Page:Works of Plato his first fifty-five dialogues (Taylor 1804) (Vol 2 of 5) (IA Vol2worksofplato00plat).pdf/449

 439

INTRODUCTION TO THE TIM^US.

owing to the fire which they contain being wholly abſorbed, as it were, in grofs and ponderous earth. In like manner, with refped to earth, the charaderiftic of its nature is folidity and tangibility, but not ponderofity and a tendency downwards ; for thefe properties do not fubfift in every fpecies of earth.

Hence, when we

confider thefe two elements according to their oppofite fubfiftence, we fhall find that fire is always in motion, but earth always immovable ; that fire is eminently vifible, and earth eminently tangible; and that fire is of a moft attenuated nature through light, but that earth is moft denfe through darknefs.

So that as fire is effentially the caufe of light, in like manner, earth

is effentially the caufe of darknefs ; while air and water fubfifting as mediums between thefe two, are, on account of their diaphanous nature, the caufes of vifibility

to

other things, but not to themfelves.

In the mean time

moifture is common both to air and water, conneding and conglutinating earth, but becoming the feat of fire, and affording nourifhment and liability to its flowing nature. With refped to the compofition of the mundane foul, it is neceffary to obferve that there are five o genera of being, from which all things after the o7 o firft being are compofed, viz. effence, permanency, motion, famenefs, difference. For every thing mufl poffefs effence ; mu ft abide in its caufe, from which alfo it mufl proceed, and to which it mufl be converted; mufl be the fame with itfelf and certain other natures, and at the fame time different from others and diflinguifhed in itfelf.

But Plato, for the fake of brevity, affumes only

three of thefe in the compofition of the foul, viz. effence, famenefs, and differ¬ ence ; for the other two mufl neceffarily fubfift in conjundion with thefe. But by a nature impartible, or without parts, we mufl underftand intelled, and by that nature which is divifible about body, corporeal life.

The mun¬

dane foul, therefore, is a medium between the mundane intelled and the whole of that corporeal life which the world participates.

We mufl not,

however, fuppofe that when the foul is laid to be mingled from thefe two, the impartible and partible natures are confumed in the mixture, as is the cafe when corporeal fubftances are mingled together; but we mufl under¬ ftand that the foul is of a middle nature between thefe, fo as to be different from each, and yet a participant of each. 4

The