they considered that there is a certain alliance and sympathy in natural things to each other, and of things manifest to occult powers, and discovered that all things subsist in all, they fabricated a sacred science from this mutual sympathy and similarity. Thus they recognized things supreme in such as are subordinate, and the subordinate in the supreme: in the celestial regions, terrene properties subsisting in a causal and celestial manner; and in earth celestial properties, but according to a terrene condition. For how shall we account for those plants called heliotropes, that is, attendants on the sun, moving in correspondence with the revolution of its orb, but selenitropes, or attendants on the moon, turning in exact conformity to her motion? It is because all things pray, and hymn the leaders of their respective orders; but some intellectually, and others rationally; some in a natural, and others after a sensible manner. Hence the sun-flower, as far as it is able, moves in a circular dance towards the sun; so that if any one could hear the pulsation made by its circuit in the air, he would perceive something com- posed by a sound of this kind, in honor of its king, such as a plant is capable of framing. Hence, too, we may behold the sun and moon in the earth, but according to a terrene quality; but in the celestial regions, all
lants, and stones, and animals, possessing an intellectual life according to a celestial nature. Now the ancients, having contemplated this mutual sympathy of things, applied for occult purposes, both celestial and terrene natures, by means of which, through a certain simili- tude, they deduced divine virtues into this inferior abode. For, indeed, similitude itself is a sufficient cause of binding things together in union and consent. Thus, if a piece of paper is heated, and afterwards placed near a lamp, though it does not touch the fire, the paper will be suddenly inflamed, and the flame will descend from the superior to the inferior parts. ‘This heated paper we may compare to a certain relation of inferiors
to superiors; and its approximation to the lamp, to the
opportune use of things according to time, place, and
matter. But the procession of fire into the paper, aptly
represents the presence of divine light, to that nature
which is capable of its reception. Lastly, the inflam-
mation of the paper may be compared to the deification
of mortals, and to the illumination of material natures,
which are afterwards carried upwards like the en-
kindled paper, from a certain participation of divine
seed.
*‘ Again, the lotus, before the rising of the sun, folds its leaves into itself, but gradually expands them on its rising: unfolding them in proportion to the sun’s ascent to the zenith; but as gradually contracting them, as that luminary descends to the west. Hence this plant, by the expansion and contraction of its leaves, appears no less to honor the sun, than men by the gesture of their eye-lids, and the motion of their lips. But this imitation and certain participation of supernal light, is not only visible in plants, which possess nothing more than a vestige of life, but likewise in particular stones. ‘Thus the sun-stone, by its golden rays, imitates those of the sun; but the stone called the eye of heaven, or of the sun, has a figure similar to the pupil of an eye, and a ray shines from the middle of the pupil. Thus too the lunar stone, which has a figure similar to the moon when horned, by a certain change of itself, follows the lunar motion. Lastly, the stone called helioselenus, i.e. of the sun and moon, imitates, after a manner, the congress of those luminaries, which it images by its color. So that all things are full of divine natures; terrestrial natures receiving the pleni- tude of such as are celestial, but celestial of supercelestial essences;!_ while every order of things proceeds gradually in a beautiful descent from the highest to the lowest. For whatever particulars are collected into one above the order of things, are afterwards
1i.e. Natures which are not connected with body.
dilated in descending, various souls being distributed under their various ruling divinities.
“In the next place, there are many solar animals,
such as lions and cocks, which participate, according
to their nature, of a certain solar divinity; whence it
is wonderful how much inferiors yield to superiors in
the same order, though they do not yield in magnitude
and power. Hence it is said, that a cock is very much
feared, and as it were reverenced, by a lion; the reason
of which we cannot assign from matter or sense, but
from the contemplation alone of a supernal order. For
thus we shall find that the presence of the solar virtue
accords more with a cock than with a lion. This will
be evident from considering that the cock, as it were,
with certain hymns, applauds and calls to the rising
sun, when he bends his course to us from the antipodes ;
and that solar angels sometimes appear in forms of this
kind, who though they are without shape, yet present
themselves to us who are connected with shape, in some
sensible form. Sometimes too there are demons with
a leonine front, who, when a cock is placed before
them, unless they are of a solar order, suddenly dis-
appear; and this, because those natures which have an
inferior rank in the same order, always reverence their
superiors; just as many, on beholding the images of
divine men, are accustomed, from the very view, to be
fearful of perpetrating any thing base.
“In fine, some things turn round correspondent to the revolutions of the sun, as the plants which we have mentioned, and others after a manner imitate the solar rays, as the palm and the date; some the fiery nature of the sun, as the laurel; and others a different property. For, indeed, we may perceive that the properties which are collected in the sun, are every where decreed to subsequent natures constituted in a solar order; that is, to angels, demons, souls, animals, plants, and stones. Hence the authors of the ancient priesthood discovered from things apparent, the worship of superior powers,
while they mingled some things and purified others.
