Page:Works of Plato his first fifty-five dialogues (Taylor 1804) (Vol 2 of 5) (IA Vol2worksofplato00plat).pdf/434

 INTRODUCTION TO THE TIM^EUS.

424

becoming participated, and being no longer intellectual, it is evident that they are no longer immovable natures. muſt be felf-motive.

But, not being immovable, they

For thefe are proximately fufpended from immovable

natures ; and from things eftentiallv intellectual a progreftion takes place to fuch as are fo according to participation, and from things immovable to fuch as are felf-motive.

Thefe elements, therefore, fubfift in life, and are felf-

motive and intellectual according to participation. this muft be manifeft.

But the progreftion from

For the immediate defcent from life is to animal;

fince this is proximate to life.

And from that which is eftentially felf-

motive, to that which is felf-motive according to a participation of life. For, fo far as it proceeds from life to animal, it buffers a mutation.

But fo

far as it proceeds from that which is immaterial to things immaterial *, (that is, fuch as may be called immaterial when contrafted with mutable matter,) and from divine life to a divine eftfence, it becomes aftimilated to them.

If,

therefore, you take away from hence that which is immaterial and immu¬ table, you will produce that which is mutable and material.

And through

this, indeed, they are diminifhed from fuch as are before them ; but on account of the fymmetry and order of their motions, and their immutability in their mutations, they become affimilated to them.

If, therefore, you

take away this order, you will behold the great confufton and inconftancy of the elements ; and this will be the laft progreftion, and the very dregs and fediment of all the prior gradations of the elements. “ Of the elements, therefore, fome are immovable, imparticipable, intelledual and demiurgic ; but others are intellectual and immovable accord¬ ing to eflence, but participated by mundane natures.

Others again are felf-

motive, and eftentially lives ; but others are felf-motive and vital, but are not lives.

Some again are alter-motive, or moved by another, but are

moved in an orderly manner ; and, laftly, others have a difordered, tumul¬ tuous, and confufed lubfiftence.” Such then is the progreftion of the elements, and fuch the nature of a celeftial body.

But, if the body of the world be fpherical, and this muft

neceftarily be the cafe, as a fphere is the moft perfect of figures, and the world the beft of effects, there muft be fome part in it correlponding to a 1

He means the divine bodies of the ftars, and the body of the heavens; which, compared

with fublunary bodies, may be juftly called immaterial bodies.

centre.