or that the male and the female not only subsist 111 mortal natures, but also in the
* For aiOik litre, reatl ay>eoiv.
* Instead of avrrjt here, it is necessary to read avro<«.
Iujok V J
TJM/T-US OF PLATO.
impartible lives themselves of souls, may Ik* interred bv n—ain recollecting what was before asscited, \i/. that these sexual diflerenres arc Iioth in the natures j»tu<r, and posti nor to pailial souls. It is not proper however, to he incredulous, if in total souls, the vehicles are connasrrntly conjoined to them, hut in partial souls, they are sometimes conjoined, and sometimes not. For in the former the colligation is essential, hut in the latter, is the oiled of deliberatechoice. Hence in the former, the di\ision of the vehicle's is annexed to the ess< nee of the souls, hut in the latter, to the dilleri nces of their choice. And this mav lie inferred from what is asserted in the Hampict, in the table of Aristophanes. I or there, as we have hetore observed, the diiisifius of souls according to these \chicles, and the alternations of choice in these, about the mortal 'life, are clearly delivered. If therefore, you understand in what is said, that the nature of woman is immediately implied, I should thus interpret the words. Hut if every form of life, which is im- hecile, elleminato, and verging to generation, is symbolically signified through woman, as sonic prior to us, and these no casual persons, have thought, the words will not at all require such a solution as the above. Hut you m iv adopt either of these explications; though at the same time, it must he observed, that Plato stu¬ diously conceals many things through symbols. Whichever of these solutions tlir refore is arlopted, it is evident that the soul in its first descent, is not implanted in the female nature.
From this also, I assume that according to Tuna us, the soul, man, and in short tin* universe, are imhcgntlt n. For if the soul was generated, and <h scended at a certain time into the first generation, it would impart the life of a mm. lint this man bring entirely generated, would be venerated from a female; and tins female would have a soul, which is either the first that has desreiided ; and if this ho the rasp, the assertion of Tima ns is false, who leads the soul in its brst descent into the male; or it is not the first, and prior to this female, it is neces¬ sary that the soul of a male should have generated the soul which is in it. Jjut again this male must have hern Generated a male from a female; or if this is not admitted, its existence must he from chance. If hmvcvi r this lie the ease, it will bein vain, a female not existing, from which and in which, the male mav rate. "i his female likewise, in the same manner as the male, must either he from chance, and have a soul which is the first that descended, and was -ourrated with it; or must he generated from the male. Hut this is impossible. Hence, neither of these was once generated, nor does the soul, and much less does the universe, pertain to generated natures.
Instead of ptp^rra ^i ivatt in this place, il is necessary to read apfpirrau £wau,
PROCLL'S ON TilK
[book r.
“ And that in case vice sliouhl not even then cease in these, but should remain according to a similitude of the mode of gene.ation, then the soul should always be changed into a brutal nature correspondent to its disposition.”