“The fourth species of the virtues is that of the paradigms subsisting in intellect; which are more excellent than the psychical virtues, and exist as the paradigms of these; the virtues of the soul being the similitudes of them. And intellect indeed is that in which all things subsist at once as paradigms. Here, therefore, prudence is science; but intellect that knows [all dines wisdom. ‘Temperance is that which is converted to itself. The proper work of intellect, is the performance of its appropriate duty, [and this is justice 1]. But fortitude is sameness, and the abiding with purity in itself, through an abundance of power. There are therefore four genera of virtues; of which, indeed, some pertain to intellect, concur with the essence of it, and are paradigmatic. Others pertain to soul now looking to intellect, and being filled from it. Others belong to the soul of man, purifying itself, and becoming purified from the body, and the irrational passions. And others are the virtues of the soul of man, adorning the man, through giving measure and bound to the irrational nature, and producing moderation in the passions. And he, indeed, who has the greater virtues has also necessarily the less; but the contrary is not true, that he who has the less has also the greater virtues. Nor will he who possesses the greater, energize precedaneously according to the less, but only so far as the necessities of the mortal nature require. The scope also of the virtues, is, as we have said, generically different in the different virtues. For the scope of the political virtues, is to give measure to the passions in their practical energies according to nature. But the scope of the cathartic virtues, is entirely to obliterate the remembrance of the passions. And the scope of the rest subsists analogously to what has been before said.
1 The words xal Stxacorvvy are omitted in the original. But it is evident from Plotinus, that they ought to be inserted.
Hence, he who energizes according to the practical
virtues, is a worthy man: but he who energizes accord-
ing to the cathartic virtues, is a demoniacal man, or
is also a good demon. We who energizes according to
the intellectual virtues alone, is a God. But he who
energizes according to the paradigmatic virtues, 1s
the father of the Gods. We, therefore, ought especially
to pay attention to the cathartic virtues, since we may
obtain these in the present life. But through these,
the ascent is to the more honorable virtues. Hence it
is requisite to survey to what degree purification may
be extended. For it is a separation from body, and
from the passive motion of the irrational part. But
how this may be effected, and to what extent, must
now be said.
“Tn the first place, indeed, it is necessary that he who intends to acquire this purification, should, as the foundation ae basis of it, know himself to be a soul bound in a foreign thing, and in a different essence. In the second place, as that which is raised from this foundation, he should collect himself from the body, and as it were from different places, so as to be disposed in a manner perfectly impassive with respect to the body. For he who energizes uninterruptedly accord- ing to sense, though he may not do this with an adhering affection, and the enjoyment resulting from pleasure, yet at the same time his attention is dissipated about the body, in consequence of becoming through sense 1 incontact withit. But we are addicted to the pleasures or pains of sensibles, in conjunction with a promptitude, and converging sympathy; from which disposition it is requisite to be purified. This, however, will be effected by admitting necessary pleasures, and the sensations of them, merely as remedtes, or as a liberation from patn, in order that [the rational part] may not be impeded [in tts energies.| Pain also must be taken away. But if this is not possible, it must be mildly diminished. And it
1 Instead of xar’ durin here, it is necessary to read xar’ aicOyow.
will be diminished, if the soul is not copassive with it.
Anger, likewise, must as much as oan be taken away;
and must by no means be premeditated. But if it can-
not be entirely removed, deliberate choice must not be
mingled with it, but the unpremeditated motion must
be the impulse of the irrational part. That however
which is unpremeditated 1s imbecile and small. All fear,
likewise, must be expelled. For he who acquires this
urification, will fear nothing. Here, however, if it
should take place, it will be unpremeditated. Anger
therefore and fear must be used for the purpose of
admonition. But the desire of every thing base must
be exterminated. Such a one also, so far as he is a
cathartic philosopher, will not desire meats and drinks.
Neither must there be the unpremeditated in natural
venereal connexions; but 1f this should take place, tt
must only be as far as to that precipitate imagination
which energizes in sleep. In short, the intellectual soul
itself of the purified man, must be liberated from all
these [corporeal propensities]. He must likewise en-
deavour that what is moved to the irrational nature
of corporeal passions, may be moved without sympathy,
and without animadversion; so that the motions them-
selves may be immediately dissolved, through their
vicinity to the reasoning power. This, however, will
not take place while the purification is proceeding to
its perfection; but will happen to those in whom
reason rules without opposition. Hence in these, the
inferior part will so venerate reason, that it will be
indignant. if it is at all moved, in consequence of not
being quiet when its master is present, and will reprove
itself for its imbecility. "These, however, are yet only
moderations of the passions, but at length terminate
in apathy. For when co-passivity is entirely exter-
minated, then apathy is present with him whois purified
from it. For passion becomes moved, when reason
imparts excitation, through verging [to the irrational nature].”
P. 199. The theorems of philosophy are to be enjoyed,
as much as possible, as if they were ambrosia and
nectar, &Sc. Fe.
This Sentence in the original of Arcerius is as follows: ‘ Te Kara procodiay Oewpnuarwy dmohavereor, ep’ Bo-ov oidy, xaOdmep au Bposias kat véxTapos’ axnpaTdov Te yap TO an QUuTa@V yOu Kat TO Oeiov TO meyadorpuxov duvarat TE TOLELY, kat ef un Gidious, aidiwy ye émaTimovas,
In the edition of the Protreptics by Kiessling, which
I did not see, till the greater part of this work was
printed, cogiay is substituted for procodiay, but in my
opinion very erroneously; and this German editor,
from not perceiving the necessity of reading axjparov
Te yap TO am avTav HOU Kai Oeiov, TO peyadouxoy, K. A.
instead of retaining the reading of Arcerius, has made
nonsense of this part of the Sentence. For his version
of it is: ‘* Nam et sincera est eorum dulcedo, et divinam
naturam, animum magnum efficere possunt.”
THE END.