Page:The works of Plato, A new and literal version, (vol 6) (Burges, 1854).djvu/44

32 going through its own orbit in such a way, that no nature would be competent to contemplate them easily, unless it par took of a wonderful nature, as we have just now said, and say to those, to whom we are stating what it is meet to learn, and how. Let this be mentioned first by us.

[12.] The Moon goes through its orbit the quickest, and first leads on the month and the full moon. The second it is meet to consider is the Sun, that leads on the solstices through the whole of its orbit, and those that describe their course together with it. But that we may not frequently converse in the same way about the same things, the other orbits, which we mentioned before, and which it is not easy to comprehend, We ought to contemplate; and for these objects it is requisite to prepare natures, such as can exist, by teaching them many things beforehand, and accustoming the party, while a boy or youth, to labour thoroughly at what is requisite. On this account there would be a need of mathematics; but the greatest and first (need) is of numbers in the abstract, and not of such as are connected with bodies, but of the whole generation and power of the even and the odd, (and) so much as they contribute to the nature of things that exist. Now to him, who learns this, there comes in due order what we