They mingled many things indeed together, because
they saw that some simple substances possessed a divine
property (though not taken singly) sufficient to call
down that particular power, of which they were parti-
cipants. Hence, by the mingling of many things
together, they attracted upon us a supernal influx; and
by the composition of one thing from many, they pro-
duced an assimilation to that one which is above many;
and composed statues from the mixture of various sub-
stances conspiring in sympathy and consent. Besides
this, they collected composite odours, by a divine art,
into one, comprehending a multitude of powers, and
symbolizing with the unity of a divine essence; con-
sidering that division debilitates each of these, but that
mingling them together, restores them to the idea of
their exemplar.
“‘But sometimes one herb, or one stone, is sufficient to a divine operation. Thus, a thistle is sufficient to procure the sudden appearance of some superior power; but a laurel, raccinum, (or a thorny kind of sprig) the land and sea onion, the coral, the diamond, and the jasper, operate as a safeguard. The heart of a mole is subservient to divination, but sulphur and marine water to purification. Hence, the ancient priests, by the mutual relation and sympathy of things to each other, collected their virtues into one, but expelled them by repugnancy and antipathy; purifying when it was requisite with sulphur and bitumen, and sprinkling with marine water. For sulphur purifies, from the sharpness of its odour; but marine water, on account of its fiery portion. Besides this, in the worship of the Gods, they offered animals, and other substances con- gruous to their nature; and received, in the first place, the powers of demons, as proximate to natural sub- stances and operations; and by these natural substances they convoked into their presence those powers to which they approached. Afterwards, they proceeded from
demons to the powers and energies of the Gods; partly,
indeed, from demoniacal instruction, but partly by
their own industry, interpreting convenient symbols,
and ascending to a proper intelligence of the Gods.
And lastly, laying aside natural substances and their
operations, they received themselves into the com-
munion and fellowship of the Gods.”
It will doubtless be objected by most of the present period, who believe in nothing beyond the information of their senses, that plants, animals, and stones, no longer possess those wonderful sympathetic powers, which are mentioned by Proclus in the above extract. In answer to any such objector, whose /it#le soul, (in the language of the Emperor Julian) is indeed acute, but sees nothing with a vision healthy and sound, it must be said, that this is not at all wonderful at a period, when, as the author of the Asclepian dialogue justly observes, ‘“‘there is a lamentable departure of divinity from man, when nothing worthy of heaven, or celestial concerns, is heard or believed, and when every divine voice is by a necessary silence dumb.”! But to the philosophic reader, it must be observed, that as in the realms of generation, or in other words, the sublunary region, wholes, viz. the spheres of the different elements, remain perpetually according to nature; but their parts are sometimes according, and some times contrary to nature; this must also be true of the parts of the earth. When those circulations therefore take place, during which the parts of the earth subsist according to nature, and which are justly called, by Plato, fertile periods, the powers of plants, animals, and stones, magically sympathize with superior natures, in consequence of a more abundant participation of them, through a greater degree of aptitude to receive, and alliance to the parti- cipated powers. But during those circulations, in
1 See an extract of some length, and of the greatest importance, from this dialogue, in my translation of Select Works of Plotinus, Pp: 553, &c.
which the parts of the earth subsist contrary to nature,
as at present, and which Plato calls barren periods, the
powers of plants, animals, and stones, no longer possess
a magic sympathy, and consequently are no longer
capable of producing magical operations.
P. 78. The eternal essence of number 1s the most providential principle of the universe, Sc.
The following account of the manner in which the
Pythagoreans philosophized about numbers, is extracted
from my Theoretic Arithmetic, and the information
contained in it is principally derived from the great
Syrianus.
“The Pythagoreans, turning from the vulgar paths,
and delivering their philosophy in secret to those alone
who were worthy to receive it, exhibited it to others
tnrough mathematical names. Hence, they called
forms, numbers, as things which are the first separated
from impartible union; for the natures which are above
forms, are also above separation.! The all-perfect
multitude of forms, therefore, they obscurely signified
through the duad; but they indicated the first formal
principles by the monad and duad, as not being
numbers; and also by the first triad and tetrad, as
being the first numbers, the one being odd, and the
other even, from which by addition the decad is
generated; for the sum of I, 2, 3, and 4, is ten. But
after numbers, in secondary and multifarious lives,
introducing geometrical prior to physical magnitudes;
these also they referred to numbers, as to formal causes
and the principles of these; referring the point indeed,
1 Forms subsist at the extremity of the intelligible triad, which triad consists of being, life, and intellect. But being and life, with all they contain, subsist here involved in impartible union. See my Proclus on the Theology of Plato.