Page:Works of Plato his first fifty-five dialogues (Taylor 1804) (Vol 2 of 5) (IA Vol2worksofplato00plat).pdf/429

419 who had compoſed a book on the univerſe, and to Parmenides on the other, who had written on true beings. The divine Jamblichus, therefore, aſſerts very properly, that the whole theory of Plato is comprehended in theſe two dialogues, the Parmenides and Timæus. For the whole dodtrine of mundane and ſupermundane natures is accurately delivered in theſe, and in the moſt conſummate perfection; nor is any order of beings left without inveſtigation.

We may behold too the ſimilitude of proceeding in the Timæus to that in the Parmenides. For, as Timaeus refers the cauſe of every thing in the world to the firſt artificer, ſo Parmenides ſuſpends the progreſſion of all things from 'the one'. And as the former repreſents all things as participating of demiurgic providence, ſo the other exhibits beings participating of a uniform eſſence. And again, as Timæus prior to his phyſiology preſents us through images with the theory of mundane natures, ſo Parmenides prior to his theology excites us to an inveſtigation of immaterial forms. For it is proper, after being exerciſed in diſcourſes about the beſt polity, to proceed to a contemplation of the univerſe ; and, after an athletic contention through ſtrenuous doubts about ideas, to betake ourſelves to the myſtic ſpeculation of the unities of beings. And thus much for the hypotheſis or argument of the dialogue.

But as a more copious and accurate inveſtigation of ſome of its principal parts will be neceſſary, even to a general knowledge of the important truths which it contains, previous to this I ſhall preſent the reader with an abſtract of that inimitable theory reſpecting the connection of things, which is the baſis of the preſent work, and of the whole philoſophy of Plato. For by a comprehenſive view of this kind we ſhall be better prepared for a minute ſurvey of the intricate parts of the dialogue, and be convinced how infinitely ſuperior the long loft 'philoſophy' of 'Pythagoras' and 'Plato' is to the 'experimental farrago' of the 'moderns'.

Since the firſt cauſe is 'the good', and this is the ſame with 'the one', as is evident from the Parmenides, it is neceſſary that the whole of things ſhould be the moſt excellent, that is, the moſt united that can poſſibly be conceived. But perfect union in the whole of things can no otherwiſe take place than 3 H 2by